Training Plans for Runners

Training Plans for Runners are available in select languages for the most common race distances: 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, and Marathon.

• Each plan is 6-12 weeks long and can be tailored based on experience level (beginner, intermediate, and advanced) and the desired start date.
• Plans feature workouts and long runs each week with the quantity, duration, and intensity.
• Training plan content will be delivered directly to your inbox the afternoon prior to the prescribed run.

How can I participate?

Training plans are included with a subscription to Strava. Training Plans are currently offered in English, German, Dutch, French, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, and Spanish.

1. Visit Strava.com on the web and log in to your account
2. Access Training Plans under the Training menu on your dashboard.
3. Click View Plan to find out more about each plan and Start Plan to begin.
4. You will receive an email confirmation of your entry into the plan within minutes, and your first workout will be delivered the afternoon prior to the scheduled start date.

How should I choose a plan?

Plans are 6-12 weeks long and start dates can be customized based on an upcoming race. Plans are also built around how many hours per week you can dedicate to training, so take that into consideration. Should your race date happen to arrive within the duration of a specific plan we will start you on the appropriate week. For instance, if you choose a 10-week half marathon plan and your race is eight weeks away, we will start you two weeks into the plan. If you are curious about a term being used in the training plan description, please visit McMillan's term glossary.

How do I know what pace to run during my training plan?

1. Go to McMillan's Pace Calculator.
2. Enter a recent race time.
3. Enter a goal race time.
4. Click "Calculate my paces."
5. Click on the "Training Paces" section for pace ranges.

FAQs

Why McMillan?

Greg McMillan and his staff at McMillan Running are renown throughout the running community for their coaching success at all levels of the sport. McMillan Running provides leading-edge training advice and coaching utilizing the latest in exercise science combined with time-proven training strategies. Successful with new runners, age groupers, Boston Qualifiers, and even Olympians, McMillan Running has helped over 10 million runners train smarter and race faster. With Training Plans for Runners, we’re taking the proven strategy from McMillan Running and making it accessible to all Strava subscribers.

Where can I find definitions for the terms being used in the training plans?

You can find definitions of these terms on McMillan's glossary page. Other terms like "Steady State" and "Tempo" can be found by using the Pace calculator.

I didn't get today's email. Can you resend it?

If you're currently part of a plan, you will see two buttons on the Training Plan web page. These buttons will allow you to re-send emails (today's workout and tomorrow's workout) in the event that the one you expected did not appear.

Can I pause a plan? Can I restart a plan in the middle?

We do not currently support "pausing" an ongoing plan. If you decide to opt out of a plan, you'll have to restart that plan from the beginning.

What if I miss a workout or need to do a specific workout on a different day?

That's totally fine. The workouts are sent to you on a daily basis and are designed to be done in the order they are received, but we understand that life often gets in the way. Feel free to re-arrange your days or skip days (but not too many!) as you see fit — you'll have everything you need in your inbox and so you can always go back and revisit past days.