The long run is 60 % of the heaviest week, against 30 to 35 % in a plan built on five or six runs. On few sessions that is arithmetic: what protects you is not the share but the duration, and no long run in this plan reaches three hours.
Set the rhythm of the weeks. Nothing hard, genuinely: sixteen weeks let the aerobic base come before any speed, and that is the only real advantage over a twelve-week plan. One easy run a week closes with strides — 20 s quick and relaxed, 40 s of jogging, no watch and no target pace.
- 1
Easy run45 min
Conversational pace: you should be able to talk.
- 2
Easy run49 min
Conversational pace: you should be able to talk. Finish with 4 strides.
- 3
Long run10 km
10 comfortable km from start to finish. If it feels hard, it is too fast.
Threshold enters, in two ten-minute blocks.
- 1
Threshold blocks56 min
2 × 10 minutes at Threshold pace, 3 min recovery.
- 2
Easy run49 min
Conversational pace: you should be able to talk. Finish with 4 strides.
- 3
Long run12 km
12 comfortable km from start to finish. If it feels hard, it is too fast.
First meeting with marathon pace, in short blocks.
- 1
Marathon pace56 min
2 × 10 minutes at Marathon pace, 3 min recovery.
- 2
Easy run55 min
Conversational pace: you should be able to talk. Finish with 5 strides.
- 3
Long run15 km
15 comfortable km from start to finish. If it feels hard, it is too fast.
A down week. It is in recovering that the last three weeks turn into fitness.
- 1
Threshold45 min
15 continuous minutes at Threshold pace.
- 2
Easy run44 min
Conversational pace: you should be able to talk. Finish with 4 strides.
- 3
Long run11 km
11 comfortable km from start to finish. If it feels hard, it is too fast.
The development block opens at half-marathon pace, between threshold and marathon pace.
- 1
Half-marathon pace blocks60 min
2 × 12 minutes at Half-marathon pace, 3 min recovery.
- 2
Easy run55 min
Conversational pace: you should be able to talk. Finish with 5 strides.
- 3
Long run17 km
17 comfortable km from start to finish. If it feels hard, it is too fast.
The long run now carries race pace, four kilometres to begin with.
- 1
Threshold blocks69 min
3 × 10 minutes at Threshold pace, 3 min recovery.
- 2
Easy run56 min
Conversational pace: you should be able to talk. Finish with 6 strides.
- 3
Long run19 km
19 km, the last 4 at Marathon pace.
Half-marathon pace in three eight-minute blocks, and six kilometres at race-day pace at the end of 21 km.
- 1
Half-marathon pace blocks63 min
3 × 8 minutes at Half-marathon pace, 3 min recovery.
- 2
Easy run55 min
Conversational pace: you should be able to talk. Finish with 5 strides.
- 3
Long run21 km
21 km, the last 6 at Marathon pace.
A second down week. At this level your 10 km is run at threshold pace: run this session as a timed 10 km if you want to reset the whole table against something you have actually run.
- 1
Threshold blocks63 min
3 × 8 minutes at Threshold pace, 3 min recovery.
- 2
Easy run49 min
Conversational pace: you should be able to talk. Finish with 4 strides.
- 3
Long run15 km
15 comfortable km from start to finish. If it feels hard, it is too fast.
The specific block. Volume climbs again, and everything converges on race pace.
- 1
Marathon pace60 min
30 continuous minutes at Marathon pace.
- 2
Easy run55 min
Conversational pace: you should be able to talk. Finish with 5 strides.
- 3
Long run22 km
22 km, the last 6 at Marathon pace.
Threshold in two fifteen-minute blocks, and seven kilometres at marathon pace inside the long run.
- 1
Threshold blocks68 min
2 × 15 minutes at Threshold pace, 4 min recovery.
- 2
Easy run56 min
Conversational pace: you should be able to talk. Finish with 6 strides.
- 3
Long run23 km
23 km, the last 7 at Marathon pace.
Threshold in three twelve-minute blocks, and eight kilometres at race-day pace at the end of 25 km. This is the week that teaches most about what the target is worth.
- 1
Threshold blocks75 min
3 × 12 minutes at Threshold pace, 3 min recovery.
- 2
Easy run55 min
Conversational pace: you should be able to talk. Finish with 5 strides.
- 3
Long run25 km
25 km, the last 8 at Marathon pace.
A third down week, the last one. It sets up the peak that follows.
- 1
Threshold50 min
20 continuous minutes at Threshold pace.
- 2
Easy run49 min
Conversational pace: you should be able to talk. Finish with 4 strides.
- 3
Long run18 km
18 comfortable km from start to finish. If it feels hard, it is too fast.
The peak, and the dress rehearsal: ten kilometres at race-day pace at the end of a long run that stays under three hours.
- 1
Threshold blocks62 min
2 × 12 minutes at Threshold pace, 4 min recovery.
- 2
Easy run55 min
Conversational pace: you should be able to talk. Finish with 5 strides.
- 3
Long run27 km
27 km, the last 10 at Marathon pace.
The taper begins. Volume comes down and so does the specific work: recovery is what brings the form up.
- 1
Marathon pace55 min
25 continuous minutes at Marathon pace.
- 2
Easy run51 min
Conversational pace: you should be able to talk. Finish with 6 strides.
- 3
Long run19 km
19 km, the last 5 at Marathon pace.
Less again. The temptation to add is this week's main danger.
- 1
Marathon pace50 min
20 continuous minutes at Marathon pace.
- 2
Easy run45 min
Conversational pace: you should be able to talk. Finish with 5 strides.
- 3
Long run13 km
13 comfortable km from start to finish. If it feels hard, it is too fast.
Race week. Sleep, eat, and arrive fresh on the line.
- 1
Marathon pace51 min
3 × 5 minutes at Marathon pace, 2 min recovery.
- 2
Easy run29 min
Conversational pace: you should be able to talk. Finish with 4 strides.
- 3
Marathon42.195 km
Race day.