Every pace your race needs.
5K, 10K, half marathon and marathon plans written by hand by a coach, using Renato Canova's percentage method. Every session is calculated from your current race time.
Free. The first two weeks with no sign-up; the full plan with your email.
- 115 %3:49
- 110 %4:03
- 105 %4:16
- 100 %4:30
- 95 %4:43
- 90 %4:57
- 85 %5:10
- easy6:04–6:31
Far from the race, you train everything. Close to it, only what you'll run.
The first weeks touch very different paces in small doses: fartlek, hills, threshold, long runs. Then each session moves closer to your race pace and gets longer.
Canova calls it a funnel: intensity gets extended, and extension gets faster. By race day you have run your race in pieces many times.
Three steps, then train
Pick a race and a date
5K, 10K, half or marathon. The plan counts back from race day.
Enter a recent result
A time from the last three months at any distance. All your paces come from it.
Train and recalibrate
Every four weeks you update your fitness and the remaining paces are recalculated.
A real week from the plan
Week 13 of the intermediate 10K plan, for someone who runs 42:30 for 10K today.
- Monday9 km
8–9 km very easy · 6:10–6:35/km
- Tuesday
Rest
- Wednesday18 km
5 × 2000 m @ 100 %Key session
- Warm-up 3 km + 4 strides
- 5 × 2000 m @ 100 % · 4:15/km (8:30) — rec. 3′ jog
- Cool-down 2 km
- Thursday9 km
8–9 km very easy · 6:10–6:35/km
- Friday9 km
8–9 km easy · 5:44–6:10/km
- Saturday16 km
12 km @ 90 %Key session
- Warm-up 3 km + 4 strides
- 12 km @ 90 % · 4:41/km
- Sunday9 km
8–10 km very easy · 6:10–6:35/km
- Week total70 km
Three levels per distance
We recommend one from your current mileage, free days and experience.
| Level | Days per week | Weekly peak | What it includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base | 5 | 45–65 km | Fartlek, hills, progression runs, tempo runs and race-pace repeats. No doubles. |
| Intermediate | 6 | 70–90 km | All of the above plus float recoveries, alternations and long fast runs. |
| Advanced | 7 | 100–120 km | Doubles, double threshold, evening speed and one Canova special block. |
The lowest peak is for 5K and 10K; the highest, for the marathon.
During the beta
Free
Full plan up to race day, no card
- Every week with sessions and paces
- Pace recalibration as you get fitter
- Phone calendar and printable PDF
- Kilometres or miles, in four languages
I build this in my spare time. If the plan helps, buy me a coffee.
Buy me a coffeeThe gear we recommend
Little and useful. What actually helps you follow a percentage-based plan.
To hit the pacesGarmin Forerunner 165Program each rep with its pace and it warns you when you drift. That is what makes 95% really 95%.Check price on AmazonPaid link
For the easy daysCOOSPO heart rate monitorEasy runs get ruined by running them fast. With heart rate in view it is easier to hold back.Check price on AmazonPaid link- For almost every kilometreDaily training shoeCushioned and comfortable, not fast. Most of the plan is run easy.Check price on AmazonPaid link
- Half and marathonEnergy gelsTry them on the plan's long fast runs. Your stomach needs training too.Check price on AmazonPaid link
As an Amazon Associate, PaceSpan earns from qualifying purchases. You pay the same.
Prefer to support the project directly? ☕ Buy me a coffee
Questions
What is percentage-based training?
Every session is set as a percentage of your current race pace. 95% in a 10K plan is your 10K pace, 5% slower. The same plan works for a 32-minute runner and a 55-minute runner.
Why my current time and not my goal?
Canova starts from real performance. Train at a pace you don't have yet and every session costs more than planned. When you improve, you recalibrate and the paces go up.
Are the plans generated by AI?
No. Each plan is written week by week by a coach and checked against load rules: hard days never back to back, each key pace every 10–14 days, moderate mileage increases. Only your paces and dates are calculated.
What if my race is sooner?
You join the plan at the week that matches, with at least 8 weeks (10 for the marathon). If your current mileage is far from that week's, we tell you and suggest another level.
Where does the method come from?
These are Canova-style plans: Renato Canova's percentage system, phases and way of progressing sessions, adapted for everyday runners. PaceSpan is not affiliated with him.