Advanced · Marathon
18-Week Advanced Marathon Training Plan
Run a marathon PB on a big base with marathon-pace long runs.
- Event
- Marathon
- Level
- Advanced
- Length
- 18 weeks
- Days / week
- 6
The full 18-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.
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Week 1
Base
Recovery Easy Long Easy Easy Long
Key session Long Run 10.98 km
Weekly volume 5h 43m
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Week 2
Base
Recovery Easy Long Easy Easy Long
Key session Long Run 12.95 km
Weekly volume 6h 11m
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Week 3
Base
Recovery Easy Long Easy Easy Long
Key session Long Run 14.93 km
Weekly volume 6h 40m
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Week 4
Base
Recovery Easy Long Easy Easy Long
Key session Long Run 16.62 km
Weekly volume 7h 01m
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Week 5
Base
Recovery Easy Long Easy Easy Long
Key session Long Run 18.32 km
Weekly volume 7h 22m
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Week 6
Base
Recovery Easy Long Easy Easy Long
Key session Long Run 20.01 km
Weekly volume 7h 43m
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Week 7
Build
Recovery Threshold Long Easy VO2max Long
Key session Long Run 20.01 km
Weekly volume 7h 20m
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Week 8
Build Recovery
Recovery Threshold Long Easy Easy Long
Key session Long Run 17.47 km
Weekly volume 6h 25m
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Week 9
Build
Recovery Threshold Long Easy VO2max Long
Key session Long Run 23.68 km
Weekly volume 8h 13m
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Week 10
Build
Recovery Threshold Long Easy Easy Long
Key session Long Run 26.22 km
Weekly volume 8h 54m
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Week 11
Build
Recovery Threshold Long Easy Tempo Long
Key session Long Run 23.74 km
Weekly volume 7h 58m
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Week 12
Build Recovery
Recovery Threshold Long Easy Tempo Long
Key session Long Run 20.27 km
Weekly volume 6h 48m
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Week 13
Build
Recovery Threshold Long Easy Tempo Long
Key session Long Run 27.78 km
Weekly volume 8h 58m
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Week 14
Build
Recovery Threshold Long Easy Tempo Long
Key session Long Run 29.80 km
Weekly volume 9h 27m
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Week 15
Peak
Recovery VO2max Easy Easy Tempo Long
Key session Long Run 31.02 km
Weekly volume 9h 04m
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Week 16
Taper
Recovery Threshold Easy Easy Easy Long
Key session Long Run 15.07 km
Weekly volume 4h 41m
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Week 17
Taper
Recovery Threshold Easy Easy Easy Long
Key session Long Run 11.40 km
Weekly volume 4h 11m
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Week 18
Race
Recovery Recovery Strides Recovery Recovery Race Day
Key session Race Day: Run 42.20 km
Weekly volume 6h 50m
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
Frequently asked
How many days a week is the 18-week advanced marathon training plan?
This plan runs 6 days a week over 18 weeks, structured in base, build, peak, and taper phases. If 6 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 advanced athlete?
Yes, it's written for a advanced 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 18-week plan as an adaptive, personalised programme that adjusts to your fitness and your week, free for the first two weeks.