100km Beginner Training Guide

The perfect beginner training for your 100km challenge. This is the plan for you if you can complete a 5km run without stopping, in under 40 minutes.

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GLOSSARY FOR TRAINING PLAN TERMS

  • Hill sprints: just as they sound – sprinting up a hill.
  • Tempo runs: should be done at 86 – 90 percent of your maximum heart rate and feel ‘comfortably hard’.
  • Descending intervals: this is a very intense workout that should only be performed one or twice a month. Start with high cadence for around 3 minutes. Cut length in half each interval. Recovery time should be same length as effort e.g. 3 minutes
  • Progression runs: starting relatively slow or easy pace and getting progressively faster throughout the run.
  • Over-unders: a type of interval structure with sustained intervals divided into segments that alternate between under-segments, resembling valleys and over-segments resembling peaks.
  • Easy runs: 40% of maximum effort.
  • On Off Ks: One pace 1km different pace the next.

Week 1

Monday – 7km Hill Repeats

Tuesday – 8km Easy Run

Wednesday – 8km Half Easy Half Tempo

Thursday – REST

Friday – 8km Easy Run

Saturday – 10km Long Run

Sunday – REST


Week 2

Monday – 7.1km Broken 600s

Tuesday – 8km Easy Run

Wednesday – 9km Tempo 2k

Thursday – REST

Friday – 9km Easy Run

Saturday – 13km Long Run

Sunday – REST


Week 3

Monday – 7.2km Ascending Hill Reps

Tuesday – 7km Easy Run

Wednesday – 7km Over and Unders 1km

Thursday – REST

Friday – 8km Easy Run

Saturday – 25km Long Run

Sunday – REST


Week 4

Monday – 5km Progressive Hill Reps

Tuesday – REST

Wednesday – 7km Half Easy Half Tempo

Thursday – REST

Friday – 8km Easy Run

Saturday – 15km Long Run

Sunday – REST


Week 5

Monday – 7km Shorter Intervals

Tuesday – 8km Easy Run

Wednesday – 7km 1.5k Rep

Thursday – REST

Friday – 9km Easy Run

Saturday – 25km Long Run

Sunday – REST


Week 6

Monday – 11km Longer Hill Repeats

Tuesday – 7km Easy Run

Wednesday – 11km Progressive Run

Thursday – REST

Friday – 10km Easy Run

Saturday – 20km Long Run

Sunday – REST


Week 7

Monday – 9.2km Descending Hill Reps

Tuesday – 5km Easy Run

Wednesday – 11km 1.5k Rep

Thursday – REST

Friday – 5km Easy Run

Saturday – 27km Long Run

Sunday – REST


Week 8

Monday – 7.3km 200m Repeats

Tuesday – REST

Wednesday – 7km Tempo 5k

Thursday – REST

Friday – 10km Easy Run

Saturday – 12km Long Run

Sunday – REST


Week 9

Monday – 9km Progressive Hill Reps

Tuesday – 5km Easy Run

Wednesday – 9km Over and Unders 400m

Thursday – REST

Friday – 5km Easy Run

Saturday – 35km Long Run

Sunday – REST


Week 10

Monday – 9km Drop Set Hill Reps

Tuesday – 10km Easy Run

Wednesday – 13km Rolling 500s

Thursday – REST

Friday – 14km Easy Run

Saturday – 18km Long Run

Sunday – REST


Week 11

Monday – 9.2km 600s into 200s

Tuesday – 5km Easy Run

Wednesday – 9km Tempo 2.5k

Thursday – REST

Friday – 5km Easy Run

Saturday – 18km Long Run

Sunday – REST


Week 12

Monday – 7.3km Drop Set Hill Reps

Tuesday – REST

Wednesday – 7km Over and Unders 1k

Thursday – REST

Friday – 14km Easy Run

Saturday – 18km Long Run

Sunday – REST


Week 13

Monday – 9km Alternating Hill Reps

Tuesday – 5km Easy Run

Wednesday – 10km Tempo 1200

Thursday – REST

Friday – 5km Easy Run

Saturday – 55km Long Run

Sunday – REST


Week 14

Monday – 8km Easy Run

Tuesday – 8km Easy Run

Wednesday – 9km Tempo 2-1

Thursday – REST

Friday – 15km Easy Run

Saturday – 25km Long Run

Sunday – REST


Week 15

Monday – 9.2km Progressive Hill Reps

Tuesday – REST

Wednesday – 11km 200m Repeats

Thursday – REST

Friday – 12km Easy Run

Saturday – 15km Long Run

Sunday – REST


Week 16

Monday – REST

Tuesday – 8km Taper Up & Overs

Wednesday – 6km Easy Run

Thursday – REST

Friday – REST

Saturday – RACE DAY

Sunday – REST

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