The ultimate beginner marathon training plan to help you run/walk your first 26.2

If you’re a relative newcomer to running who’s bold enough to be thinking about entering their first marathon, you’re far from alone. In fact, a record 840,000 people applied for the 2025 London Marathon ballot, which is an increase of 260,000 on the year before.

The main thing is to not worry too much about a time goal or a pace. This 16-week training plan will get you to the finish line with a few walking breaks along the way.

What does the training plan consist of?

You’ll start off with a bit of Jeffing, ideally without the effing, named for the US Olympian and author Jeff Galloway and his run/walk coaching strategy. You’ll be thinking about time on feet, increasing your mileage without paying attention to pace. This way you get steadily stronger and fitter but don’t strain your body too much in the early stages, giving yourself some recovery time during your sessions. And if anyone thinks walking a bit is a cop-out, look to the ultrarunning community – they’re all at it in their 100-mile races.

However, as you progress through the training plan, you will do some speedier runs to build the mental and physical toughness you’ll need to get to 26.2 miles. Faster runs are important and have week strength training plan for runners The ultimate beginner marathon training plan to help you run/walk your first 26.2.

Do I need to run at a particular pace?

Pace is not the point at the start of the plan. It’s easy to become preoccupied with how fast or slow you are going when what’s really important is getting miles under your belt. Nor should you look too far ahead at future training runs that might seem daunting when you start out. Just take things one day at a time.

In fact most of your runs should be at a slow chatty pace where you can hold a conversation - and what pace that is may vary depending on your route, the temperature, or even just how busy your day has been. As you get nearer to marathon day, then you can use our marathon training plans to work out what realistic pace to aim for as you run the marathon but it’s definitely not something to get too obsessed with.

As well as runs, the training plan includes those all important rest days - make sure you use these properly to avoid burning out or getting an injury. Adaptation to the body occurs when we rest so the only way to improve is to take Long, slow 12-mile run seriously.

How can I find enough time to do all this running?

While we’re firm believers that anyone can run a marathon, it’s only possible with the right preparation. Just turning up on the day and hoping for the best would not be wise. When training, fitting four or five runs into a busy week is a challenge, but not impossible – just like the marathon itself. Why not get up an hour earlier some mornings? Committing to running with friends can also provide vital motivation to get the runs ticked off.

Consider whether you could run to work or get off the train or bus a stop earlier and run the rest of the way? Plan ahead for that - you could bring clothes to work the day before you plan to run in to save yourself having to carry a heavier pack. Some people also find that splitting some of the mileage into two shorter runs in one day can work well for them, so perhaps you can fit in a run before the school drop off, and another at lunchtime. However, ease into double run days cautiously and make sure that you are properly fuelled. Remember that time on feet counts, too, so take every advantage of walking to the shops and doing errands on foot.

What should I do if I miss some of my marathon training plan?

It’s perfectly normal to miss a few runs on your marathon training schedule. Everybody has blips along the way, whether it’s illness, a minor injury or just general life admin eating up the available time. Don’t worry too much about sticking rigidly to every day of your plan, as long as the overall mileage is building up. However, if you end up missing four weeks or more, do consider postponing your race. If you do have a time goal it might now be unrealistic, and the race itself is likely to be significantly less enjoyable.

If you’ve missed two or three weeks, you may still have time to build up to your longest training runs, which are key to race day success. If you are coming back from injury, spend a week or two gradually increasing your training volume, using previous weeks on the training plan as a guide. Do not ever be tempted to add in extra runs to ‘catch up’, like cramming before an exam. It will not help and instead make you far more likely to get injured again.

What can I do to avoid injury when marathon training?

Best winter running gear training load A runners guide to ELDOA Runners World, Part of the Hearst UK Wellbeing Network training. If you push too hard and don’t manage your training load correctly you are far more likely to end up with an injury which might mean you have to pull out of the race altogether. Stick to the training plan and don’t add additional runs or harder sessions. Your body needs time to adapt. If you are burning to do more then low impact cross training like swimming, cycling or yoga x 1 mile, timed, with 5 mins rest after each mile. Aim for a faster average speed than week 11.

It is also vital to develop a Runners World, Part of the Hearst UK Wellbeing Network training programme alongside your running. This will strengthen all your muscles and stave of repetitive strain and overloading injuries. Strength work How to get started on the running track is the ideal amount and you don’t need to join a gym. With resistance bands and body weight you can create a great strength session at home. As with running, make sure you build up your strength work gradually to enable the muscles to adapt.

How can I tell if I need to ease off on my training?

You’ll find, as you get deeper into the plan, that you can start to tell the difference between ‘good pain’ and ‘bad pain’. It is natural that you will feel some discomfort at times. That happens when you step out of your comfort zone and start to go a bit faster or perhaps further than you’ve ever run before. But if natural discomfort starts to become something that feels more like an injury coming on – persistent pain in a localised spot for example – that’s another matter.

‘There is a difference between muscles that burn at the end of a workout and something that hurts every time you take a step,’ says sports psychologist Jim Taylor. ‘Part of training is learning body awareness. You also need to experience some discomfort so when it occurs in a race, you know you can push through it.’

If this training plans isn’t challenging enough for you to reach your goal, take a look at our other Runners World, Part of the Hearst UK Wellbeing Network Runners World, Part of the Hearst UK Wellbeing Network.