Advanced marathon programme
This programme is for you if you consider yourself to be an advanced runner. You may
have completed marathon races before, or possibly a half marathon race, perhaps
following the Bupa beginner and intermediate training programmes.
One mile is equivalent to 1.6km. For this training programme, distances in km have been rounded to the nearest whole number for simplicity.
Week 1
4 miles (6km)
easy
Week 2
Monday
4 miles (6km)
easy
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Rest
6 miles (10km)
steady
5 miles (8km)
fartlek
Rest
5 miles (8km)
easy
10 miles (16km)
long run
Constant speed
2 × 10 mins
5 miles (8km)
Intervals
3 × 1 mile
Rest
4 miles (6km)
steady
10 miles (16km)
long run
Hills
5 x 2 mins
Rest
5 miles (8km)
steady
11 miles (18km)
long run
Intervals
6 x 1 mile
Rest
3 miles (5km)
easy
11 miles (18km)
long run
Hills
6 × 2 mins
Rest
5 miles (8km)
steady
12 miles (19km)
long run
Constant speed
7 miles (11km)
2 × 15 mins
(5 mins recovery run
easy
Intervals
5 × 1 mile
Rest
5 miles (8km)
steady
12 miles (19km)
long run
6 miles (10km) 15 miles (24km)
steady
long run
(5 mins recovery
run between sets)
easy
Week 3
4 miles (6km) (5 mins recovery run) 6 miles (10km)
7 mins
easy
easy
Week 4
4 miles (6km)
easy
Week 5
Constant speed
5 miles (8km)
15 mins
7 miles (11km)
(5 mins recovery run)
easy
easy
10 mins
Week 6
5 miles (8km)
Week 7
5 miles (8km)
easy
6 miles (10km)
speed
8 miles (13km)
easy
Hills
7 × 2 mins
Rest
Week 8
Constant speed
10 mins
(400m recovery
run between
sets)
5 miles (8km)
easy
Rest
8 miles (13km)
steady
5 miles (8km)
fartlek
Rest
(4 mins recovery run)
5 mins
easy
Rest
7 miles (11km)
steady
between sets)
(400m recovery
run between sets)
(400m recovery
run between sets)
20 mins
easy
6 miles (10km)
long run race
pace
Continued on next page
5 miles (8km)
easy
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Constant speed
3 × 10 mins
8 miles (13km)
(5 mins recovery
easy
Intervals
8 × 800m
Rest
6 miles (10km) 15 miles (24km)
steady
long run
Rest
6 miles (10km) 16 miles (26km)
steady
long run
Rest
6 miles (10km) 18 miles (29km)
steady
long run
Rest
6 miles (10km) 20 miles (32km)
long run
easy
run between sets)
Week 10
5 miles (8km) (5 mins recovery run) 8 miles (13km)
15 mins
easy
easy
Week 11
5 miles (8km)
easy
6 miles (10km)
race pace
Week 12
5 miles (8km)
easy
Rest
Week 13
Constant speed
20 mins
(400m recovery
run between sets)
3 miles (5km)
easy
5 miles (8km)
steady
7 miles (11km)
easy
Hills
8 × 2 mins
Rest
Week 14
Week 9
Monday
3 miles (5km)
easy
5 miles (8km)
steady
7 miles (11km)
race pace
6 miles (10km)
fartlek
Rest
(4 mins recovery run)
Hills
7 x 2 mins
Saturday
Sunday
Week 15
3 miles (5km)
easy
Week 16
10 mins
3 miles (5km)
easy
5 miles (8km)
race pace
9 miles (14km)
easy
Intervals
5 x 1 mile
(400m recovery
run between sets)
10 miles (16km) 7 miles (11km)
steady
fartlek
Constant speed
20 mins
Rest
(5 mins recovery run)
10 mins
Rest
22 miles (35km)
long run
4 miles (6km)
15 miles (24km)
long run
Rest
5 miles (8km)
easy
10 miles (16km)
long run
Rest
Rest
Marathon
RACE
(4 mins recovery run)
10 mins
Notes
Rest
5 miles (8km)
easy
10 to 20 mins
very easy jog