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From Fellrnr.com, Running tips
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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.
==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 book in which they are published. This comparison does not attempt to be comprehensive, but to cover a few of the most popular plans.
==The will to win==
As Juma Ikangaa said, "The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare." The plans below are all proven plans, but they are not guaranteed to produce success. Long distance running requires a big commitment of time and effort. It is vital to count the cost that this training require; none of these plans will help you if you don't follow them.
It is quite possible to use one of these plans as an initial basis, 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.
==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 1-5 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 ;}
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