Who this plan is for
- ✓You've finished a half marathon in 2:22–2:40 or a 10K in around 63–70 minutes
- ✓Your comfortable easy run pace is around 7:25–8:10/km (11:55–13:10/mi)
- ✓You can run 8–10 km without stopping and want to extend both distance and structured quality work
- ✓You run 3–5 days per week and want a plan that works around a real life
- ✓You've followed a generic plan before and want one that explains the reasoning behind each session
- ✓You're ready to commit to one weekly quality session that will require real effort
What your training actually looks like
Every session in the plan comes with a plain-English reason, not just a pace. Choose your schedule below to see what Week 1 looks like.
💡 Aerobic foundation: every run should be conversational this week. Easy runs are doing real work — mitochondrial density, fat oxidation, connective tissue conditioning. Miss a session? Skip it and move on.
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Build my Sub 2:20 Plan plan →The four phases
Base phase (weeks 1–3)
Easy aerobic running with the long run building from 10 to 13 km. All sessions conversational. Building aerobic capacity before adding quality work.
Strength phase (weeks 4–6)
Tempo runs of 3–4 km at 6:08–6:14/km introduced weekly. Long run reaches 14–16 km. Tempo is the week's key session — everything supports it.
Speed phase (weeks 7–9)
400m intervals at 5:35–5:45/km add brief VO₂max stimulus. Long run peaks at 17–18 km. Volume near maximum.
Taper phase (weeks 10–12)
Volume drops 28–35%. Quality maintained in shorter sessions. Resist adding miles before race day.
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Build my Sub 2:20 Plan →Frequently asked questions
What pace do I need for sub 2:20?
To finish in 2:19:59, you need to average 6:37/km (10:39/mi). Tempo training runs at 6:08–6:14/km (9:54–10:00/mi) — faster than race pace to create a threshold adaptation. Easy runs should be at 7:30–8:15/km (12:04–13:16/mi) — significantly slower, so you can run tempo days with real quality.
I've never run more than 12 km. Can I complete this plan?
Yes, if you can currently run 8–10 km comfortably. The plan builds from there progressively, with the long run peaking at 18–19 km in week 9. The progression is gradual enough to avoid injury if you follow the easy-pace guidance and don't skip recovery days.
What if I miss a session?
Missed an easy run? Skip it and continue — weekly consistency over 12 weeks matters more than individual sessions. Missed a tempo run? Reschedule within 48 hours on a fresh day, or skip it entirely — never run tempo on tired legs. Missed a long run? Reschedule within 3 days. Missed a full week? Drop back one week and continue from there.
Should I walk during the long runs?
Walk breaks on long runs are not just acceptable — they're a strategy. If you're feeling your effort climbing above 'easy' on the long run, a 60-second walk break brings your heart rate down and lets you continue at the right effort. The goal of the long run is time on feet at easy pace, not running every step.
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