The marathon: 16+ weeks from base to the start line
Hal Higdon's Novice 1 marathon plan runs 18 weeks, on 4 running days a week, starting from an existing base of a few months of running. The marathon (26.2 miles / 42.2K) is built on aerobic base, the long run, marathon-pace work, and recovery discipline.
The marathon is a different animal from every shorter race. A 5K punishes a bad day for 20 minutes; the marathon punishes it for hours, and it exposes every shortcut taken in training. The good news: it is trainable. Running 26.2 miles well takes months of consistent aerobic work, a long run that grows patiently, and the discipline to recover so the training actually sticks.
What actually gets you through 26.2 miles
- Aerobic base. Most of a marathon block is easy running, the same 80/20 pattern covered in Runked's 80/20 running guide. Easy mileage builds the aerobic engine the marathon runs on.
- The long run. The session the whole block is built around. It teaches your body to burn fuel efficiently and keep form for hours, and it builds the mental durability the late miles demand.
- Marathon-pace work. Running at goal pace, sometimes inside a long run, so race effort feels rehearsed before the day itself.
- Recovery discipline. Cutback weeks, easy days, and real rest. The marathon block breaks people who treat every run as a test.
How long, and how many miles
Named marathon programs run 16 to 20 weeks. London Marathon Events' beginner plan for the TCS London Marathon, written by coach Martin Yelling, is a 16-week schedule of three runs a week for first-time marathoners; run coach Ian Scarrott's PureGym plans give beginners 20 weeks and experienced runners 16; and Hal Higdon's Novice 1, Intermediate 1 and Advanced 1 each run 18 weeks from an established base. The difference between the Higdon three is running days and mileage: Novice 1 runs 4 days a week with a 40-mile peak week and a 20-mile long run in week 15; Intermediate 1 adds a fifth running day, still peaking with a 20-mile long run, reached in both weeks 13 and 15; Advanced 1 runs 6 days a week with three 20-mile long runs, in weeks 11, 13 and 15, and a stepback week built in every third week to absorb the load.
The phases of a marathon block
Runked's marathon plan moves training through six phases:
| Phase | What it does |
|---|---|
| Foundation | Build aerobic base and durability with mostly easy running. |
| Early Quality | Introduce controlled intensity to start sharpening. |
| Transition | Shift the emphasis toward marathon-specific endurance and pace. |
| Race Prep | Peak long runs and marathon-pace work, the hardest and most specific stretch. |
| Taper | Cut volume, keep a little intensity, arrive fresh. |
| Recovery | The deliberate easing that lets you bounce back after the race. |
| Rest / Sick / Injured | A pause: the status selector holds the plan where it is until you set yourself back to Active. |
The named workouts you'll meet
Marathon blocks reach for some of the sport's classic sessions:
- Marathon Pace Long Run: a long run with a substantial chunk at goal pace, the most race-specific session in the plan, and a good one for rehearsing your race-day carbs-per-hour target before the marathon itself.
- Long Run with Surges: an easy long run broken up by short faster segments, teaching your legs to change gear when fatigued.
- Yasso 800s: ten 800m repeats with equal-time recovery jogs, a workout Bart Yasso developed and Amby Burfoot wrote up for Runner's World, where Yasso was race services manager: run each in the same minutes:seconds as your marathon goal's hours:minutes, so 3:30 repeats target a 3:30 marathon. Coach Greg McMillan's review found it tracks closely for endurance-oriented runners but reads several minutes slow for runners with more speed than endurance.
- The Michigan: developed by University of Michigan coach Ron Warhurst, alternating 1,600m/1,200m/800m/400m track intervals at 10K/5K/3K/all-out pace with one-mile tempo segments and a three-minute jog recovery between each.
Avoiding the classic blowup
Doing too much, too soon, is the classic way a marathon block breaks down. This is where Runked's performance metrics earn their keep. The Load Ratio (ACWR) compares recent training load to a longer-term base and flags a Caution or High Risk zone when mileage climbs faster than the body absorbs it, an approach built on Tim Gabbett's 2016 ACWR review in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, which associates a ratio of roughly 0.8 to 1.3 with lower injury risk and rising risk above roughly 1.5. Paired with Fitness & Fatigue tracking, it flags when to back off before a niggle becomes a bigger injury.
Compare this block to your own last one, not to anyone else's: in Runked, the running rank only moves on your own runs, and a marathon block is 16 to 20 weeks of moving it.
When life happens
Over a block that long, something will interrupt your training. Runked's status selector lets you set Rest, Sick, or Injured to pause the plan; missed workouts don't pile up while you wait. Resume as Active when you're ready. A marathon block that adapts to interruptions is a marathon block you'll actually complete.
Build your marathon plan
Runked is free to download and starts with a 7-day free trial on the yearly plan. Connect your watch, set a marathon goal, and build the 42.2K block that gets you there.
Download on App StoreFrequently asked questions
How long do I need to train for a marathon?
Named marathon programs run 16 to 20 weeks: London Marathon Events' beginner plan for the TCS London Marathon is 16 weeks on three runs a week, run coach Ian Scarrott's PureGym beginner plan is 20 weeks, and Hal Higdon's Novice 1, Intermediate 1 and Advanced 1 plans each run 18 weeks on 4 to 6 running days a week depending on level, assuming you begin with a running base of a few months. If you are starting closer to zero, build general fitness first, then start an 18-week block from a base of comfortable weekly running. Runked's training plans, part of the Runked PRO subscription, build that block automatically around your available days and goal race.
Can a beginner run a marathon?
Yes, after building a running base first. A beginner should spend a few months building that base and ideally complete a 10K or half marathon, then follow an 18-week plan such as Higdon's Novice 1. The distance is achievable for healthy runners who respect the progression and build mileage gradually.
How many miles per week for marathon training?
Hal Higdon's Novice 1 plan peaks at 40 miles in its highest week, on 4 running days with a 20-mile long run. Intermediate 1 adds a fifth running day at the same 20-mile peak long run, and Advanced 1 runs 6 days a week with three 20-mile long runs. Whatever the plan, weekly volume should rise gradually, with lighter stepback weeks worked in every third or fourth week so the body absorbs the load.
What are Yasso 800s?
Yasso 800s are ten 800-meter repeats with equal-time recovery jogs, a workout Bart Yasso developed and Amby Burfoot wrote up for Runner's World, where Yasso was race services manager: run each repeat in the same minutes and seconds as your marathon goal's hours and minutes, so 3:30 repeats target a 3:30 marathon. Coach Greg McMillan's review of the method found it tracks closely for endurance-oriented runners but reads several minutes slow for runners with more speed than endurance. It works as a training benchmark, with accuracy that depends on which type of runner is using it.