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 |
Improvement note: this is a 15-minute PB improvement. Realistic, but the paces are genuinely faster. The tempo and interval work is what earns the 3:45. If 5:20 feels unsustainable in the peak long runs (Weeks 16–17), settle race target near 5:30 (~3:52) rather than blow up at 32 km.
01 · Pace guide
| Zone | Pace (min/km) | Feel |
|---|---|---|
| Easy / recovery | 6:20 – 6:50 | Conversational, nose-breathing |
| Long run | 6:10 – 6:40 | Relaxed, steady |
| Goal marathon pace (GMP) | 5:20 | “Comfortably hard,” controlled |
| Threshold / tempo | 4:55 – 5:05 | Hard but sustainable ~40 min |
| Intervals (5K effort) | 4:35 – 4:45 | Fast, short reps |
| Strides | ~30 sec | Smooth and quick, not a sprint |
02 · Warm-up & cool-down
Warm-up
Easy days (Thu / Sat)
- The first kilometre is the warm-up: start slow and let pace drift up. No drills needed.
Quality days & race (~15 min)
- Easy jog 10–15 min (the 2 km WU in the plan).
- Dynamic drills ~5 min: leg swings (front-back & side-side), walking lunges, high knees, butt kicks, A-skips, hip circles.
- 4–6 strides building to target pace, full recovery between, priming legs so you hit pace from rep one.
No static stretching before you run; it can dull power on cold muscles.
Cool-down
After quality & long runs
- Easy jog 5–10 min (the 2 km CD), then walk a few minutes to settle heart rate.
- Static stretch while warm: calves, quads, hamstrings, hip flexors, glutes; hold ~20–30 sec each. Foam roll if you have one.
- Refuel within 30–60 min: carbs + protein, plus fluids and electrolytes.
Heat & humidity: you warm up faster, so trim the jog slightly, and never skip the cool-down walk and 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 · cut | Tempo 4 km @ thresh | Easy 7 km | Easy 7 km | 24 km easy | ~46 |
| 16 | 2–8 Nov | Peak | 6×1 km @ thresh | Easy 9 km | Easy 8 km + strides | 30 km · last 8 @ GMP | ~58 |
| 17 | 9–15 Nov | Peak · key | Tempo 6 km @ thresh | Easy 8 km | Easy 8 km | 32 km · last 10 @ GMP | ~58 |
| 18 | 16–22 Nov | Taper | Tempo 4 km @ thresh | Easy 7 km | Easy 6 km + strides | 24 km easy | ~45 |
| 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 @ 5:20 | n/a |
All quality sessions add a 2 km easy warm-up & cool-down. “thresh” = threshold 4:55–5:05/km. “cut” = cutback week. Tue is the one hard day; Thu & Sat stay easy.
04 · Race-day pacing · 3:45 target
- First 5 km → 5:25–5:30/km (patience, not banked time)
- Middle → settle into 5:20/km
- Halfway split → ~1:52:00–1:52:30
- After 32 km → if you feel strong, push
05 · Notes that make it stick
- Rest is training. The 3 non-run days are for recovery. Optional 1–2 strength sessions (legs, core, glutes) + easy cross-training (bike/swim) on those days.
- Fuel the long ones. On runs of 90+ min take carbs every 40–45 min; aim ~50–70 g carbs/hour on race day. Practise it; nothing new on race day.
- Heat & humidity. Slow easy paces 10–20 sec/km, use electrolytes, run long sessions early morning.
- Listen to your body. Niggles → swap a quality day for easy or rest. One missed session won’t derail you; running injured will. Never stack two hard days.
- Reality check. Use the Week 17 32 km run (last 10 km at 5:20) to confirm 3:45; if it’s a grind, race nearer 5:30 (~3:52) rather than blow up at 32 km.
Marathon plan · goal 3:45:00 · GMP 5:20/km · Prep 13 Jul → Race 6 Dec 2026