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Marathon Running Plans

Written by Andrew Taylor. USATF Level 1 Coach. Coaching runners since 2010.

All 5 of our marathon running plans use RPE-based guidance, progressive long runs, planned recovery, and coaching notes that explain how each session should feel.

Choose by comparing the running you can support now, the days available in your week, and the amount of time before your marathon.

  • 14 to 20 week plans
  • $34.99 to $39.99 one-time
  • Lifetime access on Final Surge
Compare Marathon Plans
Get Help Choosing a Plan

Not ready for 26.2 yet? Half marathon training is the shorter build. Already run a marathon and going further? Look at ultramarathon training.

marathon running plans, marathon training plans

Choose Your Marathon Training Level

The core plans provide a full 20-week build. Compare your current weekly running and available days to find the schedule that fits.

Beginner Marathon

  • 20 week plan
  • 4 runs per week
  • 15 to 36 total miles a week
  • Longest run 20 miles
Before You Start:
Consistently run 15 to 20 miles a week, 4 days per week for 30 to 35 minutes on regular runs and 6 miles on a long run. No speed work experience needed. Prior 10K or half marathon experience recommended.

$39.99

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Intermediate Marathon

  • 20 week plan
  • 6 runs per week
  • 30 to 52 miles a week
  • Longest run 20 miles
Before You Start:
Consistently run 28 to 35 miles a week, 5 to 6 days per week for 35 to 45 minutes on regular runs and 8 miles on a long run. Understanding of fartlek and steady efforts. Prior half marathon experience recommended.

$39.99

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Advanced Marathon

  • 20 week plan
  • 6 runs per week
  • 34 to 61 miles a week
  • Longest run 22 miles
Before You Start:
Consistently run 38 to 45 miles a week, 6 days per week for 40 to 60 minutes on regular runs and 10 miles on a long run. Understanding of tempo runs and track repeats. Prior marathon experience recommended.

$39.99

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Coming From A Half Marathon?

The bridge plans move into marathon-specific work sooner. Choose between them using your current weekly mileage and the number of running days you can support.

Beginner Half → Marathon Bridge

  • 14 week plan
  • 4 runs per week
  • 20 to 39 miles a week
  • Longest run 20 miles
Before You Start:
Consistently run 18 to 22 miles a week, 4 days per week for 30 to 45 minutes on regular runs and 8 miles on a long run. No speed work experience needed. A completed half marathon is required before starting.

$34.99

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Intermediate Half → Marathon Bridge

  • 15 week plan
  • 6 runs per week
  • 30 to 52 miles a week
  • Longest run 20 miles
Before You Start:
Consistently run 28 to 34 miles a week, 5 days per week for 45 to 60 minutes on regular runs and 10 miles on a long run. Understanding of marathon effort work. A completed half marathon is required before starting.

$34.99

View Intermediate Half → Marathon Bridge
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Between two plans? Start with the opening mileage and running frequency you can already support. When those are similar, use the number of weeks before your race to decide between the full build and the bridge plan.

Still stuck? Book a free 15-minute call and we’ll pick one together.

A Sunrise Running Company training plan shown in the Final Surge app calendar

What You Get With Every Marathon Plan

Every plan is delivered through Final Surge, with the full schedule, workout instructions, and coaching guidance organized by day.

  • A structured progression through foundation, build, recovery, peak, taper, and race-week training.
  • RPE guidance, activation routines, coaching cues, and adjustment options for every run.
  • Progressive long runs with hydration and fueling guidance for longer efforts.
  • Recovery weeks placed throughout the schedule rather than added only when fatigue appears.
  • Strength or mobility sessions in every plan, with frequency and optionality varying by level.
  • Daily scheduling, completed-workout tracking, and calendar adjustments through Final Surge.
  • A printable PDF, plus syncing with Garmin, Strava, Polar, and most major devices.
  • Lifetime access, so you buy the plan once and keep it.
Choose Your Marathon Plan

Who Writes These Plans

Every Sunrise training plan is written by Coach Andrew Taylor. He’s been running for more than 35 years, has finished over 100 endurance races including the Western States 100, and has crossed the line at eight separate 100-mile ultramarathons.

Andrew holds a USATF Level 1 coaching certification and a CoachUp certification, along with a BS in Exercise Science Education and an MA in Sports Management from The Ohio State University. He has coached runners from a first 5K through a first hundred-miler, and has been doing it from Modesto, California since 2010.

The marathon plans above use the same progressions he builds for the athletes he coaches one-on-one. The workouts don’t get easier because you bought a plan instead of hiring a coach.

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100-Mile Finisher
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Frequently Asked Questions

Start from the weekly mileage and running days you can already support, not the peak you hope to reach. Compare your current week against the Before You Start line on each card, then use the weeks remaining before your marathon to decide between a full 20-week build and a bridge plan. If you are still deciding 26.2 against another distance, read which distance to start with first.

The 3 core marathon plans each run for 20 weeks. The Beginner Half to Marathon Bridge lasts 14 weeks, and the Intermediate Half to Marathon Bridge lasts 15 weeks.

A core marathon plan provides a complete 20-week build. A bridge plan begins with fitness carried forward from a recent half marathon and moves into marathon-specific training sooner. Choose a bridge when the half marathon has already happened and your marathon is 14 or 15 weeks away.

Choose the plan based on the time remaining before your marathon and the opening training you can already manage. Final Surge organizes the schedule around your selected dates so you can see each session in sequence.

Your complete plan is delivered through Final Surge. Each training day includes written instructions, effort guidance, coaching cues, and adjustment options organized in your calendar.

Yes. Final Surge supports syncing and completed-workout tracking with Garmin, Strava, Polar, and most major devices.

No. Each listed price is a one-time purchase, and you keep lifetime access to the plan through Final Surge.

Book a free 15-minute call if you need help selecting the right plan. If you need ongoing adjustments, workout feedback, messaging, and a schedule adapted around your life, online coaching is the better fit.

Want a coach in your corner?

A training plan gives you the schedule. Coaching gives you someone rewriting it every four weeks around your life, your workouts, and your race, plus workout feedback, unlimited messaging, and time on a call with Coach Andrew Taylor.

Learn About Online Coaching
Official finisher of the Tahoe Rim Trail 100, 100 mile running training plan

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