Compare Hal Higdon printable plans, Nike guided runs, B.A.A. schedules and Rayvik flexible coaching
MARATHON TRAINING · PLAN COMPARISON

Marathon Handbook Compared: Costs, Watches & Coaching

What would you gain by switching from Marathon Handbook? Compare Hal Higdon, Nike, B.A.A. and Rayvik, our own app, on plan and app costs, watch support, and coaching when your training week changes. See which features are free, which cost extra, and when keeping Marathon Handbook makes sense.

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BY KAI · RUNNER · RAYVIK FOUNDERUPDATED NOV 7, 2026 · 9 MIN READ

We chose these options for free access to a schedule, workout guidance or ongoing coaching. Marathon Handbook already has a free web plan and member PDFs, plus paid coaching through Mara. The comparison below separates those published schedules from the apps you can use alongside them. Rayvik is free during beta.

Pick by what you want to change

For a first marathon, compare two weeks before you commit

Open week one and the busiest week. In week one, compare the total mileage and the longest run with what you’ve been doing recently. Then put the busiest week into your calendar. A plan can fit your weekends and still be hard to follow if its longest weekday run lands on your busiest day.

First long run

Distance in the opening week of each plan.

  • Hal Higdon Novice 16 mi / 9.7 km
  • Marathon Handbook20-Week Beginner7 mi / 11.3 km
  • B.A.A. Level One6–7 mi / 9.7–11.3 km
  • Nike Run Club5 mi / 8 km

All four bars use the same distance scale. The lighter end of B.A.A.’s bar shows its 6–7 mile range. Distances in kilometres are approximate.

Nike’s next long run builds to 10 km in week two. Its other runs include timed sessions, so total weekly mileage depends on pace and the sessions you follow. Check the whole week too. B.A.A. starts around 25 miles (40 km) a week even though its opening long run is similar to Hal’s.

Say you’ve been running 15 miles (24 km) a week and your longest recent run is 6 miles (10 km). Hal starts close to both numbers. Handbook’s opening total is close too, with a 7-mile long run. B.A.A.’s first long run looks similar, but its starting weekly target adds about 10 miles. That is the difference you miss if you only compare the weekend run.

Rayvik if you want help adapting the plan

Bring an existing plan into Rayvik or build one with your coach. Your running, strength and rest days live together in Plan. If travel or recovery changes the week, tell your coach and talk through what to move, shorten or skip.

In the Chicago Marathon 2027 example below, Plan shows the base week with easy runs, threshold intervals and strength. When a flight came up, I asked Avery to move Monday’s strength session to Tuesday after the easy run. The change was saved in Plan.

Rayvik Plan before and after a travel request, moving Monday’s strength session to Tuesday after the easy run
A flight changes the week. Monday becomes a travel rest day, and strength moves to Tuesday after the easy run. AI-assisted composition from our Plan screenshots.
Take the updated plan to Apple Watch or Garmin

Enable workout sync and your next seven days of running sessions appear on your watch, with the steps and targets ready to follow. Saved plan changes sync too when your watch connects. Strength instructions stay in Rayvik on your phone.

Rayvik running workouts on Apple Watch and Garmin, with the Garmin workout names translated into English

Bring your plan into Rayvik

You can import an existing Marathon Handbook, Hal Higdon, Nike or B.A.A. plan into Rayvik, then talk through changes using your recent running, recovery and available time.

Apple Watch · best experienceGarmin · best experienceCOROS · via Apple HealthSuunto · via Apple Health

For COROS, Suunto and other watches, first check that your runs appear in Apple Health on your iPhone, using the companion app or a compatible sync app. What Rayvik can use depends on which data is shared and the permissions you grant. Official app connections above describe activity sync or on-watch guidance. For workout delivery, see the marathon training app comparison.

Make your plan fit your week.

Bring your plan into Rayvik and talk through the changes your week needs, with recent running and recovery in the conversation.

iPhone beta · Free during beta · We’ll email your invitation

Hal Higdon vs Marathon Handbook

Novice 1 lasts 18 weeks, compared with Handbook’s 20. Both have four running days. Hal’s first long run is a mile shorter, while the total running in week one is similar. The bigger test is later in the schedule. In week 15, there’s a 10-mile (16 km) Wednesday and a 20-mile (32 km) Saturday. At 10 minutes per mile, Wednesday alone takes 1 hour 40 minutes. Open Hal Higdon’s free schedule.

Nike Run Club vs Marathon Handbook

Nike offers an 18-week plan, compared with Handbook’s 20-week beginner schedule. You can choose three, four or five runs a week. The PDF explains the workouts, and you can follow Audio Guided Runs in Nike Run Club where available. Check which sessions make up the week you’ll actually run. The three-run option still includes speedwork and a long run. Download Nike’s free PDF or see the guided runs.

B.A.A. vs Marathon Handbook

Level One and Handbook both average about four runs a week, and their opening long runs are similar. The difference is what surrounds that long run. B.A.A. describes a starting week around 25 miles (40 km), roughly 9–10 miles (15 km) more than the listed runs in Handbook’s opening week. Check your recent weekly mileage as well as your longest run. Open B.A.A. Level One.

What other first-time marathoners compare

In one Reddit thread, runners discuss Hal Higdon and Nike when choosing a first marathon plan. In a separate thread about free resources, runners point to public schedules and training books. Use these accounts to see what following a plan feels like, then check the official schedule against your own week. Read the plan recommendations or browse the free resources discussion.

When it makes sense to keep Marathon Handbook

If its 20 weeks, four running days and 7-mile (11 km) opening long run already fit, there’s a public schedule you can follow. The free account is for the PDF. Reopen Handbook’s 20-Week Beginner plan.

Marathon HandbookBaseline
Free plan
Free web schedule and member PDF. Editable Sheets and Mara are paid.
Follow in an app
Mara, Marathon Handbook’s separate coaching app. You can also import your existing plan into Rayvik.
Official watch support
Mara imports activities via Strava or Apple Health.
App cost
Mara is paid after a trial. Rayvik is free in beta.
Adjustments
Fixed PDF. Mara offers personalised plans and adjustments when you log a setback.
First marathon
20-Week Beginner starts with four runs and a 7 mi / 11 km long run.
Experienced
The plan library also offers time-goal and higher-level schedules.

Marathon Handbook alternatives FAQs

What is the best free Marathon Handbook alternative for a first marathon?

Hal Higdon Novice 1 is a good starting comparison if you can run four days a week and its opening 15 miles (24 km) fit your recent running. Nike Run Club is worth a look if you need a three-day option or want guided runs.

Where can I download a free marathon training plan PDF without signing up?

Nike offers a public 18-week PDF with guided-run references. Hal Higdon Novice 1 has a public printable schedule. Marathon Handbook’s plan is readable online, with PDF downloads offered through a free membership.

Which Marathon Handbook alternative is also 20 weeks?

B.A.A. Level One is the 20-week option here. Its published starting mileage is about 25 miles (40 km) per week, versus about 15.5 miles (25 km) from the individual runs in week one of Marathon Handbook’s 20-Week Beginner schedule.

Which marathon training app takes injury history and recovery into account?

With a printed schedule, you decide how to change the week when discomfort or recovery becomes an issue. Marathon Handbook’s Mara describes adjustments for illness and minor setbacks. Rayvik is our option for discussing injury history and recovery alongside available training records. Share any current discomfort and limits your clinician has given you. For example, tell your coach if hill repeats tend to tighten your calf before agreeing on the next session.

Which option lets me fit training around my preferred days?

Nike lets you choose three, four or five runs a week and arrange the sessions. With the published Hal Higdon and B.A.A. schedules, you make changes yourself. Run With Hal offers schedule adaptation through Hal+. Rayvik lets you discuss running days, long-run preferences and strength training with your coach. In the Chicago example, the coach moved strength after a travel request and saved the change in Plan.

Which plans take my recent training into account?

With a published plan, compare its opening week against your recent running yourself. Hal Higdon Novice 1 starts around 15 miles a week, while B.A.A. Level One targets about 25. For help interpreting that history, Run With Hal offers performance-based adaptation, and Rayvik can use available connected training records with your permission. In our Rayvik example, the coach referred to a recent 30 km run and three months of training, then asked how the long run felt.

How should I use a previous race result when choosing a plan?

Look at the distance, finish time, date and effort alongside your recent training. A past result can help you discuss a goal and training paces, but also check the mileage and time the plan requires. B.A.A. provides pace guidance, while Nike explains the efforts used in its workouts. In our Rayvik example, when I suggested a 3:45 marathon, the coach asked for a recent race result before planning around that goal.

Which alternative helps if I miss a workout?

Rayvik is our iPhone beta for talking through changes based on recent running, recovery and schedule. Run With Hal also offers adaptation through Hal+. The free Hal, Nike and B.A.A. schedules are published plans you can rearrange yourself.

Sources & notes

I compared the providers’ public schedules and access terms on November 7, 2026. B.A.A.’s mileage comes from its Level One overview. For Handbook, I added the individual runs because the weekly total column lists 16 miles and the individual runs add up to 15.5. The chart compares opening long runs on one scale. Weekly mileage and later weekday sessions are considered separately. Official schedules are linked in each provider’s section.

These are comparisons of published schedules and documented features, alongside my Rayvik experience. The travel example comes from my own Plan and coaching conversation. You can inspect the original plan, change request and reply and updated plan.

Device and coaching details come from Run With Hal’s Garmin guide, Nike’s device help, Mara’s product documentation and the Rayvik beta guide. For Apple Health setup, see COROS’s connection guide. Compatibility varies by device and region. Product graphics compose our screenshots and device photographs. Garmin workout names were translated into English.

Keep reading

Free plans from Hal Higdon, Nike, B.A.A. and Marathon Handbook connect to Rayvik on a phone and watch, then two marathon runners at the finish.Find a free marathon plan →Answer two questions to narrow the options.MARATHON42.2KMWHEN THE WEEK BREAKSORIGINAL PLANREBUILT PLAN6 APPS · ONE RACE · DIFFERENT COACHING LOOPSCompare marathon training apps →See which apps offer guidance and watch workouts.See how Rayvik coaches →Explore how training guidance changes with your week.