Marathon Program for Intermediate Runners
Week
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Sunday
(Quality)
1
Off or XT
20-30 min &
3 x 50 m strides
40-60 min
Strength &
Stretch
40 – 60 min
8-11 km hilly
2
Off or XT
20-30 min &
4 x 50 m strides
40-60 min
Strength &
Stretch
40 – 60 min
12-13 km easy
3
Off or XT
20-30 min &
5 x 50 m strides
40-60 min
Strength &
Stretch
40 – 60 min
10km with 4-6 hills
4
Off or XT
20-30 min &
6 x 50 m strides
45-60 min
Strength &
Stretch
40 – 60 min
15 km easy
5
Off or XT
25-35 min & 6 x
50 m strides
45-60 min
Strength &
Stretch
45 – 60 min
12-14km with 5 km
tempo or race
6
Off or XT
45-60 min
OFF
Strength &
Stretch
45 – 60 min
17 km easy
7
Off or XT
25-35 min &
6 x 50 m strides
50-65 min
Strength &
Stretch
40 – 60 min
10km with 4-6 hills
8
Off or XT
25-40 min &
6 x 50 m strides
45-65 min
Strength &
Stretch
45 – 65 min
19 km easy
9
Off or XT
25-40 min with
6 x 50 m strides
55-70 min
Strength &
Stretch
45 – 65 min
12-14km with 5 km
tempo or race
10
Off or XT
25-40 min with
6 x 50 m strides
50-65 min
Strength &
Stretch
45 – 65 min
21 km easy
11
Off or XT
25-40 min with
6 x 50 m strides
65-75 min
Strength &
Stretch
45 – 65 min
Warm up 5 km &
12 x 400 m “10 km
race pace”: rest 2
mins
12
Off or XT
25-40 min with
6 x 50 m strides
50-65 min
Strength &
Stretch
45 – 65 min
24 km easy
13
Off or XT
75 min
OFF
Strength &
Stretch
40 – 60 min
10km with 4-6 hills
14
Off or XT
25-40 min with
6 x 50 m strides
55-70 min
Strength &
Stretch
45 – 65 min
Run 26 km
15
Off or XT
30-40 min with
6 x 50 m strides
75 min
Strength &
Stretch
45 – 65 min
Warm up 5 km &
12 x 400 m “10 km
race pace”: rest 1
min
16
Off or XT
30-40 min with
6 x 50 m strides
55-70 min
Strength &
Stretch
45 – 65 min
Run 28 km
17
Off or XT
30-40 min with
6 x 50 m strides
80 min
Strength &
Stretch
45 – 65 min
Warm up 5 km & 6 x
800 m “10 km race
pace”: rest 2 mins
(Recovery)
(Recovery)
©Val Burke
18
Off or XT
30-40 min with
6 x 50 m strides
60-75 min
Strength &
Stretch
45 – 65 min
Run 30 km
19
Off or XT
30-40 min with
6 x 50 m strides
85 min
Strength &
Stretch
45 – 65 min
Warm up 5 km & 6
x 1 km “10 km race
pace”: rest 3 mins
20
Off or XT
30-40 min with
6 x 50 m strides
85 min
Strength &
Stretch
45 – 65 min
Warm up 5 km & 6
x 1 km “5 km race
pace”: rest 4 mins
21
Off or XT
30-40 min with
6 x 50 m strides
55-60 min
Strength &
Stretch
45 – 65 min
Run 32-35 km
22
Off or swim
only
Off or swim only
30-40 min
with 6 x 50 m
strides
Strength &
Stretch
45 – 65 min
Warm up 5 km & 6
x 1 km “5 km race
pace”: rest 4 mins
23
Off or XT
20-30 min with
6 x 50 m strides
45min
Strength &
Stretch
45 min
75 mins easy
24
Off or XT
30 min
Stretch
30 min & 4 x
50 m strides
Off
Marathon!
(Race Week!)
©Val Burke
Suggestions:
1. Please note this is a 24 week program, so
depending on when you start you will need to work
out how many weeks until race day and start at
that point.
2. Peak Endurance’s personal recommendation for
intermediate runners is: 4 runs, 1-2x cross train (XT)
& 1-2 strength/Core per week! Some of you may
decide to run a 5th time per week instead of bike.
XT recommendations are bike, hike or swim.
3. We have given you Saturday OFF but you may
choose to move your day off to another day.
4. We have had a lot of marathon success bricking
a bike after a long run to give you 3-4 hours training
1x every few weeks. It makes your body produce
energy for marathon time, but the stress on your
body from the shorter running means less risk of
injury. Only do this on the alternate weeks when
your long runs are shorter.
5. Strides are run at 80-90% of your “finish line
sprint”. Focus on perfect technique. Ease yourself
into them over the first few weeks.
7. The quality session each week is hills, speed or a
long run.
8. You can run: walk your long runs. Example: run
20 mins: walk 1 min. This is very effective training
for runs over 1 ½ hrs, and lowers your injury risk
yet generally runners run the same average velocity
throughout the run.
9. Stretch every day you run. Refer to “Best Ever
Stretches” as they are designed for runners!
10. Try our Peak Endurance run-specific strength &
core program if you don’t have access to a qualified
strength trainer. You can do most exercises at
home. Yoga is excellent for runners as well.
Peak Endurance Wanaka, Phone: 021 1828499,
Email: [email protected]