Running program
16-week sub-4 marathon training plan for a 4:00 finish
Train for a marathon under 4:00 with four runs a week, including work at the required 5:41/km race pace and long runs building to 30 km.
- Days / week
- 4
- Block length
- 16 weeks
- Cost
- Free
Your numbers
This program is prescribed by effort rather than percentages, so there is nothing to calculate — the week below is ready to run.
The week
Easy run
- Easy run50 mineasy effort
Marathon-pace run
- Marathon-pace run10 km5:41/km
Rest
Intervals
- Interval run6 × 1 km10 km effort
Rest
Long run
- Long run24 kmeasy effort
Rest
The week adds up to
- Sessions
- 4
- Working sets
- 0
- Rest days
- 3
Choose your start day
The coach can check whether 5:41/km fits your recent results, place each run around your schedule, and adapt the build as you log it.
Who the sub-4 plan is for
A four-hour target suits a runner with a settled aerobic base, recent consistent mileage, and a half-marathon result that makes 5:41/km realistic. This is not a first marathon from zero; the starting week assumes four runs already fit your life.
What 5:41/km means in training
A 3:59:59 marathon averages about 5:41 per kilometre. One weekly run rehearses that pace, intervals keep faster running economical, the easy run supports volume, and the long run develops the durability to hold form after 30 km.
How the 16 weeks build
Long runs rise gradually to 30 km with regular cutback weeks. Marathon-pace blocks grow inside medium runs rather than taking over every session. The final weeks reduce volume while retaining short sections at 5:41/km so race pace stays familiar.
When marathon pace will not hold
Check recovery before changing the goal. Slow easy days, shorten the next interval session, and try the pace block again after a lighter week. If 5:41/km remains near all-out despite consistent training, choose a realistic race pace instead of forcing the label.
Fuel, terrain, and session order
Practice race fuel during long runs and use a route whose hills resemble the race when possible. Never place intervals beside the long run. If a day moves, preserve the easy gap so the plan still has four distinct purposes rather than four hard runs.
This is a training template, not medical advice. Loads are starting points, not prescriptions — scale them to your own experience, and talk to a qualified clinician before starting a new program if you have an injury or a health condition.