SportPlan
Marathon training plan — sub-3:30
Running · marathon
A 16-week marathon training plan at sub-3:30 level — designed around 7 hours per week across 5 days. Polarised intensity distribution: most volume at easy aerobic effort, two quality sessions, one long session.
This is the representative template. The real SportPlan plan rebuilds every day from your Garmin and Strava data — HRV trend, Training Status, recovery, race calendar. The structure stays the same; the adaptation day-to-day is what changes.
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Preparation length
16 weeks
Hours per week
7 h
Days per week
5
Quality sessions / week
2
Total time
7h
Sessions
5
Quality sessions
2
Mon
Rest day
Full rest. No training. Sleep priority, normal eating, light walking only if you want.
Tue
55 min
Target zones
Z4 threshold (~88% MaxHR)
Why today
Lactate clearance. Raises the pace you can sustain for an hour. Foundation of half/marathon performance.
Session details
Warm-up 15 min easy. 2×15 min at threshold pace, 3 min easy recovery between. 10 min cool-down.
Wed
88 min
Target zones
Z2 easy (heart rate 60–70% max)
Why today
Aerobic base. 70–80% of weekly volume sits here. Mitochondria, capillary density, fat oxidation.
Session details
Conversational pace, plus 4×100m strides at race pace in the final third with full recovery between.
Thu
55 min
Target zones
Z4 threshold (~88% MaxHR)
Why today
Specific race-pace conditioning. Builds confidence at race effort and improves running economy.
Session details
Warm-up 15 min. 25–30 min continuous tempo at half-marathon to marathon pace. 10 min cool-down.
Fri
Rest day
Full rest. No training. Sleep priority, normal eating, light walking only if you want.
Sat
134 min
Target zones
Z2 sustained (60–72% max HR)
Why today
Glycogen depletion + slow-twitch fibre recruitment. The single most important session for endurance events.
Session details
Continuous easy long run. Final 15 minutes lift to marathon pace if you feel good. Fuel with one gel halfway.
Sun
88 min
Target zones
Z2 easy (heart rate 60–70% max)
Why today
Aerobic base. 70–80% of weekly volume sits here. Mitochondria, capillary density, fat oxidation.
Session details
Conversational pace, plus 4×100m strides at race pace in the final third with full recovery between.
Polarised intensity distribution: roughly 75–80% of weekly volume at easy aerobic effort, 15–20% at quality (threshold, intervals, tempo), and 0–5% at race-pace. This split is the most-supported intensity distribution in the published endurance-training literature.
Quality sessions placed Tuesday and Thursday with full recovery between. Long session on Saturday (running / cycling) or Sunday brick (triathlon). Rest day Monday or Friday depending on your days-per-week.
Each session in the engine comes with a one-line 'why today' explanation. In the real adaptive plan, that rationale is anchored to your HRV, Training Status, and recent load — not the static template you see in this sample.
Connect Garmin or Strava, complete a 60-second onboarding, and your real plan rebuilds every day from your actual data. See your first week before you pay. €9.99/month, cancel anytime.
Ramon Curto designed SportPlan's endurance-training methodology from exercise-physiology principles. SportPlan applies it autonomously to the information you enter and the data you choose to connect; it is not ongoing one-to-one coaching or medical care.
Last revised July 2026