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As someone who's completed six marathons over six years, I approached Garmin's marathon training plans with cautious optimism. After all, Garmin dominates the running tech space, and their watches are virtually ubiquitous among serious runners. Surely their training plans would reflect the same attention to detail and runner-focused design? Plus, I’m already a huge fan of racing with my no-nonsense Garmin Forerunner 165. After months of following the program (and eventually customizing it), here's what I learned about the reality of trusting your watch to get you to the finish line.
Racing a half-marathon with the Garmin Forerunner 165. Credit: Meredith DietzThe system analyzes metrics like your VO2 max, training load, recovery time, and recent workout performance to tailor each session. When you crush a tempo run, the plan might push you a bit harder next time. If your recovery metrics suggest you've overtrained, it dials things back. It's smart, responsive training that theoretically removes the guesswork. However, I wouldn’t recommend blindly trusting whatever shows up on your wrist.
What Garmin gets right
The adaptive nature of the program also shines during the day-to-day grind. Recovery runs automatically adjust based on how your body is responding. If you're showing signs of fatigue, the plan gives you easier days. This attention to recovery is rare in cookie-cutter training plans, and I both appreciate and depend on it.
Where Garmin falls short
Some specific examples from my experience:
A 90-minute long run when I was planning an 18-miler (which actually takes me closer to three hours).
Credit: Meredith DietzYes, the three-hour run isn't a rigid rule—it's a guideline to cap training runs since injury risk increases beyond that point. Some coaches advocate for shorter long runs with a focus on quality over quantity. But for many runners, especially those new to the marathon distance, getting one or two 20-milers under your belt builds irreplaceable mental toughness. Personally, I always risk a little more time on my feet to ensure I'm truly prepared, and it's never hurt me.
Garmin's marathon training plans are solid and convenient, but they're better used as a starting point rather than gospel. By most training standards, Garmin sits on the lower end for long run distance and overall weekly mileage. Following their plan strictly would be survivable, but not ideal or practical for many runners looking to truly prepare for 26.2 miles.
Setting up your Garmin training plan
Open the Garmin Connect app or website.
Training Plans,
Answer questions about your current fitness level and running experience,
The plan syncs automatically to your watch, and workouts appear in your daily training calendar.
Once set up, your watch will prompt you to start the scheduled workout when it's time to run. The workouts include detailed instructions, target paces or heart rate zones, and real-time feedback during your run.
Garmin Forerunner 165 $240.00 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $240.00 at AmazonLook at free, time-tested programs—like those from Hal Higdon—to understand what your training should look like at different phases. Between one and two months out from race day, you should have several runs in the 16- to 20-mile range. Use this as your benchmark to evaluate whether Garmin's recommendations are on track.
2. Know what to prioritize
Long run progression: Your longest runs should gradually build to 18-20 miles (or around three hours, for slower runners).
Consistency over perfection: It's better to complete 90% of a slightly ambitious plan than 100% of an overly conservative one.
In Garmin Connect, go to Training > Workouts > Create a Workout.
Schedule it to replace Garmin's recommended workout.
You can create workout templates for your key long runs, tempo sessions, or any other workout you want to follow. This way, you still get the benefit of your watch guiding you through the workout with real-time feedback, but you're following a training progression that actually prepares you for marathon day.
4. Let Garmin handle the details
The bottom line
I still consider myself a loyal Garmin user—but a strategic one. The interface is excellent, the adaptive features are genuinely helpful for day-to-day training, and having structured workouts pushed to your watch eliminates decision fatigue. However, blindly following the marathon plan would have left me underprepared for race day.
With a little customization and the willingness to push beyond Garmin's conservative recommendations, you can create a training experience that combines the best of data-driven coaching with the proven principles that have gotten millions of runners to the finish line. Your watch is a powerful training tool—just don't let it hold you back from the big miles that make marathoners.
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