20 Week Marathon Training Plan For Beginners [Free PDF]

Our 20 week marathon training plan for beginners is designed for beginners, novices, and first-time marathon runners.   

The 20 week marathon program includes gradual mileage increases designed to not overwhelm you, and get you marathon-ready in a structured, injury-free way.

Looking at multiple plan options? See our marathon training plans hub for 12-week, 16-week, and Couch-to-Marathon alternatives.

The plan is available for free in PDF and a customizable Google Sheets format in both miles and kilometers.

20 Week Marathon Training Plan: Essential Info

Who Is It For?:

People who are new to marathons – beginners and novice runners who don’t have a long history of running. Perhaps if you’ve picked up running in the past year then this is the plan for you.

Not sure this is the plan for you? – Check out our other marathon training plans.

How Long?: 

20 weeks // 5 months.

How Many Days Per Week?:

The plan features 4 days of running workouts, plus one day of cross-training – leaving two days of rest per week.

Training Breakdown: What Will Your Weekly Schedule Consist Of?

Here’s a run-down of each type of training you’ll be doing during your 20-week marathon training program.

Training Runs

These are regular, easy runs to be done at a comfortable pace.

If you’re feeling ambitious, you can determine your planned marathon pace and do these runs at that pace. For the rest of us, these are all about adding miles to your training and getting your body adapted to running.

Ideally, you should be running all of these; if you are struggling, adopt a structured run/walk strategy (run for 2 minutes, walk for 1 minute). Aim to train yourself so you can be running this continuously as soon as you can! (some more on walk/run strategy here!)

Pace Runs

Pace runs should be done at your target race pace if you have one, or slightly harder than your regular training runs – a 5 out of 10 RPE.

Long Runs

One long, slow run is factored into the training schedule every weekend.

They are designed to increase your maximum mileage, and therefore your stamina.

The most important thing to remember with these long runs is to do them at a slow, comfortable pace!  Don’t push yourself.

The aim is to get the miles in, not to exhaust your body.

 If in doubt, do them at a speed at which you could hold a conversation with a friend.

Cross Training

The plan includes one day per week dedicated to cross-training.

Cross-training improves your cardiovascular health and strengthens some of the muscles weakened through running, thereby reducing your chance of injury.

Recommended cross-training exercises include bodyweight exercises, light gym work, swimming, yoga, pilates, and cycling!

Check out our cross-training guide for runners to learn more.

Your Week-by-Week Training Schedule

Here’s the complete week-by-week breakdown. Monday and Thursday are rest days throughout. All distances are in miles.

Week	Tue	Wed	Fri	Sat	Sun	Total
1	Pace Run 2.5 miles	Training Run 3 miles	Training Run 3 miles	Strength Training	Long Run 7 miles	16 miles
2	Pace Run 2.5 miles	Training Run 3 miles	Training Run 3 miles	Strength Training	Long Run 8 miles	17 miles
3	Pace Run 3 miles	Training Run 4 miles	Training Run 4 miles	Strength Training	Long Run 9 miles	20 miles
4	Pace Run 3 miles	Training Run 4 miles	Training Run 4 miles	Strength Training	Long Run 6 miles	17 miles
5	Pace Run 3 miles	Training Run 4 miles	Training Run 4 miles	Strength Training	Long Run 11 miles	22 miles
6	Pace Run 3 miles	Training Run 4 miles	Training Run 4 miles	Strength Training	Long Run 12 miles	23 miles
7	Pace Run 4 miles	Training Run 5 miles	Training Run 5 miles	Strength Training	Long Run 9 miles	23 miles
8	Pace Run 4 miles	Training Run 5 miles	Training Run 5 miles	Strength Training	Long Run 15 miles	29 miles
9	Pace Run 4 miles	Training Run 5 miles	Training Run 5 miles	Strength Training	Long Run 16 miles	30 miles
10	Pace Run 4 miles	Training Run 6 miles	Training Run 5 miles	Strength Training	HALF MARATHON 13 miles	28 miles
11	Pace Run 4 miles	Training Run 6 miles	Training Run 6 miles	Strength Training	Long Run 17 miles	33 miles
12	Pace Run 4 miles	Training Run 6 miles	Training Run 6 miles	Strength Training	Long Run 18 miles	34 miles
13	Pace Run 5 miles	Training Run 7 miles	Training Run 6 miles	Strength Training	Long Run 16 miles	34 miles
14	Pace Run 5 miles	Training Run 7 miles	Training Run 6 miles	Strength Training	Long Run 19 miles	37 miles
15	Pace Run 5 miles	Training Run 7 miles	Training Run 6 miles	Strength Training	HALF MARATHON 13 miles	31 miles
16	Pace Run 5 miles	Training Run 8 miles	Training Run 6 miles	Strength Training	Long Run 18 miles	37 miles
17	Pace Run 5 miles	Training Run 8 miles	Training Run 6 miles	Strength Training	Long Run 20 miles	39 miles
18	Pace Run 3 miles	Training Run 4 miles	Training Run 4 miles	Strength Training	Long Run 13 miles	24 miles
19	Pace Run 2 miles	Training Run 3 miles	Training Run 3 miles	Strength Training	Long Run 8 miles	16 miles
20	Training Run 3 miles	Rest Day	Rest Day	Easy Run	MARATHON 26.2 miles	34 miles

Want a printable version? Download the free PDF or Google Sheets version below.

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Check Out The Premium Version of The 20 Week Marathon Training Plan . . .

Prerequisites: Are You Ready for This Plan?

This 20-week plan is designed for beginner marathoners, but you should have a baseline of fitness before starting. Ideally, you can comfortably run 3-4 miles without stopping and have been running at least 2-3 times per week for the past couple of months. If you’re starting from scratch, consider a couch-to-5K program first, then build up to this plan.

You don’t need to be fast — the 20-week timeline gives you plenty of room to build gradually. The key is consistency: showing up for your runs each week matters far more than hitting any particular pace.

Understanding the Taper: Weeks 17-20

The last 3-4 weeks of your plan are the taper period, where your mileage deliberately drops. This can feel counterintuitive — you’re doing less running right when you want to feel most prepared — but tapering is one of the most important phases of marathon training.

During the taper, your body repairs the micro-damage from months of training, tops up glycogen stores in your muscles, and adapts to the cumulative training load. You might feel restless or anxious (runners call this “taper madness”), but trust the process. Research consistently shows that a proper taper improves race-day performance by 2-3%.

Keep your effort level easy during taper runs. The goal is to maintain your running rhythm without adding any new stress. Your longest run during the taper should be no more than 8-10 miles.

Nutrition During Your 20-Week Build

As your mileage increases through the plan, your calorie needs will rise significantly. A runner covering 30+ miles per week burns roughly 2,500-3,500 additional calories per week beyond their baseline — and this needs to be replaced through food, not supplements.

Focus on whole foods: complex carbohydrates (oats, rice, sweet potatoes, whole grain pasta) should form the base of your diet, with lean protein (chicken, fish, eggs, legumes) for muscle repair and healthy fats (avocado, nuts, olive oil) for sustained energy. Aim to eat a carb-rich meal 2-3 hours before long runs, and practice your race-day fueling strategy during training.

For runs over 90 minutes, you’ll need to fuel during the run itself. Practice with energy gels, chews, or real food (dates, banana pieces) during your long runs to find what works for your stomach. The golden rule: never try anything new on race day.

Race Day: What to Expect

After 20 weeks of preparation, race day should feel like a celebration — not a mystery. Here are the essentials for first-timers:

Start slow. The biggest mistake first-time marathoners make is going out too fast. The adrenaline of race morning will make your target pace feel effortless for the first few miles. Resist the urge to bank time. If anything, run the first 10K slightly slower than your target pace — you’ll be grateful for those saved seconds after mile 20.

Stick to your fueling plan. Take on fluids and nutrition at the intervals you practiced during training. Don’t skip aid stations because you feel good early on, and don’t grab random gels from spectators if you haven’t tested them.

The wall is real — and manageable. Somewhere between miles 18-22, most first-time marathoners hit a rough patch where their body runs low on glycogen and their legs feel heavy. This is normal. Slow down if you need to, walk through aid stations, and focus on getting to the next mile marker. It will pass, and the final miles — fueled by crowd energy and months of training — can be some of the best of your running life.

Frequently Asked Questions

Other Suggested Marathon Training Plans

Beginner + Novice Training Plans

• Couch To Marathon Training Plan
• 6 Month Marathon Training Plan
• 20 Week Marathon Training Plan

Intermediate Training Plans

• 16 Week Marathon Training Plan
• 12 Week Marathon Training Plan
• Sub 4-Hour Marathon Training Plan
• Sub 3:30 Marathon Training Plan
• 8 Week Marathon Training Plan

Advanced Marathon Training Plans

• Sub 3-Hour Marathon Training Plan
• 20 Week Advanced Marathon Training Plan
• 20 Week *Intense* Advanced Marathon Training Plan