Peaking sample plan
Beginner Marathon Training Plan
Twenty weeks give the long run time to reach 26 km without 20% jumps. beginner level, 4 days, peak 44 km. The base phase is long on purpose: marathons are won in Z2 (7:23 /km) before you ever touch race pace (6:38 /km).
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Start freeA 20-week marathon plan for beginner runners. Peak week 44 km, key long session 26 km, 4 training days. Peaking periodization: Base → Build → Peak → Taper.
- Peak week
- 44 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 1–8
Base
Aerobic volume, easy running, and a durable long run. Intensity stays mostly conversational.
Weeks 9–15
Build
Threshold and race-pace work land on top of the base. Long run stretches toward its peak.
Weeks 16–18
Peak
Highest quality + highest fatigue. Race-specific sessions, then a down week before taper.
Weeks 19–20
Taper
Volume drops 40–60%. Keep a little intensity so you stay sharp, then race.
| Wk | Phase | Focus | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | base | Aerobic consistency | 34 km |
| 2 | base | Growing the long run | 34 km |
| 3 | base | Easy economy | 35 km |
| 4 | base | Settling-in week | 35 km |
| 5 | base | Aerobic consistency | 35 km |
| 6 | base | Growing the long run | 35 km |
| 7 | base | Easy economy | 35 km |
| 8 | base | Settling-in week | 35 km |
| 9 | build | Threshold + long run | 42 km |
| 10 | build | Race-pace work | 42 km |
| 11 | build | Quality on volume | 42 km |
| 12 | build | Loading week | 42 km |
| 13 | build | Threshold + long run | 42 km |
| 14 | build | Race-pace work | 42 km |
| 15 | build | Quality on volume | 42 km |
| 16 | peak | Peak specific load | 44 km |
| 17 | peak | Controlled down week | 44 km |
| 18 | peak | Controlled down week | 44 km |
| 19 | taper | Taper — short quality | 24 km |
| 20 | taper | Race week | 19 km |
Sample week 16
Peak specific load · 44 km
Week 16 (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 44 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 Marathon Training Plan”.
How the weeks are periodized
Weeks 1–8: Base — Aerobic volume, easy running, and a durable long run. Intensity stays mostly conversational. Weeks 9–15: Build — Threshold and race-pace work land on top of the base. Long run stretches toward its peak. Weeks 16–18: Peak — Highest quality + highest fatigue. Race-specific sessions, then a down week before taper. Weeks 19–20: 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 44 km. The long base is the point: more cheap weeks before you spend on 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 Marathon Training Plan”: 4 days, 44 km, 6:38 /km. At signup Peaking preloads distance (marathon), 20 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 20-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 20-week marathon a generic plan?+
The overview and week 16 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 44 km, key long session 26 km, 4 days. Base weeks sit well below that; the taper (Weeks 19–20) 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 20 weeks?+
Skip an easy day, never the long run or both quality sessions in the same week. Compressing 20 → 16 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, 20 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.