Reviews
This site is dedicated to helping you find the right marathon training plan to suit your needs. We provide independent reviews and provide rankings for the most current marathon training programs. All of the plans we review are priced below $50 and offer exceptional value with most of the programs offering video, audio and online support as free bonuses.
If you’re looking for an objective view to help you choose a marathon training programme then you’ve definitely come to the right place. Every program is slightly different so use the reviews provided along with the articles below to figure out which one suits your needs best.
Free Plans
You’ll find a good supply of free basic running schedules online. Most of them come as a printable page or excel spreadsheet and include a general 12-
Runners World and Hal Higdon both have plans like this on their respective websites, however they also specify strictly that this running plan alone does not constitute a complete marathon or half marathon training schedule.
If you’re reasonably fit or just doing the race for fun i.e. not taking it too seriously training only when you can and probably walking some of the actual race, then a program like this will probably be OK for you. However, if this is one of your life goals and you want to make sure you do your absolute best so you can rest knowing that you’ve given it your all, then you’d be best advised to avoid the free marathon training
plans and get yourself a proper program.
For Beginners
For first timers and novices, obtaining a quality marathon or half training marathon schedule for beginners is absolutely essential!
People who have done a race before already know, and will be quick to tell you, that the level and amount of training, both physically and mentally, is going to be far more challenging than you think.
Getting a proper training program right from the start will put in the best shape come race day. Things to think about even before you start training are your equipment and training diet. Before you even go on your first run, you need to have these things sorted out, proper fitting and balanced shoes and a kitchen full of the right foods for energy and recovery. This is just the start, there’s a whole lot more you need to know and get your head around including the theory and history of the marathon as well as the more practical things such as gadgets, tracking, your marathon diet and how to cope with problems and issues.
Half Marathon Training Plans
Even though it’s only half the distance, there isn’t actually that much difference in training for a half marathon.
The process of how to train for a marathon is essentially the same, except that the training distances are longer.
Most of the good programs have separate sections on training for a half marathon including the information packed half marathon training schedule for beginners.