16 Week Marathon Training Plan

16 weeks·4 days / wk·marathon·intermediate

Weeks: 16
Sessions: 64
Peak week: 42.5 mi; week 13
Long run: 20 mi; week 13
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
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02	Base: aerobic volume, hills and stridesLong run 12 mi	4 · 3 key	26.5 mi	Long run 12 mi
03	Base: aerobic volume, hills and stridesLong run 13 mi	4 · 3 key	27.5 mi	Long run 13 mi
04	Cutback: absorb the trainingLong run 9.5 mi	4 · 1 key	21 mi	Long run 9.5 mi
05	Base: aerobic volume, hills and stridesLong run 14 mi	4 · 3 key	29.5 mi	Long run 14 mi
06	Build: threshold + intervalsLong run 15 mi	4 · 3 key	31 mi	Long run 15 mi
07	Build: threshold + intervalsLong run 16 mi	4 · 3 key	33 mi	Long run 16 mi
08	Cutback: absorb the trainingLong run 11.5 mi	4 · 1 key	25 mi	Long run 11.5 mi
09	Build: threshold + intervalsLong run 17 mi	4 · 3 key	35.5 mi	Long run 17 mi
10	Peak: marathon-pace long runsLong run 18 mi	4 · 3 key	37.5 mi	Long run 18 mi
11	Peak: marathon-pace long runsLong run 19 mi	4 · 3 key	40 mi	Long run 19 mi
12	Cutback: absorb the trainingLong run 13.5 mi	4 · 1 key	30 mi	Long run 13.5 mi
13	Peak: marathon-pace long runsLong run 20 mi	4 · 3 key	42.5 mi	Long run 20 mi
14	Taper: volume down, race pace sharpLong run 15 mi	4 · 2 key	33.5 mi	Long run 15 mi
15	Taper: volume down, race pace sharpLong run 11 mi	4 · 2 key	27 mi	Long run 11 mi
16	Race week — marathonRace 26 mi	4 · 1 key	14 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

This 16 week marathon training plan opens with 24.5 mi in week 1 and peaks at 42.5 mi in week 13. Halfway, week 8 carries 25 mi with a 11.5 mi long run. That is 478 mi over 64 runs for an intermediate marathon runner. Cutbacks: week 4 (21 mi), week 8 (25 mi) and week 12 (30 mi).

The long run tops out at 20 mi in week 13; 22 key sessions include 4 hill, 4 fartlek, 8 tempo and 6 interval workouts. Easy running at 9:28–10:25/mi is 73% of the 478 mi; 8 threshold sessions run at 7:53/mi. Peak long runs finish at marathon pace, 8:25/mi, so the 20-mi run in week 13 rehearses the race.

Taper: from 42.5 mi in week 13 down to 14 mi of running in race week. On these numbers the marathon projects to 3:40:33, 8:25/mi from start to finish, off a 42.5-mi peak.

Day by day, week 1 (24.5 mi) runs: Tuesday — hill repeats 6 × 60 s, 4 mi; Thursday — easy run, 6 mi; Friday — fartlek 5 × 1 min, 3.5 mi; Sunday — long run, 11 mi.

The phases run base weeks 1–5 (24.5–29.5 mi), build weeks 6–9 (31–35.5 mi), peak weeks 10–13 (37.5–42.5 mi), taper weeks 14–15 (27–33.5 mi) and race week 16 (14 mi).

Questions

FAQ

How many miles a week is the 16 week marathon training plan?

24.5 mi in week 1, 25 mi by week 8 and 42.5 mi at the peak, week 13: 478 mi total.

How fast should easy runs be on the 16 week marathon training plan?

9:28–10:25/mi at VDOT 42, for 73% of 478 mi.

What is the longest run in the 16 week marathon training plan?

20 mi in week 13, up from 11 mi in week 1.

Can I run the 16 week marathon training plan on 3 days a week instead of 4?

48 runs instead of 64: switch to 3 days and the 20-mi long run stays.

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