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🏁 16 weeks ⚡ Speed Tuesdays 🗓️ Long Saturdays

16-Week Beginner Marathon Plan

A steady, half-marathon-to-marathon build with cutback weeks and a 3-week taper. This plan assumes you’ve already completed a half marathon and are running consistently. Anchors stay the same: Tuesday speed + Saturday long run.

View the plan → Questions? Contact us ↗
Run days
4-5 / week
Peak long run
Up to 22 mi
Quick notes
Intensity guide
😌
Easy
Conversational. Keep most runs here.
🧱
Long
Easy → steady. Fuel every ~30–40 min once runs get long.
⚡
Speed
Controlled hard. Finish feeling strong, not wrecked.
Group schedule Target races
Race expectations

Marathon finish time targets

These finish-time ranges reflect realistic outcomes for runners who complete this 16-week plan consistently after a successful half-marathon build. They assume proper pacing, fueling, and normal race conditions.

Level 1 — Completion focused

Peak mileage: ~32–34 miles/week

Expected finish: 5:15 – 5:45

Ideal for first-time marathoners coming off a half marathon. Run/walk strategies and conservative pacing are fully supported.

Level 2 — Steady performance

Peak mileage: ~45–50 miles/week

Expected finish: 4:10 – 4:40

For runners who can comfortably complete a half marathon and want a controlled, evenly paced marathon effort.

Level 3 — Performance oriented

Peak mileage: ~55–60 miles/week

Expected finish: 3:40 – 4:05

Designed for runners with a strong aerobic base who want to race the marathon with sustained marathon-pace work.

Pace guide

Specific target paces by workout type

These are actual target pace ranges for each level. All paces are minutes per mile. Use the slower end on tired days.

New to these workouts? Learn how to run tempo, intervals, fartlek, hills, and strides →

Level 1 — Completion focused

Target finish: 5:15–5:45

  • Easy: 13:01–15:10
  • Long: 12:46–14:55
  • Steady: 12:16–13:55
  • Marathon pace (MP): 12:01–13:10
  • Tempo / Threshold: 11:21–12:55
  • Intervals: 10:21–12:10
  • Strides: ~9:16–11:10
  • Hills: Effort-based, strong form
  • Fartlek: Controlled-hard effort

Level 2 — Steady performance

Target finish: 4:10–4:40

  • Easy: 10:32–12:41
  • Long: 10:17–12:26
  • Steady: 9:47–11:26
  • Marathon pace (MP): 9:32–10:41
  • Tempo / Threshold: 8:52–10:26
  • Intervals: 7:52–9:41
  • Strides: ~6:47–8:41
  • Hills: Effort-based, strong form
  • Fartlek: Controlled-hard effort

Level 3 — Performance oriented

Target finish: 3:40–4:05

  • Easy: 9:23–11:21
  • Long: 9:08–11:06
  • Steady: 8:38–10:06
  • Marathon pace (MP): 8:23–9:21
  • Tempo / Threshold: 7:43–9:06
  • Intervals: 6:43–8:21
  • Strides: ~5:38–7:21
  • Hills: Effort-based, strong form
  • Fartlek: Controlled-hard effort
How to

How to run each workout (warm-up, cool-down, recovery)

Use this guide to execute workouts correctly — not just hit paces. Unless otherwise stated, quality sessions include a warm-up and cool-down.

Warm-up (all quality days)

  • 10–15 min easy jog to get warm and loose
  • Optional drills: leg swings, skips, high knees
  • Before faster work: 2–4 × 20s strides (easy jog between)

You should feel warm and ready — never rushed.

Cool-down (all quality days)

  • 10–15 min easy jog to bring effort down gradually
  • Finish feeling relaxed, not depleted
  • Light stretching after (calves, hips, hamstrings)

Hill reps (Hills)

  • Effort: strong but controlled (≈ 5K–10K effort)
  • Focus: form & power, not sprinting
  • Recovery: easy jog/walk downhill until breathing settles

Short hills build strength; keep posture tall and cadence quick.

Tempo / Threshold (T)

  • Effort: “comfortably hard” — short phrases only
  • Continuous tempo: steady focus the whole time
  • Broken tempo: 2–5 min easy jog between segments

Start controlled and finish strong — not gasping.

Intervals (Int)

  • Effort: hard but repeatable
  • Goal: consistent reps (no big fall-off)
  • Recovery: easy jog ~equal or slightly shorter than work

If pace drops sharply, the reps are too fast.

Fartlek

  • On segments: controlled-hard (≈ 10K–5K effort)
  • Off segments: truly easy jogging
  • Recovery: time-based (e.g., 1 min on / 1–2 min off)

Great for learning effort without obsessing over splits.

Marathon pace (MP)

  • Effort: steady and aerobic — sustainable
  • Talk test: short phrases OK
  • Recovery: 3–5 min easy jog if broken into sets

MP builds endurance with lower fatigue than harder workouts.

Strides (Str)

  • Effort: fast but relaxed (smooth acceleration)
  • Duration: 15–25 seconds
  • Recovery: full easy jog back to relaxed breathing

Strides should leave you feeling better, not tired.

Rest between hard days

  • Don’t stack quality days back-to-back
  • Easy runs should feel easy enough to recover
  • If you’re fatigued: shorten volume first, keep effort honest

Goal: finish workouts feeling like you could do one more rep.

Training plan

Week-by-week workouts

Each week includes a Tuesday quality session, a Saturday long run, plus easy/support mileage. Sundays are optional (easy jog or cross-train).

Choose a target
Pick the level that matches your current easy-run pace and weekly consistency.
Half marathon first
This 16-week plan assumes you’ve already completed a half marathon. If not, build that base first. Learn more →
Which level should I choose? (tap to expand)

Important: This 16-week marathon plan is designed as a continuation from half-marathon training — not a couch-to-marathon program. All levels assume you have successfully completed a half marathon and are running consistently before starting this plan.

Not ready yet?
Build your half-marathon base first, then start this 16-week marathon block. See training tips →
Level 1 (First-time marathoner · ~12:00–12:30/mi)
  • Have completed a half marathon comfortably (run or run/walk)
  • Currently running ~18–25 miles per week
  • Longest recent run: 8–10 miles
  • Goal is to finish strong and healthy, not chase time
  • Walk breaks during long runs or race day are acceptable
Level 2 (Comfortable half marathon · ~10:00/mi MP)
  • Have completed a half marathon running continuously
  • Running consistently 3–4 days per week
  • Currently at ~25–35 miles per week
  • Longest recent run: 10–12 miles
  • Ready for structured workouts and longer marathon-pace segments
Level 3 (Strong base · ~9:00/mi MP)
  • Have completed one or more half marathons confidently
  • Running 4–5 days per week with workouts
  • Currently at ~35–45+ miles per week
  • Longest recent run: 12–14 miles
  • Comfortable sustaining faster aerobic and marathon-pace efforts

If you’re between levels: start one level easier. A successful marathon build is about consistency and durability — not forcing a pace that your current base doesn’t support.

Level 1 (First-time marathoner · ~12:00–12:30/mi)

WU warm-up CD cool-down EZ easy LR long run XT cross-train Str strides T threshold Int intervals Hills hill reps Fartlek speed play MP marathon pace
Week #Week ofMonTue (Workout)WedThuFriSatSunWeekly miles
1Jun 22, 2026RestFartlek 6×45s (4)EZ 2EZ 3RestLR 7EZ 218
2Jun 29, 2026 Rest Fartlek 6×45s (4) EZ 2 EZ 3 Rest LR 8 EZ 2 19
3Jul 6, 2026 Rest Hills 8×20s (5) EZ 3 EZ 3 Rest LR 10 EZ 2 23
4Jul 13, 2026 Rest Int 5×2m (5) EZ 3 EZ 4 Rest LR 12 EZ 3 27
5Jul 20, 2026 Rest Hills 10×20s (4) EZ 3 EZ 4 Rest LR 9 EZ 2 22
6Jul 27, 2026 Rest T 15m (6) EZ 4 EZ 4 Rest LR 13 EZ 3 30
7Aug 3, 2026 Rest Int 6×2m (6) EZ 4 EZ 4 Rest LR 14 EZ 4 32
8Aug 10, 2026 Rest Fartlek 6×1m (Down) (7) EZ 4 EZ 4 Rest LR 15 EZ 4 34
9Aug 17, 2026 Rest Hills 10×30s (6) EZ 3 EZ 4 Rest LR 12 EZ 3 28
10Aug 24, 2026 Rest Int 5×800 (7) EZ 4 EZ 5 Rest LR 16 EZ 4 36
11Aug 31, 2026 Rest T 15m (Down) (8) EZ 4 EZ 5 Rest LR 17 EZ 4 38
12Sep 7, 2026 Rest Int 8×400 (8) EZ 5 EZ 5 Rest LR 18 EZ 4 40
13Sep 14, 2026 Rest Hills 8×45s (8) EZ 4 EZ 5 Rest LR 20 EZ 5 42
14Sep 21, 2026 Rest MP 4 (7) EZ 4 EZ 5 Rest LR 14 EZ 4 34
15Sep 28, 2026 Rest Int 5×2m (5) EZ 4 EZ 5 Rest LR 10 EZ 2 26
16Oct 5, 2026 Rest EZ 2–3 (4) EZ 3 EZ 3 Rest LR 8 EZ 2 20

Level 2 (~10:00/mi)

WU warm-up CD cool-down EZ easy LR long run XT cross-train Str strides T threshold Int intervals Hills hill reps Fartlek speed play MP marathon pace
Week #Week ofMonTue (Workout)WedThuFriSatSunWeekly miles
1Jun 22, 2026RestFartlek 8×1m (6)EZ 4EZ 5RestLR 9EZ 327
2Jun 29, 2026 Rest Fartlek 8×1m (6) EZ 4 EZ 5 Rest LR 10 EZ 3 28
3Jul 6, 2026 Rest Hills 12×30s (6) EZ 5 EZ 6 Rest LR 12 EZ 3 32
4Jul 13, 2026 Rest Int 6×800 (7) EZ 5 EZ 6 Rest LR 14 EZ 4 36
5Jul 20, 2026 Rest Hills 14×30s (6) EZ 5 EZ 5 Rest LR 11 EZ 3 30
6Jul 27, 2026 Rest T 25m (8) EZ 6 EZ 7 Rest LR 15 EZ 4 40
7Aug 3, 2026 Rest Int 5×1K (8) EZ 7 EZ 7 Rest LR 16 EZ 4 42
8Aug 10, 2026 Rest Fartlek 8×1m (Down) (9) EZ 7 EZ 7 Rest LR 17 EZ 4 44
9Aug 17, 2026 Rest Hills 12×45s (7) EZ 6 EZ 7 Rest LR 15 EZ 3 38
10Aug 24, 2026 Rest Int 8×800 (9) EZ 7 EZ 8 Rest LR 16 EZ 4 44
11Aug 31, 2026 Rest T 20m (Down) (10) EZ 7 EZ 7 Rest LR 17 EZ 5 46
12Sep 7, 2026 Rest Int 12×400 (10) EZ 7 EZ 8 Rest LR 18 EZ 5 48
13Sep 14, 2026 Rest Hills 10×60s (10) EZ 8 EZ 9 Rest LR 20 EZ 5 52
14Sep 21, 2026 Rest MP 8 (8) EZ 7 EZ 8 Rest LR 15 EZ 4 42
15Sep 28, 2026 Rest Int 6×800 (6) EZ 5 EZ 6 Rest LR 12 EZ 3 32
16Oct 5, 2026 Rest EZ 4 (5) EZ 4 EZ 4 Rest LR 8 EZ 3 24

Level 3 (~9:00/mi)

WU warm-up CD cool-down EZ easy LR long run XT cross-train Str strides T threshold Int intervals Hills hill reps Fartlek speed play MP marathon pace
Week #Week ofMonTue (Workout)WedThuFriSatSunWeekly miles
1Jun 22, 2026RestFartlek 10×1m (7)EZ 6EZ 7RestLR 11EZ 435
2Jun 29, 2026 Rest Fartlek 10×1m (7) EZ 6 EZ 7 Rest LR 12 EZ 4 36
3Jul 6, 2026 Rest Hills 14×30s (8) EZ 7 EZ 7 Rest LR 14 EZ 4 40
4Jul 13, 2026 Rest Int 6×1K (9) EZ 7 EZ 8 Rest LR 16 EZ 4 44
5Jul 20, 2026 Rest Hills 16×30s (8) EZ 6 EZ 7 Rest LR 13 EZ 4 38
6Jul 27, 2026 Rest T 30m (10) EZ 9 EZ 10 Rest LR 17 EZ 4 50
7Aug 3, 2026 Rest Int 6×1K (10) EZ 10 EZ 10 Rest LR 18 EZ 4 52
8Aug 10, 2026 Rest Fartlek 10×1m (Down) (11) EZ 9 EZ 10 Rest LR 20 EZ 5 54
9Aug 17, 2026 Rest Hills 14×45s (9) EZ 8 EZ 8 Rest LR 15 EZ 4 44
10Aug 24, 2026 Rest Int 8×800 (11) EZ 10 EZ 10 Rest LR 17 EZ 5 53
11Aug 31, 2026 Rest T 25m (Down) (12) EZ 10 EZ 11 Rest LR 20 EZ 5 56
12Sep 7, 2026 Rest Int 14×400 (12) EZ 11 EZ 11 Rest LR 18 EZ 5 59
13Sep 14, 2026 Rest Hills 10×60s (12) EZ 11 EZ 11 Rest LR 22 EZ 6 62
14Sep 21, 2026 Rest MP 10 (10) EZ 10 EZ 10 Rest LR 16 EZ 4 50
15Sep 28, 2026 Rest Int 6×1K (8) EZ 7 EZ 7 Rest LR 12 EZ 4 38
16Oct 5, 2026 Rest EZ 5 (6) EZ 5 EZ 5 Rest LR 8 EZ 4 28
Race Day
Bank of America - Chicago Marathon — Oct 12, 2026
Run patient early. Fuel consistently. Finish with grit.
Extras

Marathon-specific tips

Keep the long run easy, practice fueling, and respect the taper.

🧃

Fuel + hydrate

Start practicing by week 6–7. Aim for consistent carbs + fluids during long runs.

🧱

Easy means easy

Your long runs should feel controlled. Save “hard” for the Tuesday session.

🪜

Cutback weeks help

Weeks 4, 8, and 12 reduce load to absorb training and prevent burnout.