Marathon training plan
16 weeks, five runs a week. For runners who have finished a half marathon or regularly run 35 km a week.
- Length
- 16 weeks
- Sessions per week
- 5
- Peak week
- 65 km
- Longest run
- 32 km
Base builds easy volume, build adds marathon-pace work and longer long runs, peak holds the 30 km+ runs, and a three-week taper gets you to the start fresh.
Week by week
| Week | Phase | Volume | Key session | Long run |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Base | 30 km · 19 mi | Easy 8 km + strides | 12 km · 7 mi |
| 2 | Base | 34 km · 21 mi | Hills 8 × 60 s | 14 km · 9 mi |
| 3 | Base | 38 km · 24 mi | Easy 8 km + strides | 16 km · 10 mi |
| 4 | Base | 40 km · 25 mi | Hills 8 × 75 s | 18 km · 11 mi |
| 5 | Base | 32 km · 20 mi | Easy 6 km | 14 km · 9 mi |
| 6 | Build | 44 km · 27 mi | Tempo 3 × 3 km | 20 km · 12 mi |
| 7 | Build | 48 km · 30 mi | Intervals 6 × 1 km | 22 km · 14 mi |
| 8 | Build | 52 km · 32 mi | Marathon pace 12 km | 24 km · 15 mi |
| 9 | Build | 42 km · 26 mi | Easy 8 km + strides | 18 km · 11 mi |
| 10 | Build | 55 km · 34 mi | Tempo 25 min | 26 km · 16 mi |
| 11 | Build | 58 km · 36 mi | Marathon pace 16 km | 28 km · 17 mi |
| 12 | Peak | 62 km · 39 mi | Threshold 5 × 2 km | 30 km · 19 mi |
| 13 | Peak | 65 km · 40 mi | Marathon pace 18 km | 32 km · 20 mi |
| 14 | Taper | 50 km · 31 mi | Marathon pace 10 km | 24 km · 15 mi |
| 15 | Taper | 38 km · 24 mi | Race pace 6 km | 16 km · 10 mi |
| 16 | Taper | 22 km · 14 mi | Shakeout 5 km | Race day |
A typical week
Run the key session and the long run as written. Easy runs fill the rest of the week’s volume, and rest days are part of the plan. Swap days to fit your week, but keep a rest or easy day between the key session and the long run.
| Monday | Rest day |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | Key session from the table, with an easy warm-up and cool-down |
| Wednesday | Easy run, conversational pace |
| Thursday | Easy run with 4–6 strides |
| Friday | Rest day |
| Saturday | Easy run |
| Sunday | Long run at easy pace; some Build weeks finish at marathon pace |
How many weeks do you need to train for a marathon?
Sixteen weeks suits runners who have finished a half marathon or run about 35 km a week. With less of a base, build up for a few months first.
How long should my longest run be before a marathon?
This plan peaks at 32 km, three weeks before race day. Longer runs add more fatigue than fitness for most runners.
What pace should I run my marathon in?
Predict it from a recent half marathon, then practise that pace in the marathon-pace sessions.
Race time predictorWhy is the taper three weeks?
Fitness from the peak weeks stays while fatigue fades. Volume drops, but some race-pace running stays so your legs remember the pace.
This is a sample. Let the coach adapt it to you.
- Starting volume and easy pace come from your recent runs.
- Weeks count back from your race date.
- Every session syncs to the Workout app on your Apple Watch.
- Missed a session? The coach rearranges the week.