How Many Weeks to Train for a Marathon?

How many weeks to train for a marathon? Most first-timers train 16 to 20 weeks, and this tool opens on 18. That fits a runner who already runs three or four times a week and can cover 10K. With less base, train longer; with 12 weeks only, expect a smaller peak and a shorter longest run.

Choose the length, runs per week and level, and the generator lays out every week with the run type and distance. Add a goal time and each run gets a pace.

Everything is calculated in your browser, so nothing you type is uploaded, and the tool is free with no account or sign-up.

Want this on your phone? Get the RunPacePlan app for Android; the iPhone version is coming soon.

How to use the marathon plan generator

1. Race is set to marathon. Plan length opens at 18 weeks; choose anything from 12 to 24.
2. Pick Runs per week (3, 4, 5 or 6) and Level (Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced).
3. Enter a Goal time (optional) to put a pace on every run, and a Race date (optional) to date each run.
4. Read the summary line (peak week and longest run), then the weeks, shown as seven day boxes.
5. Choose miles or km with the Units switch; every distance in the plan changes with it and your choice is remembered.
6. Use Print, Download PDF, Add to calendar (.ics) or Copy link.

The plan is made in your browser and nothing you type is uploaded. Saving and syncing plans are not available yet. Prefer your phone? There is a RunPacePlan app for Android, with the iPhone version coming soon.

Change one setting at a time to see its effect. Lengthen the plan and the weekly steps get smaller; add a run day and the peak week rises; move from Beginner to Intermediate and both the peak week and the number of hard sessions go up. With a goal time every run shows a pace, and with a race date every run shows its day.

What do 12, 16, 18, 20 and 24 weeks change?

Twelve weeks cuts both the peak week and the longest run; from 16 weeks the numbers hardly move. A 12-week beginner plan peaks at 23.4 miles (38 km) with an 11.7-mile (19 km) longest run, against 31.1 miles (50 km) and 15.6 miles (25 km) at 16 weeks. From 18 weeks the beginner peak is 31.7 miles (51 km). The table is for four runs a week.

Beyond 16 weeks the extra weeks make each step smaller instead of the peak higher.

How long should a beginner train for a marathon?

A first marathon is a build of 16 to 20 weeks on top of a base of regular running. Hal Higdon’s Novice 1 marathon program is 18 weeks, with weekend long runs growing from 6 miles in week 1 to 20 miles in week 15, then a three-week taper. Here the beginner plan stops at about 16 miles and the intermediate plan at 19.8 miles (32 km) for four runs a week.

If you are not running yet, do the 9-week Couch to 5K first and start the marathon plan after it, which makes roughly six to eight months from the couch. That is our own estimate.

How long is the taper before a marathon?

Three weeks. The weeks before the race are at 80%, 65% and 45% of the peak week, and race week ends with the race. A cutback week at about 80% comes every fourth week of the build, and hard sessions never fall the day before or after the long run.

Which level should I pick?

Pick Beginner if you have never run a marathon or run fewer than about three times a week now. Intermediate suits a runner who already runs four days a week and has raced a half marathon. In a 16-week plan with four runs a week the beginner peak is 31.1 miles (50 km) and the intermediate peak 39.6 miles (64 km), so the choice shifts the whole build. Advanced plans peak at 52.8 miles (85 km) and are for runners with a large base.

Who is each plan length for?

Sixteen to twenty weeks suits a runner who already runs three or four times a week and can cover 10K. Twenty-four weeks suits a runner coming back from a break who wants small weekly steps. Twelve weeks only suits a runner who already runs regularly.

What mistakes do people make with plan length?

Starting a 12-week plan from a low base and ending up with a longest run of only 11.7 miles (19 km) as a beginner. Adding extra long runs on top of the plan. Cutting the three-week taper short.

How does a marathon plan compare with a half marathon plan?

A marathon plan here is 12 to 24 weeks with a 3-week taper; a half marathon plan is 8 to 20 weeks with a 2-week taper. See how many weeks to train for a half marathon if you are choosing between the two distances.

Frequently asked questions

How many weeks should I train for a marathon?

16 to 20 weeks for most first-timers who already run regularly. The generator offers 12 to 24 weeks.

Can I train for a marathon in 12 weeks?

Only if you already run regularly. A 12-week beginner plan here peaks at 23.4 miles (38 km) a week with an 11.7-mile (19 km) longest run, well short of the 31.1 miles and 15.6 miles you reach in 16 weeks.

Is 24 weeks too long?

No. It gives almost the same peak as 16 to 20 weeks (39.6 miles for intermediate, 31.7 for beginner) but with smaller steps. It suits people coming back from time off or who want to keep weekly increases small.

How many runs a week do I need?

The generator offers 3, 4, 5 or 6 runs a week and opens on 4. A beginner can start on 3 or 4; hard sessions never fall the day before or after the long run.

What does a standard marathon plan look like?

A base phase of easy runs and strides (the first 40% of the build), a build phase with tempo runs and intervals (the next 40%), a race-specific phase with race-pace running (the last 20%), then the taper. Generate one above to see the weeks.

Is this medical or coaching advice?

No. Build up gradually and ask a doctor first if you have a health condition.

Can I use the plan commercially, for example with runners I coach?

Yes. The schedule, the printout and the calendar file you make here are free to use for any purpose, including giving them to runners you coach, with no credit needed. You may not copy the generator or the site itself; see the terms.

Take this question with you

The RunPacePlan app puts the plan, the paces and the splits for this question on your phone: get it on Google Play. The iPhone version is coming soon.

Related questions

• How Many Miles a Week to Run a Marathon?: Another question runners ask.
• How Many Weeks to Train for a Half Marathon?: Another question runners ask.
• What Pace for a 3:30 Marathon?: Another question runners ask.
• What Is the Average Marathon Time?: Another question runners ask.
• How Do I Calculate Marathon Pace From My 5K Time?: Another question runners ask.

Related tools

• Marathon training plan: The full generator with every option.
• 16 week marathon training plan: A 16-week schedule.
• Couch to 5K plan: Nine weeks of run-walk if you are not running yet.
• Beginner running plan: Run-walk sessions for new runners.
• Marathon pace chart: Pace and splits for finish times from 2:00 to 7:00.