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Marathon for beginners

Complete your first marathon with this plan 14 week training plan

Get ready for your first Marathon

This plan is perfect for you if you’re already running three times a week and your main aim is to simply cross the finish line in one piece. This fourteen week plan will gradually build you up in your training and help you finish your first marathon. You will need to include one core workout day on one of your rest days.

Your 14 week Marathon training Plan

Three sessions a week

Week 1

Monday (wk1)

Run 34min: 10min run and 2min walk, repeat until you hit your target time

Wednesday (wk1)

Run 3km easy pace

Saturday (wk1)

Run 5km steady pace

Week 2

Monday (wk2)

Run 34min: 10min run and 2min recovery jog, repeat until you hit your target time

Wednesday (wk2)

Run 3km easy pace

Saturday (wk2)

Run 7km steady pace

Week 3

Monday (wk3)

Run 26min: 5min tempo and 2min walk, repeat until you hit your target time

Wednesday (wk3)

Run 3km easy pace

Saturday (wk3)

Run 9km steady pace

Week 4

Monday (wk4)

Run 26min: 5min tempo and 2min recovery jog, repeat until you hit your target time

Wednesday (wk4)

Run 5km easy pace

Saturday (wk4)

Run 11km steady pace

Week 5

Monday (wk5)

Run 28min: 30sec stride and 2min recovery jog, repeat until you hit your target time

Wednesday (wk5)

Run 5km easy pace

Saturday (wk5)

Run 13km steady pace

Week 6

Monday (wk6)

Run 3km steady pace

Wednesday (wk6)

Run 5km easy pace

Friday (wk6)

20min run

Saturday (wk6)

Run 15km steady pace

Week 7

Monday (wk7)

Run 30min, 5min tempo and 1min recovery jog, repeat until you hit your target time

Wednesday (wk7)

Run 8km easy pace

Saturday (wk7)

Run 17km steady pace

Week 8

Tuesday (wk8)

Run 3km easy pace

Wednesday (wk8)

Run 8km easy pace

Sunday (wk8)

Run a Half-marathon at your own pace

Week 9

Wednesday (wk9)

Run 8km easy pace

Saturday (wk9)

Run 24km steady pace

Week 10

Monday (wk10)

Run 42min: 1min stride and 5min recovery jog, repeat until you hit your target time

Wednesday (wk10)

Run 10km easy pace

Saturday (wk10)

Run 28km steady pace

Week 11

Wednesday (wk11)

Run 10km easy pace

Saturday (wk11)

Run 32km steady pace

Week 12

Wednesday (wk12)

Run 8km easy pace

Saturday (wk12)

Run 15km steady pace

Week 13

Monday (wk13)

Run 26min: 5min tempo and 2min recovery jog, repeat until you hit your target time

Wednesday (wk13)

Run 5km easy pace

Saturday (wk13)

Run 10km steady pace

Week 14

Monday (wk14)

Run 5km steady pace

Wednesday (wk14)

Run 20min easy pace

Sunday (wk14) 🏁

It’s Marathon day! Enjoy, have fun and make sure you stay hydrated and fueled

Top tips

Please make sure you rest on the days you have nothing in your plan, this is really important. Also, stretch on these days, foam rollers are great to give your muscles a really good stretch. Hydrating yourself properly is also something to take seriously when you start increasing your miles. Check out the article below by our very own FRC member, Lil Diamond to find out more.

How to hydrate
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