12 Week Marathon Training Plan

12 weeks·4 days / wk·marathon·intermediate

Weeks: 12
Sessions: 48
Peak week: 38.5 mi; week 9
Long run: 19 mi; week 9
Taper: 3 wk

BaseCutbackBuildPeakTaperRace

Paces assume an intermediate runner (VDOT 42). Enter a recent race to personalise them.

Week-by-week training plan
Wk	Focus	Sessions	Volume	Biggest session
01	Base: aerobic volume, hills and stridesLong run 11 mi	4 · 3 key	24.5 mi	Long run 11 mi
Tue Oct 6 Hill repeats 6 × 60 s 4 mi Warm-up · 1.5 mi easy 6 × 60 s uphill · hard but controlled (5K effort), jog back down Cool-down · 1 mi easy Thu Oct 8 Easy run 6 mi 6 mi easy · @ 9:28–10:25/mi, conversational Fri Oct 9 Fartlek 5 × 1 min 3.5 mi Warm-up · 1.5 mi easy 5 × 1 min on / 1 min easy · "on" near 7:53/mi Cool-down · 1 mi easy Sun Oct 11 Long run 11 mi 11 mi steady · @ 9:28–10:25/mi, fuel every 45 min if over 90 min
Weeks 2–12 locked Unlock the full plan. Every session, every week Paces and loads from your numbers PDF, calendar and Garmin export Re-plans when you miss a key session Billing period$79 / year$14 / month Annual works out at $6.58 a month Secure checkout with Stripe · Cancel any time
02	Base: aerobic volume, hills and stridesLong run 12.5 mi	4 · 3 key	26.5 mi	Long run 12.5 mi
03	Base: aerobic volume, hills and stridesLong run 14 mi	4 · 3 key	28.5 mi	Long run 14 mi
04	Cutback: absorb the trainingLong run 10 mi	4 · 1 key	22 mi	Long run 10 mi
05	Build: threshold + intervalsLong run 15 mi	4 · 3 key	30.5 mi	Long run 15 mi
06	Build: threshold + intervalsLong run 16.5 mi	4 · 3 key	33.5 mi	Long run 16.5 mi
07	Peak: marathon-pace long runsLong run 18 mi	4 · 3 key	36.5 mi	Long run 18 mi
08	Cutback: absorb the trainingLong run 13 mi	4 · 1 key	27 mi	Long run 13 mi
09	Peak: marathon-pace long runsLong run 19 mi	4 · 3 key	38.5 mi	Long run 19 mi
10	Taper: volume down, race pace sharpLong run 14.5 mi	4 · 2 key	31 mi	Long run 14.5 mi
11	Taper: volume down, race pace sharpLong run 10.5 mi	4 · 2 key	25 mi	Long run 10.5 mi
12	Race week — marathonRace 26 mi	4 · 1 key	12.5 mi	Race 26 mi

Your paces

Easy / long: 9:28–10:25/mi62–70% VO2max, conversational
Marathon (M): 8:25/mi
Threshold (T): 7:53/micomfortably hard, ~60 min race effort
Interval (I): 7:15/mi3–5 min reps, ~97.5% VO2max
Repetition (R): 6:49/mishort fast reps, mile race pace
marathon race pace: 8:25/mifinish 3:40:33

The numbers

About this plan

Week 1 of this 12 week marathon training plan totals 24.5 mi; the biggest week, week 9, reaches 38.5 mi. Halfway, week 6 carries 33.5 mi with a 16.5 mi long run. That is 336 mi over 48 runs for an intermediate marathon runner. Cutbacks: week 4 (22 mi) and week 8 (27 mi).

The long run tops out at 19 mi in week 9; 16 key sessions include 3 hill, 3 fartlek, 6 tempo and 4 interval workouts. Easy running at 9:28–10:25/mi is 73% of the 336 mi; 6 threshold sessions run at 7:53/mi. Marathon pace (8:25/mi) ends the late long runs, up to 19 mi in week 9.

The 3-week taper takes race week to 12.5 mi, 68% under week 9's 38.5 mi, after 336 mi. Projected finish after 12 weeks and 336 mi: 3:40:33 for the marathon (8:25/mi).

4 sessions and 24.5 mi open this 12-week plan, topped by a 11 mi Sunday.

The phases run base weeks 1–3 (24.5–28.5 mi), build weeks 5–6 (30.5–33.5 mi), peak weeks 7–9 (36.5–38.5 mi), taper weeks 10–11 (25–31 mi) and race week 12 (12.5 mi).

Questions

FAQ

How many miles a week is the 12 week marathon training plan?

24.5 → 33.5 mi (week 6) → 38.5 mi (week 9); 336 mi overall.

What pace are the easy runs on this 12-week marathon plan?

9:28–10:25/mi at VDOT 42, for 73% of 336 mi.

What is the longest run in the 12 week marathon training plan?

19 mi in week 9, up from 11 mi in week 1.

Does the 12 week marathon training plan work with 3 runs a week?

36 runs instead of 48: switch to 3 days and the 19-mi long run stays.

Keep exploring

All running plans