RunPackGuides · 8 min read
Marathon training plan: 16 weeks for first-timers (free)
A free 16-week marathon training plan for first-time marathoners: long runs up to 32 km, one quality session a week, marathon pace, fuelling, taper and race day.
Sixteen weeks is a sensible build to a first marathon for runners who already run regularly: about 25–30 km a week, with a long run of 10–12 km. If you’re not there yet, start with the half marathon plan and come back. The plan has three key runs a week; add one or two short easy runs if you can.
The plan
| Week | Quality session | Easy run | Long easy run |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 × 3 min at 10K effort, 2 min jog | 40 min | 13 km |
| 2 | 20 min tempo | 40 min | 14 km |
| 3 | 5 × 1 km at 10K pace, 2 min jog | 45 min | 16 km |
| 4 | Easy fartlek, 30 min | 35 min | 13 km (lighter week) |
| 5 | 25 min tempo | 45 min | 18 km |
| 6 | 4 × 1.6 km at 10K pace, 2 min jog | 45 min | 20 km |
| 7 | 2 × 15 min tempo, 3 min jog | 50 min | 22 km |
| 8 | Easy fartlek, 30 min | 40 min | 16 km (lighter week) |
| 9 | 3 × 3 km at marathon pace, 3 min jog | 50 min | 24 km |
| 10 | 30 min tempo | 50 min | 27 km |
| 11 | 2 × 5 km at marathon pace, 3 min jog | 50 min | 22 km, last 8 at marathon pace |
| 12 | 25 min tempo | 50 min | 29 km |
| 13 | 3 × 4 km at marathon pace, 3 min jog | 50 min | 32 km |
| 14 | 20 min tempo | 45 min | 24 km |
| 15 | 4 × 1 km at marathon pace | 35 min | 16 km |
| 16 | 3 × 1 km at marathon pace | 20 min | Race day |
Every fourth week is lighter so your body can absorb the work. Weeks 14–16 are the taper: less running, a little race-pace work to stay sharp.
Paces
- Long runs: easy and conversational, often 60–90 seconds per km slower than marathon pace. Time on feet matters more than speed. Zone 2 explained.
- Marathon pace: your goal time divided by 42.2. The marathon pace chart lists it from 2:30 to 6:00, with splits at 10 km, halfway and 30 km.
- Tempo: comfortably hard. Tempo runs explained.
Set a goal from a recent half marathon with the pace calculator, then add a few minutes: most first-timers run slower than the prediction. For a first marathon, finishing feeling good is the goal.
Fuelling
On every long run over 90 minutes, practise race-day fuelling: water, plus the gels or snacks you’ll use, roughly every 30–45 minutes. Find out what your stomach is happy with in training, not on race day.
Race day
- Start slower than goal pace for the first 5 km. You will feel amazing; that’s the trap.
- Aim for even splits. Check yourself at 10 km, halfway and 30 km.
- Fuel early and on schedule, before you feel you need it.
- The race starts at 30 km. If you still feel good there, then you can push.
Don’t do it alone
Sixteen weeks of early alarms are much easier with friends. Sign up together, follow the same plan at your own paces, and share the long runs. More in marathon training with friends. RunPack, our free iPhone app, puts everyone’s runs in a private feed for your crew, so even the solo midweek runs feel like part of something.
General guidance, not medical advice. If you have a health condition, check with a doctor before starting marathon training.