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Intermediate · Marathon

12-Week Marathon Training Plan

A focused 12-week marathon build for runners with a base.

Event
Marathon
Level
Intermediate
Length
12 weeks
Days / week
5
Download the free PDF

The full 12-week plan as a PDF, every session, styled like the app.

The full plan, week by week

Base, build, peak, then taper: periodised so you arrive on race day fit and fresh, not overtrained.

  1. Week 1

    Base

    Recovery Easy Easy Easy Long

    Key session Long Run 13.38 km

    Weekly volume 4h 30m

  2. Week 2

    Base

    Recovery Easy Easy Easy Long

    Key session Long Run 16.06 km

    Weekly volume 5h 11m

  3. Week 3

    Base

    Recovery Easy Easy Easy Long

    Key session Long Run 21.28 km

    Weekly volume 5h 52m

  4. Week 4

    Build

    Recovery Easy Easy Tempo Long

    Key session Long Run 18.60 km

    Weekly volume 5h 19m

  5. Week 5

    Build

    Recovery Easy Easy Tempo Long

    Key session Long Run 21.14 km

    Weekly volume 5h 52m

  6. Week 6

    Build Recovery

    Recovery Easy Easy Tempo Long

    Key session Long Run 16.48 km

    Weekly volume 4h 30m

  7. Week 7

    Build

    Recovery Easy Easy Tempo Long

    Key session Long Run 25.94 km

    Weekly volume 6h 57m

  8. Week 8

    Build

    Recovery Easy Easy Tempo Long

    Key session Long Run 28.62 km

    Weekly volume 7h 29m

  9. Week 9

    Build Recovery

    Recovery Easy Easy Tempo Long

    Key session Long Run 21.56 km

    Weekly volume 5h 37m

  10. Week 10

    Build

    Recovery Easy Easy Tempo Long

    Key session Long Run 33.70 km

    Weekly volume 8h 27m

  11. Week 11

    Taper

    Recovery Easy Easy Easy Long

    Key session Long Run 17.33 km

    Weekly volume 4h 12m

  12. Week 12

    Race

    Recovery Recovery Recovery Tempo Race Day

    Key session Race Day: Run 42.20 km

    Weekly volume 7h 00m

Row shading shows each week's training volume against the peak week.

This outline is the skeleton. Gritup makes it yours.

A printed plan can't know that you were travelling last week, that your long run felt awful, or that your fitness jumped. Gritup takes this exact structure and makes it adaptive:

  • Calibrated to you. Paces and zones set from your recent results, not a generic label.
  • Adapts when life happens. Miss a session or a week and the plan rebuilds the path to race day.
  • Fits your real schedule. Choose your training days, and the plan reshapes around them instead of the other way round.
  • One app, every sport. Run, bike, swim, or combine them for triathlon, without juggling separate apps.

Get the adaptive version on your phone

Download on the App Store

Frequently asked

How many days a week is the 12-week marathon training plan?

This plan runs 5 days a week over 12 weeks, structured in base, build, peak, and taper phases. If 5 days doesn't fit your week, Gritup can rebuild the same goal around the days you actually have.

Is this marathon plan right for a intermediate athlete?

Yes, it's written for a intermediate athlete. It assumes you already have a training base and layers in threshold and race-specific work. In the app, the plan calibrates to your recent results rather than a one-size label.

What happens if I miss a session or get sick?

With a static plan you're on your own: shift the week and hope the balance still works. Gritup re-plans the remaining weeks around a missed session, an injury, or a busy stretch, so you always have a coherent plan to race day instead of a broken schedule.

Is this training plan really free?

Yes. The full week-by-week outline on this page is free to follow. Gritup itself is a subscription that turns this skeleton into an adaptive, personalised plan, with a free trial and no card required to start.

Marathon plan

Follow the outline. Or let Gritup run it for you.

Get this 12-week plan as an adaptive, personalised programme that adjusts to your fitness and your week, free for the first two weeks.

First 2 weeks free No card required
Download on the App Store