If you're used to running but you've never completed a marathon before, use this guide to give yourself a new challenge and prepare for the race.
| Week 1 | |
|---|---|
| Monday | Jog for 10 mins, run for 10 mins |
| Tuesday | Jog for 30 mins |
| Wednesday | Fartlek training for 30 mins in total |
| Thursday | Jog for 20 mins |
| Friday | Fartlek training for 35 mins in total |
| Saturday | Rest day |
| Sunday | Run for 60 mins |
| Week 2 | |
|---|---|
| Monday | Jog for 30 mins |
| Tuesday | Fartlek training for 40 mins in total |
| Wednesday | Jog for 30 mins |
| Thursday | Fartlek training for 40 mins in total |
| Friday | Jog for 30 mins |
| Saturday | Rest day |
| Sunday | Run for 60 mins |
| Week 3 | |
|---|---|
| Monday | Jog for 30 mins |
| Tuesday | Fartlek training for 45 mins in total |
| Wednesday | Jog for 10 mins, run for 35 mins |
| Thursday | Sprint for 30 secs, 3 mins recovery jog. Repeat 3 times, then jog for 15 mins. |
| Friday | Jog for 40 mins |
| Saturday | Jog for 15 mins |
| Sunday | Fartlek training for 70 mins in total |
| Week 4 | |
|---|---|
| Monday | Jog for 30 mins |
| Tuesday | Train at maximum effort for 60 secs, walk for 3 mins. Repeat 3 times. |
| Wednesday | Jog for 45 mins |
| Thursday | Jog for 10 mins, run for 35 mins |
| Friday | Jog for 15 mins, run for 15 mins, jog for 15 mins |
| Saturday | Rest day |
| Sunday | Run for 60 mins |
| Week 5 | |
|---|---|
| Monday | Jog for 30 mins |
| Tuesday | Train at maximum effort for 60 secs, walk for 3 mins, train at maximum effort for 45 secs, walk for 3 mins, train at maximum effort for 30 secs, walk for 3 mins. Repeat 6 times. |
| Wednesday | Jog for 45 mins |
| Thursday | Run for 45 mins |
| Friday | Train at maximum effort for 70 secs, walk for 3 mins, train at maximum effort for 45 secs, walk for 2 mins, train at maximum effort for 30 secs, walk for 3 mins. Repeat 3 times. |
| Saturday | Rest day |
| Sunday | Run for 60 mins |
| Week 6 | |
|---|---|
| Monday | Jog for 30 mins |
| Tuesday | Train at maximum effort for 75 secs, walk for 3 mins. Repeat 3 times. |
| Wednesday | Jog for 45 mins |
| Thursday | Run for 25 mins |
| Friday | Jog for 20 mins |
| Saturday | Jog for 15 mins, walk for 10 mins |
| Sunday | Race – 10k. If you don’t race, run for 60 mins. |
| Week 7 | |
|---|---|
| Monday | If you raced on Sunday take a rest day. If you didn’t race, jog for 15 mins, run for 10 mins. |
| Tuesday | If you raced on Sunday jog for 30 mins. If you didn’t race, do Fartlek training for 60 mins in total. |
| Wednesday | Jog for 60 mins |
| Thursday | Jog for 10 mins, run for 30 mins, jog for 20 mins |
| Friday | Run for 60 mins, jog for 10 mins, walk for 10 mins |
| Saturday | Rest day |
| Sunday | Fartlek training for 75 mins in total |
| Week 8 | |
|---|---|
| Monday | Jog for 25 mins, run for 10 mins, jog for 25 mins |
| Tuesday | Train at maximum effort for 60 secs, walk for 3 mins. Repeat 6 times. |
| Wednesday | Jog for 60 mins |
| Thursday | Fartlek training for 75 mins in total |
| Friday | Jog for 25 mins |
| Saturday | Rest day |
| Sunday | Jog for 90 mins |
| Week 9 | |
|---|---|
| Monday | Jog for 30 mins |
| Tuesday | Train at maximum effort for 75 secs, walk for 3 mins, train at maximum effort for 45 secs, walk for 2 mins, train at maximum effort for 30 secs, walk for 3 mins. Repeat 4 times. |
| Wednesday | Jog for 45 mins |
| Thursday | Run for 75 mins |
| Friday | Jog for 30 mins |
| Saturday | Rest day |
| Sunday | Run for 90 mins |
| Week 10 | |
|---|---|
| Monday | Jog for 45 mins |
| Tuesday | Fartlek training for 75 mins in total |
| Wednesday | Jog for 10 mins, run for 10 mins, jog for 15 mins |
| Thursday | Train at maximum effort for 75 secs, walk for 3 mins, train at maximum effort for 60 secs, walk for 3 mins, train at maximum effort for 30 secs, walk for 2 mins. Repeat 4 times. |
| Friday | Jog for 25 mins |
| Saturday | Rest day |
| Sunday | Run for 90 mins |
| Week 11 | |
|---|---|
| Monday | Jog for 30 mins |
| Tuesday | Train at maximum effort for 60 secs, walk for 3 mins, train at maximum effort for 30 secs, walk for 3 mins, train at maximum effort for 60 secs, walk for 3 mins. Repeat 5 times. |
| Wednesday | Jog for 20 mins |
| Thursday | Train at maximum effort for 75 secs, walk for 3 mins. Repeat twice. Then train at maximum effort for 45 secs, walk for 3 mins. Repeat twice. |
| Friday | Jog for 20 mins |
| Saturday | Rest day |
| Sunday | Run for 90 mins |
| Week 12 | |
|---|---|
| Monday | Jog for 30 mins |
| Tuesday | Run for 90 mins |
| Wednesday | Run for 90 mins |
| Thursday | Jog for 20 mins, run for 20 mins, jog for 20 mins |
| Friday | Jog for 15 mins, walk for 15 mins |
| Saturday | Rest day |
| Sunday | Race – half marathon distance |
| Week 13 | |
|---|---|
| Monday | If you raced on Sunday take a rest day. If you didn’t race, jog for 30 mins. |
| Tuesday | If you raced on Sunday jog for 30 mins. If you didn’t race, do Fartlek training for 75 mins in total. |
| Wednesday | Jog for 15 mins, run for 30 mins, jog for 30 mins |
| Thursday | Run for 60 mins |
| Friday | Jog for 45 mins, run for 10 mins, jog for 15 mins |
| Saturday | Rest day |
| Sunday | Fartlek training for 90 mins in total |
| Week 14 | |
|---|---|
| Monday | Jog for 10 mins, run for 10 mins, jog for 5 mins |
| Tuesday | Train at maximum effort for 60 secs, walk for 3 mins. Repeat 6 times. |
| Wednesday | Jog for 30 mins |
| Thursday | Fartlek training for 60 mins in total |
| Friday | Jog for 30 mins |
| Saturday | Rest day |
| Sunday | Run for 100 mins |
| Week 15 | |
|---|---|
| Monday | Jog for 20 mins |
| Tuesday | Jog for 10 mins, run for 30 mins, jog for 30 mins |
| Wednesday | Train at maximum effort for 75 secs, walk for 3 mins. Repeat twice. Train at maximum effort for 45 secs, walk for 3 mins. Repeat twice. Train at maximum effort for 15 secs, walk for 3 mins. Repeat twice. |
| Thursday | Jog for 35 mins |
| Friday | Train at maximum effort for 60 secs, walk for 3 mins. Repeat 6 times. |
| Saturday | Jog for 15 mins, walk for 15 mins |
| Sunday | Fartlek training for 60 mins in total |
| Week 16 | |
|---|---|
| Monday | Jog for 15 mins |
| Tuesday | Train at maximum effort for 60 secs, walk for 3 mins, train at maximum effort for 50 secs, walk for 3 mins, train at maximum effort for 40 secs, walk for 2 mins, train at maximum effort for 30 secs, walk for 1 min, train at maximum effort for 30 secs. |
| Wednesday | Jog for 35 mins |
| Thursday | Run for 60 mins |
| Friday | Jog for 45 mins, run for 10 mins, jog for 25 mins |
| Saturday | Rest day |
| Sunday | Jog for 120 mins |
| Week 17 | |
|---|---|
| Monday | Jog for 30 mins |
| Tuesday | Jog for 30 mins, run for 15 mins, jog for 30 mins |
| Wednesday | Train at maximum effort for 75 secs, walk for 3 mins. Repeat 6 times. |
| Thursday | Jog for 45 mins |
| Friday | Train at maximum effort for 60 secs, walk for 3 mins. Repeat 6 times. |
| Saturday | Jog for 10 mins, walk for 10 mins |
| Sunday | Fartlek training for 90 mins in total |
| Week 18 | |
|---|---|
| Monday | Jog for 15 mins |
| Tuesday | Run for 70 mins |
| Wednesday | Fartlek training for 70 mins in total |
| Thursday | Jog for 15 mins |
| Friday | Fartlek training for 70 mins in total |
| Saturday | Rest day |
| Sunday | Jog for 120 mins |
| Week 19 | |
|---|---|
| Monday | Jog for 30 mins |
| Tuesday | Train at maximum effort for 75 secs, walk for 3 mins, train at maximum effort for 65 secs, walk for 3 mins. Repeat 5 times. |
| Wednesday | Jog for 45 mins |
| Thursday | Fartlek training for 65 mins in total |
| Friday | Jog for 15 mins, run for 15 mins, jog for 30 mins |
| Saturday | Rest day |
| Sunday | Run for 120 mins |
| Week 20 | |
|---|---|
| Monday | Walk for 10 mins, jog for 15 mins, walk for 10 mins |
| Tuesday | Jog for 45 mins |
| Wednesday | Jog for 15 mins, run for 25 mins, jog for 25 mins |
| Thursday | Train at maximum effort for 30 secs, walk for 3 mins. Repeat 6 times. |
| Friday | Jog for 45 mins |
| Saturday | Rest day |
| Sunday | Fartlek training for 100 mins in total |
| Week 21 | |
|---|---|
| Monday | Jog for 30 mins |
| Tuesday | Train at maximum effort for 75 secs, walk for 3 mins. Repeat 6 times. |
| Wednesday | Jog for 45 mins |
| Thursday | Run for 60 mins |
| Friday | Jog for 40 mins, run for 20 mins, jog for 10 mins |
| Saturday | Rest day |
| Sunday | Run for 130 mins |
| Week 22 | |
|---|---|
| Monday | Jog for 15 mins, walk for 10 mins, jog for 10 mins |
| Tuesday | Jog for 10 mins, run for 30 mins, jog for 20 mins |
| Wednesday | Run for 75 mins |
| Thursday | Jog for 15 mins |
| Friday | Run for 60 mins |
| Saturday | Jog for 15 mins, walk for 15 mins |
| Sunday | Fartlek training for 120 mins in total |
| Week 23 | |
|---|---|
| Monday | Jog for 20 mins |
| Tuesday | Run for 20 mins |
| Wednesday | Jog for 10 mins, run for 10 mins, jog for 10 mins |
| Thursday | Fartlek training for 60 mins in total |
| Friday | Jog for 20 mins, run for 10 mins, jog for 15 mins |
| Saturday | Rest day |
| Sunday | Jog for 120 mins |
| Week 24 | |
|---|---|
| Monday | Jog for 30 mins |
| Tuesday | Run for 60 mins |
| Wednesday | Jog for 30 mins |
| Thursday | Jog for 15 mins |
| Friday | Rest day |
| Saturday | Rest day |
| Sunday | Race day |
