Compared · checked 2026-10-23
The best marathon training apps.
Sixteen to twenty weeks is a long time for a plan to stay right. Here is how the main marathon apps build and change one, with facts from their own pages.
No account, no card.
The short answer
For a first or faster marathon, pick an app that changes the plan when your weeks change, because over 18 weeks they will. Athlete Space does that every night for free, with paces from your race times, a coach to ask and workouts on your Garmin or Apple Watch. Runna is the polished paid choice, and Run With Hal brings Hal Higdon's classic plans, free or $59.99 a year.
Which one fits you?
| If you want | Pick |
|---|---|
| A free marathon plan that adapts every night, with a coach to ask | Athlete Space |
| A polished paid plan with pace targets | Runna |
| Hal Higdon's classic plans in an app | Run With Hal |
| A free plan on your Garmin watch | Garmin Coach |
| Guided runs and motivation, free | Nike Run Club |
Side by side
Checked on 2026-10-23 on each tool's own pages. Prices in US dollars.
| Price | Adapts to what you did | Talk to your coach | Recovery data | Workouts on your watch | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athlete Space | $0, every feature. No subscription, no card | Yes, every night: it re-checks tomorrow against what you did, your check-in and your recovery, and says why | Yes. Ask your coach anything, any time, and ask why a session changed | Check-ins, plus WHOOP, Oura, Polar and Apple Health | Garmin (the next 7 days, kept in sync), Apple Watch and intervals.icu |
| Runna | $19.99 a month or $119.99 a year, after a 7-day trial | Adapts to your performance; suggested pace changes wait for your OK | Not stated; AI insights after each workout | Not stated | Garmin, COROS, Fitbit, Suunto and Apple Watch |
| Run With Hal | Free; Hal+ $6.99 a month or $59.99 a year | Adaptive plans, per its App Store listing | Not stated | Not stated | Garmin |
| Garmin Coach | Free with a compatible Garmin watch | Yes, to your performance; Run Coach also reads sleep, stress and recovery | Not stated | Sleep, stress and recovery status (Run Coach) | Garmin only |
| TrainAsONE | Free tier; Premium $9.99 a month or $101.99 a year | Yes, it recalculates your whole future plan after a missed run or a PB | Not stated | Not stated | Garmin, Apple Watch, COROS, Suunto and Polar |
| Kiprun Pacer | Listed free on the App Store; its support FAQ ties free access to when you signed up, so check before relying on it | Yes, to your progress and performance | Not stated | Not stated | Garmin, COROS and Apple Watch |
| Nike Run Club | Free | Not stated; guided runs and set plans | Not stated; audio-guided runs | Not stated | Apple Watch |
Every option, in one line each
1 · Our app
Athlete Space
Best for: Anyone who wants a real coach that talks with them and keeps the plan true to their real week, for free
$0, every feature. No subscription, no card
2
Runna
Best for: Runners who want a polished, structured plan with pace targets, and the most-reviewed app in the category
$19.99 a month or $119.99 a year, after a 7-day trial
3
Run With Hal
Best for: Runners who trust Hal Higdon's classic plans and want them in an app
Free; Hal+ $6.99 a month or $59.99 a year
Sources:Run With Hal on the App Store
4
Garmin Coach
Best for: Runners who already own a Garmin watch and want a free plan that lives on it
Free with a compatible Garmin watch
Sources:Garmin: training plans for runnersGarmin Connect on the App Store
5
TrainAsONE
Best for: Data-minded runners who want an algorithm that replans all the time
Free tier; Premium $9.99 a month or $101.99 a year
6
Kiprun Pacer
Best for: Runners on a budget who want a free adaptive running plan
Listed free on the App Store; its support FAQ ties free access to when you signed up, so check before relying on it
Sources:Kiprun PacerKiprun Pacer supportKiprun Pacer on the App Store
7
Nike Run Club
Best for: Beginners who want free audio-guided runs and motivation
Free
Sources:Nike Run Club on the App Store
Athlete Space wrote this page, and Athlete Space is our app. We list it first because we built it for exactly this question, and we say plainly where another tool is the better pick. Every fact about another tool comes from that tool's own pages, linked under it.
What a marathon plan has to get right
Most running easy, a long run that grows slowly to about 30 to 35 km, one or two quality sessions a week, fuelling practice on long runs and a two to three week taper. The hard part is not the template: it is keeping the build safe through illness, travel, work and fatigue.
Free marathon training apps
Athlete Space builds a full marathon plan for your race date, free, and rewrites the coming days from what you did and your recovery. Kiprun Pacer and Garmin Coach also offer free adaptive plans, and Run With Hal has free classic plans.
Common questions
What is the best free marathon training app?
Athlete Space builds a full marathon plan for your race date for free, adapts it every night to your training and recovery, and lets you ask your coach about any session.
How many weeks should a marathon plan be?
Most first-marathon plans run 16 to 20 weeks from a base of a few runs a week. Athlete Space fits the plan to the weeks you have until race day.
Can an app train me for a sub-4 marathon?
Yes, if your current fitness supports it. Athlete Space sets paces from your recent race times and tells you honestly what your fitness predicts.
More comparisons
Product names are trademarks of their owners. Athlete Space is not affiliated with them.
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