A Comparison of Marathon Training Plans

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What's on your bookshelf? I've looked at a many of the popular marathon training plans so you don't have to.

There are a vast number of training plans for the marathon distance, and choosing one can be daunting. This page gives an overview of several popular, proven plans. I have given a short textual description of the plan, then a list of the key attributes and a high level summary of each level of the plan. For the long runs, I start listing the lengths with the first run of 16 miles or longer and do not include the taper period. I've put the plans loosely in order of preference.

1 The purpose of this comparison

This comparison should not be used to choose a plan by itself. The goal is to provide the reader with some guidance around which plans are candidates so they can do further research. The comparison is also based on the plans themselves, not any supporting information such as the training methodology or other advice. This comparison does not attempt to be comprehensive review of all plans, but to cover a few of the most popular plans.

2 The will to win

As Juma Ikangaa said, "The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare." The plans below can work, but they are not guaranteed to produce success, as long distance running requires a big commitment of time and effort. It is vital to count the cost that this training requires; none of these plans will help you if you don't follow them.

3 Tweaking the plans

It is quite possible to use one of these plans as an initial basis and then tweak it to your particular needs. There are trivial tweaks, such as doing the long run on a different day, to major changes. Changes such as swapping out runs that are not key workouts for cross training or rest can be done quite easily. However, the more extensive the change, the more experience you need to understand the implications.

4 Modifying the plans for continuous training

The vast majority of these plans assume you're starting off from a low level of training. One of my Top 10 Marathon Training Mistakes is detraining between marathons. If you race a marathon every six months and your training pattern is to have a two month gap between finishing one race and starting doing your long runs for the next race, you will lose a disproportionate amount of your fitness. Instead, I would recommend that after you have recovered from a race you quickly return to doing 16+ mile long runs. Most of the plans shown here can easily be adapted this way. Simply ignore the weeks leading up to the first 16 mile long run, and start your training at that point for the next race.

5 Suitability Comparison

The table below gives some high level guidance as to the suitability for the different plans for different types of runner. In the table, the number 0-5 indicate suitability with 5 being more suitable. There is a lot of individual variability, so a plan that is marked low for a particular type of runner does not mean it won't work for anyone in that category, but it's less likely to be a good candidate. As always, I'd like to hear from anyone that disagrees ;}

FIRST Jack Daniels Plan A Jack Daniels Elite Jack Daniels To Finish Pfitzinger Advanced Marathoning Jeff Galloway Hal Higdon Waitz Hanson
Beginner 2 3 0 2 0 4 3 1 0
Novice 4 3 0 1 0 2 3 2 0
Ringer 4 3 1 0 1 1 2 0 0
Maintenance 2 2 0 0 0 3 4 0 1
Improver 4 5 3 0 4 1 2 0 0
Enthusiast 4 3 4 0 5 1 2 0 0
Elite 3 2 5 0 4 0 0 0 0
Limited Training Time 4 4 3 0 2 1 2 2 1
Traditionalist 2 3 3 0 3 2 4 3 0
Triathlete/Multisport 5 4 3 0 1 3 2 3 0
Sub 3:00 5 5 5 0 5 0 2 0 0
3:00-4:30 5 5 3 1 3 2 3 2 0
4:30-5:30 3 3 0 1 0 5 2 2 0
5:30+ 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0
Like Speedwork 5 5 5 0 4 0 1 0 3
Hate Speedwork 0 0 0 2 1 5 4 5 0
  1. Beginner: A first time marathon runner with no background in speedwork or hard racing at shorter distances.
  2. Novice: A first time marathon runner, or someone who not run a marathon for some time, but has some experience of speedwork or racing at shorter distances.
  3. Ringer: A first time marathoner who has lots of experience and talent at racing shorter distances.
  4. Maintenance: A regular marathon runner who is looking to keep their performance, but not intending to work hard on improving their time.
  5. Improver: A runner who has run several marathons and is hoping to improve their performance. An improver will have not trained hard in the past, so may have the ability to improve significantly.
  6. Enthusiast: This is a runner who has trained hard for marathons in the past and is looking for ways of optimizing their performance.
  7. Elite: A runner who is prepared to work 'as hard as it takes' to improve performance.
  8. Limited Training Time: Here I'm thinking of time for training during the week, rather than the number of weeks to the race.
  9. Traditionalist: this is someone looking for an established, traditional plan with no particular innovation and novelty.
  10. Triathlete/Multisport Athlete: These athletes need to have time to dedicate to overtraining, so I plan that has days that can be used for other exercise methods is particularly applicable.
  11. Time calls: Some plans are better suited to faster or slower runners.
  12. Like or hate speed work: Some plans include a lot more speed work than others, and different runners either enjoy or hate doing speed work. Also some runners find themselves easily injured by speed work, and need to avoid it.

6 Characteristics

The table below looks at the general characteristics of the various plans. For many of the plans there are multiple different versions, based on the experience, fitness, or weekly mileage of the runner. The Jack Daniels plans vary based on the specifics of the runners fitness and weekly mileage, so some sample values are used. The specifics of the Jack Daniels plans for specific runner are likely to vary from these values.

Plan Name Min Days/week Max Days/week Min Cross Training days Max Cross Training Days Speedwork Fitness Based Paces Long Run Pace
Jack Daniels To Complete (4hours, 50miles/week) 3 7 0 0 1 Yes MP+90 to MP+120
Jack Daniels To Complete (4hours, 90miles/week) 3 7 0 0 1 Yes MP+90 to MP+120
Jack Daniels Plan A (3hours, 90miles/week) 3 7 0 0 1 Yes MP+90 to MP+120
Jack Daniels Plan A (4hours, 50miles/week) 3 7 0 0 1 Yes MP+90 to MP+121
Jack Daniels Plan A (4hours, 90miles/week) 3 7 0 0 1 Yes MP+90 to MP+122
Jack Daniels Plan A (5hours, 50miles/week) 3 7 0 0 1 Yes MP+90 to MP+123
Jack Daniels Elite (3hours, 90miles/week) 3 7 0 0 1 Yes MP+90 to MP+124
Jack Daniels Elite (4hours, 50miles/week) 3 7 0 0 1 Yes MP+90 to MP+125
Jack Daniels Elite (4hours, 90miles/week) 3 7 0 0 1 Yes MP+90 to MP+126
Jack Daniels Elite (5hours, 50miles/week) 3 7 0 0 1 Yes MP+90 to MP+127
FIRST Novice 3 3 2 2 2 Yes MP+15 to MP+45
FIRST Marathon 3 3 2 2 2 Yes MP+15 to MP+60
Pfitzinger <55/18 week 5 5 0 1 1 No MP+10% to MP+20%
Pfitzinger <55/12 week 5 5 0 1 1 No MP+10% to MP+20%
Pfitzinger 55-70/18 week 6 6 0 1 1 No MP+10% to MP+20%
Pfitzinger 55-70/12 week 6 6 0 1 1 No MP+10% to MP+20%
Pfitzinger 70-85/18 week 7 7 0 0 1 No MP+10% to MP+20%
Pfitzinger 70-85/12 week 7 7 0 0 1 No MP+10% to MP+20%
Pfitzinger >85 (105)/18 week 7 7 0 0 1 No MP+10% to MP+20%
Pfitzinger >85 (105)/12 week 7 7 0 0 1 No MP+10% to MP+20%
Galloway Beginner 6 6 0 0 0 No NS
Galloway To Finish 6 6 0 0 0 No NS
Galloway Fat Burning 5 5 2 2 0 No MP+120
Galloway Goal 4:40 4 4 2 2 0 No MP+120
Galloway Goal 4:20 4 4 2 2 0 No MP+120
Galloway Goal 4:00 4 4 2 2 0 No MP+120
Galloway Goal 3:45 4 4 2 2 0 No MP+120
Galloway Goal 3:30 4 4 2 2 0 No MP+120
Galloway Goal 3:15 4 4 2 2 0 No MP+120
Galloway Goal 2:59 4 4 2 2 0 No MP+120
Galloway Goal 2:39 4 4 2 2 0 No MP+120
Higdon Novice 4 4 1 1 0 No MP+30 to MP+90
Higdon Intermediate 1 5 5 1 1 0 No MP+30 to MP+90
Higdon Intermediate 2 5 5 1 1 0 No MP+30 to MP+90
Higdon Advanced 1 6 6 0 0 1 No MP+30 to MP+90
Higdon Advanced 2 6 6 0 0 2 No MP+30 to MP+90
Waitz RYFM 4 4 0 0 0 No NS
Hanson Beginner 6 6 0 0 2 No MP+50 to MP+30
Hanson Advanced 6 6 0 0 2 No MP+50 to MP+30


6.1 Notes on the columns

  • Plan. I have generally used the last name of the primary author of the plan, except where the plan is better known by another name.
  • Name. This is the name of the plan with the in the book, or in the case of Jack Daniels the parameters used to generate the plan.
  • Min/Max Days/week. The minimum and maximum number of days per week that the plan prescribes for running. For the Galloway plans are considered any day the prescribes walking as part of the running days and was Galloway is using a run/walk approach.
  • Min/Max Cross Training days. This is the minimum and maximum number of days per week that the plan prescribes for cross training, rather than the number of days that the plan would allow for cross training.
  • Speedwork. This is the number of days where the plan prescribes speed work such as intervals or at tempo runs. Any speed work performed as part of the long run is not included in this total.
  • Fitness Based Paces. Both Jack Daniels and FIRST define all training paces based on your current fitness level, but other plans do not. (Note that the Hanson plans do prescribe training paces, but this is based on your goal rather than your proven fitness.)
  • Long Run Pace. While only Jack Daniels and FIRST give fitness based Paces, most of the plans give at least a broad guidelines as to the appropriate long run pace. These training paces are specified as a number of seconds per mile slower than marathon pace, or occasionally as a percentage slower. (For example, MP+10% for a 6:00 min/mile marathoner: 6:00 pace is 360 seconds per mile, 10% of 360 is 36, so the pace would be 6:36 min/mile.)

Some of the plans have different number of days assigned to different activities as the plan progresses, in which case I've used a rough approximation.  

7 Long Run Analysis

This section provides some detailed analysis of the long runs in each of the training plans. While some of the information is self-explanatory, some may require you to read the notes below the table.

Plan Name Long Run Speedwork Duration # Runs 16+ # Runs 20+ Total Miles Over 16 Starting Mileage Weeks To 16 Weeks 16 To Max 16 To Race Max To Race Initial Ramp (First To 16) Core Ramp (16 To Max) Overall Ramp (first to max) 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Jack Daniels To Complete (4hours, 50miles/week) Yes 18 0 0 0 3 - - - 9 #N/A #N/A 0.96 3 3 3 12 12 12 12 12 5 14 14 11 10 14 12 10 11 5 race
Jack Daniels To Complete (4hours, 90miles/week) Yes 18 0 0 0 3 - - - 15 #N/A #N/A 3.30 3 3 3 14 14 14 14 14 10 14 14 11 10 14 14 10 11 10 race
Jack Daniels Plan A (3hours, 90miles/week) Yes 24 14 2 29 4 3 13 20 7 3.60 0.36 0.82 4 4 4 16 16 16 15 8 14 18 13 15 18 18 17 18 21 19 18 21 18 19 12 race
Jack Daniels Plan A (4hours, 50miles/week) Yes 24 4 0 8 3 16 3 7 4 0.77 0.30 0.73 3 3 3 9 9 9 10 6 11 11 10 12 13 15 15 13 17 17 14 19 14 19 10 race
Jack Daniels Plan A (4hours, 90miles/week) Yes 24 4 0 8 3 16 3 7 4 0.65 0.30 0.61 3 3 3 14 14 14 11 6 11 14 10 12 14 15 15 14 17 17 14 19 14 19 10 race
Jack Daniels Plan A (5hours, 50miles/week) Yes 24 2 0 1 2 19 2 4 2 0.60 0.50 0.55 2 2 2 9 9 9 9 5 10 11 9 10 11 13 13 11 14 15 11 16 11 17 8 race
Jack Daniels Elite (3hours, 90miles/week) Yes 24 19 11 73 4 3 14 20 6 3.60 0.51 1.01 4 4 4 16 16 16 18 18 18 20 19 20 22 22 20 22 22 23 22 22 22 19 11 race
Jack Daniels Elite (4hours, 50miles/week) Yes 24 16 11 69 3 6 12 17 5 2.25 0.49 1.17 3 3 3 9 9 9 18 16 18 20 17 20 22 22 20 22 22 22 23 22 22 19 8 race
Jack Daniels Elite (4hours, 90miles/week) Yes 24 16 11 69 3 6 12 17 5 2.79 0.49 1.04 3 3 3 14 14 14 18 16 18 20 17 20 22 22 20 22 22 22 23 22 22 19 8 race
Jack Daniels Elite (5hours, 50miles/week) Yes 24 15 11 68 2 6 12 17 5 2.46 0.53 1.22 2 2 2 9 9 9 18 15 18 20 16 20 22 22 20 22 22 22 23 22 22 19 7 race
FIRST Novice Yes 16 3 1 6 8 8 4 7 3 0.88 0.90 0.75 8 9 10 11 12 14 10 15 16 12 18 13 20 13 8 race
FIRST Marathon Yes 16 8 5 25 13 2 1 13 12 2.00 3.00 2.30 13 15 17 20 18 20 13 18 20 15 20 15 20 13 10 race
Pfitzinger <55/18 week Yes 18 10 3 18 12 4 3 13 10 1.00 1.80 0.90 12 13 14 15 16 12 18 20 16 14 20 17 18 17 20 16 12 race
Pfitzinger <55/12 week Yes 12 7 2 10 13 2 4 9 5 1.50 0.60 0.75 13 15 16 17 16 15 20 17 20 16 12 race
Pfitzinger 55-70/18 week Yes 18 12 4 29 15 1 9 16 7 1.00 0.34 0.37 15 16 15 18 18 15 21 20 16 15 22 18 18 17 20 17 13 race
Pfitzinger 55-70/12 week Yes 12 9 2 19 15 1 5 10 5 2.00 0.63 0.71 15 17 17 18 17 18 21 18 20 17 13 race
Pfitzinger 70-85/18 week Yes 18 16 6 43 17 0 10 17 7 0.00 0.39 0.39 17 17 16 20 18 16 20 22 18 16 24 18 20 18 22 17 13 race
Pfitzinger 70-85/12 week Yes 12 10 2 23 17 0 6 11 5 0.00 0.43 0.43 17 18 19 17 18 17 22 18 20 17 13 race
Pfitzinger >85 (105)/18 week Yes 18 15 8 47 16 0 10 17 7 0.00 0.42 0.42 16 17 18 20 20 16 20 22 20 16 24 13 22 18 21 17 13 race
Pfitzinger >85 (105)/12 week Yes 12 10 2 23 17 0 6 11 5 0.00 0.43 0.43 17 18 19 17 18 17 22 18 20 17 13 race
Galloway Beginner No 26 4 3 22 3 14 8 11 3 0.60 0.52 0.51 3 4.5 3 6 7.5 3 9 3 11 4 13 4 15 4 17 4 20 6 6 23 6 6 26 6 6 race
Galloway To Finish No 26 4 3 22 3 14 8 11 3 0.66 0.47 0.53 3 4.5 3 6 7.5 4 9 4 11 5 13 5 15 6 17 6 20 6 7 23 6 7 26 6 7 race
Galloway Fat Burning No 26 4 3 22 3 14 8 11 3 0.58 0.53 0.49 3 4.5 6 3 7.5 4 9 4 11 4 13 4 15 4 17 4 20 5 6 23 6 6 26 6 7 race
Galloway Goal 4:40 No 26 5 4 34 7 11 11 14 3 0.51 0.54 0.44 7 7 7.5 9 4 11 5 13 5 15 5 17 4 20 6 6 23 8 6 26 10 6 28 12 7 race
Galloway Goal 4:20 No 26 5 4 34 7 11 11 14 3 0.51 0.54 0.44 7 7 7.5 9 4 11 5 13 5 15 5 17 4 20 6 6 23 8 6 26 10 6 28 12 7 race
Galloway Goal 4:00 No 26 5 4 34 7 11 11 14 3 0.51 0.54 0.44 7 7 7.5 9 4 11 5 13 5 15 5 17 4 20 6 6 23 8 6 26 10 6 28 12 7 race
Galloway Goal 3:45 No 26 5 4 35 7 11 11 14 3 0.48 0.57 0.49 7 7 7.5 9 6 11 6 13 6 15 4 17 6 20 8 7 23 10 7 26 12 7 29 14 7 race
Galloway Goal 3:30 No 26 5 4 35 7 11 11 14 3 0.48 0.57 0.49 7 7 7.5 9 6 11 6 13 6 15 4 17 6 20 8 7 23 10 7 26 12 7 29 14 7 race
Galloway Goal 3:15 No 26 5 4 35 7 11 11 14 3 0.48 0.57 0.49 7 7 7.5 9 6 11 6 13 6 15 4 17 6 20 8 7 23 10 7 26 12 7 29 14 7 race
Galloway Goal 2:59 No 26 5 4 35 7 11 11 14 3 0.48 0.57 0.49 7 7 7.5 9 6 11 6 13 6 15 4 17 6 20 8 7 23 10 7 26 12 7 29 14 7 race
Galloway Goal 2:39 No 26 6 4 40 7 9 13 16 3 0.63 0.57 0.51 7 7 7.5 9 6 12 6 14 6 16 4 18 6 21 8 7 24 10 7 27 12 7 30 14 7 race
Higdon Novice No 18 3 1 6 6 10 4 7 3 0.97 1.00 0.89 6 7 5 9 10 7 12 13 10 15 16 12 18 14 20 12 8 race
Higdon Intermediate 1 No 18 4 2 11 6 9 3 8 5 0.99 0.40 0.96 6 9 6 11 12 9 14 15 11 17 18 13 20 12 20 12 8 race
Higdon Intermediate 2 No 18 6 3 16 10 6 4 11 7 0.79 1.00 0.95 10 11 8 13 14 10 16 17 12 19 20 12 20 12 20 12 8 race
Higdon Advanced 1 No 18 6 3 16 10 6 4 11 7 0.79 1.00 0.95 10 11 8 13 14 10 16 17 12 19 20 12 20 12 20 12 8 race
Higdon Advanced 2 No 18 6 3 16 10 6 4 11 7 0.79 1.00 0.95 10 11 8 13 14 10 16 17 12 19 20 12 20 12 20 12 8 race
Waitz RYFM No 16 3 1 6 5 11 2 5 3 0.96 2.00 1.11 5 5 6 8 6 9 10 12 13 10 14 16 18 20 13 10 race
Hanson Beginner No 18 3 0 0 4 10 0 7 7 1.16 0.00 1.16 4 4 5 5 6 8 10 10 15 10 16 10 16 10 16 10 8 race
Hanson Advanced No 18 3 0 0 8 10 0 7 7 0.63 0.00 0.63 8 8 10 8 12 8 14 10 15 10 16 10 16 10 16 10 8 race

7.1 Notes on the columns

  • Plan. I have generally used the last name of the primary author of the plan, except where the plan is better known by another name.
  • Name. This is the name of the plan with the in the book, or in the case of Jack Daniels the parameters used to generate the plan.
  • Long Run Speedwork. While some plans have the longer runs as steady easy continuous running, some include elements of speed work. This is typically sections of the long run where the pace is increased to marathon pace or faster. I believe that this type of speed work can be remarkably effective.
  • Duration. The simple view of the duration of the plan is the number of weeks from start to finish, but this can be rather misleading. Many runners training for a marathon have a higher level of fitness than that required for the start of the plan. If a runner starts a plan that has several weeks of training at significantly below their current fitness level, they may actually become detrained. For example a runner who is used to running 12 mile long runs would not needed to begin at the start of the Jack Daniels "Plan A (4hours, 50miles/week)", but might be able to skip the first 12 weeks.
  • # Runs 16+. I consider that the 16 mile mark defines the beginning of "the long run". While this is somewhat arbitrary on my part, I believe that counting the number of long runs that are 16 miles or more is a useful metric. The first run the diesel 16 miles or more is highlighted in green in the weekly section.
  • # Runs 20+. There is some limited evidence that suggests that runs over 20 miles provide important adaptations for marathon running, and help prevent "hitting the wall". This column gives account of the number of runs that of 20 miles or more.
  • Total Miles Over 16. Another way of evaluating a training plan is to look at the number of miles run in excess of 16 miles. For example an 18 mile long run would count as 2 miles in excess of the 16 mile Mark. This metric reveals some dramatic differences between some of the advanced plans.
  • Starting Mileage. This column shows the mileage of the first long run, and may be useful in selecting a plan based on your current fitness.
  • Weeks To 16. This is the number of weeks from the start of the plan to the first 16 mile long run. This section of the training plan I've called the "initial ramp up" that brings a runner from their initial level of fitness to what I consider the threshold of performing long runs.
  • Weeks 16 To Max. This is the number of weeks from the first run of 16 miles or more to the longest run in the plan. If the longest run is repeated more than once, I use the first instance, which is highlighted in red in the weekly section.
  • 16 To Race. The number of weeks from the first run of 16 miles or more to the race itself.
  • Max To Race. The number of weeks from the longest long run to the race itself.
  • Ramps. One key aspect of any marathon training plan is how quickly it increases the mileage. It seems likely that one of the biggest factors behind excessive fatigue and injury from the long run is at this rate of mileage increase. Therefore I have attempted to quantify this rate of increase as a "ramp", which is approximately the number of miles per week the long run is increased by. (For those interested in the details I use the least squares approach to calculate an approximate slope between the two points on the training plan. This approach has some obvious limitations when the training plans have cut back weeks.)
    • Initial Ramp (First To 16). This is the ramp from the first run to the first 16 mile or longer run.
    • Core Ramp (16 To Max).This is the ramp from the first 16 mile or longer run to the longest run.
    • Overall Ramp (first to max). The ramp from the first run to the longest run.
  • Weeks. This section shows the long run for each plan by week, aligned by race day to make it easier to compare.


 

8 Jack Daniels Running Formula

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0736054928.

Main article: Jack Daniels Running Formula

Jack Daniels introduced his training plans in 1998, and he has justifiably been called "the world's greatest coach" by runner's world. Jack Daniels introduced the concept of specifying training paces based on fitness, and measuring fitness based on race performance, something other plans, including FIRST have built on. Most of the training books here include more than plan, but they are normally variations on a single underlying plan. However, the Jack Daniels book includes three plans ("Plan A", "Elite", and "To Finish Plan") that are so different I have considered them separately. Note that the first edition of Jack Daniels book had three marathon training plans, simply called A, B, and C. These three plans were much more alike than the plans in the second edition, and upgrading to the new copy of the book is definitely worthwhile.

8.1 Jack Daniels Plan A

The "Plan A" varies with the runner's fitness and weekly mileage more than most. It generally has quite a long build up to the longer runs unless you are a fast runner doing high mileage. Plan A includes some significant speed work as part of the long run, far more than any other plan I've come across except Jack Daniels elite. I think that the Plan A is an excellent approach for an experience runner looking to improve their performance.

  1. Key Characteristics
    1. Training pace based on fitness.
    2. Two key workouts; speedwork and long run.
    3. Except for the two key workouts, all other running is left open, so it's possible to run as many or as few days per week as you choose.
    4. Many long runs include speedwork which requires a high degree of fortitude.
    5. Initial Ramp (mileage increase/week from start to 16): Generally quite low at around 0.6-0.75, but watch out as the plans for higher mileage, faster runners jump into longer runs quickly.
    6. Core Ramp (mileage increase/week from 16 to max): Lower than most at 0.3 to 0.5.
  2. Pros
    1. Precise training paces and distances provided for quality runs.
  3. Cons
    1. Working out the details of the plan for each individual is complicated, though my VDOT Calculator will generate each workout based on your fitness and mileage goals.
    2. There is no obvious way of adjusting the training paces for hilly terrain.

8.2 Jack Daniels Elite Plan

The 'Elite' plan is one of the few I've seen that focuses on high performing runners who are prepared to put in a lot of effort. This plan is intended for elite marathon runners with a race time of 2:10 or less (VDOT 77+), but it is possible to scale it down for lesser runners. The plan includes a lot more long runs than Plan A, and more than any other except the high mileage versions of Pfitzinger.

  1. Key Characteristics
    1. Training pace based on fitness.
    2. Two key workouts; speedwork and long run
    3. Except for the two key workouts, all other running is left open, so it's possible to run as many or as few days per week as you choose.
    4. Nearly all of the long runs include speedwork. Consider this 18 mile long run for a 3 hour marathon runner: 6@8:09, 6@ 6:56, 1 @ 6:32, 3 @ 6:56, 1 6:32, 1 @ 6:56. That's a brutal training run, but one that will build a lot of endurance and confidence if you can do it.
    5. There are a lots of longer long runs; typically 16 or more runs of 16+ miles and 11 runs of 20+ miles.
    6. Initial Ramp (mileage increase/week from start to 16): You need to be doing 16+ mile plans regularly before considering this plan.
    7. Core Ramp (mileage increase/week from 16 to max): Moderate at around 0.5.
  2. Pros
    1. Precise training paces and distances provided for quality runs.
  3. Cons
    1. Working out the details of the plan for each individual is complicated, though my VDOT Calculator will generate each workout based on your fitness and mileage goals.
    2. There is no obvious way of adjusting the training paces for hilly terrain.

8.3 Jack Daniels "To Finish" Plan

While I think that Jack Daniels "Plan A" and elite plan are both great, I'm not sure the "To Finish Plan" is adequate. The longest long runs for a 4 hour marathon runner are only 14 miles, so I don't recommend this plan.

9 FIRST's Run less, run faster

FIRST's Run less, run faster.

Main article: FIRST

The FIRST (Furman Institute of Running and Scientific Training) plan is an evolution of the Jack Daniels approach and is described in the book Run Less, Run Faster. It is also the only plan I have come across that actually attempts a scientific evaluation of their training methodology. Like Jack Daniels it provides specific training paces based on fitness level for clearly defined workouts. The unique attribute of FIRST is that it combines 3 days per week of running with two days of cross training. The three days of running are a long run, a tempo run, and an interval training session. This makes FIRST a tough training plan, as every run is a hard workout, with no easy "fun" running. It is possible to use this training plan without the two days of cross training but according to the Furman Institute their research has shown that this is less effective.

  1. Key Characteristics
    1. Run 3 days/week, cross train 2 days/week.
    2. Each week includes a tempo run, an interval run, and a long run.
    3. Ramps (mileage increase/week): The ramp up is a little steep for the novice FIRST plans, but for the main plan you have to be used to running 16-20 miles before you start.
  2. Pros
    1. Training pace based on fitness.
    2. Long runs are not at a slow pace, but between marathon pace and marathon pace + 30 seconds.
    3. Precise training paces and distances provided for all runs.
    4. A great option for a triathlete or other multisport athlete.
  3. Cons
    1. Some runners find the workouts too hard, especially if they are not used to speedwork.
    2. No easy, fun running.
    3. You have to like cross training.

Note that the second edition is remarkably similar to the original, and it's probably not worth upgrading. The second edition has 5K training paces that now include 30-40 min 5K, don't cover 15-16 min 5K pace. Also the novice marathon plan is now in the book rather than just on the web.

10 Pfitzinger's Advanced Marathoning

Pfitzinger's Advanced Marathoning.

This plan is specifically for experienced marathon runners looking to improve their performance. There are no beginner or intermediate plans, but there are multiple plans depending on miles per week and number of weeks. The book includes some good plans with basic guidance around training, but not as sophisticated as Jack Daniels or FIRST. The plans involve a lot of long and medium long runs, and some speedwork.

  1. Key Characteristics
    1. Depending on the mileage, you run from 4-5 days/week up to 7 days/week.
    2. Two key workouts; speedwork and long run, with other running left open.
    3. One or two medium long runs per week in addition to the long run.
    4. Initial Ramp (mileage increase/week from start to 16): You need to be doing 16+ mile plans regularly before considering this plan.
    5. Core Ramp (mileage increase/week from 16 to max): Low to moderate at around 0.3 to 0.6.
  2. Pros
    1. The focus on advanced runners and the marathon gives the book some useful specificity.
    2. These plans take in to account the runner's weekly mileage, providing four unique sets of plans.
    3. This plan prescribes far more long runs than any other except Jack Daniels elite. Depending on your mileage, you will have 10-16 runs of 16 miles or more and 3-8 runs of 20 miles or more.
  3. Cons
    1. Some broad guidance for training paces and distances provided. For instance, there is a note that the long runs should be 10% to 20% slower than goal marathon pace, but there is no advice on how to do the calculation, or tables to use.
    2. No significant speed work on the long runs, something I believe is important for high level marathon training plan.

11 Jeff Galloway's You can do it!

Jeff Galloway's You can do it!

The Jeff Galloway training program is based around taking Walking Breaks to increase the distance that can be covered, and to run as slowly. These plans are a good candidate for a 4:30-5:30 marathon runner and probably the best option for 5:30+ hour marathon runners. In addition they may be appropriate for people whose injury history makes running the marathon distance continuously problematic.

  1. Key Characteristics
    1. Walk/run pattern to cover the distance
    2. Some longer long runs, including 26-30 miles in training
    3. Initial Ramp (mileage increase/week from start to 16): Moderate at around 0.5 to 0.6.
    4. Core Ramp (mileage increase/week from 16 to max): Moderate at around 0.5 to 0.6.
  2. Pros
    1. The walk/run approach is idea for slower runners
  3. Cons
    1. Using a run/walk for a faster marathon, especially sub 3:30 does not seem ideal.
    2. No speedwork.

12 Hal Higdon's Ultimate Training Guide

Hal Higdon's Ultimate Training Guide.

Hal Higdon's book includes five different plans, plus there are additional plans freely available on the web. You can also purchase more detailed versions of the plans online for between $20 and $40. There are a solid set of plans, with a wide variety to choose from.

  1. Key Characteristics
    1. Plans at many different levels.
    2. The option of buying a plan with extra tips and advice for each run.
    3. The more advanced plans use a marathon pace run one day, followed by a long run the next day.
    4. Initial Ramp (mileage increase/week from start to 16): Rather steep at around 0.8 to 1.0.
    5. Core Ramp (mileage increase/week from 16 to max): Steep at around 1.0.
  2. Pros
    1. The web plans are free.
    2. You can purchase versions with extra tips for each run.
    3. The back to back MP + long run can be an effective training technique.
  3. Cons
    1. Having to relatively longer runs back-to-back requires you to commit time on both Saturday and Sunday, or have more freedom than most people during the week.
    2. The large number of plans can make it tricky to decide between them.

13 Waitz's Run your first marathon

Waitz's Run your first marathon.

This book is by the nine time winner of the New York City Marathon, and the focus of the book is, as the name suggests, all about a first-time marathon. There is only a single plan, but because the plan is short, the buildup of distance is too quick, so there is a higher risk of injury.

  1. Key Characteristics
    1. A single plan focused on the novice marathoner.
    2. Initial Ramp (mileage increase/week from start to 16): Rather too steep at 1.0 as the plan is short.
    3. Core Ramp (mileage increase/week from 16 to max): Way too steep at 2.0.
  2. Pros
    1. The initial buildup to the first 16 mile run is quite gradual and linear.
    2. The plan is only 16 weeks long, so if you don't have many weeks before the race this is a good option.
    3. While this plan does not provide as many long runs as would be ideal, it is probably a good compromise between effectiveness and time commitment.
  3. Cons
    1. Obviously this is limited to a first-time marathoner.

14 Hanson's Marathon Method

The Hanson's Marathon Method is unusual in that it generally limits your longest run to 16 miles. This approach is based around the concern that a longer run that the athlete is not prepared for can result in injury, and is unlikely to improve fitness. I agree completely with their concern, but I believe that the solution is not to avoid the longer distance runs, but to build up the level of fitness gradually enough that the athlete is well-prepared. I disagree with the Hanson's Marathon method approach in a number of ways:

  • The plan suggests that there 16 mile long run simulates the last 16 miles of the marathon not the first. However the plan has two short easy runs on the preceding days allowing for relatively good recovery.
  • The Hanson plan places to have a scientific basis, but only quotes anecdotal advice from coaches. I have been able to find remarkably little scientific evidence concerning the long run, and none of it supports the Hanson's ideas.
  • While the Hanson plan states that 16 miles is the longest long run, they actually have a table of distance based on weekly mileage. For a runner doing 40 miles per week, they limit the long run to 10-12 miles. (10-12 @ 40 MPW, 12.5-15 @ 50 MPW, 15-18 @ 60 MPW, 17.5-21 @ 70 MPW.)
  • The training paces vary with your marathon goal, which is a significant difference from the Jack Daniel's or FIRST approaches, where your training pace is based on your previous result, rather than your aspiration. An athlete's goal might be a 2:30 finish, but if their prior finish is four hours, then the Hanson approach will have them training way too fast.
  • The marathon pace is between 30-45 seconds/mile slower than race pace. Personally, I don't believe that a 16 mile long run at 45 seconds per mile slower than race pace prepares an athlete adequately. That distance and pace represents only about half the effort required for the race itself (using glycogen depletion equations as a proxy for effort). Limiting the long run to 10-12 miles seems barely adequate for the half marathon, let alone the marathon.
  • The only category of runners that I believe should consider the Hanson plan are those who are experienced marathoners with plenty of endurance, but are unable to find the time to train, and are looking to simply complete the race.

15 Other Plans

There are a number of plans I’ve excluded from the comparison for various reasons.

15.1 Runners World Fixed Plans

Runners World has some plans available on their web site, but these plans are $30 per plan, making them remarkably expensive.


15.2 Runners World SmartCoach

Runners World has a web application called SmartCoach that generates customized training plans. You input a race time, your weekly mileage, training effort, schedule length and when you want to start, then you get a plan based on that information. The approach is based around the work of Jack Daniels and other coaches, but does not use Jack Daniels specific formula. You can get a single plan for free, but any changes to the plan require you to have a subscription, which is $10/month. The flexible nature of the application makes it hard to evaluate, and because it's an online application, the algorithm for generating the plans can also change without notice.

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