Challenger

Your 20 week training plan to get you from 10 K to a full marathon.

Training plan guidance

An 'easy' jog or walk means a 'recovery run'. Keep your heart rate at about 60-70% of the maximum, and go at a pace where you can chat comfortably.

For example, "8 x 2 minutes (60 seconds rest)", means that you run for 2 minutes, then stop and recover for 60 seconds, repeating this 8 times.

All 2 minute reps should be at a consistent pace – or getting faster towards the end – so don't start too quickly! These runs should be at a faster pace than the easy runs, working near your maximum.

To complement your running, we recommend you do some gym or cross-training sessions.

Engaging in activities like swimming, weight training, strength training, or cycling involves using different parts of the body, unlike running.

Training plan

Challenger – PDF training plan

The complete 20-week training plan available for print.

Time to dare. The 20 week training plan.
Week Day Activity
Week 1 Monday Rest day
Week 1 Tuesday Easy run. 25 minutes
Week 1 Wednesday Interval training. A 15 minute run, followed by 90 seconds rest – do this 2 times
Week 1 Thursday Gym or cross-training session
Week 1 Friday Easy run. 20 minutes
Week 1 Saturday Rest day
Week 1 Sunday Long run. 8 km
Week 2 Monday Easy run. 20 minutes
Week 2 Tuesday Rest
Week 2 Wednesday Interval training. A 1 km run, followed by 90 seconds rest – do this 6 times
Week 2 Thursday Easy run. 35 minutes
Week 2 Friday Easy run. 25 minutes
Week 2 Saturday Rest day
Week 2 Sunday Event day. 10 km run
Week 3 Monday Rest day
Week 3 Tuesday Easy run. 30 minutes
Week 3 Wednesday Interval training. A 5 minute run, followed by 60 seconds rest – do this 5 times
Week 3 Thursday Gym or cross-training session
Week 3 Friday Easy run. 30 minutes
Week 3 Saturday Rest day
Week 3 Sunday Long run. 11 km
Week 4 Monday Easy run. 20 minutes
Week 4 Tuesday Rest day
Week 4 Wednesday Interval training. A 8 minute run, followed by 90 seconds rest – do this 5 times
Week 4 Thursday Easy run. 40 minutes
Week 4 Friday Easy run. 35 minutes
Week 4 Saturday Rest day
Week 4 Sunday Long run. 12 km
Week 5 Monday Rest day
Week 5 Tuesday Easy run. 35 minutes
Week 5 Wednesday Interval training. A 10 minute run, followed by 1 minute rest – do this 5 times
Week 5 Thursday Gym or cross-training session
Week 5 Friday Easy run. 45 minutes
Week 5 Saturday Rest day
Week 5 Sunday Long run. 14 km
Week 6 Monday Easy run. 20 minutes
Week 6 Tuesday Rest day
Week 6 Wednesday Interval training. A 15 minute run, followed by 1 minute rest – do this 2 times
Week 6 Thursday Rest day
Week 6 Friday Easy run. 20 minutes
Week 6 Saturday Rest day
Week 6 Sunday Long run. 8 km
Week 7 Monday Rest day
Week 7 Tuesday Easy run. 40 minutes
Week 7 Wednesday Interval training. A 20 minute run, followed by 90 seconds rest followed by 5 minutes run – do this 3 times
Week 7 Thursday Gym or cross-training session
Week 7 Friday Easy run. 50 minutes
Week 7 Saturday Rest day
Week 7 Sunday Long run. 15 km
Week 8 Monday Easy run. 30 minutes
Week 8 Tuesday Rest day
Week 8 Wednesday Interval training. A 25 minute run, followed by 90 seconds rest – do this 3 times
Week 8 Thursday Easy run. 40 minutes
Week 8 Friday Easy run. 50 minutes
Week 8 Saturday Rest day
Week 8 Sunday Long run. 16 km
Week 9 Monday Rest day
Week 9 Tuesday Easy run. 45 minutes
Week 9 Wednesday Interval training. A 30 minute run, followed by 90 seconds rest– do this 3 times
Week 9 Thursday Gym or cross-training session
Week 9 Friday Easy run. 50 minutes
Week 9 Saturday Rest day
Week 9 Sunday Long run. 18 km
Week 10 Monday Easy run. 25 minutes
Week 10 Tuesday Rest day
Week 10 Wednesday Interval training. A 20 minute run, followed by 90 seconds rest – do this 3 times.
Week 10 Thursday Rest day
Week 10 Friday Easy run. 35 minutes
Week 10 Saturday Rest day
Week 10 Sunday Long run. 12 km
Week 11 Monday Rest day
Week 11 Tuesday Easy run. 50 minutes
Week 11 Wednesday Interval training. A 10 minute run, followed by 90 seconds rest – do this 2 times. Then a 5 minute run, followed by 90 seconds rest - do this 2 times
Week 11 Thursday Gym or cross-training session
Week 11 Friday Easy run. 15 minutes
Week 11 Saturday Rest day
Week 11 Sunday Event day. Half marathon
Week 12 Monday Easy run. 30 minutes
Week 12 Tuesday Rest day
Week 12 Wednesday Interval training. A 30 minute run, followed by 2 minutes rest - do this 2 times
Week 12 Thursday Easy run. 40 minutes
Week 12 Friday Easy run. 50 minutes
Week 12 Saturday Rest day
Week 12 Sunday Long run. 23 km
Week 13 Monday Rest day
Week 13 Tuesday Easy run. 55 minutes
Week 13 Wednesday Interval training. A 60 minute run, followed by 90 seconds rest. Then a 15 minute run, followed by 90 seconds rest - do this 2 times
Week 13 Thursday Gym or cross-training session
Week 13 Friday Easy run. 50 minutes
Week 13 Saturday Rest day
Week 13 Sunday Long run. 25 km
Week 14 Monday Easy run, 35 minutes
Week 14 Tuesday Rest day
Week 14 Wednesday Interval training. A 60 minute run, followed by 90 seconds rest. Then a 30 minute run, followed by 90 seconds rest.
Week 14 Thursday Easy run. 40 minutes
Week 14 Friday Easy run. 50 minutes
Week 14 Saturday Rest day
Week 14 Sunday Long run. 27 km
Week 15 Monday Rest day
Week 15 Tuesday Easy run. 60 minutes
Week 15 Wednesday Interval training. A 15 minute run, followed by a 90 seconds rest – do this 5 times. Then a 5 minute run, followed by 90 seconds rest - do this 3 times
Week 15 Thursday Gym or cross-training session
Week 15 Friday Easy run. 50 minutes
Week 15 Saturday Rest day
Week 15 Sunday Long run. 29 km
Week 16 Monday Easy run. 25 minutes
Week 16 Tuesday Rest day
Week 16 Wednesday Interval training. A 30 minute run, followed by 90 seconds rest – do this 2 times
Week 16 Thursday Rest day
Week 16 Friday Easy run. 30 minutes
Week 16 Saturday Rest day
Week 16 Sunday Long run. 15 km
Week 17 Monday Rest day
Week 17 Tuesday Easy run. 65 minutes
Week 17 Wednesday Interval training. A 20 minute run, followed by 1 minute rest - do this 4 times
Week 17 Thursday Gym or cross-training session
Week 17 Friday Easy run. 50 minutes
Week 17 Saturday Rest day
Week 17 Sunday Event day. 20 miles
Week 18 Monday Easy run. 35 minutes
Week 18 Tuesday Rest day
Week 18 Wednesday Interval training. A 45 minute run, followed by 90 seconds minute rest. Then a 15 minute run, followed by 90 seconds rest. Then a 10 minute run, followed by a 90 seconds rest - do this 2 times
Week 18 Thursday Easy run. 40 minutes
Week 18 Friday Easy run. 50 minutes
Week 18 Saturday Rest day
Week 18 Sunday Long run. 16 km
Week 19 Monday Rest day
Week 19 Tuesday Easy run. 45 minutes
Week 19 Wednesday Interval training. A 15 minute run, followed by 90 seconds minute rest - do this 3 times
Week 19 Thursday Gym or cross-training session
Week 19 Friday Easy run. 35 minutes
Week 19 Saturday Rest day
Week 19 Sunday Long run. 10 km
Week 20 Monday Rest day
Week 20 Tuesday Easy run. 40 minutes
Week 20 Wednesday Easy run. 30 minutes
Week 20 Thursday Rest
Week 20 Friday Easy run. 20 minutes
Week 20 Saturday Rest
Week 20 Sunday Event day. Marathon