Race day → Sunday 6 December 2026 · 4 running days / week · 20-week build (+ prep week)
| Current PB | Goal | Marathon pace | Plan window | Peak long run |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4:00:00 | 3:45:00 | 5:20 /km | 13 Jul – 6 Dec | 32 km |
Going from 4:00 to 3:45 is a 15-minute improvement. Doable, but every pace in this plan is faster than what got me the 4:00. The Tuesday sessions are what make the difference. If 5:20 does not hold in the Week 17 long run, race at 5:30 (about 3:52) instead of blowing up at 32 km.
01 · Pace guide
| Zone | Pace (min/km) | What it feels like |
|---|---|---|
| Easy / recovery | 6:05 – 6:45 | Can talk in full sentences |
| Long run | 6:10 – 6:40 | Relaxed, steady |
| Goal marathon pace (GMP) | 5:20 | Working, but in control |
| Threshold | 4:55 – 5:05 | Hard. Can hold it for about 40 min, not more |
| 5K pace | 4:35 – 4:45 | Fast, only for short reps |
| Strides | ~30 sec | Quick and smooth, not a sprint |
Tempo and threshold are the same pace in this plan: 4:55 – 5:05. The difference is only the format:
- Tempo 4 km @ thresh = one continuous 4 km at 4:55 – 5:05
- 5×1 km @ thresh = five 1 km reps at 4:55 – 5:05, 90 sec jog between
- 5×800 m @ 5K = the faster one, 4:35 – 4:45, 2 min jog between
If in doubt on a Tuesday: anything that says “thresh” is 5:00/km. Anything that says “5K” is 4:40/km.
02 · Warm-up & cool-down
Warm-up
Easy days (Thu / Sat)
- The first kilometre is the warm-up. Start slow and let the pace come up on its own. No drills.
Quality days & race (~15 min)
- Easy jog 10–15 min (the 2 km WU in the plan).
- Drills ~5 min: leg swings (front-back & side-side), walking lunges, high knees, butt kicks, A-skips, hip circles.
- 4–6 strides up to target pace, walk back between each. Legs should be ready to hit pace from the first rep.
No static stretching before a run. Save it for after.
Cool-down
After quality & long runs
- Easy jog 5–10 min (the 2 km CD), then walk a few minutes.
- Stretch while still warm: calves, quads, hamstrings, hip flexors, glutes, 20–30 sec each. Foam roll if there is one around.
- Eat within 30–60 min: carbs + protein, fluids, electrolytes.
In Singapore heat you warm up faster, so the jog can be shorter. Do not skip the cool-down walk or the refuel after the 32 km run.
03 · Week-by-week schedule
| Wk | Dates | Phase | Tue (quality) | Thu | Sat | Sun (long run) | km |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prep | 13–19 Jul | ease-in | Easy 5 km | Easy 5 km | Easy 4 km | 8 km easy | ~22 |
| 1 | 20–26 Jul | Base | Easy 6 km | Easy 6 km | Easy 5 km | 10 km easy | ~27 |
| 2 | 27 Jul–2 Aug | Base | Easy 7 km | Easy 6 km | Easy 6 km + strides | 12 km easy | ~31 |
| 3 | 3–9 Aug | Base | Easy 7 km + strides | Easy 7 km | Easy 6 km | 14 km easy | ~34 |
| 4 | 10–16 Aug | Base · cut | Easy 6 km | Easy 6 km | Easy 5 km | 11 km easy | ~28 |
| 5 | 17–23 Aug | Build | Tempo 3 km @ thresh | Easy 7 km | Easy 6 km + strides | 16 km easy | ~36 |
| 6 | 24–30 Aug | Build | 5×800 m @ 5K | Easy 7 km | Easy 7 km | 18 km easy | ~40 |
| 7 | 31 Aug–6 Sep | Build | Tempo 4 km @ thresh | Easy 8 km | Easy 6 km + strides | 20 km · last 3 @ GMP | ~42 |
| 8 | 7–13 Sep | Build · cut | Easy 7 km + strides | Easy 6 km | Easy 6 km | 16 km easy | ~35 |
| 9 | 14–20 Sep | Build | 6×800 m @ 5K | Easy 8 km | Easy 7 km | 22 km · last 4 @ GMP | ~46 |
| 10 | 21–27 Sep | Build | Tempo 5 km @ thresh | Easy 8 km | Easy 7 km + strides | 24 km · last 5 @ GMP | ~48 |
| 11 | 28 Sep–4 Oct | Build | 4×1200 m @ 5K–10K | Easy 8 km | Easy 8 km | 26 km · last 5 @ GMP | ~52 |
| 12 | 5–11 Oct | Build · cut | Tempo 3 km @ thresh | Easy 7 km | Easy 6 km | 20 km easy | ~40 |
| 13 | 12–18 Oct | Peak | Tempo 6 km @ thresh | Easy 8 km | Easy 8 km + strides | 28 km · last 6 @ GMP | ~54 |
| 14 | 19–25 Oct | Peak | 5×1 km @ thresh | Easy 9 km | Easy 8 km | 30 km · 2×5 @ GMP | ~57 |
| 15 | 26 Oct–1 Nov | Peak | Tempo 4 km @ thresh | Easy 7 km | Easy 7 km | 30 km · 2×5 @ GMP | ~52 |
| 16 | 2–8 Nov | Peak · cut | Tempo 3 km @ thresh | Easy 8 km | Easy 6 km + strides | 24 km easy | ~45 |
| 17 | 9–15 Nov | Peak · key | Tempo 6 km @ thresh | Easy 11 km | Easy 7 km | 32 km · last 10 @ GMP | ~60 |
| 18 | 16–22 Nov | Taper | Easy 7 km | 10 km time trial | Easy 5 km + strides | 20 km easy | ~46 |
| 19 | 23–29 Nov | Taper | 4×1 km @ GMP–thresh | Easy 6 km | Easy 5 km + strides | 16 km · last 4 @ GMP | ~35 |
| 20 | 30 Nov–6 Dec | Race wk | Easy 6 km + strides | Easy 5 km + pickups | Shakeout 4 km / rest | MARATHON 42.2 km @ 5:18–5:20 | n/a |
Every Tuesday session has a 2 km easy jog before and after. “thresh” = 4:55–5:05/km. “5K” = 4:35–4:45/km. “cut” = easier week. Tuesday is the only hard day. Thursday and Saturday stay easy, even when they feel good.
Revised 29 Oct: Week 14 long run was rained out and moved to Week 15. Week 16 is now the easier week. Thursday in Week 17 is longer so the 32 km is a smaller share of that week. Added a 10 km time trial in Week 18 (under 48 min means 3:45 is on).
04 · Race-day pacing · 3:45 target
- First 5 km → 5:25–5:28/km. Nothing under 5:20 before 10 km. Every second gained here costs two or three after 35 km.
- 5 km to 32 km → 5:18–5:19/km. 5:20 flat gives 3:44:59 with no margin. This stretch is where the buffer comes from.
- Halfway → about 1:52:45
- After 32 km → hold. If there is something left, use it.
- Cold day → if it is 8°C and legs feel good, first 5 km at 5:22–5:25 is fine. Still nothing under 5:20 early.
05 · Notes
- Rest days are part of the plan. The 3 non-run days are for recovery. Optional 1–2 strength sessions (legs, core, glutes) or an easy bike or swim.
- Fuel on long runs. Over 90 min, take carbs every 40–45 min. On race day aim for 50–70 g per hour. Practise it in training. Nothing new on race day.
- Heat. Easy paces go 10–20 sec/km slower in the heat. Use electrolytes. Long runs early morning.
- Niggles. Swap the quality day for easy or rest. Missing one session changes nothing. Running on an injury changes everything. Never two hard days in a row.
- Check the goal. The Week 17 32 km (last 10 at 5:20) and the Week 18 10 km time trial (under 48) are the two tests. Shanghai in December is 10–20°C cooler than Singapore, so a 5:20 that feels hard here will feel easier there. Only if Week 17 is a real struggle, race at 5:30 (about 3:52) instead of blowing up at 32 km.
06 · Race-day intake
2–3 days before
- Carb load: 8–10 g carbs per kg bodyweight per day. Rice, noodles, bread, bananas, juice. Less fibre and fat than usual.
- Keep drinking normally, add electrolytes once a day.
- Last big meal is lunch the day before. Dinner light and early, nothing new.
Race morning (7:00 start)
- 4:00 breakfast, 3 hours out: 100–150 g carbs, low fibre. Rice or toast with honey or jam, a banana. Coffee if that is the normal routine.
- 500 ml water with electrolytes between waking and 6:00.
- 6:45: one gel and a few sips of water.
- Toilet before the pen. Then stop drinking.
During the race
- Target: 60 g carbs per hour. One gel (~25 g) every 5 km with water does it.
- Gel at km 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35. Caffeine gels at 25 and 35. Carry 8, one spare. Last one at 35, nothing after 38.
- Water: a few sips at every station, about 100–150 ml. In 8–12°C that is enough. Do not skip stations because it is cold.
- Electrolytes: one salt tab per hour (at 10, 20, 30) or use electrolyte gels. Water only with gels, not sports drink, or the stomach will complain.
- Take the gel 100 m before the station, wash it down at the station.
If the stomach goes
- Skip the next gel, water only for 10 min, ease pace 10 sec/km, then resume. Do not try to catch up on missed carbs.
After
- Within 30 min: carbs + protein, whatever is on offer. 1.5 L fluid over the next few hours with electrolytes.
Practise it
- Week 15 30 km and Week 17 32 km run the exact race protocol: same gel brand, same timing, same breakfast. Nothing untested on 6 December.
Marathon plan · goal 3:45:00 · GMP 5:20/km · Prep 13 Jul → Race 6 Dec 2026