Welcome to the WhittleFit 20-week marathon training plan. The plan is written for intermediate athletes (who have ran consistently in the past and have run at least a half marathon).

This plan is based around four to five runs per week, with one rest day and two days of strength & conditioning.

The plan starts with a base phase of ten weeks. The aim of this block of training is to establish your aerobic base. This phase will lay the foundations for you to increase the intensity and develop power and speed in the following eight week build phase. The plan then leads into your race with a two weeks peak phase.

You will undertake test weeks on week 1, 5, 9, 13 and 17. The overall training volume during these weeks is lower than the week previous. This is to allow some recovery from the previous block of training and freshen you up for the next block of progressive work.

The results from the test are used to create heart rate (HR) and / or pace zones. These intensity zones are used to guide you through training sessions to ensure you stress the body the correct amount during each session to get the desired overall training effect and strike the balance between stress and recovery.

Until you test and calculate training zones you can train using rate of perceived exertion (RPE). There is a guidance sheet attached on RPE.

Good luck with your marathon!