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A 4:00 marathon is approximately 9:00 per mile. To break 4:00, you should eventually be capable of a sub-1:50 half-marathon (8:20 per mile) and sub-50:00 10K (8:00 per mile). Right now, you should be running at least 20 miles per week, and be able to run for an hour non-stop.
- 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 (Dec 27-Jan 2): approx 24M
Mon 3M easy (miles) (approx 30 mins)
Tue 3M marathon pace (approx 27 mins)
Wed 3M steady (approx 36 mins in total - 16 mins fast)
Thu 4M with middle 2M at 10K pace (approx 36 mins in total - 16 minutes fast)
Fri Rest
Sat 3M inc hill session or circuit
Sun 8M easy (approx 80 mins)
WEEK TWO (Jan 3-9): approx 29M
Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 12 x 200m at mile/5K pace (or 50 secs), with 200m (or 1 min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 4M steady (approx 38 mins)
Thu 1M jog, then 3M at half-marathon pace (25 mins), then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat Parkrun or 35 mins fartlek (approx 4M)
Sun 11M easy (approx 1:50)
WEEK THREE (Jan 10-16): approx 32M
Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 3 x 1M or 1600m at 10K pace (or 8 mins) fast, with 400m (or 2 mins) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 5M easy (approx 50 mins)
Thu 1M jog, then 4M at half-marathon pace (34 mins), then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 4M inc hill session or circuit
Sun 11M steady (approx 1:44)
WEEK FOUR (Jan 17-23): approx 31M
Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 5 x 1000m at 10K speed (or 5 mins), with 200m (or 1 min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 6M easy (approx 60 mins)
Thu 5M steady (approx 47 mins)
Fri Rest
Sat 3M easy (approx 30 mins)
Sun 11M in approx 1:44 (First 5M easy in 50 mins, last 6M at marathon pace in 54 mins)
WEEK FIVE (Jan 24-30): approx 36M
Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 10 x 400m at mile/5K speed (or 1:45) with 200m (or 1 min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 7M easy (approx 70 mins)
Thu 1M jog, then 3M at half-marathon pace (approx 25 mins), then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat Parkrun or 35 mins fartlek (approx 4M)
Sun 15M easy (approx 2:30)
WEEK SIX (Jan 31-Feb 6): approx 34M
Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 3 x 2000m at 10K pace (or 10 mins) with 400m (or 2 min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 8M easy (approx 80 mins)
Thu 4M inc hill session or circuit
Fri Rest
Sat 3M easy (approx 30 mins)
Sun Race or 13M at half-marathon pace
WEEK SEVEN (Feb 7-13): approx 40M
Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 15 x 200m at mile/5K pace (or 50 secs) with 200m (or 1 min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 9M easy (approx 90 mins)
Thu 1M jog, then 4M at marathon pace (approx 36 mins), then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 4M hills or hilly circuit
Sun 15M steady (approx 2hrs 22)
WEEK EIGHT (Feb 14-20): approx 40M
Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, 4 x 1M or 1600m at 10K pace (or 8 mins) fast with 400m (or 2 min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 10M easy (approx 1:40)
Thu 1M jog, then 3M at half-marathon pace (approx 25 mins), then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 3M easy (approx 30 mins)
Sun 15M in approx 2:22 (First 7M easy in 70 mins, last 8M at marathon pace in 72 mins)
WEEK NINE (Feb 21-27): approx 43M
Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 6 x 1000m or 10K pace (or 5 mins) with 200m (or 1 min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 9M easy (approx 90 mins)
Thu 4M hills or hilly circuit
Fri Rest
Sat Parkrun 5K or 45 mins fartlek (approx 5M total)
Sun 18M steady (approx 2hrs 42)
WEEK TEN (Feb 28-March 6): approx 42M
Mon Rest
Tue1M jog, then 12 x 400m at mile/5K pace (or 1:40) with 200m (or 1 min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 10M steady (approx 1:35)
Thu 1M jog, then 3M at half-marathon pace (approx 25 mins), then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 3M easy (approx 30 mins)
Sun 18M in approx 2:51 (First 9M easy in 90 mins, last 9M at marathon pace in 81 mins)
WEEK ELEVEN (March 7-13): approx 45M
Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 16 x 200m at mile/5K pace (or 50 secs) with 200m (or 1 min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 11M easy (approx 1:50)
Thu 1M jog, then 3M at half-marathon pace (approx 25 mins), then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat Parkrun 5K or 40 mins fartlek (approx 4M total)
Sun 20M easy (approx 3hrs 20)
WEEK TWELVE (March 14-20): approx 38M
Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 4 x 2000m at 10K pace (or ten mins) with 400m (or 2 mins) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 9M easy (approx 90 mins)
Thu 1M jog, then 3M at marathon pace (approx 27 mins), then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 3M easy (approx 30 mins)
SunHalf-marathon race (plus 1M warm up and cool down)
WEEK THIRTEEN (March 21-27): approx 44M
Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, 5 x 1M or 1600m (or 8 mins) fast, with 400m (or 2-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 8M easy (approx 80 mins)
Thu 1M jog, then 3M at half-marathon pace (approx 25 mins), then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 3M (approx 30 mins)
Sun 20M in approx 3:10 (First 10M easy in 100 mins, last 10M at marathon pace in 90 mins)
WEEK FOURTEEN (March 28-April 3): approx 39M
Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 6 x 1000m at 10K speed (or 5 mins), with 200m (or 1-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 7M steady (approx 67 mins)
Thu 1M jog, then middle 4M at marathon pace (approx 36 mins), then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat Parkrun 5K or 40 mins fartlek (approx 4M)
Sun 15M steady (approx 2:22)
WEEK FIFTEEN (April 4-10): approx 29M
Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 10 x 400m at mile/5K pace (or 1:50) with 100m (or 1 min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 6M easy (approx 60 mins)
Thu 1M jog, then 3M at half-marathon pace (approx 25 mins), then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 3M easy (approx 30 mins)
Sun 10M steady (approx 95 mins)
WEEK SIXTEEN (April 11-18) 13M plus race
Mon Rest
Tue 1M jog, then 12 x 200m at mile/5K pace (or 50 secs) with 200m (or 1 min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 4M easy (approx 40 mins) with 5 marathon pace 100m strides
Thu 3M easy (approx 30 mins) with 4 marathon pace 100m strides
Fri Rest
Sat 2M easy (approx 20 mins), in racing kit with 3 marathon pace 100m strides
Sun The race
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