- 22-Week Marathon Training Plan Is Designed With Beginners in Mind to Prepare Them for Their First Marathon (Who Can Run at Least 3 Miles with relative ease).
- Use Your Breathing as Your Guide and Slow Your Pace Accordingly Through Walking or Light Jogging.
- Have Fun With Cross-Training You Also Enjoy, Which Could Be Swimming, Biking, or Shooting Hoops Twice a Week on Wednesdays and Fridays.
Whist Saturday is almost always the race day – the following 22-week marathon training plan is designed to prepare you for your race day in a particular structure.
Your work schedule and family commitment may not allow you to work on the training plan to the T.
However, please follow the guided program as much as possible to help prepare yourself and give yourself the BEST CHANCE to complete your first marathon with pride and injury-free.
Swimming and biking are the best for your cross-training because they put LESS STRESS on your knees and joints while you get good cardio. Please train at a moderate intensity anytime from 30-45 mins.
If you are a hooper or like hitting mitts, it is a good idea to use it as your cross-training, or your cross-training could include simple walking.
| Week | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| 1 | Rest | 3 mi | Rest | 3 mi | Rest | 3 mi | 2 mi |
| 2 | Rest | 3 mi | Cross-training (CT) or Rest | 3 mi | Rest | 4 mi | 3 mi |
| 3 | Rest | 3 mi | CT | 4 mi | CT or Rest | 5 mi | 3 mi |
| 4 | Rest | 3 mi | CT | 4 mi | CT or Rest | 6 mi | 3 mi |
| 5 | Rest | 4 mi | CT | 4 mi | Rest | 7 mi | 3 mi |
| 6 | Rest | 5 mi | CT | 4 mi | CT or Rest | 8 mi | 3 mi |
| 7 | Rest | 5 mi | CT | 4 mi | Rest | 9 mi | 3 mi |
| 8 | Rest | 5 mi | CT | 4 mi | CT or Rest | 10 mi | 3 mi |
| 9 | Rest | 5 mi | 3 mi | 4 mi | Rest | 6 mi | 4 mi |
| 10 | Rest | 5 mi | CT | 4 mi | Rest | 12 mi | 4 mi |
| 11 | Rest | 5 mi | CT | 4 mi | CT or rest | 13 mi | 4 mi |
| 12 | Rest | 5 mi | CT | 5 mi (1 Miles at Estimated Marathon Pace {EMP}) | Rest | 14 mi | 4 mi |
| 13 | Rest | 5 mi | CT | 5 mi (2 Miles at EMP) | CT or Rest | 10 mi | 5 mi |
| 14 | Rest | 6 mi | CT | 5 mi (3 Miles at EMP) | CT or Rest | 16 mi | 4 mi |
| 15 | Rest | 6 mi | CT | 5 mi (3 Miles at EMP) | CT or Rest | 10 mi | 4 mi |
| 16 | Rest | 5 mi | CT | 5 mi (4 Miles at EMP) | CT or Rest | 18 mi | 4 mi |
| 17 | Rest | 5 mi | CT | 5 mi (4 Miles at EMP) | CT or Rest | 10 mi | 5 mi |
| 18 | Rest | 6 mi | CT | 6 mi (5 Miles at EMP) | Rest | 19 mi | 4 mi |
| 19 | Rest | 5 mi | CT | 6 mi (5 Miles at EMP) | CT or Rest | 14 mi | 4 mi |
| 20 | Rest | 4 mi | CT | 4 mi | CT or Rest | 20 mi | 3 mi |
| 21 | Rest | 4 mi | CT | 3 mi | CT or Rest | 8 mi | 3 mi |
| 22 | Rest | 2 mi | CT | Rest Day – All your hard work is done. Get a good full rest day. | 20 minutes light run | It’s Show Time! | Rest Day! |
Can I Run a Marathon in 22 Weeks?
As a general guide – If you can run 3 miles at relative ease – with the 22-week training plan, you can run a marathon in 22 weeks.
There are tons of videos on YouTube of people running without training, but it could POTENTIALLY DAMAGE your joints or, in some cases, permanent injury.
Please follow the 22-week training plan and give yourself a good chance to complete a marathon without injury.
Is 20 Weeks Enough Time to Train for a Marathon?
Yes, if you are relatively fit and can run 3 miles at relative ease now – 20 weeks is enough time to train for a marathon.
Using the above 22-week marathon training plan, you could start from week three if 20 weeks are remaining for your marathon.
You can see from the marathon training plan above that you are gradually increasing the intensity and number of miles a couple of weeks before the race day.
How Long Does It Take To Go From Couch to Marathon?
This depends on how disciplined you will be in your training and diet ahead of the marathon and, your current health condition & your motivation level.
As a rough guideline, six months of preparation for a marathon gives you a good chance to go from couch to marathon.
How Long Does It Take to Train for a Marathon if You Are Out of Shape?
A good nine months.
There is a saying, “Fence that builds fast – falls fast.”
If you are over-ambitious or get inspired by the Forest Gump movie, you decide you will run a marathon the next day without training.
I sure did get inspired by this movie, but if you are out of shape and decide to run a full marathon the next day – It could be the decision you may regret for the rest of your life.
Because you may well have caused permanent damage to your joints and your body.
Not only will you not be able to run or walk for the next few days, but it could also be detrimental to your health.
For your first 1 to 3 months, take baby steps to increase your fitness level. For example, it could be as simple as walking around the block or your garden.
At around five months, follow the 22-week marathon training plan to prepare for your marathon.
Ideally, your fitness level would be to be able to run 3 miles at relative ease before following the 22-week marathon training plan above.
If this is your first marathon, please don’t beat yourself up for not completing a marathon under 4 hours, among others.
If you are out of shape now and in the next nine months, go from out of shape to completing a marathon – 26 miles!
That is a HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT, and I applaud you for your effort.
When Should Your Last Long Run Be Before a Marathon?
You can see on the 22-week marathon training – a couple of weeks before the marathon should be your last long run.
This allows your mind and body to give you plenty of recoveries and rest before your race day. Good Luck!
