A runner on a straight road heading towards snow-capped peaks

Marathon training plan

The marathon rewards patience. Your plan builds it week by week, from where you are today to a race day you control.

Wherever you start

  • First marathon — reach the finish in control
  • Sub-4 hours — even pacing and a fuelling plan
  • Personal best — sharper sessions, a precise taper

Plan length

12 to 20 weeks, most often 16.

Example
A typical week in the build phase
  • MonRest
  • TueIntervals6 × 1,000 m at threshold pace6.2 mi
  • WedEasyZone 2, conversational5 mi
  • ThuTempo3 × 12 min at marathon pace8.1 mi
  • FriRest
  • SatEasy + strides6 × 20 s relaxed and fast4.3 mi
  • SunLong runLast 5 mi at marathon pace17.4 mi
Week total41 mi

The sessions that matter

The long run

The backbone of the plan. Built progressively, with marathon-pace segments late in the build.

Threshold

Intervals near your threshold pace raise the speed you can hold for a long time.

Easy running

Most of your week. Slow enough to talk — that is the point, not a weakness.

Start

A template plan for your goal, ready right away.

Four questions, and a plan built automatically based on your level and your number of sessions.

$39one payment

You pay once. Nothing renews.

  • Four questions: goal, race date, level, sessions per week
  • Built automatically based on your level and your number of sessions
  • Up to your race, 20 weeks at most; 8 weeks without a race (up to 15 if you start with walk-run)
  • Paces from a recent race time, otherwise by perceived effort
  • Ready as soon as you pay if you ask to start right away

Best for getting started fast with a simple framework, paid once.

Choose Start

Essential

Your plan all the way to your goal, updated when your situation changes.

Your plan all the way to your goal, built automatically from your answers, and updated as soon as your situation changes.

$99a year

or $9.90 a month

Monthly: first month free on your first subscription · no commitment, stop whenever you want

  • Built from the full questionnaire: your running background, your week, your constraints
  • A plan all the way to your goal, then the next block
  • Updated as soon as you change your profile: goal, availability, pain
  • Private athlete space and a log of your sessions
  • Monthly or yearly, no commitment

Best for a whole season, with a plan that follows your situation.

Choose Essential

Complete

Most personal

Built from your answers and reviewed by a person.

Your plan built from your answers and reviewed by a person, with nutrition and race strategy. Automatic analysis of your watch data is coming soon. A subscription with no commitment: monthly, first month free on your first subscription; yearly, paid in one go.

$250a year

or $24.90 a month

Monthly: first month free on your first subscription · no commitment, stop whenever you want

  • Built from the full questionnaire: your background, your week, your constraints
  • Reviewed by a person before it reaches you
  • Messages to adjust a session, and a plan that moves with you
  • Private athlete space: plan, reference paces, messages
  • Nutrition and hydration included: carbohydrate, fluid and sodium, hour by hour (Fuel)
  • Race strategy and briefing included: target splits, aid stations, A, B and C scenarios (Race)
  • As many races as you want in the year, without paying again
  • Coming soon: automatic analysis of your watch data

Best for a target race that really matters.

Choose Complete
Taxes may apply depending on your state.

Questions

How many weeks do I need to train for a marathon?
Most runners use 12 to 20 weeks. Sixteen weeks is a common choice if you already run three or four times a week.
How many runs per week?
Three to six, depending on your level and your time. Your plan uses the days you actually have.
How long should my longest run be?
It depends on your pace and your history. We cap long runs by duration as well as distance, so a slower runner is not out for hours too long.

Your race is on the calendar. Your plan should be too.

Build my plan

Secure payment with Stripe. Then allow about 30 minutes for your profile, in several sittings if you like.

Start: $39 · Complete from $24.90 a month Build my plan