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4.9 Stars from 818 reviews

Masters (40+) Marathon Training Plans

Choose from over 35 flexible masters (40+) plans from 6-39 weeks in beginner, intermediate, advanced versions!
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5/5

"I will never again train without a plan! Your plan really helped me to train consistently."

Is A Masters Marathon Plan Right For You?

Our Masters Marathon training plans are designed for runners over 40 years old. Although plenty of younger athletes love them too.

The workouts are just as tough as with our normal training plans, but with more scheduled recovery days. And more strength and conditioning work, so you stay strong and flexible.

Masters marathon runners face different challenges to younger athletes. Families, busy careers and lack of sleep are just a few. That said, not all over 40 runners require a Masters-specific training plan. Some find it easy to carry on with a normal training load, while others need to change their approach to training.

Just want to view our training plans now?

When to Consider Choosing a Masters Plan:

  • Your training time availability is reduced with work and family commitments.
  • You feel sleep deprived from daily stresses.
  • Your body has different needs in terms of recovery, strength and flexibility training.
  • You suffer recurrent injuries.
  • You feel constantly fatigued or overwhelmed by your regular training.
  • You keep catching colds and other viruses.

Can I Still Race Successfully?

Yes! In fact, by following our Masters running plans, you may well race better than ever. The key to success is training consistently, without missing workouts due to injury, fatigue or time limitations. It’s not always about who attempts the most training.

All our training plans adhere to the principle of “Progressive Overload”. Meaning that the stress placed upon your body gradually increases over time. By training consistently with regular recovery periods, you’re more likely to absorb the gradually increasing training loads, without breaking down.

How is a Masters Plan Different?

Intensive marathon training will cause you muscle damage. As we mature it can (arguably) take longer for your muscles to adapt and remodel. This decline in rate of recovery will vary according to genetics and training history. Insufficient recovery time can lessen the effect of the workout and leave you more prone to injury. Masters Marathon plans have more rest days each week (1 or 2 days per week) and a 1:2 ratio of active recovery weeks to hard weeks (this is 1:3 in regular plans). That means you’ll do two weeks of challenging training, and then take an active recovery week (with around half the training stress).

As we get older, our muscle density begins to decline, and it becomes crucial to counter the effects of age-related muscle loss.

When you choose to follow Phil’s Marathon Masters plans, you can download the associated FREE Strength and Conditioning plan. These have two scheduled strength and conditioning workouts per week, designed to promote:

  • Performance through improved strength and power.
  • Increased muscle mass.
  • Injury prevention by strengthening connective tissue, muscles, and tendons.
  • Flexibility to maintain power through a full range of movement.
  • Improved bone density.
  • Fat-free body mass (a leaner physique).

All Strength and Conditioning workouts can be carried out at home. There are also alternative exercises if you prefer a gym based workout. 

Training intensely is the key to success in any sport, regardless of age. Strong performances come from having a solid base and workouts that maximise your anaerobic fitness, speed, power and skill. Evidence suggests that higher intensity work with less volume is beneficial for the Masters athlete, even for Marathon Training. Shorter, more intense workouts will also free up valuable time for recovery and work/family commitments. Masters plans optimise your training time with the right ratio of volume and intensity relevant to each plan. 

As an older athlete with a full life, prioritising is an essential skill. Ideally schedule your week, planning times for family, training, work and sleep. You should also be prepared for the curve balls that cause chaos in your best laid plans. Consistency in training is arguably the most important trait amongst successful Masters athletes. Here are some ideas to help you stick to your regime:

  • Use your commute as an opportunity to train.
  • Add in strength and conditioning at home, with the kids if necessary!
  • If you can’t do a whole session, do part of it, something is always better than nothing.
  • Commit to a lunchtime workout.
  • Double up run workouts with Strength and Conditioning sessions and save showering twice.
  • Life will occasionally get in the way and if you need to miss the odd workout, let it go and move on. It happens.

Top Training Tips For A Marathon

Total beginners should start off by aiming to run two or three times per week, starting with 15 or 20-minute runs. If running non-stop feels too hard for you initially, include periods of walking until you’re eventually fit enough to jog without stopping.

Then you can aim to increase the duration of your workouts by no more than 10% per week. If you ignore this, you increase your risk of getting injured. Your runs should not feel too intense at this stage either – ideally you should be able to talk while you’re running, as a way of knowing that you’re not going too hard. If not, slow down or include some walking sections.

Once you have built up to running 30 minutes comfortably, you can then base your training around three key runs per week. The first key weekly run should be a long one, where you slowly build up from doing 30 minutes, eventually right through to 2 hours 30 minutes of low intensity running. This could take you many months to accomplish, as you get fitter and fitter. Progress your long-run distances slowly and steadily, so that your body can adapt to the increasing demands. Don’t shortcut this process.

The second key run should be a speed session, with a warm up, a warm down and some harder efforts sandwiched in between – such as 4 x 4 minutes hard with 2-minute recoveries. These sessions will train you to run at any given pace for less effort.

Your third key weekly run should be a marathon race pace session. Aim to build up from 30 to 90 minutes, at your target marathon race pace.  Any other runs you do in addition to your three key sessions should be steady jogs of 35 to 60 minutes.

If possible, do some of your running on soft surfaces like grass or trails, to reduce the impact on your body. Training on hillier terrain is good too, because it spreads the load to a wider range of muscle fibers, compared to running on flat ground. Always be mindful of avoiding injury – over half of all runners are injured every year. In our novice, intermediate and advanced marathon training plans we make every fourth week an “active recovery week” where the training is half as much as normal. This gives your body a chance to recover and get stronger, reducing your chances of getting injured.

We include two sessions per week in our FREE Strength and Conditioning plans. These workouts can help improve your strength and flexibility, leading to more efficient movement patterns and fewer injuries. We suggest you only do strength work in addition to at least three runs per week, rather than instead of them.

Using A Marathon Training Plan

Online training plans are for athletes who don’t feel the need for a personal coach, but who still want the structure and planning of an expertly-written training program. Research has shown that you are twice as likely to reach your goals if you train with a structured plan. 

If you have a recent background of fitness or sport, it could take you 20 to 24 weeks to get fit enough to conquer a marathon. If you’ve been more sedentary over the last few years, it’s harder to predict. Either way, you need to build up your training gradually over a period of months. Fitness improvements build up slowly and gradually, like coffee dripping through a filter into a jug. The key is to avoid injury, by building up slowly and steadily. There are no shortcuts. 

Compatible with over 100 apps & devices, including:

Compatible with over 100
apps & devices, including:

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Head Coach & Founder: Phil Mosley

Why Use Our Training Plans?

JOIN OVER 40,000 SUCCESSFUL ATHLETES

Flexible, structured training for any level

Research-backed plans for any experience-level that fit around your lifestyle. From leading endurance coach Phil Mosley.

The world's best training app

We use TrainingPeaks for personalised training zones, trackable progress and so much more - on any major training device.

Certified coach support (rated 4.9/5)

On top of full help-centre & FAQ support (with videos), our coaches will quickly reply to any questions you have about your plan via email!

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HOW IT WORKS

1. Choose from over 35 plans from 6-39 weeks long

With beginner, intermediate, advanced, masters (40+) and off-season plans – we’ll have the perfect one for you.

2. Activate your free TrainingPeaks™️ account

A flexible calendar, targeted training zones, trackable progress and so much more – on any device.

3. Get your online plan and start ticking off sessions!

Keep motivated with any of your training questions answered quickly by our team of certified coaches!

4.9 Stars from 818 reviews

About Phil Mosley

COACH & FOUNDER

Phil is a recognised expert with over 20 years of experience, having featured on many endurance sports publications. He founded MyProCoach in 2010 to to offer the world’s most comprehensive range of online training plans, all designed to help you enjoy the same success that himself and his athletes have, while still making sure you have quality time for your family, friends and career.

Masters Marathon Plans (6-39 Weeks)

WITH FREE EMAIL COACH SUPPORT

We use TrainingPeaks to deliver your plan – the world’s most popular endurance coaching platform. Free to use, TrainingPeaks is an online calendar that lets you record, track and analyze your training sessions. 

It has a host of great features allowing you to get as in-depth as you like, including the ability to export your workouts to your training devices (Garmin, Zwift, Apple Watch etc) and follow them in real time. 

TrainingPeaks enables us to set you in-depth training plans in a way that other formats cannot. Phil Mosley is a Certified Coach and one of the best-selling coaches on the platform.

Whenever you need help with your training plan, we aim to respond to your emails within 24-hours. Our Certified coaching team are on hand to answer any questions during the first use of your plan, plus a bonus three months after its completion.

During checkout, please also share your email so I can send you a series of 5 helpful emails to get you started.

As you can understand, some limits apply (for example, we can’t analyse your data or edit your training plan) but for anything else relevant to your training, we would love to help. You also have full access to our online help centre, with videos and articles to help you train effectively.

We have a huge range of plans that enables you to select one that best meets your goals, schedule and ability. If you’re not sure where to start, read on below for a quick overview.

What type?
Our Standard and Masters plans are designed to get you ready for your target event, while our Off-Season plans are designed to allow you to recover from a tough season whilst maintaining your well-earned fitness. Generally, Masters plans are designed for athletes over 40 years old, although plenty of younger athletes love them too. The workouts are just as tough as with our standard training plans, but with more scheduled recovery days. Some find it easy to carry on with a normal training load, while others need to change their approach to training.

What length?
For the best outcome, count back from your “A” target race date and simply choose a plan to fill that gap (you can still work in other, smaller races during your plan). Note that longer plans start easier and progress more gradually than shorter plans. The body responds best to constant, gradual progression with regular recovery periods, and that’s exactly what our plans are designed to give you!

What level?
Choosing the correct level will help you get the most out of your plan. Generally, if you’ve never done this event before or currently train up to a few times per week, you might consider a Beginner plan. Alternatively, if you’ve done this event many times before or currently train 5+ times a week, you might consider an Advanced plan.

But don’t worry too much – we also let you swap the level for free within 14 days of purchase, if you find it too easy/hard!

Visit the MyProCoach Help Center for further guidance and to contact our Certified coaching team.

Certainly! Our training plans allow you to easily swap a few days around each week to suit your availability. Or you can swap out a session, to attend a similar group workout instead. That’s fine. If you opt for TrainingPeaks Premium (from $9.92 per month) you can even drag & drop your workouts onto different days. We give a few recommendations on how to best do this in our help centre.

And you can also train for multiple events! Our training plans guide you up to your target “A” race, but it’s also good to include some “B or C” races along the way. Our help centre goes through the exact steps you should take to enable you to get full benefit, without detracting from your key focus

Trial Us With Our FREE TASTER Plans! (8- And 12-Week PDFs Only)

Beginner (6-39wks)

Perfect for your first Marathon
3-5 hrs per week, across 4-5 workouts
  • Premium, flexible plan
  • Intuitive tracking software
  • Help centre & FAQ support
  • Email access to coach
  • From just $2.72/week!

Intermediate (6-39wks)

For seasoned runners
4-7 hrs per week, across 5-6 workouts
  • Premium, flexible plan
  • Intuitive tracking software
  • Help centre & FAQ support
  • Email access to coach
  • From just $2.72/week!

Advanced (6-39wks)

Slash your race-times
5-9 hrs per week, across 6-8 workouts
  • Premium, flexible plan
  • Intuitive tracking software
  • Help centre & FAQ support
  • Email access to coach
  • From just $2.72/week!
OTHER PLANS
Standard Marathon Plans (6-40 wks)

Under 40? Check our Marathon standard plans.

Running FITNESS MAINTENANCE (4-12 WKS)
Our fitness maintenance plans are designed to maintain your well-earned fitness whilst recovering from a tough season.
4.9 Stars from 818 reviews

Join Over 40,000 Successful Athletes

A Growing Community Of Athletes

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*on average athletes use their plan twice (our plans can be activated multiple times for free)

4.9 Stars from 818 reviews

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Masters (40+) Marathon Running - Beginner Plans:
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Planning Your Off-Season

You can start our Off-Season (Fitness Maintenance) plans anytime you like.

They’re designed to help you maintain a good level of fitness when you’re not specifically targeting an event, such as, during the off-season, or anytime you’re taking a break from racing.

Planning For Your Event

For the best outcome, input the date for your “A” target race and the tool will default to a plan that will fill that gap nicely. If you want, you can then adjust the plan length to start it on a different day.

Note that you can still work in other, smaller races during your plan too!

The longer plans start easier and progress more gradually. This has a bearing on the difficulty level you choose. For example, a 12-week plan starts off at a higher level than a 36-week plan because with 12 weeks left there’s not as much opportunity to build up slowly.
Short Medium Long
Duration
4-12 weeks
14-24 weeks
27+ weeks
Required fitness level
Higher
Moderate
Lower
Training phases
2~4
5~7
8+
Fitness tests
1~2
3~4
5+
Our Standard and Masters plans are designed to get you ready for your target event, while our Off-Season plans allow you to recover from a tough season but still maintain your well-earned fitness.
STANDARD MASTERS OFF-SEASON
Approx. age
Under 40
Over 40
Any
Recovery weeks
Every 4 weeks
Every 3 weeks
N/A
Strength sessions
1-2 per week
2 per week
1-2 per week
Likely goal
Train for event
Train for event
Maintain fitness
This table provides a brief overview of which level might be right for you, to help you get the most out of your plan. You should also note your current fitness levels and how many times you have done this event before.
BEGINNER INTERMEDIATE ADVANCED
Experience
Little to none
1-3 years
3+ years
Time to train
Limited
Moderate
Ample
Likely goal
To finish
At least top half
Competitive
All our plans are available either for sale directly on the TrainingPeaks Store (where you can also see screenshots of sample weeks), or you can subscribe as an Unlimited Athlete to be able to swap freely between all of them, among other benefits outlined below.
BUY SUBSCRIBE
Price
$24 to $159 per plan
From $24 per mth
Flexible, structured training
TrainingPeaks training app
Coaching videos, articles & FAQs
Email coach support

During plan only

Anytime
Swap freely between all 900+ plans
Help setting up your training zones
Coach fortnightly engagement check
Discounted TrainingPeaks Premium (optional)
30-day moneyback guarantee
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Please confirm your cancellation below and one of our team will process it as soon as possible (stopping all future payments). Your subscription will still continue until the end of your current billing cycle (your “next payment date”) and there is nothing else you need to do.

Don’t worry, you will always be able to access your completed workouts and your TrainingPeaks login credentials will stay the same. Also, if any payments happen to come out before we cancel your subscription, we’ll simply refund them.