Training Plan Builder: Free Running Plan from 5K to Marathon

A good training plan does not start with your goal but with what you are running today. This builder creates your plan for a 5K, 10K, half marathon or marathon from your current weekly volume, your longest run and a recent race time – and checks it against six rules designed to prevent overload.

Free, no sign-up, right in your browser. Below your plan you can see whether it meets every rule, which paces to run and every single session up to race day.

Create your training plan

Why many free training plans do more harm than good

Most free plans are tables: one plan for everyone with a particular goal. Whether you currently run 15 or 40 kilometres a week makes no difference to them. That is the problem. A plan that does not know where you stand has to guess – and for many runners it guesses too high.

The consequences are always the same. Volume rises faster than tendons and bones can adapt. The long run in week one is already longer than anything you have run recently. And because paces are derived from your goal rather than your current fitness, you spend weeks training at an intensity you cannot yet sustain. It feels ambitious and often ends with a break instead of a personal best.

The six rules the builder follows

Every plan is checked against the following rules, and you see the result directly below your plan. We tested the builder with more than 16,000 random inputs; not a single one broke a rule.

1. No more than 10% more per week. Weekly volume rises by at most a tenth over the last build week. At very low volume, at least 1.5 km is allowed, but never more than 15%.
2. Recovery means recovery. Every fourth week, volume drops by a quarter. Afterwards it returns to the previous level – not beyond it.
3. The long run does not dominate the week. At low volume it makes up at most half of the week. From 40 km per week, the share falls to 35% (5K and 10K), 40% (half marathon) or 50% (marathon).
4. The start fits you. The first long run is at most 10% longer than your longest run of recent weeks.
5. You get what you asked for. If volume is too low for all runs, the runs get shorter, not fewer. Only in race week are runs deliberately dropped.
6. 80/20 stays 80/20. No more than 20% of training time is hard. If a second quality session does not fit the budget, it becomes an easy run.

On top of that come limits that do not depend on your input: beginners under 20 km per week get at most one quality session, the first weeks contain no hard sessions, and the long run is capped by time – at three hours for the marathon.

How to read your plan

The plan is divided into phases. In the base phase you build volume, with only short strides at the end of easy runs. In the build phase, threshold and interval sessions are added. The specific phase brings race-pace sessions, and for the marathon also sections at marathon pace at the end of the long run. During the taper, volume drops significantly so you start fresh. Our article on CTL, ATL and TSB explains how form rises in this phase.

The builder calculates your paces from your recent race time. Easy runs are deliberately slow: you should still be able to hold a conversation. If you know your zones more precisely, for example from a lactate test, you can compare them with the training zones calculator.

How realistic is your goal?

From your recent time, the builder uses Peter Riegel's formula to predict what time is currently realistic over your target distance. If your goal is up to 3% faster, the race-pace sessions use your goal. Between 3% and 8% faster, the goal counts as ambitious but achievable, and training is based on your current fitness. If it is more than 8% faster, the builder tells you openly. Our marathon and half-marathon statistics show the times actually run at major races.

The plan does not end with the builder

A plan on a screen is fixed. Your training is not: you get ill, move a session, run a week more than planned. The plan notices none of it. That is what Yama is built for: the app compares planned and completed training, reschedules sessions, plans your taper backwards from race day and warns you when you are heading into overload.

Frequently asked questions

Is the training plan builder free?

Yes. The builder creates your complete plan directly on this page, without signing up. If you like, you can then use the plan in Yama, where it adapts to your actual training.

Which distances does the builder create plans for?

For 5K, 10K, half marathon and marathon. The minimum time until race day is 6 weeks for a 5K, 8 weeks for a 10K, 10 weeks for a half marathon and 12 weeks for a marathon.

Why does the builder ask for my longest run?

Because the first long run in the plan should be no more than 10 percent longer. Many plans set a fixed long run regardless of what you have been running. That is one of the most common causes of overload at the start of a plan.

What happens if my goal is too ambitious?

The builder compares your goal with a prediction based on your current fitness. If the goal is more than 8 percent faster, you get a clear note and the quality sessions are based on your current fitness instead of your goal. That way you do not spend weeks training at a pace you cannot yet sustain.

How fast should I run my easy runs?

Slower than most people think. The builder calculates a range from your current fitness. As a rule of thumb, you should still be able to talk in full sentences. Around 80 percent of your training takes place in this range.

Does the plan replace a coach or a medical check-up?

No. The plan is a solid template for healthy runners. If you have health conditions, pain or are returning after a long break, get a medical check first to make sure you are ready for the load.