20 Week Marathon Training Plan for Beginners
What can you accomplish in 20 weeks?ย Your 1st marathon!ย This step by step guide answers all the must know questions about where to start, how to develop a training calendar, how much and how often to run, how to crosstrain and strength train, what gear you need โ plus much more!ย Take the guesswork out of your 1st marathon goal by using this straight forward 20 week marathon training plan for beginners.ย Youโll even get the chance to grab your own FREE copy of a 20 week marathon training calendar!
Disclosure: Below are some affiliate links-these are all products I highly recommend. I wonโt make any recommendations on this page that I havenโt tested or personally used! Enjoy this 20 week marathon training plan for beginners!ย
Table of Contents
Complete 20 Week Marathon Training Plan for Beginners
Take a look below at just what is included in this 20 week marathon training plan for beginners to determine if it is a good fit for you and your running goals.
Whatโs Included in This 20 Week Marathon Training Plan for Beginners
- BEFORE STARTING โ the foundation you need BEFORE starting a 20 week marathon training plan
- Weekly Training Runs
- Incremental Mileage Increases
- Weekly Cross Training and Strength Training
- Weekly Rest and Recovery Days
- Creating a 20 Week Marathon Training Calendar โ get your own FREE copy!
- Gear Recommendations
- Choosing a GOAL for Your 20 Week Marathon Training Plan
- Additional Support
I would be lying if I told you that crossing your first marathon finish line in 20 weeks is as easy as reading this article.ย In order to cross that finish line, a LOTย of hard work has to happen first.ย ย Intentionality, consistency, and determinationย are key ingredients.ย You have to be willing to fully commit to a training plan forย MONTHS.ย 20 weeks may be a gentler amount of time than other training plans out there, so that’s a bonus if you have the extra room in your timeline.ย But that does not make it any less challenging. Thereโs a lot of blood, sweat, and tears that go into it (while that is often used as a metaphoric saying, it can be quite literal in this case).
There are no “easy” or “shortcut” methods to completing your 1st marathon.ย You will have to put your plan into action and stick with it.ย What this guide does is walk you step by step, eliminating the doubts and obstacles along the way that stop so many in their tracks, towards your final goal โ training and running a marathon in 20 weeks!
I will outline the baseline foundation you need to have before starting this 20 week marathon training plan (thatโs right โ Iโm not going to tell you that you can run a full marathon 5 months from now if you havenโt completed a mile in 10 years).ย To safely complete marathon training WITHOUTย injury, you need to have a solid, baseline foundation to build off of.ย For some, that might mean some additional time at the onset of training. Iโll explain what that looks like and how much extra time you might need before beginning focused training for your marathon.
Secondly, Iโll walk you through the importance of weekly training runs (done in gradual increments โ like the 10-15% rule), effective cross training and strength training, and rest and recovery days.
Then Iโll tackle the hands on part โ putting all this information into practice by creating a visual 20 week marathon training calendar.ย This is critical โ the #1 thing you can do to complete this goal is to create a VISUAL 20 week training calendar in advance, and hold yourself to it!ย Schedule your training days 5 months in advance! This is a huge accountability tool.
Donโt forget gear.ย You can train to your fullest, but if you have mediocre gear, your performance could suffer.ย Or worse, you could injure yourself.ย Good running gear is a worthwhile investment if you plan to be on your feet as much as this training plan requires. And Iโll help narrow down exactly what you DOย andย DONโTย need to cross that finish line.
Finally, this 20 week marathon training plan for beginners will guide you in choosing an actual GOALย (this is big for keeping motivation up), help you develop a mindset for avoiding pitfalls, and provide additional support by answering common questions about nutrition, injuries, etc.
So letโs get started!!!
Starting a 20 Week Marathon Training Plan for Beginners
As I said before, while it may be realistically feasible, itโs not in your best interest to start seriously training for a marathon in 20 weeks if itโs been years since youโve walked 1 mile.ย Ideally, you should have some experience with longer distances before attempting a marathon in 20 weeks.ย A common pre-requisite (though absolutely NOT required) is running a half marathon before taking on a marathon.ย Some experience is highly recommended, and I’ll get into exactly what that might look like below.ย While others may want to tell you so, thereโs not a lot of shortcuts to training for a marathon.ย You need to have a solid foundation before diving completely into marathon training.
What does this baseline foundation look like?
Basically, I’d recommend being able to sustain moderate cardio for 60 minutes at a time, 3-4ย times a week.
While this doesnโt necessarily mean just running for 60 minutes, 3 โ 4 times a week, it should include that, and various other methods of cardio workouts.
For example:
- A 60 minute run
- A 60 minute bike
- A 60 minute water aerobics class
- A 60 minute strength training workout or HIIT routine
- A 60 minute session on the elliptical at the gym
Again, this should beย SUSTAINED, MODERATE LEVEL, OUTPUT.ย If you are running for 60 minutes but find it necessary to stop for breaks every 2 minutes, keep working at building up that foundation.
Be realistic with yourself.ย If you arenโt able to do 60 minutes of moderate, sustained cardio 3-4 times a week, add on additional time to the front end of your marathon training plan to build up this foundation.ย A lot of runners also use other distances to gauge if they are ready to train for a marathon.ย For example, if you are comfortably able to complete a half marathon race, youโre all the more ready to start training for a marathon.
While it means more time, itย WILLย pay off in the long run.ย Youโll have a much more solid foundation, youโll experience better performance over time, and youโll combat injuries that might try to pop up. Plus it will make you a better long term runner and athlete, instead of a โonce and doneโ runner. Because once you run that 1st marathon, youโll want to keep going.
When can you move on from building that foundation?ย When you are consistently and comfortably able to do 60 minutes of sustained, moderate cardio (with a good chunk of those being runs) 3-4 times a week.
Keep in mind that you will be building onto this foundation.ย This 20 week marathon training plan for beginners will recommend 4 weekly training runs (3 short, 1 long), 2 additional cross training / strength training days (with a goal of 1 hour of cross training on those days), and 1 weekly rest day.
Weekly Training Runs
Weekly training runs are the heart of any long distance training plan, including this 20 week marathon training plan for beginners.ย While you may see some marathon plans recommend 5 or even 6 weekly run days, I recommend 4.ย This helps to prevent injury, overuse, and burnout.ย Also, keep in mind that this training plan is made for BEGINNERS.ย More running volume and intensity can benefit you as you become more of a novice.ย Having 4 running days a week versus 5 or 6 doesnโt mean you have less work to do though, as you still will have cross training / strength training days.ย In my experience, swapping out a run day for an additional strength training / cross training day is just as beneficial in the long term.
So what do weekly training runs look like?
- 3 SHORTER, 1 LONGER
Your 1 long weekly training run will gradually increase in distance over time, in gradual increments.ย You shouldย neverย attempt to go from running 3 miles to 10 miles in the span of a week.ย This is the #1 cause of injuries to runners.ย A good marathon training plan will take into account building up distance in gradual increments, hence the reason it takes 20 weeks and requires a solid baseline foundation to build off of.
I donโt recommend the majority of running days to be back to back, generally speaking.ย Hereโs a good example of what typical weekly training runs might look like:
- Monday: Run 3 miles
- Tuesday: Run 4 miles
- Thursday: Run 3 miles
- Saturday: Run 7 miles
Typically, a good day for a rest day is following your weekly long run.
Incremental Mileage and Distance Increases
Hereโs where a little math comes into play.ย Obviously, you are training for a marathon, which is 26.2 miles.ย The longest training distance you should aim for is a 20 mile run prior to your marathon race date.
So how do you work up to those longer training runs?
As I mentioned before, donโt ever attempt to go from 3 miles to 9 miles, for example, in a week.ย Thatโs a recipe for injury, which can set you back a lot further than taking the time to safely and gradually work up in distance.
If you want to get nerdy about it, thereโs theย 10-15% rule, meaning that your weekly overall distances should increase by around 10-15% each week.
*Hereโs your chance to grab a FREE 20 week marathon training calendarย example and see what it looks like for yourself!
Hopefully you just took advantage of theย FREE ย 20 week marathon training calendar above.ย Now is a good time to make an important note as you look it over.ย This particular marathon training calendar example takes into account a couple of assumptions.ย First, that you are able to run 5 miles as a baseline long run.ย Second, that this particular schedule works for everyone.ย Lastly, that you arenโt past this example baseline, but still know you need a training plan.ย Maybe your baseline is 7 miles and not 5.ย You obviously donโt want to backtrack, but how do you plan out your weekly runs and gradual increments with a different baseline?
While you can find a lot of resources online to help you train, there is a certain inevitable and individualized factor that goes into developing a training calendar.ย If you want 1:1 coaching support to develop anย INDIVIDUALIZEDย ย marathon training calendar that isย CUSTOMIZEDย toย YOU,ย check out theย coaching consult plan I currently offer for beginner runners.ย Your strengths, weaknesses, goals, preferences, schedule โ all taken into account and used to create the perfect marathon training calendar and plan for you.ย All your questions answered, nothing left to stop you from achieving your goal.ย Hereโs the INTEREST FORM to get started today!
And not only will you get a complete marathon training calendar developed specifically for you, itโll also address cross training / strength training, rest and recovery days, gear, and fueling and nutrition.ย NOBODYย can tell you exactly what kind of marathon training regimen is best for you without actually talking to you.ย And thatโs what I can offer. Plus rest day and active recovery recommendations to top it off.
So if you want to get going on creating your own customized marathon training calendar, plus get your answers in regards to gear, nutrition, fueling, hydration, cross training, strength training, and more โ fill out thisย INTEREST FORM to reserve your spot today!
Weekly Cross Training / Strength Training
Itโs not all about the running.ย Thatโs a common mistake to make but it can be a costly one.ย Letโs talk about just why cross training and strength training is so important to a 20 week marathon training plan.
Cross training and strength training keeps yourย WHOLEย body operating in harmony, which staves off injury, improves performance, and overall just makes you stronger altogether.ย You need the supporting roles ofย ALLย the muscles systems working together.
What is cross training, in a nutshell?ย
- Cross training is the practice of engaging in multiple sports / exercises / workouts in order to improve performance in oneโs main sport. Itโs the art of training your body in more than one role.ย It can include strength training workouts.
What does cross training accomplish?
- Reduces the risk of injury
- Improves muscular strength and endurance
- Combats burnout and overuse by switching up your training to provide a mental and physical break
- Engages the full body and all muscle systems
- Improves running economy and efficiency
- Creates a โmulti-purposeโ athlete
- Accelerates recovery
So now we get down to the nuts and bolts.ย What exactly are the best cross training for a marathon?ย While there is no exact, black and white, definitive list, these are the top recommendations for the best cross training for a marathon, that focus specifically on the strengths you will need to cross that finish line.
- Strength trainingย
- HIIT workouts
- Cycling
- Swimming
- Ellipticals
- Hiking
- Rucking
- Walking
- Kayaking / Rowing
- Weight Lifting
- Yogaย
- Pilates
If you want more than just this quick summary on cross training, be sure to check out myย complete guide to the best half marathon cross trainingย (applies to marathon cross training as well).ย Bottom line โ donโt skip it.ย And if you want help creating a training plan and calendar that addresses the best cross training for you, donโt forget toย check out the coaching plans I offer, or fill out thisย INTEREST FORMย to get started!
Weekly Rest and Recovery Days
Rest days are either loved or hated by runners. Some see them as โunproductiveโ and would rather get in another run.ย Some find excuses to have extra rest days because they love them so much.ย You need rest days from running,ย EACHย week, but there should be an intentional balance.ย Despite how you feel about rest days, here is why they are important.
- Taking running rest days makes you STRONGER!
- Taking running rest days (instead of running more) makes you a BETTER runner!
- Taking running rest days promotes LONG TERM running (and I personally want to be doing this for a long time)!
Running rest days donโt mean sitting on the couch not moving all day.ย Active recovery can take many forms:
- A short walk at 50% effort
- A short, low impact yoga session
- An easy spin on the bike
- Foam rolling / massaging / stretching
- An increased focus on nutrition
- And donโt forget a good nightโs sleep!
Of course, I understand the struggle of feeling like you have to get more miles in.ย ย Mileage and distance increasesย are absolutely important. But not at the cost of sacrificing a rest day from running.ย That is why you will see intentional, scheduled rest days in every single one of theย customized running training plansย I develop.ย You want that mileage, but you also want running rest days to solidify, cement, and process that mileage, in order to build the most stable and solid foundation that will hold up over time!
This was a summary of why rest days are important, but if you want more details on this important part of your 20 week marathon training plan, check out this full guide on how to effectively take running rest days.
Creating a 20 Week Marathon Training Calendar
So youโve gone through the individual parts of a 20 week marathon training plan for beginners (baseline foundation, weekly training runs, gradual increments, cross training and strength training, and rest days).ย Now itโs time to put it all together.ย And that looks like a 20 week marathon training calendar.ย An example is below:
Download your ownย FREEย copy of this 20 week marathon training calendarย HERE!
You might notice that this calendar I offer in the link above shows cross training / strength training days, but it doesnโt say what TYPEย of cross training.ย Again, I can offer the opportunity to customize these days for you, because nobody can really tell you exactly what type of cross training and strength training is best for you without talking to you first.
Not only are these consults beneficial and individualized, theyโre also a lot of fun to consult on because you get to see all the fun ways that people cross train and strength train.ย Everyone comes with their own foundation, background, preferences, and interests when it comes to cross training.ย And like Iโve mentioned, running mileages are key, but so is engaging your whole body in effective, beneficial, andย FUNย methods of cross training to help you perform at your peak, but also to combat injury, prevent burnout, and again โ haveย FUN!ย So if you want to create a specific training calendar that addresses these cross training days, plus gear, hydration, nutrition, recovery, and more โ fill out thisย INTEREST FORMย to get started.
Gear Recommendations for Your 20 Week Marathon Training Plan
Runnersย LOVEย to talk gear.ย That isnโt because weโre all rich and have tons of money to spend โ itโs because good gearย REALLYย can make a difference.ย And also keep you from getting injured.ย If you are training for a marathon, it truly is worth the investment to get good, reliable running gear.
Hereโs some quick links for recommended running gear for beginners:
- Favorite Road Running Shoes โย Brooks Glycerins
- Favorite Trail Running Shoes โย HOKA One One Speedgoats
- Favorite Running Socks โย Hilly Twin Skins
- Favorite Insulated Running Thermos โย HydroFlaskย
- Favorite Hydration Vest with Water Bladder โย Camelbak
- Favoriteย Running Shorts
- Favorite Transport System โ Camelback Hydration Vest (above) orย Running Belt
- Favorite Running Leggings (cold weather) โย Fleece Lined Leggings
- Favorite Merino Wool Icebreaker Tank Top (warm weather)
- Favorite Merino Wool Long Sleeve Base Layer Top (cold weather)
- Favorite Cold Weather Running Jacket
- Favorite Ultra-Lightweight Fully Waterproof and Wind Resistant Jacket:ย Outdoor Research Helium II
- Favorite Eye Protection:ย Hatย andย Sunglasses
For a more in depth look at each of these gear items, check out thisย complete guide to running gear for beginners.
Choosing a GOAL for Your 20 Week Marathon Training Plan
Training for a marathon is not without its obstacles.ย Burnout and dwindling motivation can easily be one of them.ย The #1 way I have found to combat this is to make sure I have a tangible goal I am working towards.ย You can check out 9 other simple ways to prevent burnout here.
PICK OUT A RACE.ย Know exactly what you are training for.ย If you can swing it, choose an excitingย destination race! Hereโsย 3 steps to planning a โruncationโ.
Iโve done many exhilarating destination races, and each one has beenย ABSOLUTELYย worth the months of training. Hereโs a few of my most memorable destination races:
- The Polar Circle Marathon in Greenlandย โ the โcoolestโ marathon on earth
- The Great Wall of China Marathon
- The Disneyland Half Marathon
- The Yellowstone Half Marathon
- The Grand Teton Half Marathon
- The San Francisco Half Marathon
And moreโฆor check out theseย 21 most extreme adventure runsย on the planet!
Make your marathon race an entire event, an entire weekend, and an entire experience, and that can help motivate you through the months of grueling training.ย ย Other goals can be running to honor a loved one, losing weight, or hitting a certain yearly mileage goal.ย Check out these otherย 13 common running goals for beginnersย for more inspiration.
Additional FAQsย
Here are some other commonly asked questions:
NUTRITIONย โ yes, you should adjust your nutrition.ย It actually does make a difference.ย Runners love to talk about โcarb loadingโ, and while it may sound great to justify eating an entire pizza, thereโs a lot more to it than that.ย Check out thisย guide to the best foods and diet for runners.ย While you donโt have to conduct a complete diet upheaval to train for a marathon, even a few small tweaks can lead to increased performance.
If youโre looking for a more detailed overview of fueling and nutrition, check out myย โRunnerโs Diet: Nutrition and Fueling for Beginnersโ.ย Itโs a simple guide to the 4 categories of foods your body needs as a runner, actual percentages of each, meal ideas, recovery snack ideas, on the go fueling ideas, diy energy gel / squeezes recipes, and more!ย Itโs a great place to start with implementing the nutrition and fueling your body needs to improve performance.
SLEEPย โ make sure you are getting a good nightโs sleep.ย 6 hours a night is actuallyย NOTย enough, especially with an increased training volume.
INJURIESโ donโt push through them!ย The best way to proactively beat injuries (which almost 50% of runners will experience in their lifetime according toย this study), is to simply follow a marathon training plan like this one!ย Be intentional about your weekly training runs, gradually increase in weekly distances, and be sure to include effective and beneficial cross training plus rest days.ย Be sure to familiarize yourself with theย most common running injuries, as well as how to prevent them.
RUNNING SOLOย โ know what motivates you! And yes I run soloโฆand hike soloโฆand cycle solo. If you enjoy the mind clearing and de-stressing experience of a solo run, then just be sure to do it safely and responsibly by implementing theseย 7 solo running tips.ย If you benefit from the shared accountability and camaraderie of a social group run, then check out some of these simpleย ways to find a local running group.
RUNNING IN THE COLDย โ while there are extreme cases, generally speaking you canโt skip your training days repeatedly due to the season.ย Running in the cold (and in the heat) are inevitable to some degree.ย Cold weather doesnโt have to stop you from getting outside with theseย 9 helpful cold weather running tips.
RUNNING IN THE HEATย โ same goes for the heat.ย Train responsibly, but learn how to work with the heat with theseย 10 important hot weather running tips.
RUNNING OUTSIDE VS THE TREADMILLย โ I hate the treadmill.ย I strictly run outside now.ย But I recognize that not everyone has that ability, and sometimes there are actual factors outside that should prevent you from running (lightning, blizzards, flooding, etc.).ย So utilize the treadmill if you need to, but be sure to throw in some incline to mimic natural hills you might find on an outdoor course.ย And if you need to distract yourself to get through any potential boredom, know what works for you.ย Calling and talking with a friend or family member, binging Netflix, or listening to a podcast or audiobook.
1:1 COACHINGย โ if this is what is standing in the way of crossing your own finish line, then be sure to check out theย coaching consult plan I offer for runners, or fill out thisย INTEREST FORMย to get started!
FREEBIEย โ and hereโs one final chance to snag thatย FREEย example of a 20 week marathon training calendarย for beginners!
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