The Perfect plan to run 3.25 miles ( 5 kms) of a half marathon or 6.5 miles (10.5 kms) of a full marathon.
Half Marathon relay
Here are 2 plans – a beginners plan to simply get round your 3.25 miles of a relay or indeed run a 5k race, and a super speed plan to try and beat the fastest ever Leicester half marathon relay time set in 2014 of 1 hour 17 mins and 40 secs !
First things first…….
The one thing you do need to check up on now is your running shoes. When I ran my last Half Marathon, I remember talking with the owner of a renowned Leicester running shop, despairing about how many people were buying new trainers the week before the race. Bad idea. You do need well fitting, supportive running shoes – but if you need new ones, get them now and use them over the next few weeks. It will make race day a whole lot more pleasant for your feet :-)
So without further ado the plans. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you’d like more help. These are both 6 week plans so should start around the 4th Sept, giving you 2 weeks to get to the starting point. You can plan the sessions into any day of the week, but it’d be best to leave at least one rest day in between sessions.
Beginners plan – to complete 3.25 miles without stopping and in any time :-) Assumes you can run for 10 mins without stopping.
Week 1
session one – 8 min run + 2 min walk x 3
session two – 10 min run + 2 min walk x 2 + 5 min run
session three – 12 min run
Week 2
session one – 9 min run + 2 min walk x 3
session two – 12 min run + 2 min walk x 2 + 5 min run
session three – 15 min run
Week 3
session one – 9 min run + 1 min walk x 3
session two – 15 min run + 2 min walk x 2 + 5 min run
session three – 20 min run
Week 4
session one – 11 min run + 2 min walk x 3
session two – 17 min run + 2 min walk x 2 + 5 min run
session three – 25 min run
Week 5
session one – 15 min run + 2 min walk x 3
session two – 20 min run + 2 min walk x 2 + 5 min run
session three – 35 min run
Week 6
session one – 25 min run + 2 min walk x 2
session two – 20 min run + 1 min walk x 3
At least 2 rest days – then RACE DAY !!!
Advanced plan aims to complete your 3.25 mile leg in less than 20 mins assumes you are a seasoned runner and have completed several 10k and half marathon races.
My only real advice from the experience of training many long distance runners, is that cross training to build power and core strength makes a huge impact on race times, as well as mixing up the muscle experience which reduces the risk of injury from repetitive, impactful running. Food for thought. Similarly, you can develop incredibly tight quads, hams and hip flexors sticking to one discipline. Try our online 10 min sports specific Yoga stretch 3 times a week to improve flexibility and range of movement.
Advanced Plan – to complete 3.25 miles in less than 20 minutes
Week one
Session 1 – Easy 40-45 min run
Session 2 – 12 x 400m sprints with 30-60 second recovery in between
Session 3 – Easy 40-45 min run
Session 4 – 3 x 5 min fast runs
Session 5 – Easy 75 min run
Week 2
Session 1 – Easy 40-45 min run
Session 2 – 12 x 400m sprints with 30-60 second recovery in between
Session 3 – Easy 40-45 min run
Session 4 – 10 x 40 second uphill sprints walk return recovery
Session 5 – 6 x 300m fast runs
Session 6 – Easy 75 min run
Week 3
Session 1 – Easy 40-45 min run
Session 2 – 3 x 5 min fast runs
Session 3 – Easy 40-45 min run
Session 4 – 4 x 800m fast, 5 min recovery, 4 x 400m faster
Session 5 – Easy 60 min run
Week 4
Session 1 – Easy 40-45 min run
Session 2 – 10 x 40 second uphill sprints
Session 3 – Easy 40-45 min run
Session 4 – 6 x 300m fast
Session 5 – Easy 75 min run
Week 5
Session 1 – Easy 40-45 min run
Session 2 – 4 x 800m fast, 5 min recovery, 4 x 400m faster
Session 3 – Easy 40-45 min run
Session 4 – 3 x 5 min fast runs
Session 5 – Easy 60 min run
Week 6
Session 1 – Easy 40-45 min run
Session 2 – 4 x 1km fast, 1-2 min recovery in between
Session 3 – Easy 40-45 min run
Session 4 – 5 x 600m fast, 5 mins recovery, 5 x 300m faster
Session 5 – Easy 20 min run
RACE DAY
Full Marathon Relay (6.5 miles) plan
Week 1
Session 1 – 2 miles easy
Session 2 – 2 miles fast (aim to beat your training pace and set a speed target of half a km an hour faster)
Session 3 – 3 miles steady
Week 2
Session 1 – 2 miles easy
Session 2 – 2 miles fast (aim to beat week 1 time)
Session 3 – 4 miles steady
Week 3
Session 1 – 3 miles easy
Session 2 – 2 miles fast (aim to beat pb)
Session 3 – 5 miles steady
Week 4
Session 1 – 3 miles easy
Session 2 – 3 miles fast (aim to beat pace on miles 1 and 3, steady mile 2)
Session 3 – 6 miles steady
Week 5
Session 1 – 3 miles easy
Session 2 – 3 miles fast (as week 4)
Session 3 – 4 miles fast
Week 6
Session 1 – 3 miles easy
RACE DAY !!