LHR method – Focus on building base and maintaining hormonal balance, fat burning.Hal Higdon - Light on speed work, encourages cross training.Hanson method - Shorter long runs, high volume focused on intensity.Run Less, Faster method - 3 runs per week.My philosophy is that no “best way” exists, it’s about finding the program that WORKS FOR YOU and hopefully the following deep dives will help you make the best decision when picking a marathon training plan.Ī quick comparison with links to additional details: Since plans can run from low mileage with high intensity to high mileage with low intensity and a smattering of things in between, it’s confusing to understand what is really the best way to train! That will provide you more information about who it works for and if it’s a good fit for you. Which means for many of these you will find detailed articles providing more information included feedback from fellow runners and coaches who have completed marathons with it. Comparing The Best Marathon Training PlansĮvery marathon training program could be an entire article. So whether you’re training for London, Chicago, NYC or any of the other thousands of races, one of these plans will help you get there with confidence. Today we are going to focus on Galloway, Hanson, Run Less Run Faster, Hal Higdon, Low Heart Training and lightly CrossFit endurance. More advanced training schedules for those really looking to hit Sub 3 hours like Pfitzinger’s Advanced Marathon plan or high volume of Lydiard are not included.

The programs I’ve selected for this article are focused on newer to intermediate runners. While there are a WIDE variety of training styles, I’ve picked out some of the most common to breakdown for you. We’re going to first cover some basics of each plan to help you get a feel for the programs and then dive in the specific things you need to consider when picking the best marathon training plan for YOU.

There’s a lot to consider when looking not just at the different styles of training, but at the levels provided by each running coach. Have you ever wondered the difference between all the marathon training plans out there? How do you begin to pick a marathon training plan? Will a free marathon plan off the internet do the trick?

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