This is a 6 week "Race Specific Build" plan plus a 2 week taper/Sharpening Period prior to race day. This gives a plan total of 8 weeks.
This plan is best suited to someone who has a very consistent running history over many years and has gone through a solid base building period prior to focusing specifically on an up and coming race.
You should be able to comfortably handle running 5-6 days/wk and/or clocking up 5-7hrs of running volume consistently per week (including one long run of upwards of 2hrs).
If running is your passion and you are serious about putting in the work to nail your next Marathon, then I would hope this plan would help get you into really good race day shape.
You will have 2 key sessions a week, one focusing on our shorter distance speed and threshold and the other being a marathon specific long run workout.
Ideally you would have access to an athletics track for the mid week sessions but this isn't critical so long as you have a reliable GPS watch and some nice places to run.
I have used % of threshold pace or have made comment around what the perceived effort should feel like for these sessions. If you are used to running to HR, then it will be up to you to match your HR with the perceived effort you are feeling.
Be sure to make the easy days easy and fuel and hydrate really well pre, during and post the two key sessions.
The key long run and track sessions in this plan I have used personally in my own preparation for the Hawkes Bay Marathon in New Zealand back in 2022 where I ran a 2.33 and came 5th. This was my 1st stand alone Marathon and was during my preparation for Ironman Cairns which was 4 weeks after this race.
I am limited on my time availability so there is no additional communication to be expected.
I wish you all the best with your up and coming race and hopefully this plan is part of your toolbox that gets you into PB shape and smashing your goals!
I am a professional long course triathlete from New Zealand. My triathlon journey started back in 2020 where I signed up for my 1st Ironman, Ironman New Zealand 2021 edition. I have raced professionally for the past 2 seasons.
I have a desire to shed some insight into how a professional triathlete trains throughout the course of the year. I will be sharing my exact training blocks and sessions and the intensities I complete them at in preparation for races.
Have a go and see how you get on :)