Signing up for a marathon is a huge decision. To ensure you are prepared on race day, picking a marathon training plan that is right for you is your first step. With the right fit, a quality marathon training plan will get you over the finish line feeling strong and healthy.
The Doug Kurtis Marathon Training Plan is a little less well-known than some of the popular plans like Hansons Marathon Method and the SMART Marathon Training approach. I first came across Doug Kurtis’s plan in an issue of Runners’ World back in 2013. I could see at a glance it was an excellent plan for anyone juggling multiple work-life commitments who still wanted to get to the marathon finish line.
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Who is Doug Kurtis?
Doug Kurtis is the only person recorded to have run 200 sub 3:00 marathons as well has to have run a sub 3:00 marathon in five different decades. This guy knows how to run fast and how to train to stay competitive as the body ages.
He’s someone worth listening to!
Doug Kurtis Marathon Training Plan Review
The Differentiator
What separates the Doug Kurtis Marathon Training Plan from others is the number of long runs that are divided into two efforts on the same day. If you struggle with finding time to fit in lots of long runs, this distinction is PURE GOLD.
As a busy mom, the double-run-long-run works well for me logistically. For example, I can do 8 miles before an 8am soccer game and then do 8 more in the evening way more easily than I can get in a 16 miler when both boys have to be at two different soccer fields for morning games.
There is also tremendous confidence that comes with learning how to run on tired legs. It is excellent preparation for the final miles of the marathon. Knowing that I you have experience running on tired legs is a real boost if you lose mental focus in the late stages of a marathon. (Confidence-from-fatigue was the big appeal of the Hansons Marathon Method as well.)
The double long run is what makes Doug Kurtis’s plan one worth considering.
The Pros
I liked the plan’s balance between easy days, mileage, tempo/interval runs, and long runs. The variation is enough to keep you engaged during months of foucused running.
The training plan is achievable (and adaptable) for novice and experienced runners. There is just enough structure to pace goals to make you push yourself without it being too rigid.
There is a methodical build up in mileage, but even the mid-week runs (which max out at 8 miles) are compatible with a busy mom’s schedule. Even juggling early morning clients, getting my kids to school (three kids at three different schools), and finding time to shower before my regular morning slate of clients, I never felt overwhelmed. Cheers to that!
The Cons
As written, this is a six-days-per-week training plan. That may be more running than some runners can handle safely. Be sure you are running an adequate base number of miles before starting.
Newbie runners may want or need a little more direction for the hill, tempo, and track workouts. The room for flexibility and customization in the training plan that experienced runners may really like could be daunting for novices. A resource to explain the running-specific terms would be helpful to new runners.
- Used Book in Good Condition
The Bottom Line
Doug Kurtis’s training philosophy really resonates with me. It is enough running to get you well prepared, but not so much running to beat you up. It focuses on running because that is what is going to train your body to get you through a marathon.
I think that Kurtis’s ten tips for marathon training are some of the most sensible pieces of running advice I’ve ever read. My only exception is that I prefer to run alone– as an extroverted introvert, I need time by myself to think and recharge. That’s what running is to me.
If you are looking for a marathon training plan that focuses on running and will get you to the starting line injury-free without demanding endless miles of training, this plan is for you.
UPDATE: How did the Doug Kurtis Marathon Training Plan Work?
My training using the Doug Kurtis Marathon Plan went exceptionally well. I felt well prepared to run a respectable race. By following this training plan, I felt healthy, strong, and confident. I sustained no injuries during training, and I got to the starting line still in love with running.
The main change I made to the Kurtis plan was to eliminate the Monday run. In the first ten weeks of the program, I replaced it with deep water running, 10 minutes for every mile. In the final 10 weeks of the program, I opted to skip the Monday run entirely and focus on a good walk and stretching session. I probably could have done the full program as written, but I think taking one more rest day each week helps my 40+ year old legs.
I used the Doug Kurtis Marathon Training Plan for both the 2014 TCS NYC Marathon (race review) and the 2015 Dallas Marathon (race review). While neither had the outcome I was hoping for, I attribute that more to external factors than my training preparation.
Why follow a marathon training plan?
People have asked me why I follow someone else’s training plan when I get paid to write training plans for other people.
Here’s the truth: sometimes it’s nice to have someone else lay it all out for you.
Having a coach or a training plan means my energy can be directed into the workouts. It eliminates the musings of whether or not I should swap out this workout for that workout or spending time spinning my wheels by overthinking things. At the end of the day, I wanted to run more than I wanted to craft a training plan.
Besides, even Olympic athletes follow someone else’s training plan! Having a proven expert like Doug Kurtis set out a plan gives you confidence that it will work for you, too.
Need a different marathon training plan?
Check out my reviews of three other popular training plans:
Karen Shopoff Rooff is an ACE certified personal trainer and health coach with more than 20 years’ experience running marathons and ultramarathons. The Marathon Finish Line blog is for informational purposes. Please seek advice from a medical practitioner before engaging in a new fitness program.