Pace
Zones
Zones
Know the effort
Recovery, endurance, marathon pace, threshold, VO2 max, and all-out intensity explained clearly.
Irish Marathon Olympian
2:09:48 Marathon PB
Sub-2:12 x5
The 16-week marathon plan built by a 2:09 Olympian.
A structured marathon build for runners who want purpose, confidence, and race-day discipline without guessing what to do each week.
2:09Marathon Pb
OlympianTeam Ireland
16Weekly structure
26.2Fuel & nutrition
The problem
Most marathon training is too random.
Runners rarely fail because they lack motivation. They fail because the build is messy: too much intensity, not enough progression, long runs without purpose, and no clear plan for race-specific work.
01
You run hard often, but not specifically enough.
02
You know the goal pace, but not how to make it feel controlled.
03
You get fit, but arrive at race day without marathon confidence.
04
You taper by guessing and hope you got it right.
The solution
A serious structure for serious marathon runners.
The 262 Marathon Plan gives you the framework: aerobic development, threshold control, marathon-pace specificity, race simulations, recovery, and a proper taper.
01 / Progression
16-week build
A progressive structure that moves from controlled aerobic work to marathon-specific preparation and race-week sharpening.
02 / Specificity
Marathon pace work
Regular sessions and long-run blocks designed to make goal marathon pace feel familiar, economical, and repeatable.
03 / Control
Pace zones
Clear zone guidance for recovery, endurance, marathon pace, threshold, and VO2-style efforts.
04 / Flexibility
Session options
Key workouts include options so you can adapt the plan without losing the purpose of the training week.
05 / Race readiness
Race simulations
Long sessions that rehearse pacing, fuelling, mental discipline, and the specific fatigue of the marathon.
06 / Support
Fuel, recovery, strength
Guidance around warm-ups, nutrition, recovery, strength training, and tapering so the plan works beyond the workouts.
Inside the plan
Not just workouts. The full build.
The plan includes the weekly training structure and the supporting guidance that helps you execute it correctly.
Week
01-16
01-16
Follow the build
Each week gives you recovery runs, key workouts, easy running, long runs, and rest or cross-training.
Race
Specific
Specific
Rehearse race day
Race simulations and marathon-pace long runs prepare the physiology and the head.
Warm
Up
Up
Prepare properly
Warm-up structure, strides, drills, activation, and reset guidance before session days.
Fuel
Practise nutrition
Daily nutrition, pre-run fuelling, long-run carbohydrate practice, race week loading, and race morning guidance.
Taper
Arrive sharp
The final weeks reduce load while keeping race-pace rhythm, so you arrive fresh rather than flat.
Sample structure
Week
01 Example from the plan
01 Example from the plan
Monday
Recovery run
45 min Zone 1
Tuesday
Marathon pace intervals
3 x 12 min or 4 x 10 min Zone 3
Wednesday
Easy run
60 min Zone 1-2
Thursday
VO2 / hills
6 x 3 min or 8 x 2 min hills
Friday
Recovery + strides
45 min Zone 1 + 6 x 20 sec strides
Saturday
Long run
90 min Zone 2
Sunday
Rest
Rest or cross-train
Fit check
Who this is for.
This is for you if
- You are training for a marathon in the next 16 weeks.
- You want clear weekly structure and purpose.
- You are chasing a PB, a sub-3, or a more disciplined build.
- You already run consistently and want a serious plan.
- You want to practise fuelling, pacing, and race-day execution.
This is not for you if
- You are currently injured and need rehab guidance.
- You want fully personalised 1:1 coaching.
- You are not ready to run several days per week.
- You want a beginner couch-to-marathon plan.
- You want random hard workouts rather than a structured build.
Client voices
Structure builds confidence.
Use plan-specific testimonials here. Avoid showing clothing reviews on this page because they dilute trust for a digital training product.
Love the variety of workouts, flexibility of options, and easy transition to shape the plan to your own goal.
Plan userIt is extremely detailed, easy to follow, and gives proper structure to the full build.
Plan userThe race simulation sessions gave me a proper idea of what marathon effort should feel like.
Add customer resultTrain with structure. Race with confidence.
Get the 16-week marathon plan built by Irish Marathon Olympian Stephen Scullion.
