Peaking sample plan
Beginner 16-Week Marathon Training Plan
A marathon in 16 weeks at beginner level: 4 training days, peak 42 km, key long run 26 km. Periodization Base (Weeks 1–6), Build (Weeks 7–12), Peak (Weeks 13–14), Taper (Weeks 15–16). Reference paces 7:23 /km easy / 6:38 /km race. The overview and week 13 come from the same engine Peaking uses for paid plans.
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Start freeA 16-week marathon plan for beginner runners. Peak week 42 km, key long session 26 km, 4 training days. Peaking periodization: Base → Build → Peak → Taper.
- Peak week
- 42 km
- Key long
- 26 km
- Days / week
- 4
- Race pace
- 6:38 /km
- Easy
- 7:23 /km
- Tempo
- 6:05 /km
- Intervals
- 5:50 /km
Week-by-week overview
Weeks 1–6
Base
Aerobic volume, easy running, and a durable long run. Intensity stays mostly conversational.
Weeks 7–12
Build
Threshold and race-pace work land on top of the base. Long run stretches toward its peak.
Weeks 13–14
Peak
Highest quality + highest fatigue. Race-specific sessions, then a down week before taper.
Weeks 15–16
Taper
Volume drops 40–60%. Keep a little intensity so you stay sharp, then race.
| Wk | Phase | Focus | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | base | Aerobic consistency | 33 km |
| 2 | base | Growing the long run | 33 km |
| 3 | base | Easy economy | 33 km |
| 4 | base | Settling-in week | 33 km |
| 5 | base | Aerobic consistency | 33 km |
| 6 | base | Growing the long run | 34 km |
| 7 | build | Threshold + long run | 40 km |
| 8 | build | Race-pace work | 40 km |
| 9 | build | Quality on volume | 40 km |
| 10 | build | Loading week | 40 km |
| 11 | build | Threshold + long run | 40 km |
| 12 | build | Race-pace work | 40 km |
| 13 | peak | Peak specific load | 42 km |
| 14 | peak | Controlled down week | 42 km |
| 15 | taper | Taper — short quality | 23 km |
| 16 | taper | Race week | 18 km |
Sample week 13
Peak specific load · 42 km
Week 13 (peak): keep 7:23/km honestly easy. Quality lives at 6:38/km. If the long run feels heavy, cut 10% — don't add a day.
Mon
Rest
Tue
running
Marathon-pace session
99 min · RPE 6
- Warm-up15 min7:23/km
- Race pace3×3 km6:38/km · 90s jog
- Cool-down10 min7:23/km
Wed
running
Easy run
37 min · RPE 3
- Warm-up10 minEasy Z1
- Main set6 km7:23/km
- Cool-down5 minWalk / jog
Thu
Rest
Fri
Rest
Sat
running
Long run
161 min · RPE 4
- Easy16 km7:09/km
- Finish at race pace7 km6:38/km
- Float4 km7:23/km
Sun
running
Recovery
31 min · RPE 2
- Warm-up10 minEasy Z1
- Main set5 km7:23/km
- Cool-down5 minWalk / jog
Who this plan is for
beginner level, 4 days, peak 42 km. If that describes your current week ±20%, this block fits. Peaking then asks for real availability, injuries and PBs; this preview is the skeleton for the query “Beginner 16-Week Marathon Training Plan”.
How the weeks are periodized
Weeks 1–6: Base — Aerobic volume, easy running, and a durable long run. Intensity stays mostly conversational. Weeks 7–12: Build — Threshold and race-pace work land on top of the base. Long run stretches toward its peak. Weeks 13–14: Peak — Highest quality + highest fatigue. Race-specific sessions, then a down week before taper. Weeks 15–16: Taper — Volume drops 40–60%. Keep a little intensity so you stay sharp, then race. Volume doesn't climb in a straight line: each phase has its own wave, plus a down week before taper. Peak load 42 km. Week 13 (preview below) sits at peak quality.
Race pace inside the long run
The key long run reaches 26 km. For marathon/half, build and peak weeks finish a segment at 6:38 /km after easy kilometres at 7:23 /km. Weekly tempo lives near 6:05 /km. 4 days: if you miss one, you cut an easy run, not the long run.
What the marathon punishes (and the plan covers)
The last 12 km are not trained by hammering a half. They're trained with 26 km long runs, sustained glycogen (practice gels from ~km 8 of the long run), and holding 6:38 /km when the legs are no longer fresh. This block's taper cuts ~40–60% of volume and keeps a short race-pace stimulus. Super shoes: optional on quality days; the plan doesn't depend on them.
From this preview to a plan that's yours
The preview is anchored to “Beginner 16-Week Marathon Training Plan”: 4 days, 42 km, 6:38 /km. At signup Peaking preloads distance (marathon), 16 weeks and beginner level. The live engine then asks for PBs, available days and constraints, and regenerates whole weeks — not a static PDF. The CTA below opens registration with those fields and this page's UTMs.
Generate your personalized 16-week marathon plan
We preload distance, weeks and goal. Start free — the engine builds the plan from your PBs and real days.
Start freeFrequently asked questions
Is this 16-week marathon a generic plan?+
The overview and week 13 come from Peaking's periodization composer (same phases and session types as an in-app plan). It's persisted per slug — it doesn't change on every visit. The paid plan personalizes from your PBs and real days.
How many kilometres / hours per week does it peak at?+
Peak 42 km, key long session 26 km, 4 days. Base weeks sit well below that; the taper (Weeks 15–16) cuts volume and keeps short quality.
What pace should I use if my mark isn't 4:40:00?+
This preview anchors race to 6:38 /km, easy to 7:23 /km and threshold to 6:05 /km. In the app, paces come from your PBs or a Riegel predictor — don't copy these splits if your current 10K sits at a different level.
Can I skip days or squeeze this into fewer than 16 weeks?+
Skip an easy day, never the long run or both quality sessions in the same week. Compressing 16 → 12 often works if the base is already there; the hub lists other durations for this marathon.
How do I go from this page to a plan generated for me?+
Start free preloads marathon, 16 weeks and beginner. You finish onboarding (sports, PBs, days) and the engine builds the full plan. This URL stays as the SEO reference; your plan lives on the dashboard.