Run Your Best Marathon Ever
Marathon Excellence for Everyone is your comprehensive guide to modern marathon training.
Marathon Excellence for Everyone is your comprehensive guide to modern marathon training.
Training plans and racing strategies for running your best
Marathon Excellence features detailed training plans, practical racing strategies, and a deep dive into the latest exercise physiology research. This book is your authoritative guide to marathon training, whether you're making your first serious attempt at the marathon, aiming for a Boston qualifier, or gearing up to compete in the elite field.
Understand the how and why of every workout with 18-week and 12-week plans with clear instructions for every workout
Optimize your fueling, hone your mental approach, and plan for heat, hills, and wind
Rise above your previous limits with techniques like special blocks, double threshold, and heat training
Continue improving for years by planning out your long-term training progression
Overcome injuries, illnesses, and gastrointestinal problems during workouts and races with evidence-based interventions
Learn how to boost VO2max, running economy, steady-state max, and physiological resilience to improve your marathon performance
Marathon Excellence uses a systematic approach to build the race you want from the ground up
Targets the physiological roots of performance with workouts across the full spectrum of speeds
Builds your ability to run long and fast with workouts at speeds within 10% of marathon pace
Specializes your fitness for the marathon with workouts at speeds within 5% of marathon pace paired with generous recovery
Lays out a comprehensive, evidence-based strategy for your pacing, fueling, and mental approach
Want to learn more? Read a free preview chapter here:
John Davis is a careful scholar of the most advanced training methodologies, with a particular interest in everything related to marathon preparations. His book, uniquely different from others addressing road running that target recreational runners, offers important scientific concepts explained clearly and understandably to anyone interested in running, regardless of their performance level…John has successfully brought the training principles of elite runners within reach of everyone.
The care and attention put into the instructions for every single workout of the plan give the reader the impression that it's as if the plan could be written specifically for them. The practicable cues about what sensations to target, how to make mid-workout decisions based on how you feel, etc. make it very easy to go into a session knowing exactly how to approach it beforehand, how to adjust during it, and how to evaluate it afterwards, going well beyond the simple Xs and Os of "did I hit the prescribed pace or not" that you're getting with most other plans.
In the spring of 2025, the first wave of athletes tested out the Marathon Excellence training plans. Here's how it went:
The marathon in Hamburg was great! I improved my PB by 16 minutes. In my opinion, the main reason for the improvement was the long tempo runs.
I soon realized during training that I had adapted and was able to run much more relaxed over longer periods of time.
My favorite aspect of the plans is the emphasis on the hard long run, which played a key role in helping me improve my marathon PR from 3:28 to 2:47.
It was the first time in a marathon that my first 10k felt so easy, controlled and relaxed (both effort and breathing). I even had to remind myself to slow down on several occasions.
I am convinced that all was the result of the significant amount of workouts at pace higher than MP and the strides integrated into the plan.
Yes, it got hard at some point around km 35, but it is the first time in my life that I ran a very slight negative split, instead of slowing down at the last couple of kms.
I had done so much at marathon pace because of the programme that I felt completely confident that I could deliver that on the day.
Had a blast, 4 min pb and felt comfortable throughout with a little negative split, really delighted!
As a low mileage runner I was surprised at how good the continuous strong runs and long, specific workouts helped me to prepare for the unique challenges of the marathon distance.
Running a 20-minute PB on a tough course without falling apart completely is proof that even 50mi/week can be enough, if you do it right.
I nailed my big goal at Boston and ran a new PR! The additions of longer 108-110% workouts and the 90-95% long fast runs were the biggest changes in my training.
The practice at marathon pace during long runs and the progressive revisions made throughout the plan worked out perfectly. I hit my target pace and do not think I left any time on the table.
I used John's Wind plan to train for my first marathon this spring, running 2:45:51, faster than any of my 5k or longer PBs would imply. The detail in the plan and the chapters of the book I previewed were invaluable, allowing me to surpass my expectations for the race in terms of both time and enjoyment.
After having tried a few different programs and falling short, I found that the percentage based training together with the pace percentage calculator gave me workout targets I could achieve without exceeding my limits and feeling overtrained.
I’m over the moon because this program has given me a 20 minute PR. I ran 3:55:47 and broke 4hrs which has been a goal for the last 3 years.
I felt thoroughly prepared for my race after following John's Marathon Excellence plan. The training was varied and systematic, with the rationale for each element clearly explained.
John's coaching experience is beautifully woven together with science, making for engaging and informative reading.
The race went great and I clocked in at 2:51, surpassing my goal of 2:55 by close to four minutes.
Ran both the first and second half faster than my old half-marathon PB of 1:26. The training plan definitely did the trick!
After running a 3:17 in 2022, I thought that finishing between 3:06 and 3:10 would be a good effort. But I felt awesome - I was especially proud that I didn't get passed by a single person between miles 20 and the finish and passed a whole bunch of people between mile 20 and the end, and finished with a 6:45 final mile.
The book is amazing - so many concepts I had a feeling existed because of my training experiences, but had no real evidence for, are all examined section by section.
My mileage this build-up was only slightly higher than the last one, but my workouts were specific and intentional, key pieces I was missing before. The training described in the book definitely works!
18-week and 12-week plans for a wide range of mileage levels
Marathon Excellence includes five different training plans. Each plan supports a low-mileage version and a high-mileage version. For example, the Breeze plan supports a build-up to peak mileage of either 40 miles per week or 50 miles per week (65 or 80 km/wk).
I believe that how you do your workouts is just as important as what workouts you do, which is why every training plan includes detailed instructions and guidelines on effort level and overall difficulty.
The perfect introduction to modern marathon training for first-time marathoners and low-mileage runners
Learn More ↗The next step up for runners who want to set a personal best or qualify for Boston, London, and other major races
Learn More ↗For ambitious runners who want to use higher mileage and bigger workouts to make a breakthrough in the marathon
Learn More ↗For motivated marathoners looking to use advanced training techniques to reach the next level of performance
Learn More ↗For highly experienced marathon runners aiming to train and compete at the highest levels
Learn More ↗Get an overview of your training plan as a printable PDF to keep track of your workouts
Get Your Plan ↗Podcasts and YouTube videos about Marathon Excellence training
Before starting a Marathon Excellence plan, you should be healthy and ready to run at least 25 miles per week (or 40 km per week). It's also helpful to have some idea of what kind of 5k shape you're currently in.
If you have no idea about your current level of fitness, or if you need some time to ease into doing structured workouts, you can start with the four-week 5k crash course, which culminates in a 5k race or time trial.
There are no strict limits on your fitness for the Marathon Excellence training plans. Most of my coaching experience has been with runners who are able to run between 25:00 and 14:00 for 5 km, so difficulty ratings and workout notes on the "feel" of specific workouts will be most accurate for runners within that range.
As you can see from the testimonials, athletes across a huge range of marathon times have benefited from the Marathon Excellence approach.
Based on the beta testers and the emails I've received since publishing Marathon Excellence, I am certain that the Marathon Excellence plans are suitable for running as fast as 2:15 in the marathon (and perhaps faster as well).
Many runners have already used the Marathon Excellence plans to break 2:30, 2:40, 2:50, 3:00, 3:30, and 4:00 as well, showing that the percentage-based approach to marathon training works across a wide range of fitness levels.
No. The Marathon Excellence approach begins training using your current estimate of your 5k fitness, not your marathon fitness. As training continues, you'll use information from your workouts to build up a better estimate of an appropriate goal marathon time.
By the final 6–8 weeks of training, you'll have a reliable estimate of your marathon fitness and can set your goal pace accordingly. There's also an entire chapter in Marathon Excellence that walks through how to analyze your workouts and how to set an appropriate goal marathon pace.
There are five different Marathon Excellence plans, spanning peak mileage levels from as low as 40 mi/wk (65 km/wk) to as high as 120 mi/wk (195 km/wk).
The right plan is not only a function of your peak mileage, though—you should also consider your race goals, your experience level, and how you want to balance risk and reward. The Plans page has a quick comparison of all five plans, but if you need more guidance, the book has an entire chapter titled, appropriately, "How to choose the right training plan: consider mileage, goals, and risk tolerance."
Marathon Excellence workouts use the percentage-based approach developed by Renato Canova and other members of the "Italian School" of marathon training.
To calculate paces for workouts like "13 miles at 95% MP" or "8 × 1 km at 92% 5k" you can use my free and open-source pace percentage calculator. Marathon Excellence also comes with a pace percentage chart in the appendix as well.
On the Plans page, you can download a free overview PDF of all five plans, in both their 18-week and 12-week versions, and in both metric and US variants.
If you want the detailed week-by-week instructions with workout notes, difficulty ratings, and daily runs, you'll need to get the book! Check out this Marathon Excellence preview to see what a typical detailed schedule looks like.
The Metric Edition includes a complete overhaul of the training plans, scientific material, figures, and tables—it's not just a simple conversion into kilometers. All workouts and training plans are natively in kilometers, meaning there's no awkward "16.1 km runs" or "3 × 3.22 km" workouts.
For example, the Breeze plan in the US Edition builds up to a peak mileage of 40 or 50 mi/wk, depending on whether you use the lower-mileage or higher-mileage variant of this plan, while in the Metric Edition, the Breeze plan peaks at 65 km/wk or 80 km/wk.
All paces in figures and tables are also converted to minutes per kilometer, race splits are discussed per kilometer and per 5k, weather guidance is given in Celsius, and data expressed relative to body weight is given in kilograms (and stone/pounds).
Even the cover is redone: instead of the vibrant electric blue hues in the US Edition, the Metric Edition uses a striking combination of deep purples for easy visual differentiation.
Renato Canova's training approach (and the broader "Italian School," including coaches like Giampaolo Lenzi, Luciano Gigliotti, Giorgio Rondelli, Gaspare Polizzi, and others) was a huge influence on my development as a coach, and in the Marathon Excellence plans, you'll see clear Canova influences: percentage-based workouts, "alternator" style sessions like 8 × (1 km at 105% MP, 1 km at 90% MP), and of course the special block.
However, Marathon Excellence has other influences too: concepts pioneered by Arthur Lydiard, Percy Cerutty, and Bill Bowerman, as well as a strong dose of the "Kenyan Way" developed by legions of coaches and athletes in Iten, Eldoret, and Kaptagat.
Plus, of course, my own coaching experience and scientific background, which are clearly the strongest influences!
So, while Marathon Excellence is probably the closest you can get to "Canova-style" training in book form (for now, at least), the Marathon Excellence plans diverge in many places from what "pure" Canova training might do.
If you want to see what real marathon training schedules from Renato Canova look like, I've written on my blog about the training of his athletes Emile Cairess, Moses Mosop, and Abel Kirui, plus written a detailed summary of Canova's 1999 book "Marathon Training: A Scientific Approach."
If you want to see what Renato Canova himself thinks about Marathon Excellence, you can check out his review of the book here!
The two most advanced training plans (Tornado and Hurricane) make use of Renato Canova's "special block" technique—two challenging workouts in the same day, followed by generous recovery in the days afterwards.
There is also an entire chapter in Marathon Excellence dedicated to the special block, which includes ten examples of real special blocks done by elite marathoners, including Emile Cairess, Moses Mosop, Maria Curatolo, Abel Kirui, and Lonah Chemtai Salpeter, as well as adapted special blocks for lower-mileage runners.
The two most advanced training plans (Tornado and Hurricane) include optional double threshold workouts, as well as a "single threshold" alternative.
There is also an entire chapter dedicated to double threshold training for the marathon, with details on how to adapt the classic 1500m/5k double threshold approach to make it more suitable for marathon training.
Ready to dive into the modern approach to marathon training? Get started with your own copy of Marathon Excellence.
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