TCS NEW YORK CITY MARATHON TRAINING GUIDE CONSERVATIVE

WEEK MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

Easy Run Speedwork Rest Day Tempo run Easy Run or Rest Day Long Run Rest Day or Cross Train

1 Rest day Fartlek Workout #1 Rest day 10 minutes at RPE 3-4 20 minutes at RPE 60-65 minutes at RPE Rest day or 30 minutes
with form drills and 3-4 or rest day 4-5 cross train
10 minutes at RPE 4 strides

15-minute fartlek run al- 20 minutes at RPE 6-7

ternating 60 seconds at
RPE 7 and 60 seconds 10 minutes at RPE 3-4
at RPE 3
10 minutes strength
5 minutes at RPE 4 train
2 Rest day Interval Workout #1 Rest day 10 minutes at RPE 3-4 20 minutes at RPE 3-4 70-80 minutes at RPE Rest day or 30 minute
with form drills and or rest day 4-5 cross train
10 minutes at RPE 4 strides

4 x 3 minutes at RPE 7; 20 minutes at RPE 6-7

walk or recovery jog 2
minutes at RPE 3 after 10 minutes at RPE 3-4
each hard effort
10 minutes strength
10 minutes at RPE 4 train
3 Rest day Hill Workout #1 Rest day 10 minutes at RPE 3-4 20 minutes at RPE 90-100 minutes at RPE Rest day or 30 minutes
with form drills and 3-4 or rest day   4-5 cross train
10 minutes at RPE 4 strides

3 x 90-second hill 20 minutes at RPE 6-7

climbs at RPE 7; walk or
recovery jog downhill 2 10 minutes at RPE 3-4
minutes at RPE 3 after
each climb 10 minutes strength
train
10 minutes at RPE 4
4 Rest day Fartlek Workout #2 Rest day 10 minutes at RPE 3-4 20 minutes at RPE 3-4 70-80 minutes at RPE Rest day or 30 minutes
with form drills and or rest day   4-5 cross train
10 minutes at RPE 4 strides

15 minute fartlek run al- 20 minutes at RPE 6-7

ternating 60 seconds at
RPE 7 and 60 seconds 10 minutes at RPE 3-4
at RPE 4
10 minutes strength
5 minutes at RPE 4 train
5 Rest day Interval Workout #2 Rest day 10 minutes at RPE 3-4 25 minutes at RPE 105-110 minutes at RPE Rest day or 30-minute
with form drills and 3-4 or rest day 4-5 cross train
10 minutes at RPE 4 strides

5 x 4 minutes at RPE 7; 30 minutes at RPE 6-7

walk or recovery jog 2
minutes at RPE 3 after 10 minutes at RPE 3-4
each hard effort
10 minutes strength
10 minutes at RPE 4 train
TCS NEW YORK CITY MARATHON TRAINING GUIDE CONSERVATIVE

6 Rest day Hill Workout #2 Rest day 10 minutes at RPE 3-4 25 minutes at RPE 70-80 minutes at RPE Rest day or 30 minutes
with form drills and 3-4 or rest day   4-5 cross train
10 minutes at RPE 4 strides

4 x 90-second hill 30 minutes at RPE 6-7

climbs at RPE 7; walk or
recovery jog downhill 2 10 minutes at RPE 3-4
minutes at RPE 3 after
each climb 10 minutes strength
train
10 minutes at RPE 4
7 Rest day Interval Workout #3 Rest day 10 minutes at RPE 3-4 25 minutes at RPE 3-4  120-130 minutes at RPE Rest day or 30 minutes
with form drills and 4-5 cross train
10 minutes at RPE 4 strides

5 x 3 minutes at RPE 7; 30 minutes at RPE 6-7

walk or recovery jog 2
minutes at RPE 3 after 10 minutes at RPE 3-4
each hard effort
10 minutes strength
10 minutes at RPE 4 train
8 Rest day Interval Workout #4 Rest day 10 minutes at RPE 3-4 25 minutes at RPE 3-4   90-100 minutes at RPE Rest day or 30 minutes
with form drills and 4-5 cross train
10 minutes at RPE 4 strides

4 x 4 minutes at RPE 30 minutes at RPE 6-7

7.5; walk or recovery jog
2 minutes at RPE 3 after 10 minutes at RPE 3-4
each hard effort
10 minutes strength
10 minutes at RPE 4 train
9 Rest day  Hill Workout #3 Rest day 15 minutes at RPE 3-4 40 minutes at RPE 3-4   130-140 minutes at RPE 30 minutes at RPE 3-4
with form drills and 4-5 or 30 minutes cross
10 minutes at RPE 4 strides train or rest day

5 x 2-minute hill climbs 40 minutes at RPE 6-7

at RPE 7; walk or
recovery jog downhill 10 minutes at RPE 3-4
2 minutes at RPE 3??
after each climb 10 minutes strength
train
10 minutes at RPE 4
10 Rest day Interval Workout #5 Rest day 10 minutes at RPE 3-4 30 minutes at RPE 3-4   110-120 minutes at RPE Rest day or 30 minutes
with form drills and 4-5 cross train
15 minutes at RPE 4 strides

5 x 5 minutes at RPE 7; 35 minutes at RPE 6-7

walk or recovery jog 2
minutes at RPE 3 after 10 minutes at RPE 3-4
each hard effort
10 minutes strength
15 minutes at RPE 4 train
TCS NEW YORK CITY MARATHON TRAINING GUIDE CONSERVATIVE

11 Rest day Interval WWorkout #6 Rest day 10 minutes at RPE 3-4 30 minutes at RPE 140-155 minutes at RPE Rest day or 30 minutes
with form drills and 3-4 or rest day    4-5 cross train
15 minutes at RPE 4 strides

5 x 4 minutes at RPE 7.5 35 minutes at RPE 6-7

– 8; walk or recovery jog
2 minutes at RPE 3?? 10 minutes at RPE 3-4
after each hard effort
10 minutes strength
15 minutes at RPE 4 train
12 Rest day  Fartlek Workout #3 Rest day 10 minutes at RPE 3-4 30 minutes at RPE 110-120 minutes at RPE Rest day or 30 minutes
with form drills and 3-4 or rest day    4-5 cross train
10 minutes at RPE 4 strides

15-minute fartlek run al- 35 minutes at RPE 6-7

ternating 60 seconds at
RPE 7 and 60 seconds 10 minutes at RPE 3-4
at RPE 4
10 minutes strength
10 minutes at RPE 4 train
13 Rest day Interval Workout #7 Rest day 15 minutes at RPE 3-4 45 minutes at RPE 3-4  170-180 minutes at RPE 30 minutes at RPE 3-4
with form drills and 4-5 or 30 minutes cross
15 minutes at RPE 4 strides train or rest day

6 x 2 minutes at RPE 8; 40 minutes at RPE 6-7

walk or recovery jog 2
minutes at RPE 3 after 10 minutes at RPE 3-4
each hard effort
10 minutes strength
15 minutes at RPE 4 train
14 Rest day Interval Workout #8 Rest day 10 minutes at RPE 3-4 35 minutes at RPE 100-110 minutes at RPE Rest day or 30 minutes
with form drills and 3-4 or rest day   4-5 cross train
15-minute at RPE 4 strides

4 x 4 minutes at RPE 7 35 minutes at RPE 6-7

Walk or recovery jog 10 minutes at RPE 3-4

for 2 minutes between
5-minute repeats 10 minutes strength
train
15-minute at RPE 4
15 Rest day Fartlek Workout #4 Rest day 10 minutes at RPE 3-4 20 minutes at RPE 3-4   60-70 minutes at RPE Rest Day or 30 minutes
with form drills and 4-5 cross train
10 minutes at RPE 4 strides

10-minute fartlek run 20 minutes at RPE 6-7

alternating every 60
seconds between “on” 10 minutes at RPE 3-4
at RPE 7 and “off” at
RPE 3 10 minutes strength
train
5-minute at RPE 4
TCS NEW YORK CITY MARATHON TRAINING GUIDE CONSERVATIVE

16 Rest day 15 minutes at RPE 4 Rest day 10 minutes at RPE 3-4 Rest day  Rest day or 30 minutes TCS New York City
with form drills and at RPE 3-4 Marathon 
strides

10 minutes at RPE 6-7

10 minutes at RPE 3-4

WARMUP: 10:00 EASY WITH FORM DRILLS AND STRIDES To gauge easy, moderate, and hard efforts, we use the 1-to-10 Rate of
Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale:
• Jog 1:00
RPE Level How It Feels Activity
•F
 orm drills: for 15–20 seconds each, followed by 15–20
1–2 Negligible effort Walking
seconds of slow jogging, do each of these eight drills:
3–4 Easy Easy-run range
– Butt-kicks 5 Moderate Regular-run pace
– High knees 6–7 Moderate-to-hard Tempo-run range
– Quick feet 8–9 Hard Speedwork range
– Skipping for height 10 Very hard Sprinting
– Side-slide/chassée (R and L)
– Cross-over/carioca/grapevine (R and L)
•S
 trides: after the last drill and a 15-to-20-second jog, run at a
relaxed, fast pace (not sprinting, not straining) for 20 seconds,
then jog for 40 seconds. Repeat the cycle until you’ve done
four 20-second strides.
• Jog 1:00