Run Training Platform · By Marathon Handbook

Personalised running plans that actually fit your life.

From your first 5K to your next marathon PR — Mara builds a science-backed plan around your race, your goal time, and your week. Strava synced. AI-coached. Adapts when life happens.

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No card required for the questionnaire — see your plan first, then decide.

9:41
MARA

Berlin Marathon

12 weeks outBuild

Sun, Sep 28

84

days to go

Base

Build

Race

Taper

Week 5 · Build

38 mi

MO
4.0
TU
6.0
WE
8.0
TH
4.0
FR
—
SA
16.0
SU
—
Mara Analysis

On track for sub-3:20.

Your last 4 long runs averaged 7:42/mi — exactly where we want you 12 weeks out…

Built by Marathon Handbook · Read by 8M+ runners a year

Strava + Apple Health

Auto-sync runs

Evidence-based

Sports-science backed

Coach-guided

Mara analyses every run

Adapts to your week

Mid-plan adjustments

Why Mara

A coach in your pocket — without the coach bill.

Smart enough to be useful. Honest enough to tell you when to rest. Personal enough to know you're not a textbook.

Truly personalised

Every plan is built around your race date, your goal time, your weekly schedule, and your current fitness. Not a template with your name slapped on it.

Weekly check-ins from Mara

Mara reads every run you log, calls out what's working, and tells you when something's off — before you hit a setback.

Race-anchored math

Paces, mileage ramps, long runs, taper — all calculated from your inputs using the same principles elite coaches use. Transparent. Adjustable.

Adapts when life happens

Sick? Busy week? Niggle? One tap and Mara softens the plan — or pauses it entirely for an illness — without throwing the rest of your training off-track.

How it works

Three minutes to set up. Months of smart training.

01

Tell Mara your race

Distance, date, goal time. (No race yet? Pick a fitness goal — Mara builds the right block for you.)

02

Get your plan

Week-by-week, day-by-day. Paces dialled to your fitness. Long runs progressed. Quality work scheduled around your life.

03

Train and adapt

Sync Strava or Apple Health. Mara watches your runs, weighs in weekly, and adjusts when you need it.

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Every distance

Whatever you're training for.

From your first parkrun to a 50K mountain ultra — Mara's engine builds the right block, the right paces, and the right ramp for your goal.

5K

Get faster, finish strong

10K

Sharpen your speed

Half Marathon

13.1 done right

Marathon

Train smart, race big

50K · Ultra

Go further

Just running

No race, just routine

Pricing

Train smarter. Pay less than a coach.

One plan, everything included — start with a 7-day free trial.

7-day free trial

Mara

Everything, plus RunClub

$20/mo

or $144/yr — save 40% · includes full Marathon Handbook RunClub

  • Personalised plans, every distance + goal
  • Strava + Apple Health sync
  • Every-run analysis + full history
  • Adaptive re-personalisation when life changes
  • Marathon Handbook RunClub membership
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The team behind Mara

Built by the people who taught millions of runners how to train.

Mara isn't a side-project from a startup that's never coached a runner. It's built by the team behind Marathon Handbook — read by 8M+ runners a year — with sports-science guidance from one of the most respected voices in the sport.

Marathon Handbook
Sports science
AB

Amby Burfoot

Sports Science Advisor

1968 Boston Marathon winner. Decades at Runner's World as executive editor and senior writer. Author of multiple books on the science of running and training.

TW

Thomas Watson

Coach · Marathon Handbook Founder

Founded Marathon Handbook in 2019. Coaches runners across distances and experience levels, from couch-to-5K to sub-3 marathon.

KT

Katelyn Tocci

Coach

Marathon Handbook coaching staff. Works with runners across the spectrum, with a focus on building consistency and avoiding injury.

MB

Michael Bogusz

Coach

Marathon Handbook coaching staff. Background in endurance training methodology and race-specific preparation.

AC

Alex Cyr

Coach

Marathon Handbook coaching staff. Brings hands-on experience working with runners through full training cycles.

FAQ

Common questions.

How is Mara different from a generic plan I'd find online?
Generic plans are templates — they don't know your fitness, your schedule, or your race. Mara builds a plan from the inputs you give us: weekly mileage, race goal, training days, current pace, recent races. The engine produces a calibrated plan, not a one-size template, and adjusts as you train.
Do I need a watch or Strava?
No, but they help. Mara works without any device — you can log runs manually. Connect Strava or Apple Health and runs sync automatically; Mara reads pace, distance, heart-rate zones, and adapts the plan based on what you're actually doing.
What if I get sick or injured mid-plan?
Tap "Not feeling 100?" on the dashboard. Tell Mara what's going on — head cold, niggle, busy week, anything. For illness, Mara pauses the plan and schedules rest days, then an easy ease-back run. For lighter setbacks, Mara softens the week without disrupting your build.
Is this for beginners or experienced runners?
Both. Mara handles a couch-to-5K just as carefully as a sub-3 marathon build. The questionnaire asks where you're starting from and the engine calibrates from there. Plans for new runners ramp gently; plans for experienced runners include quality work, tempo blocks, and pace-specific intervals.
Can I try it before paying?
Yes. Fill out the questionnaire, see your plan preview, and decide. The first week of training is free on any paid tier.
Who's behind Mara?
Marathon Handbook — the world's biggest running blog, read by 8M+ runners a year. The Mara engine is built on the same evidence-based principles MH writes about, packaged into a tool you can train with directly.

Ready to run smarter?

See your personalised plan in three minutes. Free for the first week. Cancel any time.

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