This plan is aimed at runners who are new to the marathon distance. You might be stepping up from 5, 10km or half marathon and you should feel happy running 30-45 minutes continuously at an easy pace, and longer with the aid of short recovery breaks. If you do not feel ready to run without stopping for the set time, consider mixing easy running with walking.

The majority of the sessions are runs, but you can replace with cardiovascular cross training using a bike, rowing machine, swimming etc. You might see cross training included in the plan to – these are labelled as ‘XT’. If you need to swap days, try not to do two runs harder than 6/10 effort on back to back days. It’s fine to add more running but always remember you need to recover well to progress and you are better to do a little less than too much. If you are tired, sore, have a cold or are worried about a niggle stop, rest and if necessary, speak to a physio or medical expert.