I’ve used the Runners World 16 week, 4h Marathon training plan to put the plan below together. I was able to download the entire plan to my Garmin Forerunner 405cx using the target training paces as a guide. So all I need to do to stick to the plan is check what’s on the agenda for the day, pick the training setting on the watch and off I go. The watch will then track my distance, tell me when to switch from slower warm up sessions to speed sessions, and make sure I run in at the proper pace. The beeping noises take a bit to get used to, but after a while you don’t even need to look at the watch anymore.
I’m aiming for a sub 4 hour finish even though this is my first marathon. While the main goal will simply be to finish the 42.16 kilometre race, I’d also like to finish in under 4 hours. From previous half marathons and 10k races I think that is a reasonable goal to aim for.
Here’s hoping I can keep this up for 16 weeks!
Legend
M = miles
m = metres
easy = 6:26/km – 6:39/km
slow = 6:16/km – 6:28/km
steady = 5:35/km – 5:47/km
brisk = 5:21/km – 5:34/km
fast = 4:54/km – 5:06/km
wu/cd = warm up/cool down, 6:26/km – 6:39/km for 1M each
Week 1
| Monday, 31 Jan | rest |
| Tuesday, 1 Feb | slow 3M |
| Wednesday, 2 Feb | slow 4M |
| Thursday, 3 Feb | steady 2M |
| Friday, 4 Feb | rest |
| Saturday, 5 Feb | easy 3M |
| Sunday, 6 Feb | slow 7M |
Week 2
| Monday, 7 Feb | rest |
| Tuesday, 8 Feb | 2 x 1.5M fast |
| Wednesday, 9 Feb | slow 5M |
| Thursday, 10 Feb | brisk 2M, wu/cd |
| Friday, 11 Feb | rest |
| Saturday, 12 Feb | easy 4M |
| Sunday, 13 Feb | slow 8M |
Week 3
| Monday, 14 Feb | rest |
| Tuesday, 15 Feb | 3 x 1M fast |
| Wednesday, 16 Feb | slow 6M |
| Thursday, 17 Feb | steady 3M, wu/cd |
| Friday, 18 Feb | rest |
| Saturday, 19 Feb | easy 4M |
| Sunday, 20 Feb | slow 9M |
Week 4
| Monday, 21 Feb | rest |
| Tuesday, 22 Feb | 4 x 800m fast |
| Wednesday, 23 Feb | slow 7M |
| Thursday, 24 Feb | brisk 2M, wu/cd |
| Friday, 25 Feb | rest |
| Saturday, 26 Feb | easy 4M |
| Sunday, 27 Feb | race 10k |
Week 5
| Monday, 28 Feb | rest |
| Tuesday, 1 Mar | fartlek 4M, wu/cd |
| Wednesday, 2 Mar | slow 4M |
| Thursday, 3 Mar | slow 5M |
| Friday, 4 Mar | rest |
| Saturday, 5 Mar | easy 4M or rest |
| Sunday, 6 Mar | slow 11M |
Week 6
| Monday, 7 Mar | rest |
| Tuesday, 8 Mar | 8 x 400m fast |
| Wednesday, 9 Mar | slow 6M |
| Thursday, 10 Mar | brisk 4M, wu/cd |
| Friday, 11 Mar | rest |
| Saturday, 12 Mar | easy 4M |
| Sunday, 13 Mar | slow 13M |
Week 7
| Monday, 14 Mar | rest |
| Tuesday, 15 Mar | hills x 9 |
| Wednesday, 16 Mar | slow 7M |
| Thursday, 17 Mar | steady 6M |
| Friday, 18 Mar | rest |
| Saturday, 19 Mar | easy 4M |
| Sunday, 20 Mar | slow 15M |
Week 8
| Monday, 21 Mar | rest |
| Tuesday, 22 Mar | 3 x 1M fast |
| Wednesday, 23 Mar | slow 8M |
| Thursday, 24 Mar | brisk 2M wu/cd |
| Friday, 25 Mar | rest |
| Saturday, 26 Mar | easy 3M |
| Sunday, 27 Mar | race half marathon, 5:21/km – 5:34/km |
Week 9
| Monday, 28 Mar | rest |
| Tuesday, 29 Mar | 12 x 200m fast |
| Wednesday, 30 Mar | slow 7M |
| Thursday, 31 Mar | steady 8M |
| Friday, 1 Apr | rest |
| Saturday, 2 Apr | easy 4M |
| Sunday, 3 Apr | slow 17M |
Week 10
| Monday, 4 Apr | rest |
| Tuesday, 5 Apr | 3 x 1.5M fast, wu/cd |
| Wednesday, 6 Apr | slow 8M |
| Thursday, 7 Apr | brisk 3M, wu/cd |
| Friday, 8 Apr | rest |
| Saturday, 9 Apr | easy 3M |
| Sunday, 10 Apr | race half marathon, 5:21/km – 5:34/km |
Week 11
| Monday, 11 Apr | rest |
| Tuesday, 12 Apr | fartlek 6M, wu/cd |
| Wednesday, 13 Apr | slow 6M |
| Thursday, 14 Apr | steady 10M |
| Friday, 15 Apr | rest |
| Saturday, 16 Apr | easy 4M |
| Sunday, 17 Apr | slow 19M |
Week 12
| Monday, 18 Apr | rest |
| Tuesday, 19 Apr | 3 x 1.5M fast, wu/cd |
| Wednesday, 20 Apr | slow 8M |
| Thursday, 21 Apr | brisk 3M, wu/cd |
| Friday, 22 Apr | rest |
| Saturday, 23 Apr | easy 4M |
| Sunday, 24 Apr | slow 19M |
Week 13
| Monday, 25 Apr | rest |
| Tuesday, 26 Apr | 5 x 1M fast, wu/cd |
| Wednesday, 27 Apr | slow 7M |
| Thursday, 28 Apr | brisk 4M, wu/cd |
| Friday, 29 Apr | rest |
| Saturday, 30 Apr | easy 4M |
| Sunday, 1 May | slow 22M |
Week 14
| Monday, 2 May | rest |
| Tuesday, 3 May | 6 x 800m fast, wu/cd |
| Wednesday, 4 May | slow 6M |
| Thursday, 5 May | steady 9M |
| Friday, 6 May | rest |
| Saturday,7 May | easy 4M |
| Sunday, 8 May | slow 18M |
Week 15
| Monday, 9 May | rest |
| Tuesday, 10 May | hills x 12 |
| Wednesday, 11 May | slow 5M |
| Thursday, 12 May | brisk 3M, wu/cd |
| Friday, 13 May | rest |
| Saturday, 14 May | easy 4M |
| Sunday, 15 May | steady 12M |
Week 16
| Monday, 16 May | rest |
| Tuesday, 17 May | 6 x 400m at 10k |
| Wednesday, 18 May | slow 4M |
| Thursday, 19 May | rest |
| Friday, 20 May | rest |
| Saturday, 21 May | easy 2M |
| Sunday, 22 May | MARATHON! 5:35/km – 5:47/km |
Bits and Bytes 
January 30, 2012 at 10:38 pm
Hello – I’ve been browsing for an appropriate marathon plan and this seems just the ticket. However, I can’t find the same one on the Runner’s World site. There is a sub 4:00 plan but all the distances are different. Do you have a link that works?
thanks
January 30, 2012 at 10:38 pm
Hello – I’ve been browsing for an appropriate marathon plan and this seems just the ticket. However, I can’t find the same one on the Runner’s World site. There is a sub 4:00 plan but all the distances are different. Do you have a link that works?
thanks