Distance: Marathon (42.195km)
Target pace: 7:07 per km
Our Sub 5 hour marathon training plan is over 16 weeks and is completely free to use.
You can decide if you want to do all 16 weeks or start at any point during the training plan, it's completely up to you.
Congratulations on choosing your marathon plan. Whether this is your first attempt at the "full" or you're looking to achieve that 5 hour milestone, this schedule is designed to help you accomplish that. The key to success here is mileage. The aim is to be standing on the startline, 42.2km ahead of you and not feel any stress about that at all. On that basis the priority for the next 16 weeks is to get those long runs in. As great as it would be to run religiously 4 times a week for 16 weeks, we all lead busy lives and it can't always be possible. Prioritise a few hours over the weekend to get out there and clock up the easy miles, along with a shorter easy run during the week. Supplement the long runs with the interval and tempo sessions. These will work on improving your VO2 max, and build strength in the legs, all with the aim of making race-day as comfortable as possible.
Ready to get started on your journey?
Week 1 -
Distance: 29.0 km -
Number of runs: 4
Monday
Rest
Tuesday
Easy - 5km
Pace: 7:37 - 8:07 / km
Wednesday
Rest
Thursday
Race pace - 6km
Pace: 7:07 / km
Friday
Rest
Saturday
Recovery - 5km
Pace: 7:37 - 8:07 / km
Sunday
Long run - 13km
Pace: 7:52 - 8:48 / km
Week 2 -
Distance: 32.0 km -
Number of runs: 4
Monday
Rest
Tuesday
Tempo - 1.5km WU, 5km (T), 1.5km CD
Pace: 6:22 - 6:52 / km
Wednesday
Rest
Thursday
Easy - 6km
Pace: 7:37 - 8:07 / km
Friday
Rest
Saturday
Recovery - 5km
Pace: 7:37 - 8:07 / km
Sunday
Long run - 13km
Pace: 7:52 - 8:48 / km
Week 3 -
Distance: 37.7 km -
Number of runs: 4
Monday
Rest
Tuesday
Intervals - 1.5km WU, 3 x 1.5km (F) x 400m (S), 1.5km CD
Pace: 5:33 - 5:59 / km
Wednesday
Rest
Thursday
Easy - 8km
Pace: 7:37 - 8:07 / km
Friday
Rest
Saturday
Recovery - 5km
Pace: 7:37 - 8:07 / km
Sunday
Long run - 16km
Pace: 7:52 - 8:48 / km
Week 4 -
Distance: 32.0 km -
Number of runs: 4
Monday
Rest
Tuesday
Tempo - 1.5km WU, 6k (T), 1.5km CD
Pace: 6:22 - 6:52 / km
Wednesday
Rest
Thursday
Easy - 8km
Pace: 7:37 - 8:07 / km
Friday
Rest
Saturday
Recovery - 5km
Pace: 7:37 - 8:07 / km
Sunday
Race - 10km
Pace: 7:07 / km
Week 5 -
Distance: 39.8 km -
Number of runs: 4
Monday
Rest
Tuesday
Intervals - 1.5km WU, 6 x 400m (F) x 400m (S), 1.5km CD
Pace: 5:33 - 5:59 / km
Wednesday
Rest
Thursday
Easy - 8km
Pace: 7:37 - 8:07 / km
Friday
Rest
Saturday
Recovery - 5km
Pace: 7:37 - 8:07 / km
Sunday
Long run - 19km
Pace: 7:52 - 8:48 / km
Week 6 -
Distance: 43.0 km -
Number of runs: 4
Monday
Rest
Tuesday
Intervals - 1.5km WU, 5 x 400m (F) x 400m (S), 1.5km CD
Pace: 5:33 - 5:59 / km
Wednesday
Rest
Thursday
Easy - 10km
Pace: 7:37 - 8:07 / km
Friday
Rest
Saturday
Recovery - 5km
Pace: 7:37 - 8:07 / km
Sunday
Long run - 21km
Pace: 7:52 - 8:48 / km
Week 7 -
Distance: 39.0 km -
Number of runs: 4
Monday
Rest
Tuesday
Intervals - 1.5km WU, 10 x 200m (F) x 200m (S), 1.5km CD
Pace: 5:33 - 5:59 / km
Wednesday
Rest
Thursday
Easy - 11km
Pace: 7:37 - 8:07 / km
Friday
Rest
Saturday
Recovery - 5km
Pace: 7:37 - 8:07 / km
Sunday
Long run - 16km
Pace: 7:52 - 8:48 / km
Week 8 -
Distance: 45.6 km -
Number of runs: 4
Monday
Rest
Tuesday
Intervals - 1.5km WU, 4 x 1km (F) x 400m (S), 1.5km CD
Pace: 5:33 - 5:59 / km
Wednesday
Rest
Thursday
Race pace - 10km
Pace: 7:07 / km
Friday
Rest
Saturday
Recovery - 5km
Pace: 7:37 - 8:07 / km
Sunday
Long run - 22km
Pace: 7:52 - 8:48 / km
Week 9 -
Distance: 48.8 km -
Number of runs: 4
Monday
Rest
Tuesday
Intervals - 1.5km WU, 6 x 600m (F) x 200m (S), 1.5km CD
Pace: 5:33 - 5:59 / km
Wednesday
Rest
Thursday
Easy - 10km
Pace: 7:37 - 8:07 / km
Friday
Rest
Saturday
Recovery - 5km
Pace: 7:37 - 8:07 / km
Sunday
Long run - 26km
Pace: 7:52 - 8:48 / km
Week 10 -
Distance: 51.2 km -
Number of runs: 4
Monday
Rest
Tuesday
Intervals - 1.5km WU, 8 x 200m (F) x 200m (S), 1.5km CD
Pace: 5:33 - 5:59 / km
Wednesday
Rest
Thursday
Easy - 11km
Pace: 7:37 - 8:07 / km
Friday
Rest
Saturday
Recovery - 5km
Pace: 7:37 - 8:07 / km
Sunday
Long run - 29km
Pace: 7:52 - 8:48 / km
Week 11 -
Distance: 42.7 km -
Number of runs: 4
Monday
Rest
Tuesday
Intervals - 1.5km WU, 6 x 400m (F) x 200m (S), 1.5km CD
Pace: 5:33 - 5:59 / km
Wednesday
Rest
Thursday
Race pace - 10km
Pace: 7:07 / km
Friday
Rest
Saturday
Recovery - 5km
Pace: 7:37 - 8:07 / km
Sunday
Race - 21.1km
Pace: 7:07 / km
Week 12 -
Distance: 51.0 km -
Number of runs: 4
Monday
Rest
Tuesday
Easy - 6km
Pace: 7:37 - 8:07 / km
Wednesday
Rest
Thursday
Race pace - 8km
Pace: 7:07 / km
Friday
Rest
Saturday
Recovery - 5km
Pace: 7:37 - 8:07 / km
Sunday
Long run - 32km
Pace: 7:52 - 8:48 / km
Week 13 -
Distance: 48.0 km -
Number of runs: 4
Monday
Rest
Tuesday
Intervals - 1.5km WU, 10 x 100m (F) x 100m (S), 1.5km CD
Pace: 5:33 - 5:59 / km
Wednesday
Rest
Thursday
Race pace - 6km
Pace: 7:07 / km
Friday
Rest
Saturday
Recovery - 5km
Pace: 7:37 - 8:07 / km
Sunday
Long run - 32km
Pace: 7:52 - 8:48 / km
Week 14 -
Distance: 49.2 km -
Number of runs: 4
Monday
Rest
Tuesday
Race pace - 1.5km WU, 3.2km Race pace, 1.5km CD
Pace: 7:07 / km
Wednesday
Rest
Thursday
Easy - 11km
Pace: 7:37 - 8:07 / km
Friday
Rest
Saturday
Recovery - 5km
Pace: 7:37 - 8:07 / km
Sunday
Long run - 27km
Pace: 7:52 - 8:48 / km
Week 15 -
Distance: 29.0 km -
Number of runs: 4
Monday
Rest
Tuesday
Race pace - 1.5km WU, 5km Race pace, 1.5km CD
Pace: 7:07 / km
Wednesday
Rest
Thursday
Race pace - 6km
Pace: 7:07 / km
Friday
Rest
Saturday
Recovery - 5km
Pace: 7:37 - 8:07 / km
Sunday
Long run - 10km
Pace: 7:52 - 8:48 / km
Week 16 -
Distance: 55.395 km -
Number of runs: 4
Monday
Rest
Tuesday
Easy - 5km
Pace: 7:37 - 8:07 / km
Wednesday
Rest
Thursday
Easy - 5km
Pace: 7:37 - 8:07 / km
Friday
Rest
Saturday
Recovery - 3.2km
Pace: 7:37 - 8:07 / km
Sunday
Race - 42.195km
Pace: 7:07 / km
