Independent race preparation guide

Amsterdam, Netherlands · 42.195 km road marathon

Amsterdam Marathon 2026 training plan

Race day Sunday 18 October 2026 · 2 full weeks away

3-week final preparation: this week (from Mon 28 Sept) → race Sun 18 Oct 2026

Too close to the race for a full build: this keeps your fitness, rehearses race pace and tapers. It assumes you have already been training.

Assumes a runner now at: 35 km a week, longest recent run 18 km, 3 run days, a first marathon. Not you? Change it

Around 15.9 km a week at most; the long run reaches 16 km. The last weeks taper.

The longest run stays at 16 km, so race day covers the last 26.2 km for the first time: start slower than feels necessary, and for a first marathon a later race with a full build is the safer choice.

A typical week: week 1, from Mon 28 Sept

  • WedStrength (home, A)
  • SatLong run · 15.9 km

Other days rest.

Keep it, print it or add it to your calendar — no account needed.

Your goal

This close to the race the goals differ only in a quality session or two.

Your 3-week final preparation (finish well)

Maintenance and race-specific rehearsal. 2 weeks and 2 days cannot replace a full build. This plan preserves existing fitness, rehearses race demands and tapers. Proceed only if the stated recent training genuinely reflects your current preparation.
StartsMonday 28 September 2026
Peak week15.9 km
Race daySunday 18 October 2026

Racing more than once? Add a second race in the season planner and see whether the two fit together.

Tap or point at a week to see it. The black line is this week.

peaktaperrace week

Week 1 · from Mon 28 Sept

Your longest runs, still at an easy effort — 15.9 km; long run 16 km

  • Wed 30 SeptStrength (home, A)
  • Sat 3 OctLong run
My kept plans

No account needed. A kept plan stays on this browser until its storage is cleared; find it under My kept plans, where you can also change single weeks.

Calendar

Choose a subscription that refreshes, or download a one-time copy.

Adjust this planDefault starting point: 35 km/week; longest recent outing 18 km; 3 days/week; steady recent training; first marathon.
Your starting point — what you actually run now, not what you plan to
Shape the week
Locked days — minutes of easy running on a day fixed by a commute or a club, blank to leave free
Back to the default planYour settings live in this page’s address; keep or bookmark the plan to hold on to them.

All 3 weeks

Use it for race-effort sessions and race day. Easy runs stay easy whatever the goal; the plan's efforts come from how you run now.

Plan assumptions and limits
  • Road race: the plan is distance-driven and no vertical target is prescribed.
  • Short-runway maintenance mode does not raise weekly load above the stated stable starting point.
  • Generic planning guidance from race facts and stated training — not medical care or individual coaching.
  • Training distances and durations are approximate alternatives, not pace targets. Use current effort, not a hoped-for finish time. Repeat or shorten a week if recovery is poor; do not make up missed sessions.
Week 1: Your longest runs, still at an easy effort15.9 km; long run 16 km
  • Strength (home, A)

    20 min. Bodyweight squats, split squats, single-leg calf raises and glute bridges: 3 rounds of 10 to 12 controlled reps, one minute rest. Stop if a run session later that day would suffer; the running comes first.

  • Long run

    100 min (about 15.9 km). Use race-like terrain where practical, but keep the overall effort controlled. Practise eating and drinking on longer easy runs; easy pace is not a reason to skip fueling. For runs lasting 1 to 2.5 hours, 30 to 60 g of carbohydrate per hour is a useful starting range; beyond 2.5 hours, build toward 60 to 90 g per hour if you have practised it and tolerate it. Adjust fluid to your needs and the conditions.

Week 2: Reduce fatigue: shorter runs at the same easy effort12.1 km; long run 5.5 km
  • Rest

    Rest or gentle mobility.

  • Easy aerobic run

    20 min (about 3.2 km). Keep the whole run conversational. No intervals are needed today.

  • Easy run

    20 min (about 3.2 km). Conversational aerobic running. Keep easy days easy enough to support the key work.

  • Long run

    35 min (about 5.7 km). Keep this comfortable and finish with plenty in reserve. Practise the fuel, hydration and kit you intend to use; treat amounts as rehearsal, not a universal prescription.

Week 3: Arrive rested; avoid last-minute fitness work10.4 km before the race
  • Easy pre-race run

    35 min (about 5.6 km). Run conversationally. If already familiar, include a few relaxed strides with full recovery; otherwise stay easy.

  • Optional shakeout

    30 min (about 4.8 km). Rest, or jog very easily if that reliably helps you feel better.

  • Race day

    Run the 42.2 km as planned: start controlled and use the fuelling and kit rehearsed in training. Afterwards: rest or walk for two or three days, then short easy runs only, with no hard running for about two weeks.

Sources and what is still provisional

Race facts checked 2026-09-25; review due 2026-10-05. The schedule was generated on 2026-10-02 from the confirmed date and distance; it is TrailSplits' own calculation and is not endorsed by the organizer. Independently prepared by TrailSplits.

  • Marathon page

    Start areas, the wave table, the six-hour limit and 17:00 closure, the kilometre cut-offs, aid stations, the stadium finish and the 2026 course map used for the reconstruction.

  • Programme

    The 18 October 2026 date, the weekend schedule and time limits, the 17:00 finish closure and the 30 to 31 October 2027 dates.

  • Entry and expo pages

    Sold-out status, resale and charity routes, fees, the expo hours at RAI Amsterdam and the absence of Sunday pickup.