My Running Diary

The road to

Kyoto Marathon 2027

京都マラソン 2027

Sun 21 Feb 2027 · 09:00 start · Heian-jingū Shrine

Goal
Sub-5:00
7:07 per kilometre for 42.195 km
Previous best
5:46:29
Osaka, February 2026
Days to Kyoto
162
Current week
1/24
Week streak
0
Block distance
19.2km

The gap

Your goal
5:00:00
Osaka 2026
5:46:29
Course closes
6:00:00

Osaka left you roughly eight minutes of margin, on a flatter course with a kinder limit. Kyoto closes at six hours across eight gates. Sub-5:00 asks for 46 minutes more than you have ever run — and buys a margin that no longer depends on a good day.

This week · Rebuild

Full week →
Coach

Week 1 is the week you are already in, not next Monday. Three runs are banked: 7.0 km on Tuesday, 7.1 km on Thursday and 5.0 km on Friday. That is 19 km run without a plan telling you to, which is a better start than most blocks get. One easy 10 km on Sunday closes it out. Four running days this week and next two, then the fifth day arrives in week 4.

  • Mon7 SepRest

    Rest

    Full rest. No run, no gym. This is the day the previous week turns into fitness.

  • Tue8 SepEasy

    Easy run + Strength A

    7 km planned

    Easy 7 km, then squats, single-leg step-ups, calf raises and plank. 40 minutes. This is what your legs lacked at 30 km.

    Target 8:10–8:45 /km in Bangkok

    7.02 km7:32 /km52:54137 bpm avg

    Afternoon Run

    fasterran 7:32 · target 8:108:45
    Coach

    38 s/km quicker than the easy band — easy days are where the adaptation is banked, and spending it here costs you on Sunday.

  • Wed9 SepEasy

    Easy + strides

    8 km planned

    Easy running, then 6 × 20s strides with a full walk back. Strides are not sprints, they are smooth and tall.

    Target 8:10–8:45 /km in Bangkok

    Coach

    Not run on the day, but a session landed on 11 Sep. Counted.

  • Thu10 SepEasy

    Easy run + Strength B

    7 km planned

    Easy 7 km, then hip and glute work: bridges, clamshells, lunges. 25 minutes.

    Target 8:10–8:45 /km in Bangkok

    7.12 km7:31 /km53:30140 bpm avg

    Afternoon Run

    fasterran 7:31 · target 8:108:45
    Coach

    39 s/km quicker than the easy band — easy days are where the adaptation is banked, and spending it here costs you on Sunday.

  • Fri11 SepRest

    Rest

    Four running days this week by design. With every run at 7 km or more, a lighter week means fewer days, not shorter ones.

    5.03 km6:56 /km34:54144 bpm avg

    Afternoon Run

    Coach

    This is the session that moved off its planned day. No harm done.

  • Sat12 SepRest

    Rest

    Today

    Full rest before the long run. Eat properly and sleep.

  • Sun13 SepLong

    Long run 10 km

    10 km planned

    10 km easy. No watch pressure, no target pace. Just finish it and week 1 is on the board.

    Target 7:55–8:25 /km in Bangkok

24 weeks

Every week is a checkpoint. Gold stars are decision gates, where a timed effort tells us whether sub-5:00 is still the right target.

Phase 1 · Rebuild

0/6

Get back to five days a week without a single crash week. No hero sessions. The only target is showing up.

  1. You are here
    1
    Wk 1 · 7 Sep
    32 km · long 10
    ran 19.2 km
  2. 2
    Wk 2 · 14 Sep
    34 km · long 12
  3. 3
    Wk 3 · 21 Sep
    37 km · long 14
  4. 4
    Wk 4 · 28 Sep
    48 km · long 16
  5. 5
    Wk 5 · 5 Oct
    42 km · long 21.1
  6. 6
    Wk 6 · 12 Oct
    38 km · long 16

Phase 2 · Base + Speed

0/6

Marathon pace is currently faster than your easy pace. This phase moves the whole pace curve, and puts hills under your legs.

  1. 7
    Wk 7 · 19 Oct
    51 km · long 20
  2. 8
    Wk 8 · 26 Oct
    55 km · long 22
  3. 9
    Wk 9 · 2 Nov
    40.5 km · long 17
  4. 10
    Wk 10 · 9 Nov
    57 km · long 24
  5. 11
    Wk 11 · 16 Nov
    59.5 km · long 26
  6. 12
    Wk 12 · 23 Nov
    43.5 km · long 21.1

Phase 3 · Marathon Specific

0/7

Long runs grow teeth. Marathon-pace blocks, fuelling rehearsed every week, and the sessions that decide the race.

  1. 13
    Wk 13 · 30 Nov
    49.5 km · long 14
  2. 14
    Wk 14 · 7 Dec
    59 km · long 27
  3. 15
    Wk 15 · 14 Dec
    63.5 km · long 30
  4. 16
    Wk 16 · 21 Dec
    44 km · long 20
  5. 17
    Wk 17 · 28 Dec
    62 km · long 29
  6. 18
    Wk 18 · 4 Jan
    67.5 km · long 32
  7. 19
    Wk 19 · 11 Jan
    44.5 km · long 21.1

Phase 4 · Peak & Taper

0/5

One more peak, then take the foot off. Taper is training too. Arrive fresh, not fit-and-flat.

  1. 20
    Wk 20 · 18 Jan
    64.5 km · long 30
  2. 21
    Wk 21 · 25 Jan
    68 km · long 32
  3. 22
    Wk 22 · 1 Feb
    56 km · long 24
  4. 23
    Wk 23 · 8 Feb
    47.5 km · long 16
  5. Wk 24 · 15 Feb
    Kyoto Marathon

Badges

4 of 10 earned

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  • Marathoner
  • Twenty Club
  • First Steps
  • Four in a Row
  • Hill Seeker
  • Iron Month
  • Thirty Club
  • Gate Keeper
  • Half Slayer
  • Kyoto Finisher