Sub-4:00 Marathon Tempo

Workout - Sub-4:00 Marathon Tempo

• 0.0mi @ 10'30''/mi
• 0.0mi @ 8'47''/mi
• 0.0mi @ 10'30''/mi
• 4 lots of:
  • 100m @ 5'00''/km

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Intro

Here’s a breakdown of Sub-4 Marathon? How to Break the 4 Hour Marathon Barrier from StrengthRunning. The workout below pulls out the key training ideas so you can run them right away. Watch the full video for the complete picture.

Key points

• Target pace: 9:09 min/mile (~5:38 min/km). Hold it for 26.2 miles and you finish under 4 hours.
• Mileage: peak at 40-45 mi (~64-72 km) per week to build aerobic capacity and muscular endurance.
• Long-run strategy: run 20 mi (~32 km) twice per cycle. Start with 12-13 mi, build to 20 mi, then repeat.
• Weekly workouts: fartlek, interval repetitions, tempo runs, and hill repeats. Target lactate-threshold and tempo efforts rather than max speed.
• Strides: 100-m accelerations at 95-98% max effort, 2 seconds, 2-3 times weekly after easy runs for leg turnover.
• Performance markers: ~1:53 half-marathon, ~50 min 10K, ~24 min 5K.

Workout example

Weekly sample (40-45 mi total):

• Monday: easy 5 mi, then 4 × 100-m strides (2 sec at 95-98% max effort with full recovery).
• Tuesday: 8 mi with tempo. 2 mi easy, 4 mi at 9:30/mi (just faster than marathon pace), 2 mi cool-down.
• Wednesday: easy 6 mi with optional fartlek: 5 × 3 min at 5K-ish pace, 2 min easy jog recovery.
• Thursday: 7 mi easy with hill repeats: 8 × 30 sec uphill (5-10 sec hard effort), jog back down.
• Friday: rest or cross-train.
• Saturday, long run: start at 12-13 mi, progressing to 20 mi. First half easy, last 3 mi at marathon goal pace (9:09/mi).
• Sunday: 6 mi easy with 4 × 100-m strides.

Scale distances and speeds to your level, but keep the framework: 40-45 mi per week, two 20-mile long runs, weekly speed and threshold sessions, and regular strides.

Closing note

Try this plan, adjust the paces in the Pacing app to match your fitness, and track the improvements.

References

• Sub-4 Marathon? How to Break the 4 Hour Marathon Barrier - YouTube (YouTube Video)