Marathon training plan: free 16-week beginner plan (PDF)

A free 16-week marathon training plan for beginners, with a printable PDF.

Todd Cole

17/10/2026

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This is a free 16-week marathon training plan for beginners: four runs and one strength session a week, built around a long run that grows to 32 km before a three-week taper. It’s written for runners who can already handle 5 km three times a week and have done a 10 km run. Download it as a printable PDF, stick it on the fridge and tick off each week.

The plan at a glance

Level: beginner (first marathon)
Length: 16 weeks
Each week: 4 runs + 1 strength session (30 to 40 minutes)
Start: 24 km a week, with a 10 km long run
Peak: week 13, 58 km, with a 32 km long run
Taper: weeks 14 to 16 (43 km, 31 km, then race week)
Recovery weeks: 4, 8 and 12
Cost: free PDF, sent to your inbox

Free printableGet the 16-week marathon plan as a PDFOne A4 landscape page: every session for all 16 weeks, weekly kilometres and a tick box for each week, plus a print-friendly version. Enter your email and we’ll send it straight over.

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Men's Fitness Online 16-week beginner marathon plan: a table of every week's runs from Monday to Sunday, with easy, tempo, speed and long runs, strength sessions and weekly kilometres from 24 to 58 — The full 16-week plan. Get the printable PDF, free by email.

Pick your marathon plan

16-week beginner plan (this page)First marathon. From 24 km a week, 4 runs.
12-week planAlready running about 30 km a week. 4 runs.
Sub-4-hour planAbout 40 km a week, aiming under 4 hours. 5 runs.

Who this plan is for

Week 1 asks for four runs and 24 km, including a 10 km long run on Sunday. If that already feels manageable, you’re ready to start. If 5 km is still a stretch, spend a couple of months building up first: our beginner’s guide to running is the place to start, and a half marathon is a sensible first target before the full 42.2 km.

The plan assumes you’re healthy and injury-free. If you’re new to exercise, over 45, or have a heart condition or other medical history, check in with your GP before you start a program of this size.

A pack of marathon runners with race bibs on a tree-lined city street, a man in a blue singlet and red sunglasses at the front — Four runs a week, most of them easy, is enough to get a beginner to the start line.

The 16 weeks, week by week

The plan moves through four blocks. Every fourth week drops back so your body can absorb the work before the next step up.

Base (weeks 1 to 4): get used to running four days a week. Tempo running starts in week 2, and the long run climbs from 10 to 14 km before the first recovery week.
Build (weeks 5 to 8): speed sessions arrive, and the long run goes from 16 to 20 km.
Endurance (weeks 9 to 13): the long run passes the half marathon distance (22, 24 and 26 km), strength sessions grow to 40 minutes, and week 13 peaks at 58 km with a 32 km long run.
Taper (weeks 14 to 16): volume drops to 43 km, then 31 km, then race week, while a little tempo running stays in to keep your legs sharp.

Week	Long run	Week total
1 (base)	10 km	24 km
2	12 km	27 km
3	14 km	31 km
4 (recovery)	10 km	24 km
5 (build)	16 km	34 km
6	18 km	38 km
7	20 km	40 km
8 (recovery)	14 km	31 km
9 (endurance)	22 km	44 km
10	24 km	47 km
11	26 km	51 km
12 (recovery)	18 km	37 km
13 (peak)	32 km	58 km
14 (taper)	21 km	43 km
15	14 km	31 km
16 (race week)	Race: 42.2 km	54.2 km

Long runs are on Sundays. Weekly totals include the race in week 16.

Close-up of marathon runners' legs and bright running shoes on the road during a city race — The weekly load builds from 24 km to 58 km before the three-week taper.

The five sessions, and how hard to go

Easy (Tuesday and Saturday): conversational pace. If you can’t hold a conversation, slow down. Most of your running is easy, and running it too fast is a common way for first-timers to end up tired or injured.
Tempo (Thursday): comfortably hard. You can speak a few words at a time, but you wouldn’t want to chat. Warm up and cool down with a kilometre or so of easy running.
Speed (Thursday, weeks 5, 7 and 10): short, fast repeats with full recovery between them, for example 6 to 8 × 400 m with a slow jog back. They should feel quick, not desperate.
Long run (Sunday): slow, time on your feet. Run it at easy pace or slower. Walk breaks are fine, especially on the 26 km and 32 km runs: walking through drink stations is a perfectly good race strategy too.
Strength (Wednesday, 20 to 40 minutes): legs, hips and core. Squats, lunges, step-ups, calf raises, glute bridges and planks cover it. Strength work helps your legs cope with the pounding of higher mileage.

Monday and Friday are rest days. You can move days to suit your week, but never put two hard sessions (tempo, speed or long run) back to back.

Why the long run stops at 32 km

You won’t run 42.2 km until race day, and that’s deliberate. Like many beginner plans, this one stops the long run at around 32 km, because running the full distance in training takes weeks to recover from and raises the injury risk just before the taper. The fitness from 16 weeks of consistent running, a properly rested body and good fuelling carry you through the last 10 km.

The 32 km run is also your dress rehearsal. Wear your race shoes and kit, eat the breakfast you plan to eat on race morning, and practise taking gels or sports drink at the times you will on the day.

The taper: why you cut back for three weeks

After the week 13 peak, the plan cuts weekly volume from 58 km to 43 km, then 31 km, while keeping a short tempo run each week. That matches the research: a 2007 meta-analysis by Bosquet and colleagues found the best results came from a taper of about two weeks in which training volume dropped by 41 to 60%, without cutting intensity or how often athletes trained. The extra week here gives first-timers a bit more margin.

Expect to feel restless, even sluggish, during the taper. That’s normal. Don’t add extra runs to make up for it. For the final seven days, our guide to preparing for a running event one week out covers sleep, food and kit.

Fuelling your long runs and race day

A first marathon takes most people four hours or more, so what you eat and drink on the way matters. The Melbourne Marathon’s nutrition guidance says 30 to 60 g of carbohydrate an hour is enough for most marathon runners, with slower runners at the lower end. For events longer than about 2.5 to 3 hours, the Australian Institute of Sport allows up to 90 g an hour, but only if your gut is used to it.

Both sources say the same thing about practice: use your long runs to trial the gels, chews or drinks you’ll use on race day, starting from about week 7. A typical gel has around 20 to 25 g of carbohydrate (check the label), so 30 to 60 g an hour means one to two gels an hour, taken with water. Eat your pre-run meal one to two hours before you start, so it has time to settle.

Missed runs, sore legs and when to back off

Missed a run? Let it go. Don’t add it to the next day.
Missed a week through illness or travel? Repeat the last week you completed, then carry on.
Sore in one spot (a shin, knee, foot or Achilles) and getting worse as you run? Stop, rest a few days and see a physio if it doesn’t settle. General tiredness in the legs is part of training; sharp or worsening pain in one place isn’t.
Running out of weeks? Don’t cram. It’s better to arrive at the start line slightly undertrained than injured.

What time will I run?

This plan is built to get you to the finish, not to a time. For context, the median marathon finish is about 4 hours 25 minutes, and anywhere from four and a half to six hours is a normal first-marathon result, often with some walking. Our guide to what counts as a good marathon time has the full breakdown by age and gender.

Looking for a race? Count back 16 weeks from race day to find your start date, and browse our calendar of Australian running and fitness events.

FAQ

How long does it take to train for a marathon?

For a first marathon, 16 weeks is a common plan length if you can already run 5 km comfortably three times a week. If you’re starting from scratch, allow several more months to build that base first.

How many kilometres a week should I run for a marathon?

In this beginner plan, between 24 and 58 km a week, peaking in week 13. More experienced runners often run more, but for a first marathon, consistency matters more than big weeks.

What’s the longest run before a marathon?

32 km, in week 13, three weeks before race day. You don’t need to run the full 42.2 km in training.

Can I walk during a marathon?

Yes. Planned walk breaks, such as walking through each drink station, are common among first-timers and can make the last 10 km easier. Practise them on your long runs.

What should I eat during a marathon?

Around 30 to 60 g of carbohydrate an hour suits most marathon runners, usually from gels, chews or sports drink. Practise on your long runs so race day isn’t the first time your stomach meets them.