Go From Couch to Marathon with this 24-Week Training Plan

How much running experience do you need before you run a marathon? One year? Five years? Try a mere 24 weeks! As long as you are currently healthy, you can go from couch to marathon finisher in less than six months.

But it’s wise to do so in steps. Instead of going straight from zero to a 26.2-mile start line, we suggest you “climb the ladder” of standard road-race distances to enable you to finish your goal race well. Start with a 5K, move to a 10K, advance to a half marathon—and finally make the leap to the marathon.

A step-ladder approach will prevent you from taking on too much too soon and keep you motivated throughout.

24-week Marathon Training Schedule–What to Expect

The following four-part training plan will guide you along your journey. You’re ready to start when you can comfortably walk/jog for 20 minutes. If you’ve already completed a 5K, you can start with the 5K to 10K plan (likewise with other distances).

The zero to 5K plan eases you into your training with a week containing three walk/runs, an optional non-impact cross-training session, and three rest days. From there you will gradually ramp up to a weekly schedule that, beginning in week 1 of the 10K to half marathon plan, contains a high-intensity run, a moderate-intensity run, a long run, two optional nonimpact cross-training sessions, a day with options to run easy or cross-train, and a rest day. The table below shows a basic template.

All four plans involve a three-zone intensity scheme. “Easy” is a slow jog that allows you to speak full sentences without losing your breath. “Moderate” is a pace at which you feel in control of your breathing, but if you went any faster you’d begin to strain. “Hard” is relative, but it means running almost as fast as you can (90 percent of your max). This means you will run faster for 30-second hard efforts versus 3-minute ones, but you should complete both workouts feeling as though you could have given only 10 percent more.

Where to Start?

Twenty-four weeks is about the minimum amount of time required to safely prepare to complete a marathon. If you’re active and healthy but have not been running, start at the beginning of the zero to 5K plan and work your way through all four plans sequentially. If you’re already in a good rhythm with your running, look through the plans, find the one that most closely resembles your current training, and start there. For example, if you’re currently running 3-4 times per week and cross-training 1-2 times, consider starting with the 10K to half-marathon plan.

How Long Does It Take to Run a Marathon?

First, let’s answer how many miles are in a marathon. All marathons are the same distance: 26.2 miles. You’ll never run the full distance during training. But don’t worry, the training plan will prepare you to go the distance just the same and will prevent overtraining or running too much leading up to race day.

How long it takes you to cover that distance will depend on your pace. If you run 9-minute miles, it will take you a little less than 4 hours to finish. If you run 11-minute miles, it will take you 4 hours and 48 minutes, and if you run 13-minute miles, it will take you 5 hours and 40 minutes. So the key to setting an appropriate goal for your marathon lies in determining your marathon pace.

What’s My Marathon Pace?

Most runners don’t pace themselves very well in marathons. A 2013 study by Spanish researchers found that among 40 recreational runners who completed a marathon, 18 slowed down by more than 15 percent between the beginning and the end, and the remaining 22 runners slowed by an average of 40 seconds per mile.

Even if your goal is just to finish, you’ll want to avoid this kind of deceleration because it comes with a good deal of suffering. Your marathon experience will be much more enjoyable if you start at a pace you can sustain the whole way. Here is a three-step process you can use to pull off this feat:

Step 1: Use Your Half Marathon Time as a Predictor

After you run a half marathon, enter your time into an online race-performance equivalence calculator such as this one. This will give you predicted times for races of other distances, including the marathon. Note that these tools tend to predict marathon times that are a little too fast for beginners.

Step 2: Avoid Slowing Down in Your Long Runs

Try to complete all of your long runs without slowing down at the end. If you are forced to slow down in one of these runs, start the next one at a slower pace. As your long runs get longer, the pace at which you run them will become more predictive of what you can do in a marathon.

Step 3: Do a Marathon Simulator Run

In week 5 of the half marathon to marathon plan, a marathon simulation workout is scheduled. It comprises a 1-mile warm-up, plus 16.2 miles (exactly 10 miles less than a marathon) at your estimated race pace. Complete this run at your current goal pace for your upcoming marathon, basing this goal on both step 1 and step 2. After you finish, use the result of the simulator to refine your objective. If you really struggle to sustain a goal pace of 10:45 per mile, for example, you might want to change your goal to 11:00 per mile. But if you still have a little left in the tank, leave your goal unchanged. In making such assessments, keep in mind that you will be three weeks fitter and also more rested when you run your marathon.

RELATED: Workout of the Week: The Hill-Tempo Sandwich

The 24-Week Couch to Marathon Training Plan

Follow along with the bite-sized plans below to get through the 24 weeks without skipping a beat.

Zero to 5K Plan

5K to 10K Plan

10K to Half Marathon Plan

Half Marathon to Marathon Plan