Training plans Marathon
The sub-3:45 marathon
To break 3:45 for the marathon, you need an average of 5:20 per kilometre — 8:35 per mile — from gun to tape. Most runners get there on 60–83km per week across 4–5 runs, built over roughly 15–19 weeks. Expect three gears in the plan: 6:15–6:50/km for easy runs, roughly 4:57/km for tempo sessions, and 4:42/km for intervals. Your starting fitness decides whether the goal is a season away or further — judge it from a recent race, not a hopeful guess.
Last updated 2026-10-01 · paces computed, not copywritten
Goal pace
5:20/km
8:35/mi
Typical build
15–19 weeks
60–83 km/week
Runs per week
4–5
3 key sessions + easy volume
Required paces
| SESSION | PACE (/KM) |
|---|---|
| Easy runs | 6:15–6:50 |
| Long run | 5:45–6:15 |
| Tempo | 4:57 |
| Intervals | 4:42 |
| Race pace | 5:20 |
Splits at goal pace
44 checkpoints
| CHECKPOINT | CLOCK |
|---|---|
| 1 km | 5:20 |
| 2 km | 10:40 |
| 3 km | 16:00 |
| 4 km | 21:20 |
| 5 km | 26:40 |
| 6 km | 32:00 |
| 7 km | 37:20 |
| 8 km | 42:40 |
| 9 km | 47:59 |
| 10 km | 53:19 |
| 11 km | 58:39 |
| 12 km | 1:03:59 |
| 13 km | 1:09:19 |
| 14 km | 1:14:39 |
| 15 km | 1:19:59 |
| 16 km | 1:25:19 |
| 17 km | 1:30:39 |
| 18 km | 1:35:59 |
| 19 km | 1:41:19 |
| 20 km | 1:46:39 |
| 21 km | 1:51:59 |
| Halfway | 1:52:30 |
| 22 km | 1:57:19 |
| 23 km | 2:02:39 |
| 24 km | 2:07:59 |
| 25 km | 2:13:19 |
| 26 km | 2:18:39 |
| 27 km | 2:23:58 |
| 28 km | 2:29:18 |
| 29 km | 2:34:38 |
| 30 km | 2:39:58 |
| 31 km | 2:45:18 |
| 32 km | 2:50:38 |
| 33 km | 2:55:58 |
| 34 km | 3:01:18 |
| 35 km | 3:06:38 |
| 36 km | 3:11:58 |
| 37 km | 3:17:18 |
| 38 km | 3:22:38 |
| 39 km | 3:27:58 |
| 40 km | 3:33:18 |
| 41 km | 3:38:38 |
| 42 km | 3:43:58 |
| Finish | 3:45:00 |
The table assumes level pacing; most runners land a 3:45 by holding two or three seconds per kilometre back from 5:20 early on.
The final clock of 3:45:00 is the sub-3:45 marathon benchmark — the number the goal is named after, reached exactly. Most runners want to finish somewhere under it, and how much under is your call, not ours. Set your own margin in the pace calculator.
Train towards this goal with a plan built around your week.
The paces and splits above are yours to keep. RunV turns them into 15–19 weeks that fit the days you can actually run, and rebuilds them when a session is missed.
Everything above stays free and complete — this is an optional next step, not a paywall.
A typical week
Key session 1
Intervals — reps around 4:42/km (5K effort) with jog recoveries
Key session 2
Tempo — sustained comfortably-hard running near 4:57/km
Long run
The week's cornerstone at 5:45–6:15/km, adding 3:45-pace finishes as race day nears
Plus 2+ easy runs. Everything else is easy running at 6:15–6:50/km — the volume that makes the hard days land.
Asked often
- What pace is a sub-3:45 marathon?
- 5:20 per kilometre, held for the full marathon. The runners who break 3:45 are usually the ones still passing people in the last quarter.
- How long should I train for a sub-3:45 marathon?
- From a reasonable base, 15–19 weeks. If you're returning from a break, rebuild first — squeezing a 15-week plan into less is how marathon builds break.
- What happens if I miss training weeks?
- If the plan can't adjust, missed weeks turn into injury risk or a blown goal. RunV recalibrates after every run — including the ones that didn't happen — to keep 3:45 in reach.
This fitness at other distances
- Half marathon: 1:47:55 equivalent
- 10K: 48:55 equivalent
- 5K: 23:28 equivalent
Sub-3:45, minus the guesswork
RunV builds your sub-3:45 plan around your week, then recalibrates it after every run — finished, cut short, or missed.
