Overview

The marathon is the ultimate distance running challenge — 42.2 km (26.2 miles) of physical and mental endurance. This 16-week plan will get you to the finish line.

Prerequisites: You should have completed a half marathon (or be able to run 18+ km comfortably) before starting this plan.

What is cross-training? Any exercise that isn't running but still builds your fitness — like swimming, cycling, yoga, or even a brisk walk. It gives your body a break from impact while keeping you active. Read our full Cross-Training Guide.

Speed work in this plan: You'll see strides (short 20–30 second accelerations at fast but controlled effort), fast intervals (hard bursts with jog recovery), and tempo runs (sustained "comfortably hard" pace). New to these? Read our Interval & Tempo Training guide.

The 16-Week Plan

Phase 1: Base Building (Weeks 1–4)

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat (Long)	Sun
1	Rest	8 km easy	6 km + strides	Cross-train 40 min	Rest	16 km easy	5 km recovery
2	Rest	8 km easy	8 km with 4 × 2 min fast	Cross-train 40 min	Rest	18 km easy	5 km recovery
3	Rest	9 km easy	8 km tempo	Cross-train 40 min	Rest	20 km easy	6 km recovery
4	Rest	6 km easy	5 km easy	Cross-train 30 min	Rest	14 km easy	Rest

Phase 2: Strength Building (Weeks 5–8)

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat (Long)	Sun
5	Rest	9 km easy	9 km with 5 × 3 min fast	Cross-train 40 min	Rest	22 km easy	6 km recovery
6	Rest	10 km easy	10 km tempo	Cross-train 40 min	Rest	24 km easy	6 km recovery
7	Rest	10 km easy	10 km with 4 × 4 min fast	Cross-train 45 min	Rest	26 km easy	6 km recovery
8	Rest	6 km easy	5 km easy	Cross-train 30 min	Rest	16 km easy	Rest

Phase 3: Peak Training (Weeks 9–12)

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat (Long)	Sun
9	Rest	10 km easy	10 km with 3 × 5 min fast	Cross-train 45 min	Rest	28 km easy	6 km recovery
10	Rest	10 km easy	12 km tempo	Cross-train 45 min	Rest	30 km easy	6 km recovery
11	Rest	10 km easy	10 km with 4 × 4 min fast	Cross-train 45 min	Rest	32 km easy	6 km recovery
12	Rest	7 km easy	5 km easy	Cross-train 30 min	Rest	19 km easy	Rest

Phase 4: Taper (Weeks 13–16)

What is a taper? A planned reduction in training volume before your race so your body arrives fresh and fully recovered. You maintain some intensity but cut the distance. Read our full Tapering & Peak Performance guide.

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat (Long)	Sun
13	Rest	8 km easy	8 km with 4 × 2 min fast	Cross-train 35 min	Rest	22 km easy	5 km recovery
14	Rest	7 km easy	6 km tempo	Cross-train 30 min	Rest	16 km easy	5 km recovery
15	Rest	5 km easy	5 km with 4 × 1 min fast	Cross-train 25 min	Rest	10 km easy	Rest
16	Rest	4 km easy	Rest	3 km easy	Rest	RACE DAY 🏆 Marathon!	Rest

Marathon Pace Guide

Goal Time	Pace Per km	Pace Per Mile	Half Split
3:00	4:16/km	6:52/mi	1:30:00
3:30	4:59/km	8:01/mi	1:45:00
4:00	5:41/km	9:09/mi	2:00:00
4:30	6:24/km	10:18/mi	2:15:00
5:00	7:07/km	11:27/mi	2:30:00

Race Day Fueling Strategy

Km	Action
Start	Sip water before the gun
5 km	Water at aid station
10 km	First gel + water
15 km	Water or sports drink
20 km	Second gel + water
25 km	Water or sports drink
30 km	Third gel + water — the wall is coming
35 km	Fourth gel + water — dig deep
40 km	Water — you're almost there
42.2 km	FINISH! 🏆

The Marathon Wall (km 30–35)

Almost every marathoner hits "the wall" around 30–35 km. Here's how to handle it:

Strategy	Details
Start slow	Run the first half 30–60 seconds slower than goal pace
Fuel consistently	Don't skip gels — glycogen (your muscles' stored energy) depletion causes the wall
Mental tricks	Break it into 5 km chunks — "just one more parkrun"
Mantras	Repeat a phrase: "Strong and steady", "I trained for this"
Crowd energy	Use spectators — high-five kids, read signs

Race Day Checklist

Category	Items
Essentials	Race number, pins, timing chip, ID
Clothing	Tested race outfit, spare socks, bin bag for warmup
Nutrition	4–6 gels, race belt, tested breakfast
Anti-chafe	Vaseline for nipples, thighs, underarms, feet
Tech	GPS watch (charged), phone (optional)
Post-race	Warm clothes, flip flops, recovery snack

What's Next?

You're a marathoner. That never goes away. Options:

Chase a PB — repeat with faster paces
Go ultra — start researching ultra marathon training
Give back — consider supporting us so we can help more runners

Full Marathon Training Plan🔒

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