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Coach Glover's 2002 New York City Marathon Training Program

These are sample schedules. Be flexible; adapt them to meet your needs. For example, long runs may be switched to Saturdays, Sundays, or other days.

Skip to: First-Time and Casual Marathoner | Basic Marathoner | Competitive Marathoner | Advanced Marathoner A | Advanced Marathoner B

Schedule #1: First-Time Marathoner

This is a bare minimum schedule (from a 15 mile-a-week base for at least one month to a peak of 35 miles a week).

  M T W Th F Sat Sun Total
Base off 3 off 3 off 6 3 15
Weeks to go
18 7/1 off 3 off 3 off 8 3 17
17 7/8 off 4 off 4 off 6 4 18
16 7/15 off 3 off 4 off 10 3 20
15 7/22 off 5 off 4 off 8 4 21
14 7/29 off 4 off 3 off 13 3 23
13 8/5 off 4 4 4 off 8 4 24
12 8/12 off 4 4 4 off 15 off 27
11 8/19 off 4 4 4 off 10 3 25
10 8/26 off 3 4 4 off 16 3 30
9 9/2 off 5 5 5 off 12 3 30
8 9/9 off 4 4 4 off 18 3 33
7 9/16 off 5 6 5 3 12 4 35
6 9/23 off 4 4 4 off 20 3 35
5 9/30 off 5 6 5 off 12 4 32
4 10/7 off 4 4 4 off 20 3 35
3 10/14 off 4 4 4 3 15 3 33
2 10/21 off 4 4 4 off 6 5 23
1 10/28 off 4 4 3 off 2 26.2 13+race

Schedule #2: First-Time and Casual Marathoner

This is the preferred schedule for most first-time marathoners (from a 20 mile-a-week base for at least one month to a peak of 40 miles a week).

  M T W Th F Sat Sun Total
Base off 3 4 4 off 6 3 20
Weeks to go
18 7/1 off 3 4 4 off 8 3 22
17 7/8 off 4 4 4 off 8 4 24
16 7/15 off 4 4 4 off 10 4 26
15 7/22 off 4 4 4 off 8 4 24
14 7/29 off 4 4 4 off 13 3 28
13 8/5 off 4 5 4 off 10 4 27
12 8/12 off 4 4 4 off 15 3 30
11 8/19 off 5 5 4 off 12 4 30
10 8/26 off 4 4 4 off 18 3 33
9 9/2 off 6 5 4 4 12 4 35
8 9/9 3 5 5 5 off 20 off 38
7 9/16 5 6 off 6 4 13 6 40
6 9/23 off 6 5 5 4 20 off 40
5 9/30 4 6 5 6 off 13 6 40
4 10/7 off 4 4 4 4 20 off 36
3 10/14 4 4 3 4 off 15 3 33
2 10/21 off 5 4 5 off 4 6 24
1 10/28 off 4 4 4 off 2 26.2 14+race

Schedule #3: Basic Marathoner

This is the recommended schedule for the average veteran marathoner (from a 25 mile-a-week base for at least one month to a peak of 45 miles a week).

  M T W Th F Sat Sun Total
Base off 4 4 4 off 10 3 25
Weeks to go
18 7/1 off 4 4 3 off 13 3 27
17 7/8 off 5 5 5 off 10 5 30
16 7/15 off 4 4 3 3 15 3 32
15 7/22 off 5 5 5 3 12 4 34
14 7/29 off 5 4 4 off 18 4 35
13 8/5 off 5 6 5 4 13 4 37
12 8/12 off 6 5 5 3 18 3 40
11 8/19 off 6 6 6 6 13 5 42
10 8/26 off 6 6 6 4 20 3 45
9 9/2 off 6 6 6 6 13 5 42
8 9/9 off 6 6 6 4 20 3 45
7 9/16 off 6 6 6 6 13 5 42
6 9/23 off 6 6 6 4 20 3 45
5 9/30 off 6 6 6 6 13 5 42
4 10/7 off 5 6 5 4 22 3 45
3 10/14 off 5 5 4 3 15 3 35
2 10/21 off 5 5 5 off 8 4 27
1 10/28 off 4 4 3 off 3 26.2 14+race

Schedule #4: Competitive Marathoner

This is a schedule for veteran marathoners aiming to improve race time (from a 30 mile-a-week base or at least one month to a peak of 50 miles a week).

  M T W Th F Sat Sun Total
Base off 5 5 5 off 10 5 30
Weeks to Go
18 7/1 off 6 5 5 off 13 3 32
17 7/8 off 5 4 5 3 13 3 33
16 7/15 off 5 5 4 4 15 3 36
15 7/22 off 5 6 5 4 13 5 38
14 7/29 5 5 6 5 off 15 4 40
13 8/5 6 6 6 6 off 13 6 43
12 8/12 off 6 6 6 6 18 5 47
11 8/19 6 6 6 6 off 15 4 43
10 8/26 off 6 6 8 5 20 5 50
9 9/2 off 6 6 8 6 15 5 46
8 9/9 off 6 6 8 6 20 4 50
7 9/16 off 6 6 8 6 13 6 45
6 9/23 off 6 6 8 4 22 4 50
5 9/30 off 6 6 8 6 15 4 45
4 10/7 off 5 6 5 off 22 4 42
3 10/14 off 5 5 6 5 15 4 40
2 10/21 off 5 5 4 4 8 4 30
1 10/28 off 4 4 3 off 3 26.2 14+race

Schedule #5: Advanced Marathoner A

This is a schedule for advanced runners who have the time, energy, and experience to handle the more difficult workload (from a 40 mile-a-week base for at least one month to a peak of 60 miles a week).

  M T W Th F Sat Sun Total
Base off 6 6 5 5 12 6 40
Weeks to go
18 7/1 off 6 5 6 5 15 5 42
17 7/8 off 6 6 6 5 18 4 45
16 7/15 off 6 6 6 4 20 5 47
15 7/22 off 6 6 8 6 15 6 47
14 7/29 off 6 6 6 6 20 6 50
13 8/5 off 6 6 8 6 13 6 45
12 8/12 off 8 8 8 6 20 5 55
11 8/19 off 8 8 8 7 13 6 50
10 8/26 off 8 8 8 8 20 8 60
9 9/2 off 8 8 8 8 15 6 53
8 9/9 off 8 8 8 8 22 6 60
7 9/16 off 8 8 8 8 15 6 53
6 9/23 off 8 8 8 8 23 5 60
5 9/30 off 8 8 8 8 15 8 55
4 10/7 off 8 7 6 6 22 6 55
3 10/14 off 6 8 6 5 15 5 45
2 10/21 off 6 6 6 5 8 4 35
1 10/28 off 5 4 3 off 3 26.2 15+race

Schedule #6: Advanced Marathoner B

This is a schedule for advanced runners who have the time, energy, and experience to handle the more difficult workload (from a 50-mile-a-week base for at least one month to a peak of 70 miles a week). It can be adjusted to 80+ miles a week and may require a few two-a-day sessions.

  M T W Th F Sat Sun Total
Base off 8 8 8 6 12 8 50
Weeks to go
18 7/1 off 8 7 8 7 15 7 52
17 7/8 off 8 7 8 7 18 7 55
16 7/15 4 8 8 8 7 15 7 57
15 7/22 off 8 7 8 7 20 7 57
14 7/29 5 8 8 8 8 15 8 60
13 8/5 off 8 8 8 8 20 8 60
12 8/12 off 8 8 8 8 15 8 55
11 8/19 4 8 8 8 6 22 6 62
10 8/26 8 8 10 8 8 15 8 65
9 9/2 6 8 8 8 7 20 8 65
8 9/9 10 8 10 8 8 16 8 68
7 9/16 10 8 8 8 6 22 8 70
6 9/23 10 8 10 8 8 16 10 70
5 9/30 8 8 10 8 6 23 7 70
4 10/7 10 8 10 8 8 16 10 70
3 10/14 off 8 8 8 8 20 8 60
2 10/21 off 8 7 8 6 10 6 45
1 10/28 off 5 4 3 off 3 26.2 15+race


Text © Robert H. Glover and Associates, Inc. 2002 The NYC Marathon Training Program is adapted from The Runnner's Handbook and The Competitive Runner's Handbook.

  
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