The 4-Hour Marathon: The Bulletproof Guide to Running A Sub 4-Hr Marathon - Softcover

A bulletproof framework for how to prepare, train and complete a marathon in under four hours.

The average marathon finishing time is somewhere between four and five hours. The four-hour mark has become a benchmark for many - a target time to beat, a badge of honour.

The framework in this book takes the four-hour finishing time as its starting point, and works backwards to guide the runner in their training and preparation. With a tangible goal, your training and preparation can be tuned to prepare you - whether its your first marathon or your fiftieth.

Tips for running a sub 4-hr marathon were amongst the most regular requests over on my website - marathonhandbook.com.  Therefore I decided the best thing to do was to build an entire book that covers every step of the way of preparing for and running a marathon - specifically for people who want to run one in under four hours. A four-hour marathon is much more than just a regular marathon - it's a sign of great underlying fitness, discipline in training and pacing and a solid runner.  It has become the most common goal for people attempting marathons - so I'm here to tell you exactly how to achieve it. The most effective way to achieve a 4-hr marathon is by training smart and being disciplined.   In my book, I describe in detail how you should train based on PACE, instead of DISTANCE.   I explain why a constant pace (or even negative splits) is the key to a great marathon, and I give you the exact paces you should train at to get your body used to the 4-hr marathon speed, while also building up your ability to run long distances. 
The five principles that the four-hour marathon theory is built upon are:

- Design a Robust Training Plan (and stick to it)
- Stay Injury Free
- Train on Pace, not Distance
- Get the right gear
- Prepare exhaustively.

Training plans are included inside the book, as well as links to downloadable, customizable files.

Thomas Watson ran his first marathon in 3hrs and 58mins and has gone on to run dozens of sub-4hr marathons since. He also runs a website, marathonhandbook.com, through which he has helped thousands of runners achieve their goals.