Marathon training
Free Marathon Training Plan
The marathon is an aerobic event first and a fuelling event second. Most of the training is easy running and long runs; the skill is building enough volume to be durable at 35 kilometres without getting hurt on the way there.
- Typical build
- 16 to 20 weeks
- Runs per week
- 4 to 6, about 80 percent easy
- Long run peak
- 30 to 35 km, or about 3 hours
- Taper
- 2 to 3 weeks
How a marathon plan is structured
Most marathon plans run 16 to 20 weeks in four phases: base, where easy volume grows; build, where threshold work and longer long runs arrive; marathon-specific, where long runs include sustained goal-pace running; and taper. Weekly volume climbs gradually, roughly 10 percent a week at most as a conservative ceiling, with a lighter week every three or four weeks. About 80 percent of running stays easy throughout.
Long runs: build to about three hours, not further
Long runs grow from around 90 minutes to a peak of 30 to 35 kilometres, or about three hours, whichever comes first. Beyond three hours the fatigue cost climbs faster than the benefit, which is why slower runners cap by time rather than distance. Two or three runs at peak length are enough. Space them with shorter long runs so you arrive at each one recovered.
Marathon-pace and threshold work
Once your base is in place, one weekly threshold session, for example 2 × 15 minutes comfortably hard, lifts the pace you can hold aerobically. In the marathon-specific phase, long runs carry blocks at goal marathon pace: 3 × 5 km, or a continuous 12 to 16 km late in the run. Marathon pace should feel almost easy for the first half; if it feels hard in training, the goal needs adjusting.
Train your gut like a muscle
Glycogen alone does not last 42 kilometres at goal pace. Most runners need 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour during the race, and the gut adapts to absorbing it with practice. Use every long run to rehearse: the same gels or drink you will race with, at the same times. Starting with 30 to 40 grams an hour and building up is gentler on the stomach.
The taper
Cut volume over the final 2 to 3 weeks, typically to about 70 to 80 percent of peak, then 50 to 60, then 30 to 50 in race week, while keeping short marathon-pace segments so your legs stay sharp. Your last very long run comes about three weeks out. Expect phantom aches and heavy legs during the taper. They pass, and the fitness is not going anywhere.
A sample week
A marathon-specific week for a runner on five days, about 55 to 65 km. Four-day runners merge the two easy runs into one longer one.
- Mon
- Rest
- Tue
- Threshold: 15 min easy, 2 × 15 min comfortably hard, 3 min easy between, 10 min easy
- Wed
- Easy run, 50 min
- Thu
- Easy run, 40 min with 6 strides
- Fri
- Rest
- Sat
- Easy run, 35 min
- Sun
- Long run, 28 km: 14 km easy, 12 km at goal marathon pace, 2 km easy, fuelling as on race day
The mistake behind most marathon blow-ups
Running easy days and long runs too fast. It feels like fitness in month two and becomes fatigue, niggles and a hard wall at 30 kilometres in month four. The long run is for time on feet and fuelling practice, not for proving fitness. Save the effort for the marathon-pace blocks.
Common questions
How many weeks do I need to train for a marathon?
Sixteen to twenty weeks is typical. You should be running comfortably for an hour and about 25 to 30 km a week before week one; if not, spend a few months building that base first.
What is the longest run I should do before a marathon?
Around 30 to 35 km, or about three hours, whichever comes first. You do not need to run the full 42.2 km in training.
What pace is a sub-4 hour marathon?
5:41 per kilometre, or 9:09 per mile. Most runners who manage it can run a half marathon in about 1:52 or faster.
How much should I eat during a marathon?
Most runners do best with 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour, practised in long runs first. Drink to thirst and include sodium in heat.
Is the AthleteSpace marathon plan free?
Yes. The plan, the coach and the analytics are free with no credit card, and your plan adapts to what you actually ran each week.