See also: Overview running schedules
Important points of attention
- PDF version of this schema.
- Tip: Create your own schema in PDF.
- The total preparation period is: 16 weeks. The number of training sessions per week is: 4 (sometimes 5).
- Read How to make running schedules half advanced in which you can read how you can establish globally a training plan.
- Quantity is more important than quality. In other words the number of kilometers goes up, the intensity goes down.
- Speed training can go never (much) rapidly than above the speed what you wants run on the marathon.
- The best you can do is Saturday the endurance training in marathon speed and Sunday the extra long quiet endurance training.
- If you a race runs then do you that week no extra long quiet endurance training.
- The extra long quiet endurance training builds you gradually on: each third week you run approximately two thirds of the distance which you a week for that have run.
- Endurance training speed 3 (93%) is equal to marathon speed.
The training schedule
General preparation period
Start: 16 weeks before target.End: 10 weeks before target.
Weeks: 6
How often | What and how | Duration/Distance |
1 x a week | long easy endurance run pace 1 | 50 to 80 minutes * |
1 x a week | slow endurance run pace 1 | 40 to 50 minutes |
2 x a week | average long run pace 2 | 35 to 50 minutes |
At most once every three weeks | intensive endurance run pace 3 | 25 to 40 minutes |
Explanation * |
Specific preparation period
Start: 10 weeks before target.End: 5 weeks before target.
Weeks: 5
How often | What and how | Duration/Distance |
1 x a week | extra long slow endurance run pace 1 | gradually to 26 km |
1 x a week | slow endurance run pace 1 | 30 to 45 minutes |
1 x every two weeks | average long run pace 2 | 40 to 50 minutes |
1 x every two weeks | endurance marathon pace * | 35 to 45 minutes |
1 x a week | speed game (or interval training **) | 50 minutes (or ± 7km) |
Explanation * |
Intensive period
Start: 5 weeks before target.End: 2 weeks before target.
Weeks: 3
How often | What and how | Duration/Distance |
1 x a week | extra long slow endurance run pace 1 | gradually to 32 km |
2 x a week | slow endurance run pace 1 | 30 to 45 minutes |
1 x every two weeks | average long run pace 2 | 40 to 50 minutes |
1 x every three weeks | endurance marathon pace * | 35 to 45 minutes |
1 x a week | speed game (or interval training **) | 50 minutes (or ± 7km) |
Explanation * |
The last two/four weeks
Method 1
- Two weeks before the marathon, the endurance training will be halved.
- The last week before the marathon you do little: one time quiet endurance run of about 30 minutes and three days before the marathon is a fast 25 minute run. The last days before the marathon you just do (almost) nothing. You can possibly 15 minutes the day before the marathon walk in.
- Read also the page Race preparation and especially the part about carbohydrate overload. Good luck!
Method 2
The tapering-off period for the marathon start four weeks before the race. The first week you run 75 percent of the training scope of heaviest week. The week afterwards 50 percent. Hereafter 30 percent. And finally the week before the marathon only 15 per cent.The first three weeks of this period you only reduce the scope of your endurance training. These last week you do especially interval training on 3.1 miles (5 km) race speed and marathon speed.
Create your own schedule
Create your own training schedule: Create your own schema in PDF.