Preparing for an Early Season Marathon - Summer Training in Hong Kong
Posted on June 01 2026
Its the start of June, the weather is hot, most people are thinking of backing off from running during the summer. However, if you wish to run a early season marathon like Berlin at the end of September, you need to train through the Hong Kong summer. Its manageable and very possible to do with the right approach. Let us provide you with some tips and advice to get your through it.
Working with Chris Wardlaw (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Wardlaw) we have created a number of training programmes for beginners, intermediates and advance marathoners.
Chris Wardlaw is a two-time Australia Olympian and competed in the 1976 and 1980 Olympics at 10,000mtrs and Marathon respectively and has personal bests of 2:11:55, 28:15.6 , and 13:34.2 at Marathon, 10,000m and 5,000m respectively. He was also the Australian Marathon Team coach at the Beijing Olympics. He was in Hong Kong for many years and was always a massive competitor in all races!
Executing your perfect marathon is something that takes careful planning and above all, incredible self control during those 42.2kms.
It actually doesn't matter whether you are targeting your first sub 4 or looking to break the magical 3 hour barrier we have programs for you.
Pick the one that suites you. If you have a TRAINING PEAKS programme, we are able, through our running club, to help you load these into your TRAINING PEAKS profile directly.
We ask that you join our running club, THE GONE RUNNERS, HERE:
You will then be able to download your training programme at the links mentioned below.
We can also give you great advice on your running gear, especially your shoes. We have pulled them all together in what we have called THE CARBON COLLECTION ... the link is HERE
OUR PROGRAMMES
The marathon is a distance which in these days of epically long ultra races, seems almost short, but if you want to run the race which will eventually be seen by you as the marathon race you were entitled to, where everything comes together and you do a time you will forever be proud of (your lifetime entitlement PB), it is devilishly difficult.
LEVEL 1: BEGINNERS MARATHON PROGRAMME
For anyone, running their first marathon is a daunting task. Its a voyage into the unknown. It can seem like an impossibly long way to run and and it will be one of the most memorable experiences of your life.
Our Beginners Training guideline is designed to make that experience fun and through our gone runners community we we help you link up with like minded running buddies
Many of us utilize the Tuesday Track Sessions in Aberdeen and Happy Valley and you are always welcome to join the Gone Running Saturday Run ... join the Saturday group HERE.
Download your training programme HERE
We have a GR WhatsApp group through which you can chat with other like minded individuals who will help you get through that first marathon comfortably(ish) and it will be an experience you remember for the rest of your life.
We will also have electrolyte, nutrition and recovery advice to support the program on the support pages.
Be aware however, these are self-help training guideline and while as a community we can discuss issues, challenges and celebrate progress it will be your self-discipline that gets you through.
LEVEL 2: DEVELOPERS MARATHON PROGRAMME
This is not your first marathon and you have got to a point where you are training most days of the week and are comfortable running over an hour per day. You have the bug for sure and want to see how you can step up to the next level. You may be thinking of sub 4 or sub 3.30, but that isn't so important, What is critical you are looking to set specific targets relevant for you.
The 26 week training guideline for people who want to challenge themselves and push to a new PB level.
Download your training program HERE
It builds to a commitment of around 7 hours of exercise per week and includes a day of cross training to help cope with the increase in training load. We are happy to comment on the overall framework we have and you will of course have to adapt it to your personal circumstances.
The principle of the program is each week is to have the following core sessions:
- Easy Monday, Tuesday
- 3/4 Long Wednesday - Helping you build volume and stamina ,
- Pacey Thursday - build pace with short, faster sessions
- Friday - Rest and Cross Training
- Saturday Hilly Run - build strength with some hills and push a bit harder (join the group HERE)
- Go Long Sunday - build stamina on long runs (ideally Sunday)
Volume builds through periods of Hard-Easy to maximize adaption and minimize injury.
Consistency is key and the peak of the program reaches 7 hours of training per week and looks to run most weeks between 5 and 7 hours.
LEVEL 3: ADVANCED MARATHON PROGRAMME
We know what its like to be focused on breaking the mystical 3 hour barrier and it is often the aim of most distance runner to get this under their belt
The 26 week training guideline for Advanced Runners is intense. It is targeted at people with the commitment and realistic potential performance level to hit the following targets;Marathon <2:50 Men, <3:15 Women
Half Marathon < 80 minutes (M) < 90 minutes (W)
Download your training program HERE
We are happy to comment on the overall framework we have and you will of course have to adapt it to your personal circumstances.
The principle of the program is each week is to have the following core sessions:
- Pacey Tuesday - build pace with short, fast sessions (ideally Tuesday),
- Tempo Thursday build that into consistent target pacing with Long Tempos (ideally Thursday),
- Saturday Hilly Run - build strength with some hills (ideally Saturday) - Join the group HERE
- Long, but not Slow Sunday - build stamina on long runs (ideally Sunday)
Volume builds through periods of Hard-Easy to maximize adaption and minimize injury.
Volume is key and the peak of the program reaches 150k per week and looks to run most weeks above 100k. You will need to be fit before you start the program and be careful of potential injury.
You can utilize the Tuesday Aberdeen Track or Happy Valley sessions and you can join a pacy Tempos session on Thursday (i.e. on Bowen), beast the Gone Running Saturday Run on Saturday and then tag along for a long run on Sunday. You will need to tailor your pace on these sessions to fit your specific fitness and we will look to put like paced individuals together. We will coordinate that through the WhatsApp group if you are willing to join.
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