Make your next run count
Long run progression planner
Plan the distance of your weekly long run with regular cutback weeks.
Set your current long run, target distance and number of weeks. The result shows each week's distance with every fourth week marked as a cutback, so you can see the whole progression before choosing your run days. Save or print the plan, or download weekly calendar reminders.
Each distance refers to one long run, with the rest of your week's running left for you to arrange. If the final week is a cutback week, its reduced distance still applies and may finish below your target.
Your long-run progression
Weekly targets normally rounded to the nearest 0.5 distance units.
Week 1
Build week5 miles
Begin with your starting long run
This opens the progression from your current distance towards the target.
Each distance is one long-run target. The progression follows a straight line, with every fourth target reduced to 80% before rounding to the nearest 0.5. A positive target that would round to zero keeps extra precision. A final cutback can finish below the target you entered.
For general information only, not professional advice. Check the official sources below. Use your own judgement and speak to a qualified professional, such as your doctor, before you act.
A little context
Get more from your result.
The steps, examples and sources
behind this tool.
Build your long-run progression
- Enter your current and target long-run distances in kilometres or miles.
- Choose the number of weeks and build your progression.
- Read each week's distance and cutback label using the week controls.
- Choose a Monday for calendar reminders, then print, share, save a PDF or download the calendar.
A worked example
- From 5 to 14 miles over 10 weeks: 5, 6, 7, 6.5, 9, 10, 11, 9.5, 13 and 14 miles.
- Week 4 uses 80% of 8 miles, or 6.4, rounded to 6.5 miles.
How this tool works
The underlying distance follows a straight line from current distance in week 1 to target in the final week: current + (target - current) x (week - 1) / (weeks - 1).
Every fourth week's underlying distance is multiplied by 0.8. The displayed distance normally rounds half up to the nearest 0.5 units. A positive target that would round to zero keeps extra precision.
The cutback rule still applies if the last week is a cutback, so the scheduled final long run can be below the target. No exception is invented.
Calendar events are weekly planning reminders. Choose your usual long-run day. General activity guidance does not validate this exact progression for every runner.
A few useful answers
Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Adult Activity: An Overview
General adult physical activity guidance. Does not prescribe the exact workouts or progressions in these tools.
- UK Chief Medical Officers: UK Chief Medical Officers' physical activity guidelines
General physical activity guidance; these tools' training rules are planning rules, not clinical prescriptions.
- RFC Editor: RFC 5545: Internet Calendaring and Scheduling
The iCalendar date and floating local-time event format.
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST): NIST Guide to the SI, Appendix B.8: Factors for Units Listed Alphabetically
One mile = 1609.344 metres (exact factor).
Last checked:
StrideSheet team
We build free running tools: training plans built to your race date, pace bands and race-day plans. Our plans follow published training principles and are a guide, not medical advice.