12-Week London Marathon Training Plan

London, United KingdomApril 25, 2027

Start around January 31, 2027. The calendar below gives each phase a real date, then the course guidance shows where to make the build specific to London Marathon.

London is the hardest major to get into and one of the easiest to love: a fast, flat, point-to-point course from Greenwich to The Mall, lined shoulder-to-shoulder with what might be the best crowds in the sport, past Cutty Sark, over Tower Bridge, and down the Embankment to Buckingham Palace.

Race day
April 25, 2027
Start window
January 31, 2027
Runway
12 weeks
Course
Greenwich to The Mall
Plan choice
Current training

Does this window fit your starting point?

Use this window when your recent training is steady and the opening week will not be a mileage jump. If you are returning after a long break, twelve weeks is too little room to rebuild and peak at the same time.

  • Your weekly mileage has been consistent for the last six to eight weeks.
  • You have completed recent long runs and do not need to rebuild from three easy miles.
  • You can protect the same number of run days from week one through race week.
  • You are prepared to begin race-specific work early instead of using a long base phase.

The 12-week London Marathon calendar

These dates define the job of each phase. Your current mileage, recent longest run, experience, goal, and available days still decide the actual workouts inside them.

Settle

Weeks 1–2

Feb 1, 2027–Feb 14, 2027

Hold close to your current volume, establish the weekly rhythm, and make sure the opening load is honest.

Build

Weeks 3–7

Feb 15, 2027–Mar 21, 2027

Grow the long run and weekly work with step-back weeks intact. There is no room to repay missed mileage.

Peak

Weeks 8–10

Mar 22, 2027–Apr 11, 2027

Complete the most race-specific long runs, rehearse fueling, and practice the terrain that will decide the final 10K.

Taper

Weeks 11–12

Apr 12, 2027–Apr 25, 2027

Reduce volume, keep the routine familiar, and arrive on race day without trying to squeeze in one more big week.

Make the window specific to London Marathon.

Course-specific work starts early in a 12-week build. Put the race's terrain and expected conditions into long runs once the opening weeks feel controlled, without adding extra hard days.

Read the full race guide

How to train for London

Train it like the fast course it is: sustained goal-pace segments in long runs, even-split discipline, and a plan for the early downhill miles: the Greenwich descent plus race-day adrenaline is London's classic too-fast start. Practice opening long runs controlled.

A late-April race means a winter buildup with the biggest weeks in February and March. British runners know this dance; everyone else should plan for cold, dark long runs and trust the spring taper. And rehearse crowd discipline: with support this loud for this long, running your own pace amid noise is a genuine skill worth practicing in race-crowded training events.

Let your current training decide the actual plan.

Current mileage, recent longest run, marathon experience, goal, and available days determine which plans rank first. After you choose and subscribe, Stride dates every workout through April 25, 2027.

Build My Plan

12-week London Marathon plan questions, answered.

When should I start a 12-week London Marathon plan?

The 2027 London Marathon is scheduled for April 25, 2027, so the 12-week window opens around January 31, 2027. Treat that as the outside edge of the window, then line week one up with the plan's normal weekly rhythm.

Is a 12-week plan long enough for the London Marathon?

Use this window when your recent training is steady and the opening week will not be a mileage jump. If you are returning after a long break, twelve weeks is too little room to rebuild and peak at the same time. The course does not change the opening load you can handle, so choose from your current mileage and recent longest run before adding race-specific terrain.

How should I prepare for the London Marathon course in 12 weeks?

Course-specific work starts early in a 12-week build. Put the race's terrain and expected conditions into long runs once the opening weeks feel controlled, without adding extra hard days. Train it like the fast course it is: sustained goal-pace segments in long runs, even-split discipline, and a plan for the early downhill miles: the Greenwich descent plus race-day adrenaline is London's classic too-fast start. Practice opening long runs controlled.

What if the 12-week London Marathon window has already started?

Do not double weeks or cram missed mileage into the remaining calendar. Use your current mileage, recent longest run, experience, goal, and available days to choose a plan that can enter at an appropriate point while preserving the taper.

How long do I need to train for the London Marathon?

Most Stride marathon plans run 12 to 20 weeks, putting the heart of a London buildup in the winter months. Get matched in the app and Stride maps every week from today to The Mall.

How do I get into the London Marathon?

The public ballot (heavily oversubscribed), Good For Age qualifying times, championship entry for club runners, or a charity place with a fundraising commitment. Most first-time Londoners get in via charity or years of ballot persistence.

Put the 12-week window against your actual race.

Each page counts back from race day, maps the 4 phases to real dates, and applies the window to that course and its typical conditions.