Most marathon training plans range from 12 to 20 weeks. Beginning marathoners should aim to build their weekly mileage up to 50 miles over the four months leading up to race day. Three-to-five runs per week is sufficient. The vast majority of these runs should be done at a relaxed pace.
How do Beginners run a marathon?
Here is the basic formula for a great training plan.
- Train three days a week.
- Run or run/walk 20 to 30 minutes, two days a week.
- Take a longer run or run/walk (40 minutes to an hour) on the weekend.
- Rest or cross-train on your off days.
- Run at a conversational pace.
- Consider taking regular walk-breaks.
How long should a beginner run a marathon?
Everyone starts marathon training from different backgrounds and ability levels, so there's no one-size-fits-all approach. You should ideally already to run continuously for at least 5-10 minutes. However, our training plan starts off with walk/run sessions, where you run for a little while, then walk.
