Marathon Training Plan: 16 Weeks With 4 Runs a Week
This marathon training plan lasts sixteen weeks with four runs a week. It is designed for runners who have already run a half marathon, or can run for an hour and a half non-stop, and want to prepare the 42 km with a time goal. Below you will find the full table, the paces, fuelling and how to run the race.
Before you start the marathon training plan
To follow this marathon training plan you need to be able to run for about 90 minutes without stopping and to have been training regularly for several months. If it is your first marathon, also read the guide to your first marathon, where I explain each part of the preparation in more detail. This plan focuses on the week-by-week schedule.
The paces in the marathon training plan
- Easy run: comfortable, conversational pace. It is most of the plan.
- Marathon pace: your goal pace for the 42 km.
- Threshold: comfortably hard, the pace you could hold for about an hour. I explain it in the guide to threshold training.
- 10K pace: the pace of your best recent 10K.
- Strides: relaxed 15 to 20 second accelerations.
Work out your paces with the training pace calculator and a realistic goal with the race time predictor from a recent half.
The marathon training plan week by week
Quality days include 10 to 15 minutes of easy running before and 5 to 10 minutes after. The long run is always at easy pace unless stated otherwise, and never goes beyond three hours.
| Week | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 (long run) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Easy 40 min | 5 × 1 km at 10K pace, 2 min easy | Easy 40 min | 90 min |
| 2 | Easy 45 min | 3 × 10 min at threshold, 2 min easy | Easy 40 min | 100 min |
| 3 | Easy 45 min | 6 × 1 km at 10K pace, 90 s easy | 8 km at marathon pace | 110 min |
| 4 (recovery) | Easy 35 min | 4 × 1 km at 10K pace, 2 min easy | Easy 35 min | 80 min |
| 5 | Easy 45 min | 4 × 2 km at threshold, 2 min easy | Easy 45 min | 120 min |
| 6 | Easy 50 min | 2 × 5 km at marathon pace, 3 min easy | Easy 40 min + 4 strides | 130 min |
| 7 | Easy 50 min | 3 × 15 min at threshold, 3 min easy | 10 km at marathon pace | 140 min, last 30 at marathon pace |
| 8 (recovery) | Easy 40 min | 5 × 1 km at 10K pace, 2 min easy | Easy 35 min | 100 min or a test half marathon |
| 9 | Easy 50 min | 3 × 3 km at threshold, 2 min easy | 12 km at marathon pace | 150 min |
| 10 | Easy 50 min | 6 × 1 km at 10K pace, 90 s easy | Easy 45 min | 160 min, last 40 at marathon pace |
| 11 | Easy 50 min | 2 × 6 km at marathon pace, 3 min easy | Easy 45 min + 4 strides | 170 min |
| 12 (recovery) | Easy 40 min | 4 × 2 km at threshold, 2 min easy | Easy 35 min | 120 min |
| 13 | Easy 50 min | 3 × 15 min at threshold, 3 min easy | 14 km at marathon pace | 170 min, last 45 at marathon pace |
| 14 | Easy 45 min | 2 × 5 km at marathon pace, 3 min easy | Easy 40 min | 130 min |
| 15 | Easy 40 min | 3 × 3 km at marathon pace, 2 min easy | Easy 35 min | 90 min |
| 16 (race) | Easy 30 min | 3 × 2 km at marathon pace, 2 min easy | Easy 20 min + 3 strides | Marathon |
How the marathon training plan works
The long run builds to almost three hours in weeks 11 and 13. You do not need to run 42 km before the race: more than three hours of running is very tiring and adds little. The long run guide explains how to do it.
Marathon pace appears in week 3 and builds to 14 km continuous in week 13, plus the final sections of the long runs. Those sessions tell you whether your goal is realistic. The test half in week 8 helps too: enter your time in the predictor and adjust your goal if needed.
There are three recovery weeks (4, 8 and 12) to absorb the work. The last three weeks gradually reduce volume so you arrive fresh, as I explain in the guide to tapering before a race.
A five-day marathon training plan
Add an easy 30 to 40 minute run to the marathon training plan on whichever day suits you, not right before the long run. That extra volume usually shows in the last kilometres of the marathon. And two short sessions of strength training for runners a week will help you handle the load.
Eating and drinking in the marathon
In a marathon, eating during the race is part of the plan. In his review of carbohydrate intake during exercise, Asker Jeukendrup recommends about 60 grams per hour for efforts of two to three hours, and up to 90 grams for longer ones, combining glucose and fructose. Start around minute 30 or 40 and keep taking something every 20 or 30 minutes. Work out your number with the race carb calculator and test it on your long runs.
In the two or three days before, increase your carbs to fill your glycogen stores. I explain how in the guide to carb loading.
How to run the marathon
The first 10 km should feel easy. Run at your pace or a few seconds slower, even if you feel strong. Up to km 30 hold your pace, eat and drink to plan. The hard part of the marathon starts after 30: if you get there in good shape, it is time to hold or push.
If you are looking for a race, our race calendar includes the Barcelona Marathon in March.
Common marathon training plan mistakes
Running long runs too fast, stretching them beyond three hours, skipping recovery weeks and starting faster than planned on race day are the most frequent mistakes. The last one costs the most, because in a marathon the minutes you gain in the first kilometres are lost many times over at the end.
Conclusion
This marathon training plan combines a quality session, a marathon pace session or easy run and a long run that reaches almost three hours each week, with three recovery weeks and three taper weeks. With four or five days a week for sixteen weeks, and your fuelling tested in training, you can run the 42 km with a clear goal.
FAQ
How many weeks does a marathon training plan last?
If you can already run a half marathon or an hour and a half non-stop, sixteen weeks is a good length. With less base, make the build-up longer.
How many days a week should you train for a marathon?
Four days are enough to finish it well. With five, adding an easy run, the end of the race usually goes better.
What should your longest run be in a marathon training plan?
Close to three hours, or 30 to 32 km for most recreational runners. You do not need to run the full distance.
How many kilometres a week do you need for a marathon?
It depends on your pace and how many days you train. With this plan, most runners cover 45 to 70 km in the biggest weeks, depending on their pace.
How many gels should you take in a marathon?
It depends on your time and how many grams each gel has. To take 60 grams per hour with 25 gram gels, you need about two and a half gels per hour, fewer if you also drink a sports drink.
