Run a Marathon in 18 Weeks

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RUN A MARATHON IN 18 WEEKS

By Ed Eyestone (BS ’85)

Follow track and field coach Ed Eyestone’s marathon-traininig schedule for beginners.

Note: Tempos are intervals during your normal run. In the tempo intervals, you should run at a steady, challenging pace for a sustained amount of time. If the schedule reads, for example, “Tempo, 4 x 5 minutes, 4 miles,” that means that in the course of a four-mile run, you should do four separate, 5-minute tempo sets at an increased, sustainable pace—a pace that is hard but doable. Then after each 5-minute set, you can jog at a recovery pace as long as necessary, until the next tempo run.

Novice Marathon Calendar
Sun.	Mon.	Tues.	Wed.	Thurs.	Fri.	Sat.	Total Miles
REST	Easy 3 miles	Tempo 5 x 4 min 4 miles	REST	Easy 4 miles	REST	Long run 6 miles	Week 1 16
REST	Easy 4 miles	Tempo 4 x 5 min 4 miles	REST	Easy 4 miles	REST	Long run 6 miles	Week 2 18
REST	Easy 4 miles	Tempo 4 x 5 min 4 miles	REST	Easy 4 miles	REST	Long run 8 miles	Week 3 20
REST	Easy 4 miles	Tempo 3 x 7 min 5 miles	REST	Easy 4 miles	REST	Long run 8 miles	Week 4 22
REST	Easy 4 miles	Tempo 3 x 7 min 5 miles	REST	Easy 5 miles	REST	Long run 10 miles	Week 5 24
REST	Easy 4 miles	Tempo 2 x 10 min 5 miles	REST	Easy 5 miles	REST	Long run 10 miles	Week 6 24
REST	Easy 4 miles	Tempo 3 x 7 min 5 miles	REST	Easy 5 miles	REST	Long run 12 miles	Week 7 26
REST	Easy 4 miles	Tempo 1 x 12 min 1 x 8 min 5 miles	REST	Easy 5 miles	REST	Long run 12 miles	Week 8 26
REST	Easy 4 miles	Tempo 1 x 14 min 1 x 6 min 5 miles	REST	Easy 5 miles	REST	Long run 14 miles	Week 9 28
REST	Easy 4 miles	Tempo 1 x 16 min 1 x 4 min 5 miles	REST	Easy 5 miles	REST	Long run 14 miles	Week 10 28
REST	Easy 4 miles	Tempo 1 x 18 min 1 x 2 min 5 miles	REST	Easy 5 miles	REST	Long run 16 miles	Week 11 30
REST	Easy 5 miles	Tempo 1 x 20 min 5 miles	REST	Easy 5 miles	REST	Long run 17 miles	Week 12 32
REST	Easy 5 miles	Tempo 1 x 20 min 6 miles	REST	Easy 5 miles	REST	Long run 18 miles	Week 13 34
REST	Easy 5 miles	Tempo 1 x 20 min 6 miles	REST	Easy 6 miles	REST	Long run 19 miles	Week 14 36
REST	Easy 6 miles	Tempo 1 x 20 min 6 miles	REST	Easy 6 miles	REST	Long run 20 miles	Week 15 38
REST	Easy 5 miles	Tempo 1 x 20 min 6 miles	REST	Easy 5 miles	REST	Long run 12 miles	Week 16 28
REST	Easy 4 miles	Tempo 1 x 15 min 5 miles	REST	Easy 6 miles	REST	Long run 7 miles	Week 17 20
REST	Easy 4 miles	Tempo 2 x 5 min 4 miles	REST	Easy 3 miles	10 min jog Easy 1	Race	Week 18