Free 20 week marathon programme
You do not need to live like a professional runner to train seriously for a marathon.
Here you get 20 weeks of varied training with clear direction towards 42.2 kilometres. The programme brings togethere running, strength, free activity, fuelling practice and a simple progression test, so training becomes more than a number of kilometres left to stand alone without connection to the goal and the rest of your everyday life.
Why anothere programme specifically for marathon?
At No Perfect Week, coaching can also be about half marathon, trail running, ultra distances and othere goals that require their own approach to training. But when a more general programme is built around one clear distance, marathon makes particular sense.
Marathon is an extremely popular distance, and for good reason. The 42.2 kilometres are a concrete and ambitious goal, while the preparation includes enough different elements for a cohereent plan to make a noticeable difference.
That does not mean the world needs anothere calendar of kilometres. Some marathon programmes are so simple that they almost only tell you how far to run. Otheres are so detailed that they require a suspiciously cooperative calendar.
This programme sits somewheree more useful. It is built on experience from my own training, previous coaches and the training principles explained in the programme. Every session has a purpose, and running, strength, free activity, energy and recovery have been thought through togethere across the 20 weeks.
More than a long run on Sunday
A marathon does not necessarily get easier when the plan becomes more complicated. But training gets better when its different parts work togethere.
20 weeks
in five phases
Clear direction towards your goal, divided into five phases of four weeks each. Each phase builds on the previous one, so you know what matters most now without needing to solve all 42.2 kilometres at once.
Strength and
free activity
The strength sessions are intended to make your body more robust against the one sided load of many running kilometres. Free activity such as cycling, swimming or hiking adds aerobic training and brings variety to the programme.
Varied sessions
with a purpose
Easy runs, strides, threshold work, marathon effort and long runs each have their own role. You do not simply collect kilometres, but train the parts that need to work togethere on race day.
Energy and hydration
along the way
Energy and hydration are gradually built into training, from the first long runs to the final specific tests. The aim is for you to use a routine you already know and feel comfortable with on race day.
Bloem’s
Pyramid
The programme’s regular progression test challenges speed, running economy and focus. You meet the test several times along the way, so you can follow your progress and learn how you respond to changing load.
Intensity
by RPE
RPE helps you manage training by the effort your body actually experiences. Pace is still useful guidance, but wind, heat, hills and how you feel on the day do not get to decide on their own.
Is the programme right for you?
The programme is not designed as a first introduction to running. Before you start, you should be able to run 10 kilometres continuously at an easy pace without pain or walking breaks. It is also helpful if you have already completed, for example, a half marathon or equivalent.
The programme is written for an expected finishing time of around 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours. It is a guide, not a promise and not a judgement of who may use the plan. If your level is clearly outside that range, parts of the programme may still be relevant, but training load and pace may require greater adjustment.
See the full programme
Here you can see all 20 weeks of the programme togethere. The overview shows the phases and rhythm of training. The full PDF, which you can download here explains the sessions, intensity and thinking behind the programme.
20 week marathon programme
| Phase | Week | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Restday | Saturday | Sunday | Weekly focus | Approx. running |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1: Starting out and foundation Three running days and at least one strength session per week. The focus is consistency, easy aerobic training, strides, foundational strength and the first Bloem’s Pyramid test. |
1 | Rest | Bloem’s Pyramid Scaled | Strength 1: Foundation and full body | 8 km easy + strides | Rest | 13 km long run | Rest | Set a baseline, re establish the rhythm and test Bloem’s Pyramid Scaled. | approx. 30 km |
| 2 | Rest | 8 km easy + strides | Strength 2: Hips and upper body | 45 min treadmill hills | Rest | 15 km long run | Rest | Steady week with easy running, treadmill hills and a slightly longer long run. | approx. 31 km | |
| 3 | Rest | 10 km easy + strides | Strength 3: Unilateral control and posterior chain | 60 min threshold | Rest | 18 km long run | Rest | First controlled threshold session and a longer long run. | approx. 39 km | |
| 4 | Rest | 8 km easy | Strength 4: Easy week and movement quality | 45 min easy treadmill run | Rest | Free activity 60 min | 13 km long run | Easy week. Keep the rhythm, but reduce the overall load. | approx. 28 km | |
| Phase 2: Work phase part 1 Three running days and at least one strength session per week. Threshold, VO2 max and short blocks at marathon effort gradually become more specific. |
5 | Rest | 10 km easy + strides | Strength 5: Foundational strength and power reserve | 75 min threshold | Rest | 20 km long run | Rest | More threshold work and the first clear marathon specific build. | approx. 43 km |
| 6 | Rest | 10 km easy | Strength 6: Squat, hips and running control | 60 min VO2 max on the treadmill | Rest | 23 km long run | Rest | VO2 max on the treadmill and a longer, easy long run. | approx. 43 km | |
| 7 | Rest | 12 km easy + strides | Strength 7: Posterior chain and upper body | 75 min marathon effort | Free activity 60 min | 25 km long run | Rest | First clear blocks at marathon effort and a 25 km long run. | approx. 51 km | |
| 8 | Rest | Bloem’s Pyramid progression test | Strength 8: Easy week | 8 km easy | Rest | 15 km long run | Rest | Easy week and a new Bloem’s Pyramid measurement. | approx. 29 km | |
| Phase 3: Work phase part 2 Some weeks have four running days. Strength every other week and the first controlled weekends with running on two consecutive days. |
9 | Rest | 10 km easy + strides | 8 km very easy + strength | 75 min threshold | Rest | 25 km long run | Rest | Four running days and longer threshold work, but still controlled. | approx. 56 km |
| 10 | Rest | 12 km easy | Free activity 60 min | 75 min threshold | Rest | 20 km long run | 8 km very easy | First weekend with running on two consecutive days and free activity. | approx. 53 km | |
| 11 | Rest | 12 km easy + strides | Strength 10: Unilateral robustness | 75 min marathon effort | Rest | 25 km long run | 8 km very easy | Biggest week in the phase with marathon effort and running on two consecutive days. | approx. 60 km | |
| 12 | Rest | Bloem’s Pyramid progression test | Rest | 8 km easy | Rest | 20 km long run | Rest | Easy week and the third Bloem’s Pyramid test. | approx. 37 km | |
| Phase 4: The marathon phase Three to four running days each week, strength every other week and more marathon effort. |
13 | Rest | 12 km easy + strides | Strength 11: Marathon robustness | 18 km with marathon effort | Free activity 60 min | 28 km long run | Rest | Marathon specific strength, longer goal pace work and a 28 km long run. | approx. 58 km |
| 14 | Rest | 10 km easy | Rest | 75 min threshold | Rest | 25 km with marathon blocks | 10 km very easy | Threshold, marathon blocks and running on two consecutive days. | approx. 58 km | |
| 15 | Rest | 12 km easy + strides | Strength 12: Low volume before a specific weekend | 90 min treadmill marathon effort | Rest | 28 km long run | 8 km very easy | Biggest specific week in the phase with marathon effort on the treadmill and a long weekend. | approx. 65 km | |
| 16 | Rest | Bloem’s Pyramid progression test | Rest | 12 km easy | Rest | 25 km with marathon blocks | Rest | Moderately easy week, Bloem’s Pyramid and race nutrition on the long run. | approx. 47 km | |
| Phase 5: Peak and taper The final major specific stimuli, one strength session across the whole phase, concrete race strategy and gradual reduction towards the marathon. |
17 | Rest | 12 km easy + strides | Strength 13: Final maintenance session | 18 km with long marathon blocks | Rest | 30 km specific long run | 8 km very easy | Peak week with the final strength session and the biggest marathon specific long run. | approx. 68 km |
| 18 | Rest | Bloem’s Pyramid final test | 10 km easy | Rest | Free activity 60 min | 28 km aid station and nutrition test | Rest | Early taper, final Bloem’s Pyramid and a concrete aid station strategy. | approx. 48 km | |
| 19 | Rest | 10 km easy + strides | Rest | 12 km with marathon effort | Rest | 18 km with short marathon blocks | Rest | Taper with marathon rhythm maintained and clearly lower volume. | approx. 40 km | |
| 20 | Rest | 8 km easy + strides | Rest | 6 km running activation | Rest | 20 min shakeout, optional | Marathon race | Race week. Fresh legs, familiar routines and no last minute projects. | approx. 14 to 17 km (plus marathon) |
Which marathon is the plan built for?
Marathons can vary greatly. Surface, elevation gain, aid stations, season, temperature and wind can change the task more than the name of the distance suggests.
The programme is therefore based on a typical road marathon with approximately 100 to 200 metres of elevation gain. Your actual race does not need to fit this picture, but significant differences or unique conditions may require the training to be adapted in relation to the race.
Why is the
programme free?
Because free does not have to mean half finished.
You get the complete programme with 20 weeks of training, five phases and explanations of what the sessions are intended to do. The programme should stand on its own and give you something concrete to work with, even if you choose to follow it without personal coaching.
The larger goal of No Perfect Week is not only to help people towards a race. It is to give more people the opportunity to experience the joy, strength and pride of completing something they have chosen to pursue.
But a plan cannot watch you run
A map can be accurate and still not tell you how the journey feels along the way. It can show the route, but cannot assess whether you should hold your pace, adjust it or take a break.
The marathon programme is based on a broader average and provides a considered structure to work from. Training background, recovery, sleep, load and complications that can arise are rarely average.
Personal running coaching creates space for the ongoing assessment the programme is not designed to provide. Coaching is not about unlocking the missing pages. It is about making training more personal when you need it. That difference only really becomes clear when training begins.
Download the programme
Enter your name and email, and you will get immediate access to the PDF file. The link is also sent to your email, so you do not have to remember where you put it. It is a marathon programme after all, not a memory test.
And do not worry, you will not be signed up for a newsletter.
If it is not on Insta, did it even happen?
Of course it did. But if you are sharing a long run, a sweaty Bloem’s Pyramid test or a beautiful sunrise on a run anyway, please include #Bloemspyramid and #noperfectweek.
Then others can see what lies behind the 42.2 kilometres long before the starting gun goes off.
#Bloemspyramid
#noperfectweek
Questions about the marathon programme
Most weeks include three running days. Some of the later phases include four running days. There is also strength training and occasional weeks with free activity such as cycling, swimming or hiking.
It is possible to train for a marathon in less time. But the extra time gives running training room to develop at a pace where not only muscles, but also joints and tendons, can keep up. There is also room for strength, recovery and everything else that needs to work together if you are still going to have a life alongside running.
And if a week changes, the whole plan does not have to feel lost. The goal is not to make 20 weeks look perfect. The goal is to stand ready on the start line with training that has had room to be built properly.
The programme is not designed as a first introduction to running. Before you start, you should be able to run 10 kilometres continuously at an easy pace without pain or walking breaks. It is also relevant if you have already run a half marathon and now want to train more purposefully for a marathon.
The programme is based on an expected finishing time of around 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours. This is a practical starting point for the paces in the plan, not a promise of the result or a limit on who may use it.
RPE, or Rate of Perceived Effort, is the programme’s main guide. Paces are used as guidance, but heat, wind, hills and how you feel on the day can make heart rate and pace data less relevant. When pace and perceived effort do not match, guide yourself by the effort.
RPE stands for Rate of Perceived Effort and describes how hard a session feels. On an easy run, you should be able to speak in full sentences. At marathon effort, you work in a controlled but focused way. This gives you a more useful way to manage training than pace alone.
Yes. The programme includes 13 strength sessions intended as a complement to running training. They are written on the basis that you have access to a gym, but several exercises can be replaced with similar alternatives if you train at home.
The programme does not schedule a fixed mobility routine on particular days because needs are not the same. The PDF recommends at least 30 minutes per week and suggests relevant exercises. Choose what makes sense for you rather than completing a whole list for the list’s sake.
Bloem’s Pyramid is the programme’s progression test. It takes place on a treadmill, where speed and incline change every minute. You take the test in weeks 1, 8, 12, 16 and 18, so you can follow your progress and see how you respond to changing load.
Yes. Energy and hydration become an increasingly important part of the long runs as the programme progresses. The purpose is to test products, amounts and timing in training, so race day is not the first time you find out what your stomach thinks of the plan.
Let a single missed session go and continue with the next planned session. If you miss several days, resume training when your body is ready, without trying to make up the missed quality sessions. If you miss a full week early in the programme, you can consider repeating the most recently completed training week. The taper and race week are not moved.
Pain that changes your running form is a sign that you should stop the session. If the problem does not settle quickly, you should have it assessed by a relevant healthcare professional. The programme can provide structure, but it cannot make a diagnosis.
Yes, the programme is a structure, not a rulebook. You can move a session one day forward or back when necessary. Keep the order where possible, avoid scheduling two hard sessions close together, and do not place a demanding quality session right next to the long run.
The programme is based on a typical road marathon with approximately 100 to 200 metres of elevation gain. It is written with a dry, still day at around 15 degrees as its reference. A race with significant heat, hills, wind or other special conditions may require pace, training load and preparation to be adjusted.
The PDF is fixed and does not automatically change according to your route, conditions or progress. If your race is far from the programme’s starting point, parts of the plan may still be useful, but it may require a more individual assessment. Personal coaching makes it possible to follow training more closely and adjust the plan along the way.
Yes. You provide your name and email to access the programme and receive the download link. You are not signed up for a newsletter as part of the download.
Fill out the form with your name and email address. The download link is shown directly on the page, and the same link is sent to your email.