Sub 5 Hour Marathon Training Plan

Here’s the sub 5 hour marathon training plan I have been following. It’s a tried and tested 5 hour marathon training plan after I finished a 4:57 at the Jeju Marathon in Korea.

The hidden story is that I tried training for more than a year to beat 5 hours. So it was not easy. Below is the training plan I am following and some tips I am sharing to help you beat 5 hours also.

The sub 5 hour marathon training plan is available below to download. I got it from Runner’s World UK. The training plan requires 4 runs per week which I find just right. It’s a 16-week training plan. You have 4 months to train for this milestone.

Good luck and keep on running.

Sub 5 Hour Marathon Tips

• Train for a 4:48 finish like the RW training plan below. That sounds tough but you need to go faster. Don’t train exactly for a 5:00 marathon finish. You need an extra time for water stops, toilet stops, uphills and fatigue.

• Know the route. Learn the basics of the route like where is the starting line and the finish line. You wouldn’t want to get lost. Know how far are the water stations. Know what are they serving at the stations. Know the elevation.

• Train for the race conditions. Train hard. Finish Easy. If the route is hilly, train for a more hilly route. If the race will be hot, train during summer in noon time. OK, that might sound extreme but you get the point.

• Finish a 10K in 1 hour and a half marathon in 2:15. Not a requirement but that is a good way to gauge yourself if you can handle the sub 5 hour marathon training. So join these shorter races to test yourself. Before the Jeju Marathon, I was able to finish a 2:17 half marathon. It’s 2 minutes short from the benchmark so I made up for the miss in training.

• Follow the plan. If it says 5 miles, just run 5 miles. If it says 20 miles, just run 20 miles. Follow the recommended speed as well. Not faster. Not slower.

Sub 5 Hour Marathon Training Plan

Here’s the training plan. It’s a 16-week training schedule with 4 runs per week. If possible, train earlier like for 20 weeks to allow some time to make adjustments.

Download the Sun 5 Hour Marathon Training Plan here.

Good luck and keep on running!