What makes an AI marathon plan different
Generic marathon plans assume you'll train perfectly for 18 weeks straight. You won't — and neither will anyone else. Work deadlines, bad sleep, minor niggles, and missed sessions are part of every runner's build-up.
PacecraftAI builds your plan around you as you actually are — current fitness, available days per week, target race date — and adjusts the schedule every week based on how your training is going. Miss a long run on Saturday? The AI reshuffles the week. Run exceptionally well for two weeks in a row? It moves your progression forward.
How your training plan is built
Step 1
Tell PacecraftAI your goal
Race date, target finish time, current weekly mileage, and how many days per week you can train.
Step 2
Get your personalised plan
A full 12–20 week schedule covering base building, tempo runs, speed work, long runs, and taper.
Step 3
Train — and let it adapt
Log your runs, ask coaching questions, and watch your plan evolve each week based on your actual performance.
Step 4
Arrive at the start line ready
Race-week prep, pacing strategy, carb-loading guidance, and a personalised final checklist.
What's included in your marathon plan
✓Adaptive weekly schedule — Adjusts mileage and intensity based on your logged training and fatigue.
✓Training load monitoring — ATL, CTL, and TSB tracking — the same science elite coaches use — to prevent injury and overtraining.
✓Pace zone targets — Easy, tempo, threshold, and interval paces personalised to your current fitness.
✓Long run progression — Structured build-up with back-off weeks built in so you peak at the right time.
✓24/7 coaching Q&A — Ask anything — pace adjustments, race strategy, nutrition — and get an instant, contextualised answer.
✓Injury risk alerts — Flagged automatically when your training load spikes or recovery metrics indicate elevated risk.
✓Race countdown messages — D-7, D-3, and D-1 guidance on taper, carb-loading, sleep, and race-day pacing.
✓Strava auto-sync (Pro) — Automatically pulls your runs from Strava so your plan always reflects what you actually ran.
Who this is built for
PacecraftAI marathon training plans work best for:
✓First-time marathoners who want structure without overwhelm
✓Recreational runners aiming for a specific finish time (sub-4, sub-3:30, sub-3)
✓Busy runners who need a plan that bends around work and life
✓Runners coming back from injury who need conservative, load-aware progression
✓Experienced runners who want real-time coaching between training cycles
Frequently asked questions
How long is the marathon training plan?
Plans range from 12 to 20 weeks depending on your current fitness and race date. PacecraftAI recommends the right length based on your starting mileage and goal time.
Can I use it if I've never run a marathon before?
Yes. PacecraftAI builds plans for complete first-timers through to competitive club runners. If you can currently run 30–40 minutes continuously, you have enough base fitness to start a 20-week plan.
What if I miss a week of training?
Just tell PacecraftAI what happened. It will reassess your fitness, adjust the remaining schedule, and give you a modified plan that still gets you to the start line in the best shape possible.
Does it integrate with Strava or Garmin?
Strava auto-sync is available on the Pro plan ($6/month). It automatically imports your runs so your training plan always reflects what you actually did, not what was scheduled.
Is it free?
Yes — free to start, no credit card required. The free plan includes 50 AI coaching messages per month. Pro unlocks unlimited coaching, full plan generation, and Strava sync.