What a sub-4:30 marathon takes
4:29:00 asks for 6:23 per kilometre (10:16 per mile) and a halfway split around 2:14:30. On the equivalence model Run 42 uses, that matches a 10K in about 58:29 or a half marathon in about 2:09:01.
At this pace you will be on your feet for a long time, so the plan cares as much about time on your legs as about speed. Long runs are measured in minutes, not kilometres, which keeps them sensible: three hours is the ceiling, whatever your pace.
Your training paces
Marathon pace
6:23 /km
10:16 /mile Your goal, held for the whole race.
Easy
7:20–8:06 /km
Most of your running, long runs included.
Threshold
5:50–6:00 /km
The pace you could race for about an hour.
VMA
5:25–5:33 /km
About your 3 km race pace, for short repeats.
The 16-week sample plan
This is the plan Run 42 builds for a 4:29 goal with four runs a week and a Sunday long run, for a runner whose last race was a 10K. Volume starts around 28 km a week and peaks near 52 km.
- Weeks 1–3: easy running and a long run that grows from one hour to an hour and a half.
- Weeks 4–6: one quality session a week: short VMA repeats or threshold intervals.
- Weeks 7–13: a marathon-pace run each week, a quality session, and long runs up to 3h00 with two goal-pace blocks near the end.
- Weeks 14–16: the taper, then race week.
Week 1 Base 27.9 km
| Tue | Easy run · 45 min | 7:20–8:06 /km |
| Thu | Easy run · 55 min | 7:20–8:06 /km |
| Fri | Easy run · 55 min | 7:20–8:06 /km |
| Sun | Long run · 1h00 Long run at easy pace | 7:20–8:06 /km |
Week 2 Base 31.1 km
| Tue | Easy run · 45 min | 7:20–8:06 /km |
| Thu | Easy run · 1h00 | 7:20–8:06 /km |
| Fri | Easy run · 1h00 | 7:20–8:06 /km |
| Sun | Long run · 1h15 Long run at easy pace | 7:20–8:06 /km |
Week 3 Base 33.7 km
| Tue | Easy run · 50 min | 7:20–8:06 /km |
| Thu | Easy run · 1h00 | 7:20–8:06 /km |
| Fri | Easy run · 1h00 | 7:20–8:06 /km |
| Sun | Long run · 1h30 Long run at easy pace | 7:20–8:06 /km |
Week 4 Build · cutback 25.2 km
| Tue | Easy run · 30 min | 7:20–8:06 /km |
| Thu | Easy run · 40 min | 7:20–8:06 /km |
| Fri | VMA intervals · 40 min 6×400 m at VMA pace, 1 min jog between | 5:25–5:33 /km |
| Sun | Long run · 1h08 Long run at easy pace | 7:20–8:06 /km |
Week 5 Build 37.4 km
| Tue | Easy run · 55 min | 7:20–8:06 /km |
| Thu | Easy run · 1h10 | 7:20–8:06 /km |
| Fri | Threshold · 45 min 3×8 min at threshold, 2 min jog between | 5:50–6:00 /km |
| Sun | Long run · 1h45 Long run at easy pace | 7:20–8:06 /km |
Week 6 Build 41 km
| Tue | Easy run · 1h00 | 7:20–8:06 /km |
| Thu | Easy run · 1h20 | 7:20–8:06 /km |
| Fri | VMA intervals · 40 min 6×400 m at VMA pace, 1 min jog between | 5:25–5:33 /km |
| Sun | Long run · 2h00 Long run at easy pace | 7:20–8:06 /km |
Week 7 Peak 42.4 km
| Tue | Easy run · 1h20 | 7:20–8:06 /km |
| Thu | Marathon pace · 8 km 8 km at marathon pace after a 2 km warm-up | 6:23 /km |
| Fri | Threshold · 50 min 3×10 min at threshold, 2 min jog between | 5:50–6:00 /km |
| Sun | Long run · 2h00 Long run at easy pace | 7:20–8:06 /km |
Week 8 Peak · cutback 32.8 km
| Tue | Easy run · 30 min | 7:20–8:06 /km |
| Thu | Marathon pace · 8 km 8 km at marathon pace after a 2 km warm-up | 6:23 /km |
| Fri | VMA intervals · 45 min 8×400 m at VMA pace, 1 min jog between | 5:25–5:33 /km |
| Sun | Long run · 1h38 Long run at easy pace | 7:20–8:06 /km |
Week 9 Peak 45 km
| Tue | Easy run · 1h05 | 7:20–8:06 /km |
| Thu | Marathon pace · 10 km 10 km at marathon pace, including a 2 km warm-up | 6:23 /km |
| Fri | Threshold · 50 min 3×10 min at threshold, 2 min jog between | 5:50–6:00 /km |
| Sun | Long run · 2h20 Long run with 2×5 km at marathon pace in the back half | 7:20–8:06 /km |
Week 10 Peak 47.6 km
| Tue | Easy run · 1h10 | 7:20–8:06 /km |
| Thu | Marathon pace · 10 km 10 km at marathon pace, including a 2 km warm-up | 6:23 /km |
| Fri | VMA intervals · 50 min 5×800 m at VMA pace, 90 s jog between | 5:25–5:33 /km |
| Sun | Long run · 2h30 Long run with 2×5 km at marathon pace in the back half | 7:20–8:06 /km |
Week 11 Peak 50.3 km
| Tue | Easy run · 1h15 | 7:20–8:06 /km |
| Thu | Marathon pace · 10 km 10 km at marathon pace, including a 2 km warm-up | 6:23 /km |
| Fri | Threshold · 58 min 2×15 min at threshold, 3 min jog between | 5:50–6:00 /km |
| Sun | Long run · 2h40 Long run with 2×5 km at marathon pace in the back half | 7:20–8:06 /km |
Week 12 Peak · cutback 40.3 km
| Tue | Easy run · 20 min | 7:20–8:06 /km |
| Thu | Marathon pace · 12 km 12 km at marathon pace — full race-day rehearsal | 6:23 /km |
| Fri | VMA intervals · 50 min 5×800 m at VMA pace, 90 s jog between | 5:25–5:33 /km |
| Sun | Long run · 2h08 Long run with 2×5 km at marathon pace in the back half | 7:20–8:06 /km |
Week 13 Peak 52.3 km
| Tue | Easy run · 55 min | 7:20–8:06 /km |
| Thu | Marathon pace · 12 km 12 km at marathon pace — full race-day rehearsal | 6:23 /km |
| Fri | Threshold · 58 min 2×15 min at threshold, 3 min jog between | 5:50–6:00 /km |
| Sun | Long run · 3h00 Long run with 2×5 km at marathon pace in the back half | 7:20–8:06 /km |
Week 14 Taper 31.7 km
| Tue | Easy run · 45 min | 7:20–8:06 /km |
| Thu | Easy run · 45 min | 7:20–8:06 /km |
| Fri | Marathon pace · 6 km 6 km at marathon pace — dress rehearsal, nothing more | 6:23 /km |
| Sun | Long run · 1h48 Medium long run at easy pace — keep it relaxed | 7:20–8:06 /km |
Week 15 Taper 20.6 km
| Tue | Easy run · 25 min | 7:20–8:06 /km |
| Thu | Easy run · 25 min | 7:20–8:06 /km |
| Fri | Marathon pace · 6 km 6 km at marathon pace — dress rehearsal, nothing more | 6:23 /km |
| Sun | Long run · 1h03 Medium long run at easy pace — keep it relaxed | 7:20–8:06 /km |
Week 16 Race 9.7 km
| Tue | Easy run · 35 min Easy run — legs turning, nothing more | 7:20–8:06 /km |
| Thu | Easy run · 25 min Short easy run — stay loose | 7:20–8:06 /km |
| Fri | Easy run · 15 min Shake-out jog with a few 20 s strides at the end | 7:20–8:06 /km |
| Sun | Race · 42.2 km Race day — trust the plan | 6:23 /km |
Making sub-4:30 happen
- Walk the drink stations if it helps. A few seconds walking while you drink costs little and can save the last 10 km.
- Eat during the long runs. You will be out for over four hours on race day. Train your stomach to take a gel or a sports drink every 30 to 45 minutes.
- Don’t chase other runners at the start. The first kilometres at 6:23 will feel slow. They are supposed to.
- Check your shoes early. Do at least two long runs in the shoes you will race in.
