12 WEEK Marathon Training Schedule
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4 hours plus (or ‘Get me round’)
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By the time you start these schedules, you should already have laid down a valuable training base for your marathon, no matter what time you’re expecting to run.
With roughly 12 weeks to go before the big day, these schedules are designed to try and inject some mid-programme quality and enthusiasm into your training.
Although we’ve split the schedules into various target times, we expect anyone attempting any of these schedules not to jump into them head first without having done at least a month’s worth of steady running. Hopefully, these schedules will help add some variety and quality to your training to shave minutes off your predicted times.
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WEEK ONE |
| Friday |
3 miles |
Easy run or Rest if you want to |
| Saturday |
Hills |
Jog 2 miles easy to a hill you know. Then run five or six times up it for 60-90 secs and recover jogging down |
| Sunday |
7-8 miles |
Run as you feel, anything between 10-12mins/mile |
| Monday |
Rest |
After that weekend, you’ve earned it |
| Tuesday |
5 miles |
Steady run, try and up the pace a bit |
| Wednesday |
Rest or swim |
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| Thursday |
3 miles |
Steady run |
WEEK TWO |
| Friday |
Rest |
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| Saturday |
Session |
Try to get your body used to running that little bit faster than your normal pace. Jog two miles as an easy warm up and then run 6 repetitions of 60 secs with a couple of minutes walk between each. Jog back home. |
| Sunday |
9 miles |
Almost double figures |
| Monday |
Rest |
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| Tuesday |
5 miles |
Easy run. How are your legs after the weekend? |
| Wednesday |
Rest or swim |
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| Thursday |
6 miles |
Steady run, slightly faster than race pace |
WEEK THREE |
| Friday |
3 miles |
Easy run or optional Rest day |
| Saturday |
Rest |
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| Sunday |
RACE |
Try and find a 10k or 10 mile race this weekend. It could be a good opportunity to see what sort of shape you’re in |
| Monday |
Rest |
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| Tuesday |
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5 miles Easy run |
| Wednesday |
Rest or swim |
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| Thursday |
8 miles |
Steady pace |
WEEK FOUR |
| Friday |
Rest |
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| Saturday |
5 miles |
Easy run |
| Sunday |
11 miles |
Your longest run so far. Take it easy and aim to complete |
| Monday |
Rest |
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| Tuesday |
4 miles |
Run as you feel |
| Wednesday |
Rest |
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| Thursday |
Session |
6 x 1 min with 2 mins recovery between reps. Do a 2 mile easy warm up and then aim to run the reps faster than race pace. Jog back |
WEEK FIVE |
| Friday |
3 miles |
Easy run or Rest if you want to |
| Saturday |
Hills |
Jog 2 miles easy to a hill you know. Then run five or six times up it for 60-90 secs and recover jogging down |
| Sunday |
10 miles |
Run as you feel, anything between 10-12mins/mile |
| Monday |
Rest |
After that weekend, you’ve earned it |
| Tuesday |
5 miles |
Steady run, try and up the pace a bit |
| Wednesday |
Rest or swim |
|
| Thursday |
3 miles |
Steady run |
WEEK SIX |
| Friday |
Rest |
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| Saturday |
Session |
Jog two miles as an easy warm up and then run 6 repetitions of 2mins with a couple of minutes walk between each. Jog back home |
| Sunday |
13 miles |
This is half the distance of the actual event! Aim to run this slowly: your goal is to finish feeling like you could have carried on |
| Monday |
Rest |
|
| Tuesday |
5 miles |
Easy run. How are your legs after the weekend? |
| Wednesday |
Rest or swim |
|
| Thursday |
8 miles |
Steady run, slightly faster than race pace |
WEEK SEVEN |
| Friday |
3 miles |
Easy run or optional Rest day |
| Saturday |
Rest |
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| Sunday |
RACE |
Try and find a half marathon race this weekend. It could be a good opportunity to see what sort of shape you’re in |
| Monday |
Rest |
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| Tuesday |
5 miles |
Easy run |
| Wednesday |
Rest or swim |
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| Thursday |
8 miles |
Steady pace |
WEEK EIGHT |
| Friday |
Rest |
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| Saturday |
5 miles |
Easy run |
| Sunday |
15 miles |
Your longest run so far. Take it easy and aim to complete |
| Monday |
Rest |
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| Tuesday |
4 miles |
Run as you feel |
| Wednesday |
Rest |
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| Thursday |
Session |
6 x 3 mins with 2 mins recovery between reps. Do a 2 mile easy warm up and then aim to run the reps faster than race pace. Jog back home
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WEEK NINE |
| Friday |
3 miles |
Easy run or Rest if you want to |
| Saturday |
Rest |
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| Sunday |
RACE |
Plenty of races around this weekend; my advice would be to do a half and not a 20 miler (too close to race distance and possibility of injury). It’s the last real opportunity before you begin a gradual taper |
| Monday |
Rest |
If you’re anything like me, your legs will be sore, so take it easy |
| Tuesday |
5 miles |
Steady run – your legs may still be feeling the effects |
| Wednesday |
Rest or swim |
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| Thursday |
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3 miles Steady run |
WEEK TEN |
| Friday |
Rest |
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| Saturday |
Session |
No reason why you can’t do a session today. Aim for something like 90 secs reps with an easy two mins jog recovery. Run them faster than race pace |
| Sunday |
Long run |
Aim for 2-2hrs 30 but no more. Why get injured now? |
| Monday |
Rest |
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| Tuesday |
5 miles |
Easy run. How are your legs after the weekend? |
| Wednesday |
Rest or swim |
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| Thursday |
8 miles |
Steady run, slightly faster than race pace |
WEEK ELEVEN |
| Friday |
3 miles |
Easy run or optional Rest day |
| Saturday |
Rest |
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| Sunday |
RACE
Or session |
If there’s a 10k you fancy, I see no reason why you shouldn’t have a go. If not try and steady paced run with a few faster efforts: aim for six miles in total |
| Monday |
Rest |
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| Tuesday |
5 miles |
Easy run |
| Wednesday |
Rest or swim |
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| Thursday |
6 miles |
Steady pace |
WEEK TWELVE |
| Friday |
Rest |
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| Saturday |
5 miles |
Easy run |
| Sunday |
8 miles |
The last longer run. Take it easy: one week to go! |
| Monday |
Rest |
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| Tuesday |
4 miles |
Run as you feel |
| Wednesday |
Rest |
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| Thursday |
3 miles |
Very easy run, with a few small efforts |
| yRace day |
| Friday |
Rest |
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| Saturday |
Gentle jog |
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| Sunday |
Race day |
