9-Month Marathon Training Plan

Nine months may seem like a mighty long time to prepare for a marathon. Heck – registration for
your favourite marathon might not even be opened yet. Still, when you invest the time and effort to
train progressively, you’ll reap more than just a 42.195km personal best (PB) timing. You’ll also
transform your body into an endurance running machine – literally.

Nine Months Of Proper Training

The more time you invest in your training, the more your body benefits. Still, very few of us would
be willing to train for five years before taking part in the next marathon. A nine-month training-
programme, on the other hand, hits the sweet spot between allowing your body to develop distant
running-specific physiological changes and satisfying your impatience to race, says Sports
physician, Dr Ben Tan, medical director and senior consultant at the Singapore Sports Medicine
Centre.

Dr Tan says that, while training duration may vary from person to person, a new marathon runner
new would need about nine months of preparation to get his body all ready for 42.195km of road.
The training would help him minimise injury-risk so that he can complete the race safely.

Your Heart Becomes An Efficient Pump

This is one muscle group you’ll want to build: With regular cardiovascular training, your heart
morphs into an efficient pump, says Dr Tan. Its chambers enlarge and it is able to pump out more
blood with every contraction. In runner-speak, it means that your heart becomes more than ready to
help you conquer the distance. Heart strengthening will take months, if not years, of effort: This
nine-month marathon-training guide helps lay the foundation.

You Build Bones Of Steel (Almost)

To run a marathon well, you’ll need bones built for long-distance running – this means that they
must be able to withstand prolonged periods of impact. Consistent training over a longer period of
time benefits not only your running muscles, it allows your skeleton to remodel itself, says Dr Tan.
Your body removes bone material from parts of the skeleton less associated with running and
deposits them in areas which are responsible for impact absorption – like your femur and tibia. That
is why elite runners have bones which are not only stronger – longer and wider in diameter – but
also lighter at the same time.

The 9-Month Marathon Training Plan

There are no workout timings or running distances you must hit in this training plan designed by
Adrian Mok, elite endurance athlete, general manager of Polar Electro and Men's Health Running
Guy. Instead, use your current fitness level as well as the time you’re willing to set aside for
training to   customise this plan. 

This training plan has been designed for the person who is already a) able to run 5 km in 30 to 35
minutes, and b) training about two to three times a week.

The Phases In This Plan

There are five training phases in this plan. Work progressively through each of them to get yourself
marathon-fit in in nine months.
Phase 1 (Weeks 1 – 4)
General conditioning phase, consisting of exercises which will help you develop strength, mobility
and endurance. They will also help you hone your basic running technique.

Phase 2 (Weeks 5 – 12)

Further development of your fitness and running technique.

Phase 3 (Weeks 13 – 24)

Introduction of higher-intensity training, and 5km and 10km time trials or races.

Phase 4 (Weeks 25 – 32)

Development of marathon-specific endurance though longer-duration tempo training.

Phase 5 (Weeks 33 – 36)

Taper period leading up to marathon race-day.

Training Guidelines
Get a better idea of how much time and effort you should be putting in for the workouts in this plan.

Training Volume
Defined as the maximum number of training hours you’re willing to put in for that week, instead of
weekly mileage, for this plan. Because of the progressive nature of this plan, you’ll not be required
to max out your training time. That is why training volume is presented as a percentage here. For
example, if you can spare a maximum of seven hours of training, the workouts in Week 1 requires
only 80 per cent of seven hours, or about six hours over the week.

Intensity
The intensity of each workout is measured as a percentage of your Maximum Heart Rate (HRmax):
HRmax (in beats per minute, bpm) = 220 - age

   
     
Zone 1 Zone 5
Zone 2 Zone 3 Zone 4
(Very (Very
(Light) (Moderate) (Hard)
Light) Hard)

60-70% 80-90%
50-60% 70-80% of 90-100%
of of
of HRmax HRmax of HRmax
HRmax HRmax

 
Recovery week
Allow your body to recover with one week of recovery training after weeks of other rigorous
workouts. The volume of recovery training has been lowered – but not the intensity. This ensures
that you do not lose any of your fitness and endurance.

Types Of Running Workouts

Get a better idea of the types of running workouts you'll be seeing in this plan.

Easy Run
This is the lowest-intensity run. You should be able to hold a conversation during it. Take walking
breaks if your heart rate (HR) goes beyond the recommended maximum heart rate (HRmax).
Tempo Run
This run teaches your body how to hold a faster pace over time. It starts and ends with an easy run.
In between, you run at a harder (but still comfortable) pace that elevates your heart rate.

Long Run
This run builds endurance and is a good simulation of the actual race day. Use it to determine your
choice of gear and fuelling strategies before and during the run.

Interval Run
This higher-intensity run should be done at places where you can measure the distance. It helps
push your endurance above the normal threshold.

Hill Training
To develop greater power and strength, do your runs over hilly terrain (like that at Fort Canning or
Mount Faber).

Strength and Conditioning

Train the other muscles that are involved in running – not only those in your lower body. Activate
your core with these exercises.

Phase 1: Weeks 1 – 4
General conditioning phase, consisting of exercises which will help you develop strength, mobility
and endurance. They will also help you hone your basic running technique.
 
Training Suggested
Intensity,
Week Volume Training Remarks
HRmax
(%) Activities
1 70 - Keep to a lower
- Easy Run training intensity.
2 80
Zone 1 – 3 - Strength and - Week 4:
3 90
conditioning Recovery Week.
  Lower training
4 70 volume to 70%.
 

Phase 2: Weeks 5 – 12
Further development of your fitness and running technique.
 
Training Suggested
Intensity,
Week Volume Training Remarks
HRmax
(%) Activities
5 70 Zone 2 – 4 - Long run - Set aside more
training time for
6 80 - Tempo run long runs.
7 90
- Week 8: Recovery
8 70 Week. Lower
 training volume to
 
 
Training Suggested
Intensity,
Week Volume Training Remarks
HRmax
(%) Activities
9 80 - Set aside more
training time for
10 90 - Long run
long runs.
11 100 Zone 2 – 4 - Tempo run
- Week 12:
(or hill
Recovery Week.
training)
12 80 Lower training
volume to 70%.

Phase 3: Weeks 13 – 24
Introduction of higher-intensity training, and 5km and 10km time trials or races.
 

Training Suggested
Intensity,
Week Volume Training Remarks
HRmax
(%) Activities
13 70 - Make the tempo run
and interval training
14 80 sessions more
challenging by
15 90 - Tempo run
increasing their
Zone 2 – 4 duration.
- Interval
training
- Week 16: Recovery
16 70 Week.
Schedule a 5km time
trial or race.
 
Training Suggested
Intensity,
Week Volume Training Remarks
HRmax
(%) Activities
17 80  Zone 2 – 5 - Tempo run - Make the tempo run
(or hill and interval training
18 90 training) sessions more
challenging by
19 100
- Interval increasing their
20 8 training duration.

- Week 20: Recovery

Week.
 Schedule a 10km time
 
Training Suggested
Intensity,
Week Volume Training Remarks
HRmax
(%) Activities
21 80 - Make the tempo run
and interval training
22 90 sessions more
- Tempo run
challenging by
23 100 (or hill
increasing their
training)
Zone 2 – 5 duration.
- Interval
- Week 24: Recovery
24 80 training
Week.
Schedule a 21km time
trial or race.

Phase 4: Weeks 25 – 32
Development of marathon-specific endurance through longer-duration tempo training.
 
Training Suggested
Intensity,
Week Volume Training Remarks
HRmax
(%) Activities
25 90 - Do long runs at
your targeted race
26 80 - Long run
pace.
27 100 Zone 2 – 5 - Interval
- Week 28:
training of
Recovery Week.
1km repeats
28 90 Lower training
volume to 70%.
 
Training Suggested
Intensity,
Week Volume Training Remarks
HRmax
(%) Activities
Zone 2 – 5 - Long run - Week 29: Do long
29 100 runs at your
- Interval targeted race pace.
training of 1.2 –
1.6km repeats - Week 30:
Recovery Week.
30 90
Lower training
volume to 90%.
31 100 - Week 31: Do long
runs at your
 targeted race pace.
- Week 32:
32 90 Schedule a 10km
time trial or race.
 

Phase 5: Weeks 33 – 36
Taper period leading up to marathon race-day.  
 
Training Suggested
Intensity,
Week Volume Training Remarks
HRmax
(%) Activities
33 100 - One long run
session of 30 – 36km
34 90 to simulate actual
race.
35 80
- Long run
- Reduce duration of
Zone 2 – 5
- Interval interval training.
training
36 60 - Week 36: Race
week. Keep training
easy. Include shorter
intervals at race pace.