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RW's Garmin-Ready Marathon Schedule: Sub-3:15

Posted: 26 November 2007

A 3:15 marathon is approximately 7:20 per mile. To break 3:15, you should eventually be capable of a sub-1:30 half-marathon (6:50 per mile) and sub-40:00 10K (6:30 per mile). Right now, you should be running at least 30-35 miles per week, over six sessions.

The schedule below (devised by former London Marathon winner Mike Gratton) is explained more fully in our free weekly marathon training email, and all at once in our subscriber-only Ultimate Schedules section.
The Sun times below are approximate defaults. Your Garmin download will give you more specific targets.

WEEK ONE

Mon 4M (miles) (approx 35 mins) easy
Tue 4M (approx 33 mins) slow with a few gentle strides
Wed 5M (approx 41 mins) slow
Thu 4M (approx 30 mins) steady
Fri Rest
Sat 5M (approx 42 mins) easy
Sun 12M (approx 100 mins) slow

WEEK TWO

Mon 4M (approx 35 mins) easy
Tue 1M jog, then 3 x 2M (or 13 mins) fast, with 800m (4-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 6M (approx 50 mins) slow
Thu 1M jog, then 2M (approx 14 mins) brisk, then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 5M (approx 42 mins) easy
Sun 13M (approx 108 mins) slow

WEEK THREE

Mon 4M (approx 35 mins) easy
Tue 1M jog, then 4 x 1M (or 6 mins) fast, with 400m (2-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 7M (approx 58 mins) slow
Thu 5M (approx 37 mins) steady
Fri Rest
Sat 5M (approx 42 mins) easy
Sun 15M (approx 2hr 05) slow

WEEK FOUR

Mon 4M (approx 35 mins) easy
Tue 1M jog, then 7 x 800m (or 3 mins) fast, with 200m (1-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 8M (approx 66 mins) slow
Thu 1M jog, then 3M (approx 20 mins) brisk, then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 5M (approx 42 mins) easy
Sun 1M jog, then race 10K or 5M, then 1M jog. Aim for a sub-40:00 10K or sub-32:00 5-miler

WEEK FIVE

Mon 4M (approx 35 mins) easy
Tue 1M jog, then 5M (or 40 mins) fartlek, then 1M jog
Wed 9M (approx 75 mins) slow
Thu 6M (approx 45 mins) steady
Fri Rest
Sat 5M (approx 42 mins) easy
Sun 16M (approx 2hrs 15) slow

WEEK SIX

Mon 4M (approx 35 mins) easy
Tue 1M jog, then 10 x 2 mins up hill, jog back. Then 1M jog at end of session
Wed 10M (approx 80 mins) slow
Thu 1M jog, then 4M (approx 29 mins) brisk, then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 5M (approx 42 mins) easy
Sun 18M (approx 2hrs 30) slow

WEEK SEVEN

Mon 4M (approx 35 mins) easy
Tue 1M jog, then 12 x 2 mins up hill, jog back. Then 1M jog at end of session
Wed 11M (approx 90 mins) slow
Thu 8M (approx 60 mins) steady
Fri Rest
Sat 5M (approx 42 mins) easy
Sun 20M (approx 2 hrs 45) slow

WEEK EIGHT

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 14 x 2 mins up hill, jog back. Then 1M jog at end of session
Wed 12M (approx 100 mins) slow
Thu 1M jog, then 3M (approx 20 mins) brisk, then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 5M (approx 42 mins) easy
Sun Race (5M to half-marathon)

WEEK NINE

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 15 x 200m (or 45 secs) fast, with 100m (or 30-sec) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 8M (approx 65 mins) slow
Thu 10M (approx 75 mins) steady
Fri Rest
Sat 5M (approx 42 mins) easy
Sun 20M (approx 2hrs 45) slow

WEEK TEN

Mon 4M (approx 35 mins) easy
Tue 1M jog, then 3 x 2M (or 12 mins) fast, with 400m (or 2-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 9M (approx 75 mins) slow
Thu 1M jog, then 4M (approx 28 mins) brisk, then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 3M (approx 25 mins) easy
Sun Half-marathon Aim for sub-1:30

WEEK ELEVEN

Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, 6M (or 50 mins) fartlek, then 1M jog
Wed 7M (approx 58 mins) slow
Thu 12M (approx 90 mins) steady
Fri Rest
Sat 5M (approx 42 mins) easy
Sun 20M (approx 2hrs 45) slow

WEEK TWELVE

Mon 4M (approx 35 mins) easy
Tue 1M jog, then 3 x 2M (or 12 mins) fast, with 400m (or 2-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 9M (approx 75 mins) slow
Thu 1M jog, then 4M (approx 28 mins) brisk, then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 5M (approx 42 mins) easy
Sun 20M (approx 2hrs 45) slow

WEEK THIRTEEN

Mon 4M (approx 35 mins) easy
Tue 1M jog, then 5 x 1M (or 6 mins) fast, with 200m (or 1-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 8M (approx 65 mins) slow
Thu 1M jog, then 5M (approx 35 mins) brisk, then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 5M (approx 42 mins) easy
Sun 22M (approx 3hrs) slow

WEEK FOURTEEN

Mon 4M (approx 35 mins) easy
Tue 1M jog, then 8 x 800m (or 3 mins) fast, with 100m (or 1-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 7M (approx 60 mins) slow
Thu 10M (approx 75 mins) steady
Fri Rest
Sat 5M (approx 42 mins) easy
Sun 18M (approx 2hrs 30) slow

WEEK FIFTEEN

Mon 4M (approx 35 mins) easy
Tue 1M jog, then 12 x 400m (or 90 secs) fast, with 200m (or 2-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 6M (approx 50 mins) slow
Thu 1M jog, then 3M (approx 20 mins) brisk, then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 5M (approx 42 mins) easy
Sun 12M (approx 90 mins) steady

WEEK SIXTEEN

Mon 4M (approx 35 mins) easy
Tue 1M jog, then 8 x 400m (or 90 secs) fast, with 200m (or 2-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 4M (approx 35 mins) easy
Thu Rest
Fri Rest
Sat 2M (or 15 mins) easy, in racing kit
Sun The race

Download This Schedule For Your Garmin

You can download this schedule onto your Garmin Forerunner 205, 301, 305 or 405 (it will work best on the 205, 305 and 405). Your Forerunner will then guide you through each session with target training paces or heart rates to aim for.

Decide whether you want to train by heart rate or pace (if in doubt, choose pace).
Download the schedule onto your PC desktop using either the quick-download buttons below, or the custom-download buttons further down the page. (The custom options allow you to refine your training paces and heart rates.)
Open your Garmin Training Centre software, use 'file>import sessions' to import the schedules from your desktop, then plug in your Forerunner to synchronise it.
(You should make sure your Garmin software is up to date, especially as there is a new improvement to pace-smoothing for the 205 and 305. We suggest you use the 'WebUpdater option on these pages: 205; 301 ; 305)
If you are new to the 405, to ensure that you have the right software installed, click here.

Quick-download the RW Sub-3:15 schedule:

Make A Version With Custom Training Paces

Here are the training paces recommended by this schedule. You can adjust them if you feel that the overall schedule is right for you but that one or two of the paces is likely to be slightly too fast or too slow.

Jog recovery - a period of extremely slow running in between the efforts in a speed session	:
Easy - Easy - a gentle jog at below 75% maximum heart rate (MHR)	:
Slow - conversational pace (73-78% MHR)	:
Steady - a comfortable, but purposeful, pace. About marathon pace (79-84% MHR)	:
Brisk (or Threshold (THR) - around your target half-marathon pace (87-91% MHR).	:
Fast-10K - 90-94%	:
Fast-5K - 93-97% MHR	:
Fast-above-5K	:
You can also adjust the paces above by adjusting your marathon target slightly. The sessions and mileages in the schedule will stay the same but the paces will change.
New target:
:

Finished? When you're happy with the paces, download your schedule

(You can revise your paces partway through your training – just come back to this page, change the values and reupload to your Forerunner.)

Make A Version With Custom Heart Rates

Here are the percentages of maximum heart rate used in the different sessions in this schedule. Insert your maximum heart rate to see which targets you will have to aim for. You can adjust the '% max' figures if you feel that the overall schedule is right for you but that one or two of the heart rates is likely to be slightly too high or too low.

Finished? When you're happy with the heart rate zones, download your schedule

(You can revise your heart rate zones partway through your training - just come back to this page, change the values and reupload to your Forerunner)

Your Questions Answered

Choosing and customising a schedule

Downloading the schedule from RW onto your Forerunner

Using Training Center

Following the sessions

More help... If you don't find the answer to your question in the above FAQs, then please email Garmin's helpline, inputting 'Runner's World training plans' in the subject field of your email to aid our product support teams.

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Discuss this story

Craig Perkins 2

If anyone can help, that would be great. I've tried downloading the marathon training plan for my garmin 305. (Yes i'd love a 405, but there is a recession on). When i've imported the 'pace' version, it has imported into 2007/2008 as if i'm training for the 2008 marathon.

Am i looking in the wrong place, when will a revised plan be created for the coming 2009 series.

Posted: 14/10/2008 23:11

Wendel

I was wondering the same thing...
Posted: 16/12/2008 17:31

James Burchett

me too!

Posted: 22/12/2008 16:07

al.

Use this one instead: http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/news/article.asp?UAN=3180 and you can put your own race date in, or choose any of the others from here: http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/news/article.asp?UAN=2776. I'm following these based on heart rate and have uploaded to my 405.
Posted: 22/12/2008 16:14

neil ardiff

I'm having trouble importing the rwschedule.wkt into the Training Centre.I have version 3.4.3 of the Garmin Training Centre, so it's not a problem of the version I'm using. When I click on the rwschedule.wkt to save it to my computer, it is saving it as a word document. [have no idea why]Then when I go to the Training Centre to import the workout, the rwschedule.wkt is nowhere to be found.Any ideas?????
Posted: 03/01/2009 12:58

LEE DAVIES 8

IM havin trouble tooooooooo.....
Posted: 03/01/2009 19:30

LEE DAVIES 8

ah right done it , What happens when i plug my garmin into this training plan ??? its new only got it for christmas a 305 . any help pls
Posted: 03/01/2009 19:43

Andy Mutton

Hi,

Can anyone help me download the sub 3.15 marathon schedule - http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/news/article.asp?UAN=3180

Am I right in thinking I need to download it as a pdf document? If so, does anyone know how I download Adobe Acrobat (as I don't seem to have it on my computer).

Thanks in advance.

Andy

Posted: 11/01/2009 09:53

Talkback: RW's Garmin-Ready Marathon Schedule: Sub-3:15