4-mile training program: 8-week plan for beginners and advanced (2026)
Complete 8-week training program for the 4-mile run. Includes pace table, strength exercises and tips to improve your time. Practical and Dutch-tested.
A training program for the 4 Mijl (the Dutch 4-mile run) prepares you in 8 weeks for 6.437 kilometres. Beginners build up from run minutes to distance with three sessions per week. Advanced runners sharpen their pace with interval work and tempo runs. With a smart build-up, realistic target times and enough recovery, you arrive well prepared at the start of your 4 Mijl.
What is the 4 Mijl and how do you prepare?
The 4 Mijl is 6.437 kilometres and one of the most popular running distances in the Netherlands. Challenging enough for serious preparation, but achievable for almost anyone willing to put in eight weeks of work.
Distance and course profile
Four Anglo-Saxon miles equal exactly 6.437 kilometres. The best-known edition is the Zevenheuvelenloop in Nijmegen, with a typical eastern Dutch character: a rolling course with small climbs and descents through the river landscape. Those elevation differences ask more of your calf muscles and heart rate than a flat street race. Training in gyms in Amsterdam, gyms Utrecht or Eindhoven? Then look for variety in your routes with hills or bridges to mimic a comparable load.
How many weeks of preparation do you need?
Beginners who cannot yet run 20 minutes without a break need 8 weeks to comfortably finish the 4 Mijl. Advanced runners who already run 5 kilometres are ready after 6 focused weeks to improve their time. Three training days a week is the minimum for noticeable progress, provided you also genuinely rest in between.
4 Mijl training program for beginners in 8 weeks
This program works with three fixed sessions per week: an easy endurance run for the aerobic base, a quality session and a longer run at the weekend. The first four weeks think in minutes, not kilometres, so your pace does not get too high and your body gets enough time to adapt. All sessions are shown per block in one overview table.
Weeks 1 to 4: build the foundation
| Week | Session 1 (Tue) | Session 2 (Thu) | Session 3 (Sat/Sun) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 min easy | 5x (3 min run / 2 min walk) | 25 min easy |
| 2 | 25 min easy | 6x (3 min run / 1 min walk) | 30 min easy |
| 3 | 28 min easy | 30 min continuous | 32 min easy |
| 4 | 30 min easy | 3.5 km in one go | 35 min easy |
Keep the pace low enough to hold a conversation. That is the sign you are training in your aerobic zone and building your body without overload. Plan at least one real rest day after every training day.
Weeks 5 to 8: toward race pace
From week 5 you think in kilometres and introduce blocks at race pace. In week 8 you deliberately taper the volume so you arrive at the start rested.
| Week | Session 1 (Tue) | Session 2 (Thu) | Session 3 (Sat/Sun) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 4 km easy | 4x (5 min race pace / 2 min walk) | 40 min easy |
| 6 | 4.5 km easy | 5 km continuous | 42 min easy |
| 7 | 5 km easy | 4x (6 min race pace / 2 min walk) | 45 min easy |
| 8 | 3 km easy (taper) | 2x (5 min race pace) | Race |
Session 3 of week 7 is the hardest run of the whole preparation. After that, easy movement is the order of the day.
4 Mijl training program for advanced runners
Can you already run 5 kilometres in one go? Then your goal is not to finish but to post a good time. That asks for three training types: interval work for speed, tempo runs for running economy and a long easy run for your aerobic engine. Together they cover all the energy systems you need on the 4 Mijl.
Sample week with interval and tempo
A week of advanced training has three pillars:
- Tuesday: 6 km easy endurance run at low heart rate (zone 2)
- Thursday: interval training, 5x 800 metres at 5-kilometre pace with 90 seconds recovery between reps
- Saturday: 7 km tempo run, the last 2 kilometres just under race pace
On Monday, Wednesday and Friday you rest actively. On Friday you can optionally add a short recovery run of 3 to 4 kilometres if you feel energetic.
Progression over 6 weeks
The build-up runs along three axes: more reps in the intervals, a longer tempo run and a heavier weekend run. Use the Hartstichting as a reference for your easy endurance runs: zone 2 (65 to 75 percent of your maximum heart rate) is the foundation of your endurance.
| Week | Intervals | Tempo run | Weekend run |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4x 800m | 5 km | 6 km |
| 2 | 5x 800m | 6 km | 6 km |
| 3 | 5x 800m | 6 km | 7 km |
| 4 | 5x 800m + Fri recovery run | 7 km | 7 km |
| 5 | 6x 800m | 7 km | 8 km |
| 6 | 3x 800m (taper) | 4 km easy | Race |
Pace table: which training pace matches your target time
The right training paces depend directly on your personal target time. A common mistake is training too fast on easy days: that slows recovery and raises injury risk without making you faster.
Applying the 80 percent rule
The 80/20 rule says 80 percent of your training kilometres should be easy and just 20 percent intense. The table below translates your 4 Mijl target time into concrete paces per kilometre for each training type.
| Target time | Avg pace (min/km) | Easy run | Tempo run | Interval |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 min | 4:40 | 5:50 | 4:55 | 4:15 |
| 35 min | 5:27 | 6:50 | 5:45 | 4:55 |
| 40 min | 6:13 | 7:45 | 6:30 | 5:35 |
| 45 min | 7:00 | 8:45 | 7:20 | 6:15 |
Use these values as a guideline. On hot summer days or after an exhausting work week, you can comfortably go 10 to 15 seconds per kilometre slower. The load on your body counts, not the seconds on your watch.
Strength training and core exercises for runners
Running loads your body in one direction. Targeted strength training strengthens the muscles around the knee, hip and ankle and improves your running posture. Twice a week is enough for noticeable results. Do not plan strength sessions on the same day as your interval training, but pair them with an easy endurance day or a recovery day.
Mini strength program 2x per week
Squat: 3 sets of 12 reps. Lower slowly (3 seconds), push up explosively. Keep your knees over your feet and your back straight.
Lunges: 3 sets of 10 reps per leg. Step out wide, keep your trunk upright and make sure your knee does not pass your toes.
Plank: 3 sets of 45 seconds, building up to 60 seconds in week 4. Keep your back straight, actively engage your abs and keep breathing.
Where to train best: outdoors, on the track or in the gym
The choice of training location has more impact than many runners think. Gymsearch.nl compared more than 500 Dutch gyms on cardio facilities, treadmills and monthly price. The average monthly price for a membership including treadmills in the Netherlands is €29 per month. Whether that is the best choice for your preparation depends on your goals, where you live and the weather.
Treadmill versus outdoor running
A treadmill is ideal in bad weather and perfect for precisely setting pace and incline. Running outdoors trains your stabilising muscles and running economy better, because your body reacts to real terrain and changing surfaces. The best approach combines both: two sessions outdoors, one on the treadmill for targeted pace work. Compare treadmill options near you via compare gyms.
Gyms with good cardio facilities
Chains like Basic-Fit, SportCity and Pure Gym offer extensive cardio zones with treadmills where you can set incline and speed exactly. Local gyms in Amsterdam, Utrecht, gyms Rotterdam or Eindhoven sometimes have more personal guidance and less crowded treadmills.
Warm-up, cooldown and injury prevention
A good warm-up is not a luxury but a necessity. Five minutes of dynamic movement raises blood flow, activates your running muscles and significantly reduces the chance of injury. WHO (official) confirms that dynamic warm-ups are more effective than static stretching before training begins.
Dynamic warm-up (5 minutes):
- Walking heel kicks: 20 metres there and back
- High knees: 20 metres forward
- Side shuffles: 10 metres each side
- 5 light bounces on your toes
End every session with 5 minutes of easy cool-down and then static stretches for calves, hamstrings and hip flexors for at least 30 seconds per muscle group. Feel pain in your knee or shin while running? Stop immediately and wait until it is fully gone. Consistent eight weeks of uninterrupted training always pays more than going full gas and then sitting still for weeks. That is the invisible foundation behind every effective 4 Mijl program.