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RW's VLM 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 target times below are approximate defaults. Your Garmin download will give you more specific targets.

WEEK ONE (Dec27-Jan2): approx 30M

Mon 4M easy (miles) (approx 34 mins)
Tue 4M marathon pace (approx 30 mins)
Wed 5M steady (approx 40 mins)
Thu 4M with middle 2M at 10K pace (approx 30 mins in total - 13 mins fast)
Fri Rest
Sat 4M inc hill ession or circuit
Sun 9M (approx 76 mins)

WEEK TWO (Jan 3-9): approx 38M

Mon 4M easy (approx 34 mins)
Tue 1M jog, then 15 x 200m at mile/5K speed (or 40 secs mins) fast, with 200m (or 1-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 6M steady (approx 48 mins)
Thu 1M jog, then 3M at half-marathon pace (approx 21 mins), then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat Parkrun or 30 mins fartlek
Sun 13M easy (approx 1 hrs 50 mins)

WEEK THREE (Jan 10-16): approx 42M

Mon 4M easy (approx 34 mins)
Tue 1M jog, then 4 x 1M or 1600m at 10K pace (or 6 mins) fast, with 400m (2-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 7M easy (approx 60 mins)
Thu 1M jog, then 4M at half-marathon pace (28 mins) then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 5M inc hill session or circuit
Sun 13M steady (approx 1:44)

WEEK FOUR (Jan 17-23): approx 41M

Mon 4M easy (approx 34 mins)
Tue 1M jog, then 6 x 1000m at 10K speed (or 4 mins) fast, with 200m (1-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 8M easy (approx 68 mins)
Thu 5M steady (approx 40 mins)
Fri Rest
Sat 4M easy(approx 34 mins)
Sun 13M in approx 1:44 (First 6M easy in 52 mins, last 7M at marathon pace in 52 mins)

WEEK FIVE (Jan 24-30): approx 48M

Mon 4M easy (approx 34 mins)
Tue 1M jog, then 12 x 400m at mile/ 5K speed (or 90 secs) fast, with 200m (or 1-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 9M easy (approx 76 mins)
Thu 1M jog, then 5M at half-marathon pace (approx 35 mins) then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat Parkrun or 40 mins fartlek (approx 5M)
Sun 16M easy (approx 2:16)

WEEK SIX (Jan 31-Feb 6): approx 42M

Mon 4M easy (approx 34 mins)
Tue 1M jog, then 3 x 2000m at 10K pace (or 8 mins) fast with 400m (or 2-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 10M easy (approx 85 mins)
Thu 5M inc hill session or circuit
Fri Rest
Sat 4M easy (approx 34 mins)
Sun Race or 13M at half-marathon pace

WEEK SEVEN (Feb 7-13): approx 50M

Mon 4M easy (approx 34 mins)
Tue 1M jog, then 18 x 200m at mile/5K pace (or 40 secs) fast, with 200m (or 1-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 11M easy (approx 93 mins)
Thu 1M jog, then 5M at marathon pace (approx 37 mins), then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 5M hills or hilly circuit
Sun 16M steady (approx 2 hrs 8)

WEEK EIGHT (Feb 14-20): approx 49M

Mon4M easy (approx 34 mins)
Tue 1M jog, 5 x 1M or 1600m at 10K pace (or 6:30) fast with 400m (or 2-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 12M easy (approx 34 mins)
Thu 1M jog, then 3M at half-marathon pace (approx 21 mins), then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 4M easy (approx 34 mins)
Sun 16M in approx 2 hours 8 (First 8M in easy 68 mins, last 8M at marathon pace in 60 mins)

WEEK NINE (Feb 21-27): approx 49M

Mon 4M easy (approx 34 mins)
Tue 1M jog, then 7 x 1000m at 10K speed (or 4 mins) fast, with 200m (or 1-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 10M steady (approx 80 mins)
Thu 5M hills or hilly circuit
Fri Rest
Sat Parkrun 5km or 40 mins fartlek (approx 5M total)
Sun 18M steady (approx 2hrs 24)

WEEK TEN (Feb 28-March 6): approx 48M

Mon 4M easy (approx 34 mins)
Tue 1M jog, then 15 x 400m at mile/5K speed (or 90 secs) fast, with 200m (or 1-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 11M steady (approx 88 mins)
Thu 1M jog, then 3M at half-marathon pace (approx 22 mins), then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 3M easy (approx 25 mins)
Sun 18M in approx 2 hours 23 (First 9M easy in 76 mins, last 9M at marathon pace in 67 mins)

WEEK ELEVEN (March 7-13): approx 49M

Mon rest
Tue 1M jog, then 20 x 200m at mile/5K speed (or 45 secs) fast, with 200m (or 1-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 12M easy (approx 96 mins)
Thu1M jog, then 3M at half-marathon pace (approx 22 mins), then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat Parkrun 5km or 40 mins fartlek (approx 5M in total)
Sun20M easy (approx 2 hours 50) slow

WEEK TWELVE (March 14-20): approx 47M

Mon 4M easy (approx 34 mins)
Tue 1M jog, then 4 x 2000m at 10K pace (or 8 mins) fast with 400m (or 2-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 10M easy (approx 85 mins)
Thu 1M jog, then 4M at half-marathon pace (approx 27 mins) brisk, then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 5M easy (approx 42 mins)
Sun Half-marathon race (plus 1M warm up and cool down)

WEEK THIRTEEN (March 21-27): approx 51M

Mon 4M (approx 35 mins) easy
Tue 1M jog, then 5 x 1M or 1600m (or 6:30) fast with 400m (or 2-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 10M easy (approx 85 mins)
Thu > 1M jog, then 4M at half-marathon pace (approx 27 mins) brisk, then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat Parkrun or 5M easy (approx 42 mins)
Sun 20M in approx 2:28 (First 10M easy in 85 mins, last 10M at marathon pace in 73 mins)

WEEK FOURTEEN (March 28-April3): approx 46M

Mon 4M easy (approx 34 mins)
Tue 1M jog, then 6 x 1000m at 10K speed (or 4 mins) fast, with 200m (or 1-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 9M steady (approx 72 mins)
Thu 1M easy, then middle 4M at marathon pace (approx 30 mins) brisk, then 1M easy
Fri Rest
Sat Parkrun 5km or 40 mins fartlek (approx 5M)
Sun 15M steady (approx 2hrs)

WEEK FIFTEEN (April 4-10): approx 34M

Mon 4M easy (approx 34 mins)
Tue 1M jog, then 10 x 400m at mile/ 5K (or 90 secs) fast, with 100m (or 1-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 6M easy (approx 51 mins)
Thu 1M jog, then 3M at half-marathon pace (approx 21 mins), then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 4M easy (approx 34 mins)
Sun 10M steady (approx 80 mins)

WEEK SIXTEEN (April 11-18): 18M plus race

Mon 4M easy (approx 34 mins)
Tue 1M jog, then 12 x 200m at mile/5K speed (or 40 secs) fast, with 200m (or 2-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 4M easy (approx 34 mins) with 5 marathhon pace 100m strides
Thu 3M easy (approx 24 mins) with 4 marathhon pace 100m strides
Fri Rest
Sat 2M easy (approx 17 mins) easy, in racing kit, with 3 marathon pace 100m strides
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, in minutes/mile. 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 article

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 at 23:11

Wendel

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

James Burchett

me too!

Posted: 22/12/2008 at 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 at 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 at 12:58

LEE DAVIES 8

IM havin trouble tooooooooo.....
Posted: 03/01/2009 at 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 at 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 at 09:53

Clay Schouest

Runners world need to pull their socks up and learn to be a bit more consistent!

Has anyone noticed that the training schedule listed in text on this page is actually different than the one that is downloaded!

Eg, week 16 Thursday 14th April says

"Thu 3M easy (approx 24 mins) with 4 marathhon pace 100m strides"

The actual training plan downloaded has Thursday as an off day !

Come on Runner's World, you're three steps behind the rest of us.!

Posted: 06/01/2011 at 23:00

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