Thanks to Gill for putting together this program (click here to download it) starting in December 2011 – aimed at achieving a Sainsbury (Sub 5 hour) Two Oceans and a Bill Rowan (Sub 9 hour) Comrades.
Don Oliver has some tips on a Comrades training programme starting in January each year falling into 3 distinct phases:
- Phase 1 : To qualify in a standard marathon (8 weeks)
- Phase 2 : Hard training period of Ultra marathons (10 weeks)
- Phase 3 : The wind down or taper to Race Day and the race itself (4 weeks)
Here are some race times for different distances:
| Distance | Time for Bronze | Mins/km | Time for Bill Rowan | Mins/km |
| 8km Time Trial | 45mins | 5,6 | 36mins | 4,5 |
| 10km | 56mins | 5,6 | 45mins | 4,5 |
| 15km | 85mins | 5,7 | 69mins | 4,6 |
| 21kms | 2hrs 03mins | 5,8 | 1hr 43mins | 4,6 |
| 32kms | 3hrs 10mins | 5,9 | 2hrs 33mins | 4,8 |
| 42kms | 4hrs 20mins | 6,2 | 3hrs 31mins | 5,0 |
Here is the program that Gill put together, broken up into the months leading up to Sunday 3rd June 2012. On a Saturday, Sunday and occasional days during the week, if there is a race, or a RAC club run, then this has been inserted into the program on that day, giving you options on how to make up the session that day. Enjoy!
