Beginner marathon training plan

By Eli Fayerman, running coach and founder of Running Schedule · Updated October 13, 2026

This free 18-week plan is for your first marathon, if you can already run 30 minutes without stopping, three times a week. It starts from about 16 miles a week on four days. If you can't run 30 minutes yet, start with the free NHS Couch to 5K, then come back.

For runners who can already run 30 minutes without stopping, three times a week, and want to finish their first marathon.

Built for a runner who already runs about 16 mi a week on 4 days and has been running for 1 year. The plan follows principles from published training research, and its numbers are benchmarked against widely used published plans.

Your race date, your running days, and a plan that adjusts when you miss a run. Create my plan

How long is the plan?

The plan runs 18 weeks, race week included. Week 1 is base running. Weeks 2 to 9 build your mileage, with an easier week in week 5. Weeks 10 to 15 are the peak block, with another easier week in week 10, and the last three weeks taper before race day.

How many miles a week?

It starts at about 16 miles a week and adds 1 to 4 miles a week. After each easier week, the build picks up where it left off. Mileage reaches 39 miles in week 13, and weeks 11 to 15 stay between 34 and 39.

What is the longest run?

The longest run is 16 miles, first in week 12, about three and a half hours at your easy pace. The plan stops there rather than at the 20 miles some plans use. Long runs in weeks 12 to 15 finish at race pace, 11:30 per mile, building to 7.8 miles.

What if I miss a run?

A missed run is not made up later. Doubling up to catch up is the sudden jump in mileage the plan is built to avoid. In the plan you create, the schedule re-plans from the runs you actually did and tells you why in one sentence.

The schedule, week by week

Distances in mi · km

This is the full plan for the runner described above. Yours is built from your own race date, running days and current mileage, and it changes as you train.

Weekly volume

A 18-week plan: Base weeks 1, Build weeks 2 to 9, Peak weeks 10 to 15, Taper weeks 16 to 18. The biggest week is week 13, 39 mi.

Base wk 1Build wk 2–9Peak wk 10–15Taper wk 16–18 Cutback week Race (26 mi)
Weekly volume as a list
Week 1Base16 mi
Week 2Build17 mi
Week 3Build19 mi
Week 4Build21 mi
Week 5Build, cutback19 mi
Week 6Build23 mi
Week 7Build25 mi
Week 8Build28 mi
Week 9Build31 mi
Week 10Peak, cutback28 mi
Week 11Peak34 mi
Week 12Peak38 mi
Week 13Peak39 mi
Week 14Peak35 mi
Week 15Peak39 mi
Week 16Taper31 mi
Week 17Taper24 mi
Week 18Taper12 mi

Week 1

Base 16 mi long run 5 mi

Easy days marked with strides end with six 20-second pick-ups. They keep your legs used to speed before threshold work starts.

  1. Tue easy 3.4 mi at easy pace, then 6 strides of 20 seconds, walk back between. ~44 min
  2. Wed easy 3.4 mi at easy pace, then 6 strides of 20 seconds, walk back between. ~44 min
  3. Fri easy 3.7 mi at easy pace, conversational the whole way. ~50 min
  4. Sun long 5 mi all at easy pace. ~1 h 07

Week 2

Build 17 mi long run 6.2 mi
  1. Tue easy 3.7 mi at easy pace, conversational the whole way. ~50 min
  2. Wed 3.7 mi with 1.8 mi steady at 10:58/mi. ~46 min
  3. Fri easy 3.7 mi at easy pace, then 6 strides of 20 seconds, walk back between. ~48 min
  4. Sun long 6.2 mi all at easy pace. ~1 h 23

Week 3

Build 19 mi long run 7.5 mi
  1. Tue easy 4 mi at easy pace, conversational the whole way. ~54 min
  2. Wed 4 mi with 2 x 1 mi at 10:58/mi as cruise intervals. ~49 min
  3. Fri easy 3.7 mi at easy pace, then 6 strides of 20 seconds, walk back between. ~48 min
  4. Sun long 7.5 mi all at easy pace. ~1 h 40

Week 4

Build 21 mi long run 8.7 mi
  1. Tue easy 4 mi at easy pace, conversational the whole way. ~54 min
  2. Wed 4.3 mi with 2 x 1.1 mi at 10:58/mi as cruise intervals. ~53 min
  3. Fri easy 4 mi at easy pace, then 6 strides of 20 seconds, walk back between. ~53 min
  4. Sun long 8.7 mi all at easy pace. ~1 h 57

Week 5

Build Cutback 19 mi long run 6.8 mi

Cutback week: volume drops so the weeks of work before it can settle.

  1. Tue easy 4.3 mi at easy pace, conversational the whole way. ~58 min
  2. Wed 4 mi with 2 x 1 mi at 10:58/mi as cruise intervals. ~49 min
  3. Fri easy 4 mi at easy pace, then 6 strides of 20 seconds, walk back between. ~53 min
  4. Sun long 6.8 mi all at easy pace. ~1 h 32

Week 6

Build 23 mi long run 9.9 mi
  1. Tue easy 4.3 mi at easy pace, conversational the whole way. ~58 min
  2. Wed 4.3 mi with 2 x 1.2 mi at 10:58/mi as cruise intervals. ~53 min
  3. Fri easy 4.3 mi at easy pace, then 6 strides of 20 seconds, walk back between. ~57 min
  4. Sun long 9.9 mi all at easy pace. ~2 h 13

Week 7

Build 25 mi long run 11 mi
  1. Tue easy 5 mi at easy pace, conversational the whole way. ~1 h 07
  2. Wed 4.7 mi with 2 x 1.3 mi at 10:58/mi as cruise intervals. ~56 min
  3. Fri easy 4.7 mi at easy pace, then 6 strides of 20 seconds, walk back between. ~1 h 01
  4. Sun long 11 mi all at easy pace. ~2 h 30

Week 8

Build 28 mi long run 12 mi
  1. Tue easy 3.1 mi at easy pace, then 6 strides of 20 seconds, walk back between. ~40 min
  2. Wed 5 mi with 2 x 1.4 mi at 10:58/mi as cruise intervals. ~1 h 00
  3. Fri medium-long 7.5 mi at easy pace, what the week can spare after the long run, quality and recovery. ~1 h 40
  4. Sun long 12 mi all at easy pace. ~2 h 47

Week 9

Build 31 mi long run 14 mi
  1. Tue easy 3.1 mi at easy pace, then 6 strides of 20 seconds, walk back between. ~40 min
  2. Wed 5.6 mi with 3 x 1.1 mi at 10:58/mi as cruise intervals. ~1 h 07
  3. Fri medium-long 8.7 mi at easy pace, building up toward 80% of Sunday's long run. ~1 h 57
  4. Sun long 14 mi all at easy pace. ~3 h 03

Week 10

Peak Cutback 28 mi long run 11 mi

Cutback week: volume drops so the weeks of work before it can settle.

  1. Tue easy 4 mi at easy pace, then 6 strides of 20 seconds, walk back between. ~53 min
  2. Wed 5 mi with 2 x 1.4 mi at 10:58/mi as cruise intervals. ~1 h 00
  3. Fri medium-long 8.4 mi at easy pace, 80% of Sunday's long run. ~1 h 53
  4. Sun long 11 mi all at easy pace. ~2 h 22

Week 11

Peak 34 mi long run 15 mi
  1. Tue easy 3.4 mi at easy pace, then 6 strides of 20 seconds, walk back between. ~44 min
  2. Wed 5.9 mi with 3 x 1.1 mi at 10:58/mi as cruise intervals. ~1 h 11
  3. Fri medium-long 9.9 mi at easy pace, building up toward 80% of Sunday's long run. ~2 h 13
  4. Sun long 15 mi all at easy pace. ~3 h 20

Week 12

Peak 38 mi long run 16 mi

Threshold runs as one continuous block up to 3.7 mi from this week: the block is two thirds through.

  1. Tue easy 5.6 mi at easy pace, then 6 strides of 20 seconds, walk back between. ~1 h 13
  2. Wed 5.6 mi with 3.7 mi steady at 10:58/mi. ~1 h 06
  3. Fri medium-long 11 mi at easy pace, building up toward 80% of Sunday's long run. ~2 h 30
  4. Sun long 16 mi 12 mi easy, then finish with 3.7 mi at (11:30/mi). ~3 h 21

Week 13

Peak 39 mi long run 16 mi
  1. Tue easy 5.6 mi at easy pace, then 6 strides of 20 seconds, walk back between. ~1 h 13
  2. Wed 5.6 mi with 3.7 mi steady at 10:58/mi. ~1 h 06
  3. Fri medium-long 12 mi at easy pace, 80% of Sunday's long run. ~2 h 47
  4. Sun long 16 mi 11 mi easy, then finish with 5 mi at (11:30/mi). ~3 h 19

Week 14

Peak 35 mi long run 13 mi

A lighter week between the block's long weeks: 35 mi rather than 39 mi, and the long run steps back.

  1. Tue easy 5.9 mi at easy pace, then 6 strides of 20 seconds, walk back between. ~1 h 18
  2. Wed 5.9 mi with 3.5 mi steady at 10:58/mi. ~1 h 11
  3. Fri medium-long 11 mi at easy pace, 80% of Sunday's long run. ~2 h 22
  4. Sun long 13 mi 6.8 mi easy, then finish with 6.2 mi at (11:30/mi). ~2 h 43

Week 15

Peak 39 mi long run 16 mi
  1. Tue easy 5.9 mi at easy pace, then 6 strides of 20 seconds, walk back between. ~1 h 18
  2. Wed 5.9 mi with 3.7 mi steady at 10:58/mi. ~1 h 10
  3. Fri medium-long 12 mi at easy pace, building up toward 80% of Sunday's long run. ~2 h 38
  4. Sun long 16 mi 7.8 mi easy, then finish with 7.8 mi at (11:30/mi). ~3 h 14

Week 16

Taper 31 mi long run 11 mi
  1. Tue easy 5.3 mi at easy pace, then 6 strides of 20 seconds, walk back between. ~1 h 09
  2. Wed 5.6 mi with 3.1 mi steady at 10:58/mi. ~1 h 07
  3. Fri medium-long 9 mi at easy pace, 80% of Sunday's long run. ~2 h 01
  4. Sun long 11 mi all at easy pace. ~2 h 30

Week 17

Taper 24 mi long run 8.1 mi
  1. Tue easy 5.3 mi at easy pace, conversational the whole way. ~1 h 11
  2. Wed 5.3 mi with 2.4 mi steady at 10:58/mi. ~1 h 05
  3. Fri easy 5 mi at easy pace, then 6 strides of 20 seconds, walk back between. ~1 h 05
  4. Sun long 8.1 mi all at easy pace. ~1 h 48

Week 18

Taper 38 mi

Race week: the work is done, so keep it short and easy until race day.

  1. Tue easy 4 mi at easy pace, conversational the whole way. ~54 min
  2. Wed easy 4 mi at easy pace, conversational the whole way. ~54 min
  3. Fri easy 3.7 mi at easy pace, conversational the whole way. ~50 min
  4. Sun race 26 mi Race day: the marathon you have been training for.

Create my plan

This is a training plan, not medical advice. Check with a doctor before starting if you have an injury or a health condition.