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This summary attempts to distill each of the plans into their unique points.
* '''Jack Daniel's'''. These plans specify two runs per week, a long run and a speedwork, with the rest let up to the individual.
* '''FIRST'''. Three runs per week; tempo[[Tempo Runs]], intervals [[Interval Training]] and long run[[Long Run]]s, plus 2 days of cross training.
* '''Galloway'''. All plans use [[Walking Breaks]] and some include training runs longer than the marathon distance.
* '''Hanson'''. Long runs limited to 16 miles but with lots of marathon paced running.
* '''Higdon'''. The easier plans are 'vanilla', while the harder ones include back to back long runs.
* '''Waitz'''. Only a single, simple plan for first time marathon runners.
=The will Will to winWin=
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.
=Mid plan adjustments Plan Adjustments and the golden rule Golden Rule of trainingTraining=
The [[Golden Rule of Training]] is "to stay injury free so you can continue training". While this sounds obvious, it can be hard to follow. If you are struggling with a particular training plan, either unable to complete the workouts, or the workouts leave you feeling wiped out, then it's probably better to change your plan than to continue on. It's far better to arrive at the start line slightly undertrained than burned out or injured. You may have to find a different plan, or modify the workouts in your existing plan, though the latter can be tricky. Depending on how far through your training cycle you are, and how badly your suffering, the adjustment varies. Here are some possible modifications.
* Drop cross training activities.
** The Hansen plan has found success with runners who have previously burned out on other plans, but it's unclear if it would be viable to swap that Hansen plan part way through a training cycle.
* Depending on the severity of your problem it may be better to give up on your chosen race, and restart your training cycle, targeting a later date.
=Tweaking the plansPlans=
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. I've added some notes on each plan where I believe modifications are advisable.
=Modifying the plans Plans for continuous trainingContinuous 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 Run]]s 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 Run]]s. 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.
=Difficulty and Benefit=
Different people will respond differently to any given training plan. Some people will respond well and become fitter, some will not be stressed enough and won't improve, while others will be stressed too much and become injured or unable to [[Supercompensation| Supercompensate]]. A plan that has a higher level of training stress will produce a greater benefit in the subset of the population that can withstand the stress, but will have a larger number of people that become injured or unable to adapt. Thus, a harder plan may have strong advocates, but it may not be suitable for a wider population.
=Want to look Look for in the marathon training planMarathon Training Plan=
Marathon training plans differ but at least partly because there is no consensus on what is best. I think however there are some key attributes to consider.
* '''Length'''. The longer the plan, the more time you have to adjust to the training load. However, a longer plan also requires a greater time commitment.
* '''[[How Often To Run| Days/Week]] and Easy Days. '''To keep {{TrainingMonotony}} low and get the best recovery, running 3-4 days/week is probably optimal. If you prefer to run more frequently, then it is critical to keep the easy days as easy as possible.
* '''Longest Run'''. There is some controversy over the length of the longest [[Long Run]]. I believe that it is better to have a longer longest run as this provides better preparation. However, this is only true if you build up to these longer runs gradually enough that you can recover well. A [[Long Run]] that leaves you overly fatigued will not benefit you. It's better to reach the start line slightly undertrained, than injured or burned out.
=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. Likewise, a rating of 5 does not mean it will work, just it's a better candidate. As always, I'd like to hear from anyone that disagrees disagrees ;}
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* '''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.
{{:A Comparison of Marathon Training Plans-Include}}
=Best plan Plan for experienced marathonersExperienced Marathoners=
My preferred training plans for experienced marathoners are FIRST, and Jack Daniel's Plan A. There are other well established plans that can work well, but these two are my favorites. So how do they compare?
* Rest.
** FIRST has two speed work sessions per week, one interval, and one tempo. I suspect that this can be too much speed work for some runners.
** Jack Daniels only has one speed work session per week which may be more reasonable.
** Both have [[Tempo Runs]] which are probably a bad idea, as they are not as effective as either [[Long Run| Long Slow Distance]] or [[High Intensity Interval Training]].
* Long Runs.
** FIRST has more [[Long Run]]s than Jack Daniels Plan A (but less than Jack Daniels elite plan). The FIRST plans are at a steady pace, but some of the runs are at marathon pace. The [[Long Run]] pace is a fixed offset from your marathon pace.