Intermediate 17 Week Training Plan
Introduction: The following training programmes cover a period of 17 weeks. Before embarking on one of these marathon training plans you should have done four to eight weeks of steady running so that you have a foundation of fitness to build on. Each programme is designed to cater for different levels and abilities so it’s important that you choose the right plan for you. A training schedule needs to be challenging but not so that you feel out of your depth.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.
Key: ER = Easy Run, SR = Steady Run, TR = Threshold Run, HR = Hill Run, FR = Fartlek Run, IR = Interval Run, LR = Long Run, MP = Marathon Pace, 1/2MP = Half Marathon Pace, H&N = Hydration & Nutrition Strategies
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| Week 1 |
| Monday |
Rest |
| Tuesday |
30min ER |
| Wednesday |
Rest or cross train. Core & stretching |
| Thursday |
10min ER, 15min SR, 10min ER |
| Friday |
Rest |
| Saturday |
40min SR |
| Sunday |
60min LR |
| Week 2 |
| Monday |
Rest |
| Tuesday |
10min ER, 20min SR, 10min ER |
| Wednesday |
Rest or cross train. Core & stretching |
| Thursday |
40min SR |
| Friday |
Rest |
| Saturday |
10min ER, 5 x (2min IR, 2min ER), 10 min SR |
| Sunday |
1hr10min LR |
| Week 3 |
| Monday |
Rest |
| Tuesday |
10min ER, 2 x (5min TR, 2min ER), 10min SR, 10min ER |
| Wednesday |
Rest or cross train. Core & stretching |
| Thursday |
45min SR |
| Friday |
Rest |
| Saturday |
10min ER, 25min HR, 10min ER |
| Sunday |
1hr20min LR |
| Week 4 |
| Monday |
Rest |
| Tuesday |
40min FR |
| Wednesday |
Rest or cross train. Core & stretching |
| Thursday |
60min SR |
| Friday |
Rest |
| Saturday |
10min ER, 2 x (10min TR, 4min ER), 10min ER |
| Sunday |
1hr30min LR |
| Week 5 |
| Monday |
Rest |
| Tuesday |
45min FR |
| Wednesday |
Rest or cross train. Core & stretching |
| Thursday |
10min ER, 3 x (8min TR, 2min ER), 10min ER |
| Friday |
Rest |
| Saturday |
10min ER, 3 x (10min TR, 3min ER), 10min ER |
| Sunday |
10 miles LR |
| Week 6 |
| Monday |
Rest |
| Tuesday |
10min ER, 7 x (3min IR, 2min ER), 10min ER |
| Wednesday |
Rest or cross train. Core & stretching |
| Thursday |
50min SR |
| Friday |
Rest |
| Saturday |
10min ER, 25min HR, 10min ER |
| Sunday |
10 miles LR with miles 3-7 at MP |
| Week 7 (An easier week to help your body recover and adapt to the training) |
| Monday |
Rest |
| Tuesday |
25min ER |
| Wednesday |
Rest or cross train. Core & stretching |
| Thursday |
10min ER, 15min SR, 10min ER |
| Friday |
Rest |
| Saturday |
5min ER, 5 x 90sec HR, 5min ER |
| Sunday |
50min LR |
| Week 8 |
| Monday |
Rest |
| Tuesday |
40min ER |
| Wednesday |
Rest or cross train. Core & stretching |
| Thursday |
10min ER, 2 x (15min TR, 2min ER), 10min ER |
| Friday |
Rest |
| Saturday |
10min ER, 10min TR, 5min ER, 10min SR, 10min ER |
| Sunday |
14 miles LR. Practise H&N |
| Week 9 |
| Monday |
Rest |
| Tuesday |
10min ER, 15min SR, 10min ER |
| Wednesday |
Rest or cross train. Core & stretching |
| Thursday |
60min SR |
| Friday |
Rest |
| Saturday |
40min FR |
| Sunday |
16 miles LR include 4 miles at MP at start and end. Practise H&N |
| Week 10 |
| Monday |
Rest |
| Tuesday |
10min ER, 2 x (2min IR, 1min ER, 3min IR, 90sec ER, 4min IR, 2min ER, 5min IR, 2.5min ER), 10min ER |
| Wednesday |
Rest or cross train. Core & stretching |
| Thursday |
60min SR |
| Friday |
Rest |
| Saturday |
10min ER, 20min HR, 10min ER |
| Sunday |
18 miles LR. Practise H&N |
| Week 11 |
| Monday |
Rest |
| Tuesday |
10min ER, 12 x (2min IR, 1min ER), 10min ER |
| Wednesday |
Rest or cross train. Core & stretching |
| Thursday |
40min ER |
| Friday |
Rest |
| Saturday |
10min ER, 5 x 30sec fast strides, 5min ER |
| Sunday |
Run a Half Marathon |
| Week 12 |
| Monday |
Rest |
| Tuesday |
40min ER |
| Wednesday |
Rest or cross train. Core & stretching |
| Thursday |
5min ER, 10min SR, 10min TR, 10min SR, 10min ER |
| Friday |
Rest |
| Saturday |
15min ER, 2 x (10min TR, 3min ER), 10min ER |
| Sunday |
20 miles LR. Practise H&N |
| Week 13 |
| Monday |
Rest |
| Tuesday |
10min ER, 2 x (15min TR, 5min ER) 10min SR |
| Wednesday |
Rest or cross train. Core & stretching |
| Thursday |
40min ER |
| Friday |
Rest |
| Saturday |
10min ER, 5 x 2min IR, 5min ER |
| Sunday |
20 miles LR. Practise H&N |
| 4 weeks to go! |
| Monday |
Rest |
| Tuesday |
35 mins ER |
| Wednesday |
Rest or cross train. Core & stretching |
| Thursday |
10 mins ER, 8 x (3 mins IR, 2 mins ER), 10 mins ER |
| Friday |
Rest |
| Saturday |
Rest |
| Sunday |
22 miles LR. This will be your final long training run. Practise MP and H&N |
| 3 weeks to go! |
| Monday |
Rest |
| Tuesday |
35 mins ER |
| Wednesday |
Rest or cross train. Core & stretching |
| Thursday |
10 mins ER, 2 x (10 mins TR, 5 mins ER), 3 x (4 mins IR, 2 mins ER), 10 mins ER |
| Friday |
Rest |
| Saturday |
10 mins ER, 15 mins TR, 10 mins ER |
| Sunday |
13 miles LR. Practise MP and H&N |
| 2 weeks to go! |
| Monday |
Rest |
| Tuesday |
40 mins ER |
| Wednesday |
Rest or cross train. Core & stretching |
| Thursday |
10 mins ER, 20 mins MP, 5 x (2 mins IR, 2 mins ER), 10 mins ER |
| Friday |
Rest |
| Saturday |
35 mins SR |
| Sunday |
8 miles ER |
| 1 week to go! |
| Monday |
Rest |
| Tuesday |
40 mins ER |
| Wednesday |
Rest or cross train. Core & stretching |
| Thursday |
Rest |
| Friday |
10 mins ER, 5 x 30 seconds fast strides, 10 mins ER |
| Saturday |
Rest |
| Sunday |
Race day! Remember to stretch & warm down with a 15 min walk. Eat & drink well. |
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