How Many Miles a Week for Marathon Training (and Which Shoe for Each Run)

The short answer

On Hal Higdon's Novice 1 Marathon plan, a first-time marathoner runs about 15 miles a week at the start, peaks at 40 miles in week 15, then tapers for three weeks. That averages roughly 24 miles a week and about 435 miles before race day. All of those figures are our arithmetic from the published schedule, which lists four run days a week, rest on Mondays and Fridays, and cross-training on Sundays.

For shoes, that mileage splits naturally across three pairs: a daily trainer for the short midweek runs, a cushioned long-run shoe for the Saturday long run, and a race-day shoe you test in the final weeks. You can do it with one pair; a rotation spreads the load across shoes and lets you race in a fresher pair.

Week-by-week mileage (Novice 1)

Distances in miles, as published by Hal Higdon. Mondays and Fridays are rest days. The "run miles" column is our sum of the scheduled runs, counting week 8's optional half marathon as 13.1 miles.

Three things to notice. The long run does most of the growing: it goes from 6 to 20 miles while the midweek runs only grow from 3 to 10. The stepback weeks (3, 6, 9, 12) drop the long run so you recover. And the taper is steep: from 40 run-miles in week 15 to 29 and then 21 before race week.

Coming from a half? Hal Higdon's Novice 1 Half Marathon plan runs 12 weeks with a long run that builds to 10 miles, about 10 to 23 run-miles a week by our arithmetic. So the marathon plan's week 1 (15 miles, with a 6-mile long run) sits inside the range you've already run; the new part is how far the long run keeps climbing after week 5. Our half marathon training mileage guide shows the 12-week plan week by week.

Is 40 miles a week enough for marathon training?

For a first marathon, Higdon's Novice 1 plan tops out at 40 run-miles by our count, and only in one week (week 15). Its stated goal is covering the distance: "The important point is that you cover the distance; how fast matters less." So 40 is a peak week for a first-timer, not a weekly average. Higdon publishes other marathon plans (Novice 2, Intermediate, Advanced and more) for runners with more experience; if you're chasing a time rather than a finish, look at those rather than adding miles to Novice 1 on your own.

Rest days, cross-training and walk breaks

The weekly mileage only tells part of the story. Higdon builds the plan around recovery: "Novice 1 marathoners rest on Mondays and rest again on Fridays," both to recover after the weekend long run and to gather energy before the next one. Sundays are for cross-training, which he describes as "any aerobic exercise using slightly different muscles," naming swimming, cycling or even walking as the best options. None of that needs running shoes, so all of the plan's running miles fall on four days a week.

Higdon is also relaxed about walking: "Don't be embarrassed to take walking breaks. Walking is perfectly acceptable for finishing." His advice is to walk when you want to, not when your fatigued body forces you to. If you plan to run-walk your long runs, the same cushioned long-run shoe works; there's no need for anything different.

How long the long runs take

Mileage isn't the only measure of a long run. Here is how long Higdon's key long runs take at a few conversational paces, by our straight arithmetic (distance x pace, no stops).

That's why the long-run shoe gets its own slot in the rotation: the 15- to 20-mile runs take two and a half to nearly five hours at these paces.

Why rotate shoes in marathon training

Three practical reasons, and one research note.

• Mileage. Around 435 miles is a lot for one pair to absorb and still be the shoe you race in.
• Different jobs. A 3-mile Tuesday and a 20-mile Saturday ask different things of a shoe. A lighter daily trainer suits the first; a taller, more cushioned shoe suits the second.
• Race-day readiness. Hal Higdon's advice is to test any race shoe before racing in it, with at least two or three runs including one semi-long run. A rotation builds that testing into the plan.

The research note: a 22-week study of 264 recreational runners found that those who used more than one pair of running shoes in parallel had a lower rate of running-related injury (hazard ratio 0.614). It is one observational study showing an association; it doesn't prove that rotating shoes prevents injury, and the same study linked other factors, such as time spent in other sports, to lower risk. For the general version of this advice at every level, see our running shoe rotation guide.

The rotation, phase by phase

The phase names below are our grouping of Higdon's weeks, not his.

Base, weeks 1-6: one shoe is plenty

Runs are 3 to 5 miles midweek and 5 to 10 on Saturday. A good daily trainer handles all of it. Start the plan in a fresh pair so you aren't replacing it in the peak weeks. By week 5 the long run reaches 10 miles; that's a sensible point to add a more cushioned long-run shoe and break it in before the longer runs arrive.

Build, weeks 7-12: split the week

Long runs climb to 12, 15 and 16 miles. Move Saturday into the long-run shoe and keep the daily trainer for Tuesday to Thursday. Week 8's half marathon is a useful dress rehearsal: if you already own a race shoe, it's a chance to try it at race effort over 13.1.

Peak, weeks 13-15: protect the long runs

The 18- and 20-milers happen here, so the long-run shoe should be broken in but not worn out. If you plan to race in a separate shoe, buy it now and use it on a few midweek runs.

Taper, weeks 16-18: test the race shoe

Higdon points out that the Novice 1 taper holds five runs of 3 to 4 miles, and that the plan's last long run is 8 miles at the end of week 17. Use some of those short runs and the 8-miler (or the Wednesday runs of 8 and 6 miles) in your race shoe. Don't buy anything new after this point.

Our three-shoe rotation

One daily trainer, one long-run shoe, one race shoe, each chosen for its job in the Novice 1 week. You can swap any of them for another pick from the same role; our best marathon training shoes lists the alternatives.

Prefer to race without carbon? Swap the third shoe for a plateless super trainer from our plateless marathon picks; those can also take over some long runs.

Watching shoe mileage

Log the miles on each pair, which most running watches and apps can do. With a rotation, the long-run shoe picks up about 181 miles from the Saturday long runs alone by our count (194 if you also run week 8's half marathon in it), and the daily trainer most of the rest. Check each pair's midsole and outsole before the peak weeks, and read our guide to when to replace running shoes for the signs to look for.