20 Week Marathon Training Plan

20 weeks·4 days / wk·marathon·intermediate

Weeks: 20
Sessions: 80
Peak week: 42.5 mi; week 17
Long run: 20 mi; week 17
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 11.5 mi	4 · 3 key	26 mi	Long run 11.5 mi
03	Base: aerobic volume, hills and stridesLong run 12.5 mi	4 · 3 key	27 mi	Long run 12.5 mi
04	Cutback: absorb the trainingLong run 9 mi	4 · 1 key	20.5 mi	Long run 9 mi
05	Base: aerobic volume, hills and stridesLong run 13 mi	4 · 3 key	27.5 mi	Long run 13 mi
06	Base: aerobic volume, hills and stridesLong run 14 mi	4 · 3 key	29.5 mi	Long run 14 mi
07	Build: threshold + intervalsLong run 14.5 mi	4 · 3 key	30.5 mi	Long run 14.5 mi
08	Cutback: absorb the trainingLong run 10.5 mi	4 · 1 key	22.5 mi	Long run 10.5 mi
09	Build: threshold + intervalsLong run 15.5 mi	4 · 3 key	32 mi	Long run 15.5 mi
10	Build: threshold + intervalsLong run 16 mi	4 · 3 key	33.5 mi	Long run 16 mi
11	Build: threshold + intervalsLong run 17 mi	4 · 3 key	35.5 mi	Long run 17 mi
12	Cutback: absorb the trainingLong run 12 mi	4 · 1 key	27 mi	Long run 12 mi
13	Peak: marathon-pace long runsLong run 17.5 mi	4 · 3 key	37 mi	Long run 17.5 mi
14	Peak: marathon-pace long runsLong run 18.5 mi	4 · 3 key	38.5 mi	Long run 18.5 mi
15	Peak: marathon-pace long runsLong run 19 mi	4 · 3 key	40.5 mi	Long run 19 mi
16	Cutback: absorb the trainingLong run 14 mi	4 · 1 key	30.5 mi	Long run 14 mi
17	Peak: marathon-pace long runsLong run 20 mi	4 · 3 key	42.5 mi	Long run 20 mi
18	Taper: volume down, race pace sharpLong run 15 mi	4 · 2 key	33.5 mi	Long run 15 mi
19	Taper: volume down, race pace sharpLong run 11 mi	4 · 2 key	27 mi	Long run 11 mi
20	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

Week 1 of this 20 week marathon training plan totals 24.5 mi; the biggest week, week 17, reaches 42.5 mi. Halfway, week 10 carries 33.5 mi with a 16 mi long run. That is 600 mi over 80 runs for an intermediate marathon runner. Cutbacks: week 4 (20.5 mi), week 8 (22.5 mi), week 12 (27 mi) and week 16 (30.5 mi).

The long run tops out at 20 mi in week 17; 28 key sessions include 5 hill, 5 fartlek, 10 tempo and 8 interval workouts. Easy running at 9:28–10:25/mi is 72% of the 600 mi; 10 threshold sessions run at 7:53/mi. In the peak weeks the long run closes at 8:25/mi, turning 20 mi in week 17 into a dress rehearsal.

The 3-week taper takes race week to 14 mi, 67% under week 17's 42.5 mi, after 600 mi. Projected finish after 20 weeks and 600 mi: 3:40:33 for the marathon (8:25/mi).

Week 1 of 20 is 24.5 mi in 4 sessions; the biggest is Sunday's 11 mi, and the key work is hill repeats 6 × 60 s, fartlek 5 × 1 min and long run.

The phases run base weeks 1–6 (24.5–29.5 mi), build weeks 7–11 (30.5–35.5 mi), peak weeks 13–17 (37–42.5 mi), taper weeks 18–19 (27–33.5 mi) and race week 20 (14 mi).

Questions

FAQ

How many miles a week is the 20 week marathon training plan?

24.5 mi in week 1, 33.5 mi by week 10 and 42.5 mi at the peak, week 17: 600 mi total.

What pace are the easy runs on this 20-week marathon plan?

9:28–10:25/mi at VDOT 42, for 72% of 600 mi.

What is the longest run in the 20 week marathon training plan?

20 mi in week 17, up from 11 mi in week 1.

Does the 20 week marathon training plan work with 3 runs a week?

60 runs instead of 80: switch to 3 days and the 20-mi long run stays.

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