Marathon training plan for 4 to 5 days a week
A 12-week marathon plan built around your paces, your race and your week. Written by a coach, shaped by your own numbers and sent straight to your watch.
What a week looks like
An example from week 6 of 12, with the long run on Sunday. This is one week: your plan gets paces, heart-rate zones and distances that fit you.
Running more or fewer days? The plan adapts. You choose the day of your long run yourself.
How the plan is built
The twelve weeks are built in three phases, based on proven principles from endurance training.
- Base first. Easy runs and strength build the foundation that the harder sessions rest on later.
- Then what the marathon demands. The long run grows, and you practise marathon pace on tired legs with long runs that finish faster.
- Tapering towards race day. Training load comes down, with just enough intensity to stay sharp. You arrive fresh at the start.
What you get in the app
- Paces and heart-rate zones based on your own threshold, not generic pace ranges.
- A plan that counts back from your race date and takes your goal time into account.
- Your long run on the day you choose, with the rest of the week built around it.
- Workouts that go straight to your watch, so you don't have to remember them.
- A Fitness, Fatigue and Form overview, so you can see how your training builds.
Frequently asked questions
How many days a week should I train for a marathon?
This plan is built for 4 to 5 training days a week: one long run, two quality sessions and easy runs, with the day after your long run as a rest day. If you have more or less time, choose a different number of days in the app (2 to 7) and the plan adjusts.
Is this plan suitable for my first marathon?
The plan assumes you already run regularly. If you are just starting out, build a base first, for example with the free Couch to 5K plan in the app, and then pick a plan for your race.
How does the plan know which paces I should run?
42Runs calculates your paces and heart-rate zones from your own threshold pace and threshold heart rate. If you have a goal time, the build-up works towards it. That way two runners can follow the same plan and each train at their own level.
Does it work with my watch?
Structured workouts can be sent straight to your watch. 42Runs works with Garmin, Apple Watch, Suunto, COROS, Amazfit and Polar. Polar can't receive planned workouts yet, and what each brand supports exactly differs.
Can I try the plan for free?
You can start for free: Couch to 5K and building your own workouts stay free, and you can try a plan from the library for two weeks. The full plan and performance metrics need Pro. All prices are on the homepage.
Ready to start? Build your marathon plan in a few minutes.