Marathon

42km are built with science. Not bravery.

The coach that runs with you

A marathon needs months of structured preparation. Every week has a purpose. Every pace is calculated from your real VDOT. And when life gets in the way, the plan adapts.

Create your marathon plan

Free during beta · Strava · Garmin

The generic plan doesn't survive past km 30.
And neither do you if you follow it.

Most marathon plans assume you'll complete every session for 16-20 weeks. That you'll never travel, get sick, or have a bad week. When that happens — and it always does — the plan breaks. And you're stuck at week 10 not knowing if what you're doing makes sense.

Your plan inside

This is a marathon plan with PRB

01

Real periodization

Your plan isn't 'run more each week'. It has phases: aerobic base, specific development, tapering. Recovery weeks are programmed where your body needs them.

Typical plan: 16-20 weeks. 3-4 load/recovery cycles.

Base
Specific
Taper
02

Calculated paces, not guesses

Your marathon pace is calculated from your real VDOT — not your 'dream goal'. On race day, the pace you carry is one your body can sustain for 42km.

5 pace zones: Easy, Marathon, Tempo, Interval, Rep.

Easy5:20
Marathon4:50
Tempo4:30
Interval4:10
Rep3:50
VDOT 48.2
03

Long runs with purpose

It's not 'run 30km on Sunday'. Every long run has structure: target pace, progression, or easy volume. Your plan knows when you need marathon pace and when you need easy km.

Max long run: 32-35km. Progressive, not linear.

18
22
20
26
22
30
32
24
M PaceEasy
04

Continuous adaptation

Week 8 didn't go as expected. You traveled. You missed 2 sessions. Your plan doesn't judge you. It reorganizes the following week while keeping the overall plan logic.

Automatic weekly recalibration based on Strava data.

What happened

Mon — Easy 10km
Tue — 5×1600m
Thu — Tempo
Sun — Long run

What's next

Mon — Easy 8km
recoveredTue — Tempo 6km
Thu — 4×1600m
Sun — Long run 26km

Sample week

Week 12 of 18 — Specific phase

VDOT 48 · 80km total · 2 quality sessions

MonEasyEasy run10.0 km
TueQuality5×1600m14.0 km
WedEasyEasy run8.0 km
ThuQualityTempo 8km14.0 km
FriEasyEasy run6.0 km
SatRestRest
SunLongLong run28.0 km
80km total | 2 quality | 1 long run at M pace | 1 rest day

The science behind it

The methodologies behind your marathon plan

PRB selects the optimal pattern for your level, volume, and goal.

Jack Daniels

VDOT tables for pace zones. The world standard in intensity prescription.

Pace zones

Pete Pfitzinger

Marathon plans with phase-based periodization. Reference for 50-120km/week runners.

Periodization

Hansons

Cumulative fatigue philosophy. Shorter long runs but with higher quality frequency.

Cumulative fatigue

Is it for you?

This plan is for you if...

Your first marathon — you want to finish prepared, not just survive

You want to break 4 hours

You want to break 3:30

You want to break 3:00

You've run a marathon with a generic plan and hit the wall

Frequently asked questions about your marathon plan

No. 32-35km is enough. The key is the quality of those km, not reaching 42km in training.

It's the point where your glycogen reserves deplete if you haven't trained at the right pace. PRB prevents this with marathon pace sessions and proper progression.

16-20 weeks is standard. PRB adjusts the duration to your level and race date.

It depends on your goal and level. PRB evaluates viability and tells you straight.

PRB calculates your marathon pace from your VDOT. Not from your 10K time multiplied by 5.

We also build plans for: 5K · 10K · Half Marathon

Your marathon deserves the right plan.

Tell me your date, your experience, and what you run today. With that, I'll build you a marathon plan with phases, paces, and real adaptation.

Your marathon prediction

VDOT 48.2 3:28:15

Target pace: 4:56/km

Half split: 1:43:30

30km split: 2:27:45

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