Quick Answer
Duration: 16 weeks. Runs per week: 4 (3 short/medium + 1 long). Cross-training: 1–2 days. Rest: 1 full day. Peak long run: 32 km (week 13). Taper: Weeks 14–16. Prerequisites: Can run 5–8 km without stopping, 3× per week. Target finish: 4:30–5:30 (typical beginner range).
Before You Start
Can you run 5–8 km comfortably? If yes, start at Week 1. If not, spend 8–12 weeks building a base first — work up to running 30 minutes, 3–4 times per week, before beginning this plan.
Run types explained:
Easy run — conversational pace. You should be able to talk in full sentences. This is the foundation of marathon training and should make up ~80% of your running. If in doubt, slow down.
Long run — same easy pace, just further. The weekly long run builds endurance progressively. Run it 30–60 seconds per km slower than your goal marathon pace.
Tempo run — “comfortably hard.” You can speak in short phrases but not hold a conversation. About 80–85% effort. Builds your lactate threshold.
Cross-training (XT) — non-running cardio: cycling, swimming, yoga, walking. Maintains fitness while giving your legs a break from impact.
The 16-Week Schedule
All distances in kilometres. Easy runs at conversational pace unless noted otherwise.
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| Week | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | Total km |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rest | 5 easy | XT or rest | 5 easy | Rest | 5 easy | 10 long | 25 |
| 2 | Rest | 5 easy | XT | 6 easy | Rest | 5 easy | 12 long | 28 |
| 3 | Rest | 6 easy | XT | 6 easy | Rest | 5 easy | 14 long | 31 |
| 4 | Rest | 5 easy | XT | 5 easy | Rest | 5 easy | 10 long | 25 |
| ↑ Recovery week — reduced long run to absorb training | ||||||||
| 5 | Rest | 6 easy | XT | 7 easy | Rest | 5 easy | 16 long | 34 |
| 6 | Rest | 6 easy | XT | 7 tempo | Rest | 5 easy | 18 long | 36 |
| 7 | Rest | 7 easy | XT | 7 easy | Rest | 5 easy | 21 long | 40 |
| 8 | Rest | 5 easy | XT | 6 easy | Rest | 5 easy | 14 long | 30 |
| ↑ Recovery week — let your body adapt before the big build | ||||||||
| 9 | Rest | 7 easy | XT | 8 tempo | Rest | 5 easy | 24 long | 44 |
| 10 | Rest | 7 easy | XT | 8 easy | Rest | 6 easy | 26 long | 47 |
| 11 | Rest | 8 easy | XT | 8 tempo | Rest | 6 easy | 29 long | 51 |
| 12 | Rest | 6 easy | XT | 6 easy | Rest | 5 easy | 16 long | 33 |
| ↑ Recovery week — critical rest before the peak | ||||||||
| 13 | Rest | 8 easy | XT | 8 tempo | Rest | 6 easy | 32 long | 54 |
| ↑ Peak week — your longest run. After this, you taper. | ||||||||
| 14 | Rest | 6 easy | XT | 7 tempo | Rest | 5 easy | 20 long | 38 |
| 15 | Rest | 5 easy | XT | 6 easy | Rest | 5 easy | 13 long | 29 |
| 16 | Rest | 5 easy | 3 easy | Rest | Rest | 3 easy | RACE DAY 🏁 | 11 + race |
Key pattern: 3 weeks of building → 1 recovery week (reduced long run). This 3:1 cycle prevents overtraining and lets your body absorb the training before the next build phase.
Understanding the Training Structure
Why 4 runs per week? Four running days provide enough volume to build marathon endurance while keeping injury risk manageable for beginners. Running 5–6 days per week without a solid base increases the chance of overuse injuries (shin splints, stress fractures, IT band issues) without proportional fitness gains.
Why is the long run so important? The weekly long run is the single most important session in marathon training. It teaches your body to burn fat as fuel, strengthens connective tissue for sustained impact, and builds the mental confidence to cover long distances. Everything else supports the long run.
Why recovery weeks? Your body doesn’t get stronger during training — it gets stronger during recovery. The 3:1 build-recover pattern lets you absorb each training block before pushing further. Skipping recovery weeks is the fastest path to breakdown.
Why tempo runs? Tempo runs teach your body to clear lactate more efficiently, which directly improves your ability to hold pace in the later stages of the marathon. One tempo session per week (starting from week 6) is enough for beginners. Keep them at “comfortably hard” — not all-out.
Race-Week Checklist (Week 16)
The taper has done its job. Here’s what to focus on in the final days:
3–4 days before: Begin carb-loading. Increase carbohydrate intake to 7–10g per kg of body weight. This isn’t about eating more total food — it’s about shifting the ratio toward carbs (rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, oats).
2 days before: Rest or a very short easy jog (10–15 min max). Lay out your race kit. Nothing new on race day — wear what you’ve trained in.
Night before: Eat a familiar carb-rich dinner early. Aim for 8+ hours of sleep, but don’t stress if nerves keep you up — the sleep two nights before matters more.
Race morning: Eat your pre-run meal 2–3 hours before the start. Something you’ve practised: toast with peanut butter and banana, porridge, or a bagel with jam. Sip water but don’t overhydrate.
During the race: Start at your target pace — not faster. Resist the urge to bank time in the first 10 km. Take on 30–60g of carbs per hour from gels, sports drink, or whole food after the first hour. Walk through aid stations if needed — the 10 seconds you “lose” is worth staying hydrated.
Fuelling Your Training
Marathon training increases your energy demands significantly. Here are the key nutrition principles:
Daily eating: Prioritise complex carbs as your main fuel (rice, pasta, potatoes, oats, bread). Eat 1.4–1.8g protein per kg body weight for muscle repair (eggs, chicken, fish, legumes). Include healthy fats (avocado, nuts, olive oil). Don’t restrict calories during heavy training weeks — your body needs fuel to adapt.
Before long runs: Eat a carb-rich meal 2–3 hours before. Practise your race-morning meal during training so your stomach is used to it.
During long runs (90+ min): Start consuming 30–60g of carbs per hour after the first 60 minutes. Experiment with gels, sports drinks, bananas, or even boiled potato pieces during training — find what works for you before race day.
After runs: Eat a carb + protein meal within 60 minutes of finishing. A potato with eggs or a chicken and rice bowl are ideal.
Common Beginner Mistakes
Running too fast on easy days. The biggest mistake. Easy runs should feel genuinely easy — 80% of your training should be at conversational pace. Running your easy days too fast accumulates fatigue without extra benefit and increases injury risk. If you’re monitoring heart rate, stay in zone 2.
Skipping recovery weeks. They feel like wasted time. They’re not — they’re when your body consolidates the gains from the build weeks. Trust the process.
Increasing long runs too fast. Follow the plan’s progression. Adding more than 2–3 km to your long run per week increases injury risk. The 3:1 pattern in this plan manages this automatically.
Not practising race nutrition. The gel or sports drink you grab on race day should never be something you haven’t tested in training. Practise your fuelling strategy on every long run over 16 km.
Panicking during the taper. You’ll feel restless, possibly sluggish, and convinced you’re losing fitness. This is normal. The taper is doing its job — your body is repairing and storing energy for race day. Don’t add extra runs.
Injury Prevention
Strength train 1–2 times per week. Single-leg exercises (lunges, step-ups, single-leg deadlifts), glute bridges, and calf raises strengthen the muscles that protect your joints during long runs. Even 20 minutes twice a week makes a meaningful difference.
Replace your shoes every 500–800 km. Worn-out shoes lose their cushioning and support, increasing impact on joints. If you’re running 30–55 km per week, that’s roughly every 3–5 months.
Listen to pain. Muscle soreness after a long run is normal. Sharp or persistent pain in a specific spot (shin, knee, foot, hip) is not. Take 2–3 days off at the first sign of injury — catching it early prevents weeks of forced rest later.
FAQ: Beginner Marathon Training
How long does it take to train for a first marathon?
16–20 weeks if you can already run 5–8 km comfortably. Add 8–12 weeks of base building if starting from scratch.
How many days per week should I run?
4 running days (3 short/medium + 1 long) plus 1–2 cross-training days and 1 rest day. This balances endurance building with injury prevention.
How far should my longest run be?
30–35 km (19–22 miles), 3–4 weeks before race day. You don’t need to run the full 42.2 km in training.
What should I eat during training?
Complex carbs as main fuel, 1.4–1.8g protein/kg for repair, healthy fats. Before long runs: carb-rich meal 2–3h prior. During runs 90+ min: 30–60g carbs/hour. After: carbs + protein within 60 min.
What is the taper?
2–3 weeks of reduced volume before race day. Cut mileage by 30–50% while keeping some quality. Your body recovers and stores energy. Don’t add extra runs — trust it.
Your Marathon Is 16 Weeks Away
This plan works if you follow it consistently. The long runs build your endurance, the easy runs build your aerobic base, the tempo runs sharpen your pace, and the recovery weeks let your body adapt. Trust the structure, run easy when it says easy, fuel properly, and you’ll arrive at the start line ready to finish strong.
Your first marathon time is less important than your first marathon finish. Enjoy the journey — every long run, every tough kilometre, and every rest day has prepared you for this.
This free plan works for most beginners. But if you want pacing targets, weekly feedback, and a plan adapted to your specific fitness level and goal time, our coaching programmes deliver exactly that.
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