Beginner-friendly Masters marathon training plan: 18 weeks, 5–6.75 hrs/week, 80/20 Endurance intensity, free coach email support. Your best marathon, on fewer hard days.
Built for masters runners. The same 80/20 Endurance structure with more recovery between hard sessions, so you keep improving without breaking down.
Is this plan for you?
At a glance: Masters Marathon · Level 1 · 18 weeks · 5–6.75 hrs/week · intensity by pace. Prefer another metric? All versions.
This plan is ideal for runners with some experience seeking to get fit in a time-efficient way. You're ready to start when the first week below looks comfortable.
Your first week: 5 sessions, 2.6 hours. Mon rest · Tue Run 30 min · Wed Run 35 min · Thu Workout 30 min · Fri Run 30 min · Sat Run 32 min · Sun rest.
Not sure about the level? Swap to another level or intensity type free, any time. Compare levels.
What's included with your plan
One-time price. No subscription. Yours for life.
Included: free coach email support, Mind of Matt Weekly Analysis, the Level Guarantee, lifetime access, Garmin and Apple Watch sync, and heart rate, pace and power versions.
BONUS · This plan includes free access to Matt Fitzgerald's 18-week Master the Marathon course.
Based on the best-selling books
Based on 80/20 Running by Matt Fitzgerald.
Mind of Matt Weekly Analysis, included
TrainingPeaks Premium for less
What 80/20 Endurance athletes say
Ready to start? Click Buy Plan. The plan loads into TrainingPeaks on the date you choose, and coach support starts the same day.
Racing more than once this year?
80/20 Endurance is the creation of Matt Fitzgerald and David Warden. Based on the breakthrough books 80/20 Running and 80/20 Triathlon, runners, triathletes, and other endurance athletes improve the most when they consistently do 80 percent of their training at low intensity and the other 20 percent high intensity. The typical endurance athlete spends only 50-70 percent their total training time at low intensity. The solution? An 80/20 training plan that ensures the optimal intensity balance.