4-Day Marathon Training Plan

Four run days can support a first-marathon build when 15 miles in week one is not a sudden jump and you can consistently protect all four days. This schedule uses two easy runs, one midweek aerobic run, and one long run each week. A few later Thursday runs include controlled marathon-effort blocks. If you are chasing an aggressive time goal or already support higher mileage, compare it with a five- or six-day plan.

Yes. The complete schedule on this page is Stride First Marathon, a finish-first plan with no interval or threshold sessions. It begins at 15 miles in week one and builds to a 40-mile peak week, so it is beginner-friendly but not a couch-to-marathon plan.

This schedule runs Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. The pattern matters more than the weekday names: two controlled weekday runs, a short easy run, then the long run. If you rearrange the week, avoid putting your longest midweek run directly beside the long run.

Do not cram missed mileage into the next day. Protect the long run when you can, keep the next easy day easy, and return to the schedule. If missed weeks are stacking up, lower the number of run days or choose a plan that starts closer to your current weekly mileage.

Stride First Marathon is the simpler finish-first build shown here: four run days, mostly easy effort, and only brief marathon-effort blocks later in the plan. First Marathon Plus is for someone already running about 15 miles per week who wants more frequent quality work inside the same four-day structure.