Regardless of your age and ability, successful marathon training takes careful planning and preparation.

How much preparation?

Whether your goal is to run sub 3 hours or ‘just’ to finish, ideally you need to give yourself at least 18 weeks prior to the event…

And that assumes you have a solid running base to start with – currently averaging 20 plus miles per week.

But even for experienced marathon runners, allowing enough time and putting in the miles isn’t enough. Unless you follow some key principles of training there’s a good chance you’ll hit that wall – or at the very least log a time that doesn’t inspire you.

Below you’ll find several half-marathon and full marathon training schedules – classed as beginner, intermediate and advanced…

If you’re a complete novice (i.e. with little or no recent running experience), ideally you need allow a good 6 months to slowly build up your mileage.

The Intermediate and Advanced programs are shorter but assume you have a solid running base to begin with.

Additional articles will cover other important issues – choosing the right running shoes, re-hydration and nutrition and so on. These are as applicable to the 2:30 runner as they are to the first-timer.

Marathon Training Plans & Articles

Marathon Training Schedule – Beginners
If you haven’t run a marathon before, or you’re not currently running 20 miles plus per week, this is the place to start …

Marathon Training Program – Intermediate
If you’ve run a marathon (or half marathon before) AND you currently run 20-25 miles per week and you want to improve your time, consider the intermediate marathon training program…

Marathon Training Plan – Advanced
Considerable marathon experience? Have a specific time goal in mind and want a more comprehensive program? Consider this plan if you are currently covering 30+ miles per week…

The Different Types of Endurance Training
Interval training, fartlek training, tempo runs… these are all distinct forms of endurance training that can be incorporated into a marathon training plan

Interval Training for Sport-Specific Endurance
Distance runners have traditionally favored long, slow distance training almost to the exclusion of all else. But substituting a small percentage of weekly mileage for shorter, more intense interval sessions can improve race times…

VO2max – Your Aerobic Potential
While maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) is certainly not the be all and end all of endurance performance, understanding what it is and how it can be affected by training can help runners better prepare themselves for a marathon…

Lactate Threshold – Tapping Your Aerobic Potential
Perhaps more indicative of distance running success, and more trainable, is lactate threshold. Often a confusing subject for some coaches and athletes, from a practical point of view, improving lactate threshold is relatively straightforward…

How to Determine Your Anaerobic Threshold
Here are some non-invasive tests that marathon runners can use to determine their lactate threshold…

Lactate Threshold Training
Once you know your lactate threshold, you can now incorporate specific marathon training sessions to help improve it

Heart Rate Training for Endurance Events
Heart rate training, despite being erratic, is still popular with runners. Here’s how heart rate can be best used to monitor the intensity of a marathon training program

Altitude Training
Performance at high altitude can be improved through altitude training. But what effect does living and training high have on sea-level performance?

The Sport-Specific Approach to Strength Training Programs
Strength training is important even for ultra distance runners. But a strength training program must match the special demands of the event it’s designed for…

How To Design Resistance Training Programs For Athletes
Here is the step-by-step process of developing a sport-specific strength training plan – one that meets the demanding nature of distance running…

Muscular Endurance Training
While explosive power is key in the sprint events, muscular endurance is equally as important in distance events. However, for most long-distance runners, simply lifting weights for sets of 20 repetitions is not the most effective approach…

Flexibility Exercises
Flexibility training is part and parcel of most athletes’ conditioning program. Increased flexibility may reduce the risk of certain long-term injuries…

Self Myofascial Release Exercises
Many Exercise Scientists believe that enhancing recovery between training sessions is the key to winning. Myofascial release exercises are said to relieve and release trigger points in the muscle sheath that may compound leading to injury and sub-optimal performance…

Endurance Fitness Tests
Measure your aerobic capacity with these field-based fitness tests. Includes, Balke 15 min run, Cooper 12 min run, Multistage shuttle run and the Rockport test…

 

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