Sub 3 hour 30 minute marathon

Distance: Marathon (42.195km)

Target pace: 4:59 per km

Our Sub 3 hour 30 minute marathon training plan is over 16 weeks and is completely free to use.

You can decide if you want to do all 16 weeks or start at any point during the training plan, it's completely up to you.

Congratulations on choosing your marathon plan. For some of you this will be your first attempt at a pretty challenging pace, for others this will be a goal you've been looking to achieve for some time. Whatever the reason, we see miles as the key to achieving your target time. This plan if followed fully will have you knocking on the door of 1000km before you get to race day. We don't all have the time to get out on the road 5 times a week. If that's you, prioritise the long runs. Spend a few hours over the weekend clocking up the easy miles. This is not to diminish the importance of the speed sessions and tempo runs which will be key to building strength and improving your VO2 max. Try to spread the runs out, and don't neglect rest days. Listen to your body and if it tells you to drop your 5km recovery run for some yoga or an afternoon with your feet up, it's probably right.

Ready to get started on your journey?

Week 1 -

 Distance: 41.0 km -

 Number of runs: 5

Monday

Rest

Tuesday

Easy - 6km
Pace: 5:20 - 5:50 / km

Wednesday

Easy - 8km
Pace: 5:20 - 5:50 / km

Thursday

Race pace - 5km
Pace: 4:59 / km

Friday

Rest

Saturday

Recovery - 6km
Pace: 5:20 - 5:50 / km

Sunday

Long run - 16km
Pace: 5:40 - 6:20 / km

Week 2 -

 Distance: 50.8 km -

 Number of runs: 5

Monday

Rest

Tuesday

Intervals - 1.5km WU, 4 x 1.5km (F) x 400m (S), 1.5km CD
Pace: 3:48 - 4:12 / km

Wednesday

Easy - 10km
Pace: 5:20 - 5:50 / km

Thursday

Tempo - 1.5km WU, 3.2km (T), 1.5km CD
Pace: 4:10 - 4:40 / km

Friday

Rest

Saturday

Recovery - 6km
Pace: 5:20 - 5:50 / km

Sunday

Long run - 18km
Pace: 5:40 - 6:20 / km

Week 3 -

 Distance: 54.6 km -

 Number of runs: 5

Monday

Rest

Tuesday

Intervals - 1.5km WU, 4 x 1.5km (F) x 400m (S), 1.5km CD
Pace: 3:48 - 4:12 / km

Wednesday

Easy - 11km
Pace: 5:20 - 5:50 / km

Thursday

Race pace - 6km
Pace: 4:59 / km

Friday

Rest

Saturday

Recovery - 6km
Pace: 5:20 - 5:50 / km

Sunday

Long run - 21km
Pace: 5:40 - 6:20 / km

Week 4 -

 Distance: 45.0 km -

 Number of runs: 5

Monday

Rest

Tuesday

Intervals - 1.5km WU, 6 x 800m (F) x 200m (S), 1.5km CD
Pace: 3:48 - 4:12 / km

Wednesday

Easy - 12km
Pace: 5:20 - 5:50 / km

Thursday

Tempo - 1.5km WU, 5km (T), 1.5km CD
Pace: 4:10 - 4:40 / km

Friday

Rest

Saturday

Recovery - 6km
Pace: 5:20 - 5:50 / km

Sunday

Race - 10km
Pace: 4:59 / km

Week 5 -

 Distance: 59.5 km -

 Number of runs: 5

Monday

Rest

Tuesday

Tempo - 1.5km WU, 6.5km (T), 1.5km CD
Pace: 4:10 - 4:40 / km

Wednesday

Easy - 12km
Pace: 5:20 - 5:50 / km

Thursday

Race pace - 8km
Pace: 4:59 / km

Friday

Rest

Saturday

Recovery - 6km
Pace: 5:20 - 5:50 / km

Sunday

Long run - 24km
Pace: 5:40 - 6:20 / km

Week 6 -

 Distance: 67.4 km -

 Number of runs: 5

Monday

Rest

Tuesday

Intervals - 1.5km WU, 8 x 600m (F) x 200m (S), 1.5km CD
Pace: 3:48 - 4:12 / km

Wednesday

Easy - 14km
Pace: 5:20 - 5:50 / km

Thursday

Tempo - 1.5km WU, 6km (T), 1.5km CD
Pace: 4:10 - 4:40 / km

Friday

Rest

Saturday

Recovery - 6km
Pace: 5:20 - 5:50 / km

Sunday

Long run - 29km
Pace: 5:40 - 6:20 / km

Week 7 -

 Distance: 74.0 km -

 Number of runs: 5

Monday

Rest

Tuesday

Intervals - 1.5km WU, 10 x 400m (F) x 200m (S), 1.5km CD
Pace: 3:48 - 4:12 / km

Wednesday

Easy - 16km
Pace: 5:20 - 5:50 / km

Thursday

Race pace - 11km
Pace: 4:59 / km

Friday

Rest

Saturday

Recovery - 6km
Pace: 5:20 - 5:50 / km

Sunday

Long run - 32km
Pace: 5:40 - 6:20 / km

Week 8 -

 Distance: 55.9 km -

 Number of runs: 5

Monday

Rest

Tuesday

Intervals - 1.5km WU, 12 x 200m (F) x 200m (S), 1.5km CD
Pace: 3:48 - 4:12 / km

Wednesday

Easy - 13km
Pace: 5:20 - 5:50 / km

Thursday

Tempo - 1.5km WU, 5km (T), 1.5km CD
Pace: 4:10 - 4:40 / km

Friday

Rest

Saturday

Recovery - 6km
Pace: 5:20 - 5:50 / km

Sunday

Race - 21.1km
Pace: 4:59 / km

Week 9 -

 Distance: 74.0 km -

 Number of runs: 5

Monday

Rest

Tuesday

Intervals - 1.5km WU, 10 x 400m (F) x 200m (S), 1.5km CD
Pace: 3:48 - 4:12 / km

Wednesday

Easy - 13km
Pace: 5:20 - 5:50 / km

Thursday

Race pace - 14km
Pace: 4:59 / km

Friday

Rest

Saturday

Recovery - 6km
Pace: 5:20 - 5:50 / km

Sunday

Long run - 32km
Pace: 5:40 - 6:20 / km

Week 10 -

 Distance: 60.8 km -

 Number of runs: 5

Monday

Rest

Tuesday

Intervals - 1.5km WU, 3 x 2.5km (F) x 400m (S), 1.5km CD
Pace: 3:48 - 4:12 / km

Wednesday

Easy - 14km
Pace: 5:20 - 5:50 / km

Thursday

Tempo - 1.5km WU, 5km (T), 1.5km CD
Pace: 4:10 - 4:40 / km

Friday

Rest

Saturday

Recovery - 6km
Pace: 5:20 - 5:50 / km

Sunday

Race - 21.1km
Pace: 4:59 / km

Week 11 -

 Distance: 71.5 km -

 Number of runs: 5

Monday

Rest

Tuesday

Tempo - 1.5km WU, 6.5km (T), 1.5km CD
Pace: 4:10 - 4:40 / km

Wednesday

Easy - 10km
Pace: 5:20 - 5:50 / km

Thursday

Race pace - 14km
Pace: 4:59 / km

Friday

Rest

Saturday

Recovery - 6km
Pace: 5:20 - 5:50 / km

Sunday

Long run - 32km
Pace: 5:40 - 6:20 / km

Week 12 -

 Distance: 75.5 km -

 Number of runs: 5

Monday

Rest

Tuesday

Intervals - 1.5km WU, 5 x 1.5km (F) x 400m (S), 1.5km CD
Pace: 3:48 - 4:12 / km

Wednesday

Easy - 14km
Pace: 5:20 - 5:50 / km

Thursday

Tempo - 1.5km WU, 5km (T), 1.5km CD
Pace: 4:10 - 4:40 / km

Friday

Rest

Saturday

Recovery - 6km
Pace: 5:20 - 5:50 / km

Sunday

Long run - 35km
Pace: 5:40 - 6:20 / km

Week 13 -

 Distance: 66.6 km -

 Number of runs: 5

Monday

Rest

Tuesday

Intervals - 1.5km WU, 4 x 1km (F) x 400m (S), 1.5km CD
Pace: 3:48 - 4:12 / km

Wednesday

Easy - 11km
Pace: 5:20 - 5:50 / km

Thursday

Tempo - 1.5km WU, 6km (T), 1.5km CD
Pace: 4:10 - 4:40 / km

Friday

Rest

Saturday

Recovery - 6km
Pace: 5:20 - 5:50 / km

Sunday

Long run - 32km
Pace: 5:40 - 6:20 / km

Week 14 -

 Distance: 57.4 km -

 Number of runs: 5

Monday

Rest

Tuesday

Intervals - 1.5km WU, 6 x 800m (F) x 100m (S), 1.5km CD
Pace: 3:48 - 4:12 / km

Wednesday

Easy - 10km
Pace: 5:20 - 5:50 / km

Thursday

Race pace - 12km
Pace: 4:59 / km

Friday

Rest

Saturday

Recovery - 6km
Pace: 5:20 - 5:50 / km

Sunday

Long run - 21km
Pace: 5:40 - 6:20 / km

Week 15 -

 Distance: 40.4 km -

 Number of runs: 5

Monday

Rest

Tuesday

Intervals - 1.5km WU, 9 x 400m (F) x 200m (S), 1.5km CD
Pace: 3:48 - 4:12 / km

Wednesday

Easy - 8km
Pace: 5:20 - 5:50 / km

Thursday

Tempo - 1.5km WU, 5km (T), 1.5km CD
Pace: 4:10 - 4:40 / km

Friday

Rest

Saturday

Recovery - 6km
Pace: 5:20 - 5:50 / km

Sunday

Long run - 10km
Pace: 5:40 - 6:20 / km

Week 16 -

 Distance: 56.395 km -

 Number of runs: 4

Monday

Rest

Tuesday

Intervals - 1.5km WU, 10 x 200m (F) x 100m (S), 1.5km CD
Pace: 3:48 - 4:12 / km

Wednesday

Rest

Thursday

Easy - 5km
Pace: 5:20 - 5:50 / km

Friday

Rest

Saturday

Recovery - 3.2km
Pace: 5:20 - 5:50 / km

Sunday

Race - 42.195km
Pace: 4:59 / km