42.195 km. Prepare with purpose, start with confidence.
18-week marathon training plan • 4 runs/week • English • Intermediate
Build marathon endurance, practise controlled threshold and marathon effort, and develop a fuelling routine you can use on race day. Gopeaks in Vietnam provides weekly goals, structured workouts and adjustments for recovery, hills and humid heat.
Is this your next marathon plan?
You are an adult running consistently four times weekly for at least 6–8 weeks, around 30–40 km/week, and have completed a comfortable 90-minute easy long run. This plan starts from an established base. It is not a zero-to-running or injury-return programme, and no finishing time or personal best is guaranteed.
What you receive
- 72 structured runs: 71 timed preparation sessions and one distance-based 42.195 km marathon entry.
- Easy runs, progressive long runs, tempo and threshold repeats, one short 5 × 2 min VO2 session, plus repeated and continuous marathon-effort work.
- 23 English notes: 18 weekly guides plus setup, threshold/IF/TSS, schedule changes, long-run fuelling and a race checklist.
- Recovery weeks 4, 8 and 12; a three-week taper. Long runs progress from 100 minutes to an upper limit of 180 minutes, with reduction options.
Time you can plan for
Weeks 1–17: 3h03–5h49/week. Week 18: 70 minutes of short sessions plus your marathon and individual pre/post-race activity. Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday are run days; other days allow rest or gentle activity. Preview weeks 1 and 13 to see the starting workload and a marathon-specific week.
Start in four steps
- Check the entry requirements and sample weeks.
- Apply the plan with Sunday of week 18 on race day.
- Read START HERE and SETUP; use a valid current running threshold and check device sync.
- Log RPE, sleep, soreness and fuelling tolerance. Adapt instead of combining missed workouts.
% Threshold Pace refers to speed, not direct multiplication of min/km. Easy running stays conversational. Marathon effort reflects current ability, and may be slower than the displayed range for a prolonged race. IF/TSS are estimates; no universal race duration or training-load target is assigned.
Gopeaks support
Coach Dieu Xuan Trung | Gopeaks
Selection, setup and plan use: hello@gopeaks.coach. Use familiar shoes, a safe route and practised fluids/fuel. Self-guided purchase excludes TrainingPeaks Premium, 1:1 monitoring, daily adjustment and individual nutrition advice.
Choose the right starting point
Use one running plan at a time; recover after the marathon before a new block. For individual support, explore Gopeaks coaching; learn training principles at Gopeaks Academy. These websites primarily serve Vietnamese readers; services are separate.
Triathlon coach and founder of Gopeaks in Ho Chi Minh City. A USA Triathlon Level II and TrainingPeaks Level 2 Coach, I help beginners and age-group athletes prepare for their first triathlon, improve race performance and build lasting fitness. My coaching combines structured training, performance analysis and practical guidance, with plans tailored to each athlete's goals, experience and available time.