Marathon Training Plan for Beginners

16 weeks·3 days / wk·marathon·beginner

Weeks: 16
Sessions: 48
Peak week: 26.5 mi; week 13
Long run: 17 mi; week 13
Taper: 3 wk

BaseCutbackBuildPeakTaperRace

Paces assume a beginner runner (VDOT 31). 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 8 mi	3 · 1 key	14 mi	Long run 8 mi
Tue Oct 6 Easy + 4 strides 2.5 mi 2.5 mi easy · @ 12:00–13:10/mi 4 × 20 s strides · quick and relaxed, near 8:55/mi, full recovery Thu Oct 8 Easy run 3.5 mi 3.5 mi easy · @ 12:00–13:10/mi, conversational Sun Oct 11 Long run 8 mi 8 mi steady · @ 12:00–13:10/mi, fuel every 45 min if over 90 min
Weeks 2–16 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 9 mi	3 · 1 key	14.5 mi	Long run 9 mi
03	Base: aerobic volume, hills and stridesLong run 10 mi	3 · 1 key	15.5 mi	Long run 10 mi
04	Cutback: absorb the trainingLong run 7 mi	3 · 1 key	12.5 mi	Long run 7 mi
05	Base: aerobic volume, hills and stridesLong run 11 mi	3 · 1 key	17 mi	Long run 11 mi
06	Build: threshold + intervalsLong run 12 mi	3 · 2 key	18.5 mi	Long run 12 mi
07	Build: threshold + intervalsLong run 13 mi	3 · 2 key	20 mi	Long run 13 mi
08	Cutback: absorb the trainingLong run 9.5 mi	3 · 1 key	16 mi	Long run 9.5 mi
09	Build: threshold + intervalsLong run 14 mi	3 · 2 key	21 mi	Long run 14 mi
10	Peak: marathon-pace long runsLong run 15 mi	3 · 2 key	23 mi	Long run 15 mi
11	Peak: marathon-pace long runsLong run 16 mi	3 · 2 key	24.5 mi	Long run 16 mi
12	Cutback: absorb the trainingLong run 11.5 mi	3 · 1 key	19.5 mi	Long run 11.5 mi
13	Peak: marathon-pace long runsLong run 17 mi	3 · 2 key	26.5 mi	Long run 17 mi
14	Taper: volume down, race pace sharpLong run 13 mi	3 · 2 key	21.5 mi	Long run 13 mi
15	Taper: volume down, race pace sharpLong run 9.5 mi	3 · 2 key	18 mi	Long run 9.5 mi
16	Race week — marathonRace 26 mi	3 · 1 key	5.5 mi	Race 26 mi

Your paces

Easy / long: 12:00–13:10/mi62–70% VO2max, conversational
Marathon (M): 10:46/mi
Threshold (T): 10:03/micomfortably hard, ~60 min race effort
Interval (I): 9:15/mi3–5 min reps, ~97.5% VO2max
Repetition (R): 8:55/mishort fast reps, mile race pace
marathon race pace: 10:46/mifinish 4:42:21

The numbers

About this plan

This marathon training plan for beginners opens with 14 mi in week 1 and peaks at 26.5 mi in week 13. Halfway, week 8 carries 16 mi with a 9.5 mi long run. That is 288 mi over 48 runs for a beginner marathon runner. Cutbacks: week 4 (12.5 mi), week 8 (16 mi) and week 12 (19.5 mi).

The long run tops out at 17 mi in week 13; 8 key sessions include 8 tempo workouts. Easy running at 12:00–13:10/mi is 85% of the 288 mi; 8 threshold sessions run at 10:03/mi. Peak long runs finish at marathon pace, 10:46/mi, so the 17-mi run in week 13 rehearses the race.

The 3-week taper takes race week to 5.5 mi, 79% under week 13's 26.5 mi, after 288 mi. On these numbers the marathon projects to 4:42:21, 10:46/mi from start to finish, off a 26.5-mi peak. Searching for a marathon training plan pdf? Subscribers export these 48 runs to PDF, .ics or Garmin TCX, 288 mi in all.

Week 1, shown in full above, is 14 mi: Tuesday — easy + 4 strides, 2.5 mi; Thursday — easy run, 3.5 mi; Sunday — long run, 8 mi.

The phases run base weeks 1–5 (14–17 mi), build weeks 6–9 (18.5–21 mi), peak weeks 10–13 (23–26.5 mi), taper weeks 14–15 (18–21.5 mi) and race week 16 (5.5 mi).

Questions

FAQ

How many miles a week is the marathon training plan for beginners?

14 mi in week 1, 16 mi by week 8 and 26.5 mi at the peak, week 13: 288 mi total.

What pace are the easy runs on this 16-week marathon plan?

12:00–13:10/mi at VDOT 31, for 85% of 288 mi.

What is the longest run in the marathon training plan for beginners?

17 mi in week 13, up from 8 mi in week 1.

Is this the same as a marathon training plan pdf?

Yes — the 16-week, 48-run plan exports to PDF for subscribers, and week 1 (14 mi) is free here.

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