Most runners remember the exact moment they decide to run a marathon. Maybe you've worked your way up through distances and a marathon is the next logical step. Maybe a friend signed you up and now it's too late to back out. Or maybe the thought just stuck and refuses to go away.

Whatever started it, for first-time runners it's almost always about the same thing: finding out if you can handle the 42.195 km. For those returning, it's about doing it better, or about getting back to that marathon feeling.

A marathon is a mythical distance that demands something from you. Not just physically, but in how you organize your daily life. Training takes over your mornings, weekends, and conversations. It requires showing up on those dark, cold days when motivation could fit in a matchbox. The impressive part of a marathon isn't just race day, but the months and training leading up to it.

Between the decision and the finish line lies a training journey. And while it would make everything easier, the perfect program probably doesn't exist. Your result depends on many factors, not just whether your longest run is 28 or 34 km or if you run four or five times a week. But a good program builds your fitness at the right pace, gives your body time to adapt, and ensures you don't start with an avoidable injury. And there's everything outside running, like ensuring your energy intake is right and having a race day plan so you don't start at pace 4:30 and end at pace 14:00.

Calculate your marathon plan

Enter your details in the calculator below to get your plan. Further down, read about the three tracks, training zones, and a thorough review of marathon energy.

Find your marathon programme

Choose your programme

What is your goal?

My first marathon

I want to train for my first marathon.

20–24 weeks 3–5 days/week Requires a running watch

Run a faster marathon

I have run a marathon before and want to improve my time.

18 weeks 4–6 days/week Requires a running watch

Choose the right track in the calculator

The calculator includes three programs. They reflect different starting points, and the program you choose should match where you are today.

1. My first marathon with half-marathon experience (20 weeks)

You've run a half-marathon within the last year. You know what it's like to have 18 kilometers in your legs and still have a way to go. Enter your half-marathon time and weekly mileage. The calculator estimates your marathon time and calculates four training zones: Easy, Steady, Marathon Pace, and Interval. The program is 20 weeks divided into six phases: Base, Build, Race-specific, Peak, Taper, and Race.

Long runs start at 10 km and peak at 30 km in week 14. None reach 42 km, intentionally. From week 9, long runs include marathon pace segments: the last 3–8 km are run at your race day pace. This is where you learn how race pace feels when you're already tired.

The program supports 3, 4, or 5 training days a week. If you run 3 days a week now, the fourth session is gradually added from week 7.
Half-marathon times from 1:35 to 2:45 give you access to the program. If you run under 1:35, "Get faster at the marathon" suits your level better. If you run over 2:45, we recommend "My first marathon without half-marathon experience", which has a gentler progression.

2. My first marathon without half-marathon experience (24 weeks)

You've run 10 km. You're not new to running. But there's a big leap from 10 km to 42 km, requiring you to build up, and it takes time.
This program is 24 weeks and includes an extra base phase. It's there because tendons, joints, and muscles need gradual adaptation. Volume increases more slowly, marathon pace is cautiously introduced from week 7, and the peak long run is 28 km instead of 30. If you run under 20 km a week now, the program recommends a shorter starting point.

10 km times from 30:00 to 75:00 minutes give you access to the program. If you run faster, you can go directly to "Get faster at the marathon", which suits your starting point better. If you run 10 km in more than 75 minutes, we recommend starting with a shorter distance than a marathon to build a stronger foundation.

3. Get faster at the marathon (18 weeks)

You've completed a marathon. You know what it costs. Now you want to do it faster or with more targeted training. This program is shorter than the other two (18 weeks) because it doesn't need to build a foundation from scratch. You already have it. Instead, it starts relatively quickly in more specific training and introduces a fifth zone: Tempo. It corresponds to half-marathon pace, faster than your marathon pace, and is the primary tool to raise your lactate threshold.

Long runs peak around 32 km and include marathon pace segments. Additionally, back-to-back weekends are introduced: the easy run is placed the day before the long run. It's not to make it harder, but to simulate what it's like to run with tired legs.
You choose 4, 5, or 6 training days depending on your current level and ambition.

Marathon times from 2:50 to 5:30 give you access to the program. Under 2:50 often requires a more individually tailored program than we can offer. If you run over 5:30, "My first marathon" suits your starting point better.

Training types in your marathon plan

The programs aren't just "run x kilometers a week". They're built from sessions that each target the physiological parameters determining your marathon potential.

Base pace:

The backbone of your training. Easy running for 25–35 minutes, building your aerobic base, improving fat burning, and giving tendons and joints time to adapt.

Interval running:

Hard sessions with shorter efforts at interval pace with active breaks in between. Raises your VO2max, improves your running economy, and makes marathon pace more manageable over time.

Marathon pace:

The pace you plan to maintain on race day, run consistently and controlled. From the race-specific phase, they're also run as finishing segments in long runs: you practice maintaining speed when your body starts to tire.

Tempo running (only in "Get faster" program):

Continuous running at half-marathon pace. You can say short sentences but not hold a conversation. One of the most effective tools to shift your fatigue threshold.

Long run:

Always run easy, and you can talk in full sentences along the way. The pace is down, the time and kilometers are up. The big long runs of 26–32 km teach your body to run long and give you a physiological and mental anchor, so 42 km on race day isn't completely unknown terrain.

Easy run:

Active recovery. Short, easy runs that keep the body moving without adding significant strain.

Energy during the marathon

Your body stores carbohydrates as glycogen in muscles and liver. This reserve lasts about 90 minutes at marathon pace. It's not enough to get you to the finish, and you need to intake energy along the way. How much, when, and in what form depends on your pace and your gut, and both should be trained. Use gels, chews, or energy drinks on your long runs over 90 minutes, so your body is used to absorbing carbohydrates under stress. Read our guide for energy before, during, and after running.

Strength training alongside running

Many runners are a bit hesitant about strength training. Some think "I get strong legs from running" and others fear becoming heavy and slow. But long-distance running primarily trains your endurance, not your strength. And strength training doesn't make you slower as a runner, quite the opposite. A large research review from 2025 compiled results from 17 previous studies and found that runners who supplement with strength training improve their running economy and times (Ramos-Campo et al., 2025)

Place strength training after your hard runs, so you gather the load on the same day and get a real rest day afterward. Read our guide to strength training for runners , which can give you a good starting point.

FAQ: 5 questions about your marathon training

What do I do if I miss a session?

Skip it and move on. Catching up with double training the next day is almost always a bad idea, leading to insufficient recovery and a high risk of overtraining. If you've missed a whole week due to illness or injury, you can go back a week in the program and build up slowly from there.

Can I swap the days around?

Yes. The structure is just a framework. The only thing that really matters is avoiding two hard sessionsdirectly after each other and to keep a rest day or easy run in sight after your hardest sessions and long runs.

My legs feel heavy after a few weeks. Is that normal?

Yes. It's your body adapting to new stress, and that's exactly what it should do. Heavy legs and mild muscle soreness in the first weeks of a new program are normal signals and typically disappear as your body adjusts. Sharp pain in tendons, joints, or specific muscles is not normal and should be taken seriously.

Should I use gel in training, or only on race day?

Yes, on long runs over 90 minutes. It's not just about energy, but about teaching your body to absorb carbohydrates under stress. Your gut needs to get used to it, and you should know the taste, texture, and your body's reaction well before race day.

When am I ready for a marathon?

When you've followed the program with reasonable consistency, completed the major long runs, and felt what it takes to run 28–32 km in training. The first marathon is a learning experience for most, and there's nothing wrong with that. Use it to feel the distance, test your energy strategy under real conditions, and have something to build on.