Course-specific marathon training

Train for the marathon you're actually running.

Pick your race and get a course-specific training plan built around the terrain, pacing demands, weather, fueling, and race-day execution. Start with a free first look. Full personalized plans start at $9.

Choose your marathon
Free first look · No card required · Full plan $9
View Full Plan Options
Foundation Phase — Week 4
39 mi · 2 quality
Mon
Rest Day — Active Recovery
REST
Tue
8 mi Easy Run (Zone 2)
7:45-8:15
Wed
5 mi + 6×800m @ Threshold
6:50
Thu
6 mi Recovery (Zone 1)
8:30-9:00
Fri
Rest — Cross Training Opt.
REST
Sat
4 mi Easy Shakeout
7:45-8:15
Sun
16 mi Long Run — Progressive
8:00→7:30
Training Zones
Max HR: 185 · LT: 172
Zone 1 — Recovery
125-145 bpm
8:30-9:15
Zone 2 — Aerobic
135-155 bpm
7:45-8:30
Zone 3 — Marathon
155-170 bpm
6:45-6:50
Zone 4 — Threshold
170-176 bpm
6:30-6:45
Zone 5 — VO₂ Max
176-193 bpm
<6:30
3:00:00
Goal Time
6:52
Target Pace
165
Race HR
Boston Marathon — Course Strategy
April 20, 2026 · Net Downhill −459 ft
🏔️ Hill Training Protocol
Eccentric strength + hill repeats for Newton Hills (mi 16-21). 2x/week hill sessions added.
🌡️ Weather Adaptation
38-65°F range, headwind prep. Layering strategy and pace adjustments included.
⚡ Strategic Pacing
Conservative 6:55-7:00 first half. Aggressive descent strategy miles 21-26.
🦵 Quad Protection
Downhill training + eccentric work to handle the 1,275 ft total descent.
Try the preview first

Not ready to buy? Good. Preview the plan first.

Choose your marathon and see the shape of your plan: weekly mileage, sample workouts, goal-based paces, and race-specific strategy. Then decide whether to unlock the full 18-week version for $9.

See My Free Preview
No card required · Full plan $9 · 30-day guarantee
50,000+
Race performances analyzed
75+
Marathons in our database
12–18 wk
Periodized training plans
$9
Full plan, no subscription
Race-specific training

Every marathon asks a different question.

Boston punishes early downhill mistakes. Chicago rewards rhythm and patience. New York demands bridge strength and restraint. Pace Perfect builds your training around the course you'll actually face.

Plus Berlin, Marine Corps, Tokyo, CIM, Houston, Mesa, and 75+ more races

How It Works

From race choice to race-day plan in minutes.

Pace Perfect turns your marathon, goal time, current fitness, and training history into a structured plan with workouts, paces, long runs, taper timing, and course-specific race strategy.

Step 01

Choose your race and goal

Select your marathon, goal time, current mileage, training background, and available training window. The course sets the demands. Your fitness sets the starting point.

Race + runner inputs
Step 02

Get a course-specific build

Your plan is shaped around the race profile: hills, descents, flat rhythm, heat risk, wind exposure, fueling needs, and where runners usually fall apart.

12–18 week structure
Step 03

Train with a race-day playbook

Every full plan includes weekly workouts, long runs, pacing guidance, taper strategy, fueling notes, and a mile-by-mile execution plan for your marathon.

$9 one-time
The Science

Why Pace Perfect is data-driven, not cookie-cutter

Generic marathon plans ignore the data that matters most. Pace Perfect builds training plans using real-world performance analytics, course-specific modeling, and peer-reviewed sports science.

📊

Course-Specific Analysis

Elevation profiles, temperature ranges, humidity patterns, and finish time distributions for 75+ marathons. Your Pace Perfect plan trains you for the exact conditions you'll face.

🧬

Biometric Optimization

Age, fitness level, heart rate zones, and training history are processed through physiological models to determine your optimal training loads and recovery periods.

🎯

Predictive Pacing

Statistical analysis of 50,000+ marathon performances helps Pace Perfect predict your optimal race strategy, including when to push, when to conserve, and how to pace key segments.

Dynamic Periodization

Training phases are calculated based on your race timeline, with automatic adjustments for taper timing, peak mileage, and intensity distribution.

Built for the course

Generic plans train the distance. Pace Perfect trains the race.

A flat marathon, a downhill marathon, and a hilly marathon should not use the same training emphasis. Pace Perfect adjusts the build around the terrain, fatigue pattern, and race-day decisions that matter most.

Build My Race Plan
From Our Runners

Real runners. Real Pace Perfect results.

★★★★★

"The course-specific hill training made all the difference at Boston. I ran the Newton Hills feeling strong instead of dreading them. Negative split the second half and PR'd by 4 minutes."

SM
Sarah M.
Boston 2025 · 3:12 → 3:08
★★★★★

"For $9, the amount of detail you get is absurd. Heart rate zones, weekly schedule, race-day fueling plan, pacing splits — it would take me hours to piece this together from free resources."

JT
James T.
Chicago 2025 · First Marathon · 3:45
★★★★★

"I used a generic Pfitz plan for my first two marathons and blew up both times in the second half. The Pace Perfect plan had me run Boston conservatively through mile 16, then I passed 200+ people in the final 10K."

MR
Mike R.
Boston 2025 · 3:28 → 3:19
Why Pace Perfect

How we compare

The specificity of a personal coach at a fraction of the cost. Pace Perfect gives marathoners course-specific analysis and race-day strategy that generic plans can't match.

Feature Free Plans Coaching ($150+/mo) Pace Perfect ($9)
Course-specific elevation analysis Varies ✓ 75+ courses
Personalized HR & pace zones
Weather-adjusted pacing Sometimes
Mile-by-mile race strategy
Race-day fueling plan
Coach access for questions ✓ Unlimited ✓ Email
Price Free $150–300/mo $9 one-time

Train for your course, not just the distance.

Get a marathon plan built around your race, your goal, your current fitness, and the way your course actually runs.

Start My Race Plan
Free first look · Full plan $9 · 30-day money-back guarantee