24 Week Intermediate Training Plan

From the virginlondonmarathon.com website.
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.
Week 1 |
Monday |
Jog for 10 mins, run for 10 mins |
Tuesday |
Jog for 30 mins |
Wednesday |
Fartlek training for 30 mins in total |
Thursday |
Jog for 20 mins |
Friday |
Fartlek training for 35 mins in total |
Saturday |
Rest day |
Sunday |
Run for 60 mins |
Week 2 |
Monday |
Jog for 30 mins |
Tuesday |
Fartlek training for 40 mins in total |
Wednesday |
Jog for 30 mins |
Thursday |
Fartlek training for 40 mins in total |
Friday |
Jog for 30 mins |
Saturday |
Rest day |
Sunday |
Run for 60 mins |
Week 3 |
Monday |
Jog for 30 mins |
Tuesday |
Fartlek training for 45 mins in total |
Wednesday |
Jog for 10 mins, run for 35 mins |
Thursday |
Sprint for 30 secs, 3 mins recovery jog. Repeat 3 times, then jog for 15 mins. |
Friday |
Jog for 40 mins |
Saturday |
Jog for 15 mins |
Sunday |
Fartlek training for 70 mins in total |
Week 4 |
Monday |
Jog for 30 mins |
Tuesday |
Train at maximum effort for 60 secs, walk for 3 mins. Repeat 3 times. |
Wednesday |
Jog for 45 mins |
Thursday |
Jog for 10 mins, run for 35 mins |
Friday |
Jog for 15 mins, run for 15 mins, jog for 15 mins |
Saturday |
Rest day |
Sunday |
Run for 60 mins |
Week 5 |
Monday |
Jog for 30 mins |
Tuesday |
Train at maximum effort for 60 secs, walk for 3 mins, train at maximum effort for 45 secs, walk for 3 mins, train at maximum effort for 30 secs, walk for 3 mins. Repeat 6 times. |
Wednesday |
Jog for 45 mins |
Thursday |
Run for 45 mins |
Friday |
Train at maximum effort for 70 secs, walk for 3 mins, train at maximum effort for 45 secs, walk for 2 mins, train at maximum effort for 30 secs, walk for 3 mins. Repeat 3 times. |
Saturday |
Rest day |
Sunday |
Run for 60 mins |
Week 6 |
Monday |
Jog for 30 mins |
Tuesday |
Train at maximum effort for 75 secs, walk for 3 mins. Repeat 3 times. |
Wednesday |
Jog for 45 mins |
Thursday |
Run for 25 mins |
Friday |
Jog for 20 mins |
Saturday |
Jog for 15 mins, walk for 10 mins |
Sunday |
Race – 10k. If you don’t race, run for 60 mins. |
Week 7 |
Monday |
If you raced on Sunday take a rest day. If you didn’t race, jog for 15 mins, run for 10 mins. |
Tuesday |
If you raced on Sunday jog for 30 mins. If you didn’t race, do Fartlek training for 60 mins in total. |
Wednesday |
Jog for 60 mins |
Thursday |
Jog for 10 mins, run for 30 mins, jog for 20 mins |
Friday |
Run for 60 mins, jog for 10 mins, walk for 10 mins |
Saturday |
Rest day |
Sunday |
Fartlek training for 75 mins in total |
Week 8 |
Monday |
Jog for 25 mins, run for 10 mins, jog for 25 mins |
Tuesday |
Train at maximum effort for 60 secs, walk for 3 mins. Repeat 6 times. |
Wednesday |
Jog for 60 mins |
Thursday |
Fartlek training for 75 mins in total |
Friday |
Jog for 25 mins |
Saturday |
Rest day |
Sunday |
Jog for 90 mins |
Week 9 |
Monday |
Jog for 30 mins |
Tuesday |
Train at maximum effort for 75 secs, walk for 3 mins, train at maximum effort for 45 secs, walk for 2 mins, train at maximum effort for 30 secs, walk for 3 mins. Repeat 4 times. |
Wednesday |
Jog for 45 mins |
Thursday |
Run for 75 mins |
Friday |
Jog for 30 mins |
Saturday |
Rest day |
Sunday |
Run for 90 mins |
Week 10 |
Monday |
Jog for 45 mins |
Tuesday |
Fartlek training for 75 mins in total |
Wednesday |
Jog for 10 mins, run for 10 mins, jog for 15 mins |
Thursday |
Train at maximum effort for 75 secs, walk for 3 mins, train at maximum effort for 60 secs, walk for 3 mins, train at maximum effort for 30 secs, walk for 2 mins. Repeat 4 times. |
Friday |
Jog for 25 mins |
Saturday |
Rest day |
Sunday |
Run for 90 mins |
Week 11 |
Monday |
Jog for 30 mins |
Tuesday |
Train at maximum effort for 60 secs, walk for 3 mins, train at maximum effort for 30 secs, walk for 3 mins, train at maximum effort for 60 secs, walk for 3 mins. Repeat 5 times. |
Wednesday |
Jog for 20 mins |
Thursday |
Train at maximum effort for 75 secs, walk for 3 mins. Repeat twice. Then train at maximum effort for 45 secs, walk for 3 mins. Repeat twice. |
Friday |
Jog for 20 mins |
Saturday |
Rest day |
Sunday |
Run for 90 mins |
Week 12 |
Monday |
Jog for 30 mins |
Tuesday |
Run for 90 mins |
Wednesday |
Run for 90 mins |
Thursday |
Jog for 20 mins, run for 20 mins, jog for 20 mins |
Friday |
Jog for 15 mins, walk for 15 mins |
Saturday |
Rest day |
Sunday |
Race – half marathon distance |
Week 13 |
Monday |
If you raced on Sunday take a rest day. If you didn’t race, jog for 30 mins. |
Tuesday |
If you raced on Sunday jog for 30 mins. If you didn’t race, do Fartlek training for 75 mins in total. |
Wednesday |
Jog for 15 mins, run for 30 mins, jog for 30 mins |
Thursday |
Run for 60 mins |
Friday |
Jog for 45 mins, run for 10 mins, jog for 15 mins |
Saturday |
Rest day |
Sunday |
Fartlek training for 90 mins in total |
Week 14 |
Monday |
Jog for 10 mins, run for 10 mins, jog for 5 mins |
Tuesday |
Train at maximum effort for 60 secs, walk for 3 mins. Repeat 6 times. |
Wednesday |
Jog for 30 mins |
Thursday |
Fartlek training for 60 mins in total |
Friday |
Jog for 30 mins |
Saturday |
Rest day |
Sunday |
Run for 100 mins |
Week 15 |
Monday |
Jog for 20 mins |
Tuesday |
Jog for 10 mins, run for 30 mins, jog for 30 mins |
Wednesday |
Train at maximum effort for 75 secs, walk for 3 mins. Repeat twice. Train at maximum effort for 45 secs, walk for 3 mins. Repeat twice. Train at maximum effort for 15 secs, walk for 3 mins. Repeat twice. |
Thursday |
Jog for 35 mins |
Friday |
Train at maximum effort for 60 secs, walk for 3 mins. Repeat 6 times. |
Saturday |
Jog for 15 mins, walk for 15 mins |
Sunday |
Fartlek training for 60 mins in total |
Week 16 |
Monday |
Jog for 15 mins |
Tuesday |
Train at maximum effort for 60 secs, walk for 3 mins, train at maximum effort for 50 secs, walk for 3 mins, train at maximum effort for 40 secs, walk for 2 mins, train at maximum effort for 30 secs, walk for 1 min, train at maximum effort for 30 secs. |
Wednesday |
Jog for 35 mins |
Thursday |
Run for 60 mins |
Friday |
Jog for 45 mins, run for 10 mins, jog for 25 mins |
Saturday |
Rest day |
Sunday |
Jog for 120 mins |
Week 17 |
Monday |
Jog for 30 mins |
Tuesday |
Jog for 30 mins, run for 15 mins, jog for 30 mins |
Wednesday |
Train at maximum effort for 75 secs, walk for 3 mins. Repeat 6 times. |
Thursday |
Jog for 45 mins |
Friday |
Train at maximum effort for 60 secs, walk for 3 mins. Repeat 6 times. |
Saturday |
Jog for 10 mins, walk for 10 mins |
Sunday |
Fartlek training for 90 mins in total |
Week 18 |
Monday |
Jog for 15 mins |
Tuesday |
Run for 70 mins |
Wednesday |
Fartlek training for 70 mins in total |
Thursday |
Jog for 15 mins |
Friday |
Fartlek training for 70 mins in total |
Saturday |
Rest day |
Sunday |
Jog for 120 mins |
Week 19 |
Monday |
Jog for 30 mins |
Tuesday |
Train at maximum effort for 75 secs, walk for 3 mins, train at maximum effort for 65 secs, walk for 3 mins. Repeat 5 times. |
Wednesday |
Jog for 45 mins |
Thursday |
Fartlek training for 65 mins in total |
Friday |
Jog for 15 mins, run for 15 mins, jog for 30 mins |
Saturday |
Rest day |
Sunday |
Run for 120 mins |
Week 20 |
Monday |
Walk for 10 mins, jog for 15 mins, walk for 10 mins |
Tuesday |
Jog for 45 mins |
Wednesday |
Jog for 15 mins, run for 25 mins, jog for 25 mins |
Thursday |
Train at maximum effort for 30 secs, walk for 3 mins. Repeat 6 times. |
Friday |
Jog for 45 mins |
Saturday |
Rest day |
Sunday |
Fartlek training for 100 mins in total |
Week 21 |
Monday |
Jog for 30 mins |
Tuesday |
Train at maximum effort for 75 secs, walk for 3 mins. Repeat 6 times. |
Wednesday |
Jog for 45 mins |
Thursday |
Run for 60 mins |
Friday |
Jog for 40 mins, run for 20 mins, jog for 10 mins |
Saturday |
Rest day |
Sunday |
Run for 130 mins |
Week 22 |
Monday |
Jog for 15 mins, walk for 10 mins, jog for 10 mins |
Tuesday |
Jog for 10 mins, run for 30 mins, jog for 20 mins |
Wednesday |
Run for 75 mins |
Thursday |
Jog for 15 mins |
Friday |
Run for 60 mins |
Saturday |
Jog for 15 mins, walk for 15 mins |
Sunday |
Fartlek training for 120 mins in total |
Week 23 |
Monday |
Jog for 20 mins |
Tuesday |
Run for 20 mins |
Wednesday |
Jog for 10 mins, run for 10 mins, jog for 10 mins |
Thursday |
Fartlek training for 60 mins in total |
Friday |
Jog for 20 mins, run for 10 mins, jog for 15 mins |
Saturday |
Rest day |
Sunday |
Jog for 120 mins |
Week 24 |
Monday |
Jog for 30 mins |
Tuesday |
Run for 60 mins |
Wednesday |
Jog for 30 mins |
Thursday |
Jog for 15 mins |
Friday |
Rest day |
Saturday |
Rest day |
Sunday |
Race day |