🏁 Your First Marathon Starts Here — 16 Weeks, 3 Days a Week, One Major Milestone

This 16-week program is thoughtfully designed for beginner runners who want to cross the finish line feeling strong — with just three days of training per week. No burnout. No guesswork. Just smart, strategic progress.

🏃‍♂️ What You’ll Do: Start with ~20 miles per week and gradually build to the mid-30s — a safe, effective mileage ramp. Train just three days a week, with one easy-effort run, one distance-building long run, and one interval or threshold workout to build fitness.

🧠 Train Smarter, Not Harder: You’ll get the most from this plan with a GPS watch to monitor distance, time, and pace. Many sessions are heart rate-guided for precision, so a chest strap monitor is recommended for the most accurate data.

🎉 Real Runners, Real Results: This plan helped first-timers crush the 2024 NYC Marathon — and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

Whether you're chasing a bucket list goal or simply looking to prove something to yourself — this plan is your launchpad.