Tools Field Notes Gear About
Tool No. 03

Training Plan
Generator

Unlike generic 16-week plans, this tool builds a realistic day-by-day schedule based on your race date, target distance, and current fitness level. It respects your real life and current mileage so you actually stick with it.

Your Race
The plan works backward from your race date.
Be honest here. A plan that matches your current fitness gets you to the start line healthy.
Finish plans prioritize consistency and mileage. Time-goal plans add tempo and race-pace work.
How many days per week you can realistically commit to running.
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Enter your race info
to generate your plan

Easy
Tempo
Long Run
Race Pace
Race Day
Rest
How It Works
Building
Your Plan

The generator works backward from your race date — calculating how many weeks are available, then dividing them into a base phase, build phase, and taper. Every week is assigned a structure based on your selected days per week and whether you're training to finish or for a time goal.

Time-goal plans include tempo runs and race-pace sessions starting around week 3. Finish plans keep the effort honest — mostly easy running, one long run per week, and a proper taper. Cutback weeks are built in every third or fourth week automatically.

The plan adapts to your runway. 8 weeks out? You get a compressed but doable structure. 20 weeks out? A full base-to-peak-to-taper arc. The goal is always a plan you can actually follow through to race morning.

Common Questions
The minimum is 10 weeks for runners with an existing base of 15+ miles per week. The ideal is 16 weeks, which gives enough time to build mileage safely, include quality tempo and race-pace work, and taper properly. If you have less than 10 weeks, the plan will adapt — but finishing strong should take priority over hitting a time goal with an abbreviated build.
A finish plan focuses on consistent mileage and easy effort — building the aerobic base needed to cover the distance. A time goal plan adds tempo runs and race-pace sessions to train your body to sustain a specific pace under fatigue. If this is your first half marathon, a finish plan is almost always the better choice regardless of how fit you feel.
Pick the number you can genuinely commit to for the full training cycle — not your ideal week. Three days is enough to finish a half marathon. Four days builds meaningful fitness with manageable recovery. Five days suits intermediate runners targeting a time goal. Consistency across the full cycle matters far more than cramming extra days into peak weeks.
Beginner: under 15 miles per week or less than a year of consistent running. Intermediate: 15–30 miles per week with a regular routine. Advanced: 30+ miles per week with multiple races in your history. When in doubt, select one level below your instinct — starting too ambitious is the single most common path to injury.
A cutback week is a planned mileage reduction — typically to about 80% of the previous week — built in every third or fourth week. It isn't a rest week; you still run, but at lower volume so your body absorbs the accumulated training load. Skipping cutback weeks is one of the most common causes of overuse injuries in half marathon training.
Yes. The generator supports 5K, 10K, half marathon, and marathon. Plan length, long run distances, and workout structure all adjust automatically based on your selected distance and fitness level. Marathon plans require a minimum of 14 weeks with 16–20 being ideal. For 5K and 10K, the emphasis shifts toward speed work and shorter long runs.
Field Note
Decoding Running Paces — understand easy, tempo, and race pace so every session in your plan has a purpose.
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