How to Choose a Running Training Plan
Updated June 14, 2026
The best training plan is the one you'll actually finish. Picking it comes down to four questions: your goal distance, your experience, the mileage you're already running, and the time you can give each week. Get those right and the plan almost chooses itself.
Start with your goal and your base
First, the distance you're training for. Second — and just as important — how much you're running now. A plan that starts above your current weekly mileage is a fast track to injury; one that starts well below it will bore you and leave fitness on the table.
Not sure where you land? The pace calculator also recommends plans that match your current mileage and goal.
Match the plan to your experience
Novice plans keep volume modest and skip hard speedwork — ideal for finishing your first race. Intermediate and advanced plans add tempo runs, intervals, and higher mileage to chase a time goal. Be honest: most runners do better starting one level below their ego.
Be realistic about time
A plan peaking at 55 miles a week across six days needs 6–9 hours; a four-day novice plan needs far less. The plan you can fit into your real life beats the 'optimal' plan you'll abandon in week 5.
The popular methodologies, briefly
The plans runners argue about most, and who each suits:
- Hal Higdon — simple, flexible, beginner-friendly; great for first races.
- Pfitzinger ('Pfitz') — higher mileage with midweek medium-long runs; for experienced runners chasing big PRs.
- Hansons — high frequency and cumulative fatigue with a capped 16-mile long run; for runners who improve with consistency over single huge runs.
- Jack Daniels — pace-precise, VDOT-based; for runners who like training by exact numbers.
Compare side by side
Once you've narrowed it down, the anystride comparison view lines plans up by length, weekly time, intensity, and what each builds up to — so the trade-offs are easy to see.
Get your personal numbers
Training paces, predicted times, and the plans that fit you.
Frequently asked questions
Hal Higdon vs Pfitzinger — which should I use?
Higdon if you want a simple, lower-stress plan or it's an early race; Pfitzinger if you're an experienced runner with a solid mileage base chasing a personal best and you have time for higher volume.
How many days a week should I run?
Beginners do well on 3–4 days. More experienced runners chasing time goals typically run 5–6. Pick the frequency you can sustain for the whole plan, not just week one.
Should I follow a plan exactly?
Treat it as a smart default, not a contract. Shift days to fit your week, and back off if you're injured or sick. Consistency over months matters more than nailing any single session.
Related training plans
Hal Higdon — Marathon Novice 1
The go-to first-marathon plan: 18 weeks, four runs a week, long runs marching up to 20 miles. Finish-focused, no speedwork.
18 weeks · 4 days/week
↗ Guide + link to official plan
Pfitzinger 18/55
The famous 'Pfitz' plan from Advanced Marathoning: 18 weeks peaking at 55 mpw, built on lactate-threshold runs and midweek medium-long runs.
18 weeks · 6 days/week
↗ Guide + link to official plan
Hansons Marathon Method
A high-frequency plan built on 'cumulative fatigue' — six runs a week, goal-pace tempo runs, and a deliberately capped 16-mile long run.
18 weeks · 6 days/week
↗ Guide + link to official plan