12 Week Marathon Training
12 Week Marathon Training Guide
Today, I want to talk about a 12 week marathon training schedule for intermediate runners. Over the course of 3 months you can significantly raise your cardio fitness, speed and endurance levels.
I would normally recommend a 16 week marathon training plan.
However, if you’re working to tight time constraints but still want to run your best time, it is possible to prepare adequately.
To see the desired results and enjoy a strong race finish you’ll need to maximise training time, stay focused and combine distance runs with higher tempo and interval running sessions.
Check out the 12 week marathon training tips below and get ready for the 26.2-mile challenge!
12 Week Marathon Training Tips
A 12 week marathon training program aimed at intermediates will typically involve 4-5 days of training per week.
The old rule about starting gradually still applies, despite the shorter duration. Attempting an 18-mile run in your first week is a bit ambitious! If this is your first or second marathon, start with 10 miles and you’ll hit 20 by week 9.
If you’re intending to buy new running shoes, purchase them at the start of your training period, not the week before race day.
Focus on speed work, not just distance sessions. Interval training is an excellent way to increase the oxygen supply to the muscles, increase speed and will help you reduce the consumption of energy on race day.
Try taking 1 cross training day per week. Walking, swimming and cycling are all great. Cycling in particular is an excellent way to develop lower body strength.
Resist the temptation to run on rest days! The most common mistake that runners following a 12 week marathon training plan make is running too much. Fail to take rest days and you’re highly likely to become irritable, burn out or fall prey to injury.
Taper during the last 2 weeks of a 12 week marathon training schedule. Aim for 3 rest days and reduce your weekly distance run to 8-10 miles.
12 Week Marathon Training: Treadmill Fitness
Incorporating treadmill fitness routines into a 12 week marathon training program allows you to control your environment, beat boredom and stay motivated.
The good thing about treadmill running workouts is that you can do them at any time of day, regardless of weather conditions. Running various sections of the same route week in, week out is repetitive and can result in a training plateau. Mix things up a bit and body and brain will be constantly stimulated.
Hill Runner Vol. 2 is great if you’re running a race that features hills or undulating terrain and want to prepare for this during a 12 week marathon training schedule but if you’re not yet at this level, then you may want to check out our post for our beginner marathon training schedule.



Piece of content and even directly to the particular. My family and i don’t determine if this can be in truth the best shop might but do you realy mankind has each and every what it really where they can take on a lot of ghost writers? With thanks