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 25 km 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, 63 km.

Base wk 1Build wk 2–9Peak wk 10–15Taper wk 16–18 Cutback week Race (42.2 km)
Weekly volume as a list
Week 1Base25 km
Week 2Build28 km
Week 3Build31 km
Week 4Build34 km
Week 5Build, cutback31 km
Week 6Build37 km
Week 7Build41 km
Week 8Build45 km
Week 9Build50 km
Week 10Peak, cutback45 km
Week 11Peak55 km
Week 12Peak61 km
Week 13Peak63 km
Week 14Peak57 km
Week 15Peak63 km
Week 16Taper50 km
Week 17Taper38 km
Week 18Taper19 km

Week 1

Base 25 km long run 8 km

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 5.5 km at easy pace, then 6 strides of 20 seconds, walk back between. ~44 min
  2. Wed easy 5.5 km at easy pace, then 6 strides of 20 seconds, walk back between. ~44 min
  3. Fri easy 6 km at easy pace, conversational the whole way. ~50 min
  4. Sun long 8 km all at easy pace. ~1 h 07

Week 2

Build 28 km long run 10 km
  1. Tue easy 6 km at easy pace, conversational the whole way. ~50 min
  2. Wed 6 km with 2.9 km steady at 6:49/km. ~46 min
  3. Fri easy 6 km at easy pace, then 6 strides of 20 seconds, walk back between. ~48 min
  4. Sun long 10 km all at easy pace. ~1 h 23

Week 3

Build 31 km long run 12 km
  1. Tue easy 6.5 km at easy pace, conversational the whole way. ~54 min
  2. Wed 6.5 km with 2 x 1.6 km at 6:49/km as cruise intervals. ~49 min
  3. Fri easy 6 km at easy pace, then 6 strides of 20 seconds, walk back between. ~48 min
  4. Sun long 12 km all at easy pace. ~1 h 40

Week 4

Build 34 km long run 14 km
  1. Tue easy 6.5 km at easy pace, conversational the whole way. ~54 min
  2. Wed 7 km with 2 x 1.7 km at 6:49/km as cruise intervals. ~53 min
  3. Fri easy 6.5 km at easy pace, then 6 strides of 20 seconds, walk back between. ~53 min
  4. Sun long 14 km all at easy pace. ~1 h 57

Week 5

Build Cutback 31 km long run 11 km

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

  1. Tue easy 7 km at easy pace, conversational the whole way. ~58 min
  2. Wed 6.5 km with 2 x 1.6 km at 6:49/km as cruise intervals. ~49 min
  3. Fri easy 6.5 km at easy pace, then 6 strides of 20 seconds, walk back between. ~53 min
  4. Sun long 11 km all at easy pace. ~1 h 32

Week 6

Build 37 km long run 16 km
  1. Tue easy 7 km at easy pace, conversational the whole way. ~58 min
  2. Wed 7 km with 2 x 1.9 km at 6:49/km as cruise intervals. ~53 min
  3. Fri easy 7 km at easy pace, then 6 strides of 20 seconds, walk back between. ~57 min
  4. Sun long 16 km all at easy pace. ~2 h 13

Week 7

Build 41 km long run 18 km
  1. Tue easy 8 km at easy pace, conversational the whole way. ~1 h 07
  2. Wed 7.5 km with 2 x 2.1 km at 6:49/km as cruise intervals. ~56 min
  3. Fri easy 7.5 km at easy pace, then 6 strides of 20 seconds, walk back between. ~1 h 01
  4. Sun long 18 km all at easy pace. ~2 h 30

Week 8

Build 45 km long run 20 km
  1. Tue easy 5 km at easy pace, then 6 strides of 20 seconds, walk back between. ~40 min
  2. Wed 8 km with 2 x 2.3 km at 6:49/km as cruise intervals. ~1 h 00
  3. Fri medium-long 12 km at easy pace, what the week can spare after the long run, quality and recovery. ~1 h 40
  4. Sun long 20 km all at easy pace. ~2 h 47

Week 9

Build 50 km long run 22 km
  1. Tue easy 5 km at easy pace, then 6 strides of 20 seconds, walk back between. ~40 min
  2. Wed 9 km with 3 x 1.7 km at 6:49/km as cruise intervals. ~1 h 07
  3. Fri medium-long 14 km at easy pace, building up toward 80% of Sunday's long run. ~1 h 57
  4. Sun long 22 km all at easy pace. ~3 h 03

Week 10

Peak Cutback 45 km long run 17 km

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

  1. Tue easy 6.5 km at easy pace, then 6 strides of 20 seconds, walk back between. ~53 min
  2. Wed 8 km with 2 x 2.3 km at 6:49/km as cruise intervals. ~1 h 00
  3. Fri medium-long 13.5 km at easy pace, 80% of Sunday's long run. ~1 h 53
  4. Sun long 17 km all at easy pace. ~2 h 22

Week 11

Peak 55 km long run 24 km
  1. Tue easy 5.5 km at easy pace, then 6 strides of 20 seconds, walk back between. ~44 min
  2. Wed 9.5 km with 3 x 1.8 km at 6:49/km as cruise intervals. ~1 h 11
  3. Fri medium-long 16 km at easy pace, building up toward 80% of Sunday's long run. ~2 h 13
  4. Sun long 24 km all at easy pace. ~3 h 20

Week 12

Peak 61 km long run 25 km

Threshold runs as one continuous block up to 6 km from this week: the block is two thirds through.

  1. Tue easy 9 km at easy pace, then 6 strides of 20 seconds, walk back between. ~1 h 13
  2. Wed 9 km with 5.9 km steady at 6:49/km. ~1 h 06
  3. Fri medium-long 18 km at easy pace, building up toward 80% of Sunday's long run. ~2 h 30
  4. Sun long 25 km 19 km easy, then finish with 6 km at (7:09/km). ~3 h 21

Week 13

Peak 63 km long run 25 km
  1. Tue easy 9 km at easy pace, then 6 strides of 20 seconds, walk back between. ~1 h 13
  2. Wed 9 km with 5.9 km steady at 6:49/km. ~1 h 06
  3. Fri medium-long 20 km at easy pace, 80% of Sunday's long run. ~2 h 47
  4. Sun long 25 km 17 km easy, then finish with 8 km at (7:09/km). ~3 h 19

Week 14

Peak 57 km long run 21 km

A lighter week between the block's long weeks: 57 km rather than 63 km, and the long run steps back.

  1. Tue easy 9.5 km at easy pace, then 6 strides of 20 seconds, walk back between. ~1 h 18
  2. Wed 9.5 km with 5.7 km steady at 6:49/km. ~1 h 11
  3. Fri medium-long 17 km at easy pace, 80% of Sunday's long run. ~2 h 22
  4. Sun long 21 km 11 km easy, then finish with 10 km at (7:09/km). ~2 h 43

Week 15

Peak 63 km long run 25 km
  1. Tue easy 9.5 km at easy pace, then 6 strides of 20 seconds, walk back between. ~1 h 18
  2. Wed 9.5 km with 5.9 km steady at 6:49/km. ~1 h 10
  3. Fri medium-long 19 km at easy pace, building up toward 80% of Sunday's long run. ~2 h 38
  4. Sun long 25 km 12.5 km easy, then finish with 12.5 km at (7:09/km). ~3 h 14

Week 16

Taper 50 km long run 18 km
  1. Tue easy 8.5 km at easy pace, then 6 strides of 20 seconds, walk back between. ~1 h 09
  2. Wed 9 km with 5 km steady at 6:49/km. ~1 h 07
  3. Fri medium-long 14.5 km at easy pace, 80% of Sunday's long run. ~2 h 01
  4. Sun long 18 km all at easy pace. ~2 h 30

Week 17

Taper 38 km long run 13 km
  1. Tue easy 8.5 km at easy pace, conversational the whole way. ~1 h 11
  2. Wed 8.5 km with 3.8 km steady at 6:49/km. ~1 h 05
  3. Fri easy 8 km at easy pace, then 6 strides of 20 seconds, walk back between. ~1 h 05
  4. Sun long 13 km all at easy pace. ~1 h 48

Week 18

Taper 61.2 km

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

  1. Tue easy 6.5 km at easy pace, conversational the whole way. ~54 min
  2. Wed easy 6.5 km at easy pace, conversational the whole way. ~54 min
  3. Fri easy 6 km at easy pace, conversational the whole way. ~50 min
  4. Sun race 42.2 km 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.