Weekly mileage planner
This weekly mileage planner builds a week-by-week running volume progression from a starting mileage to a goal, with regular cutback weeks to let your body absorb the load. Set your starting and goal weekly distance, how many weeks you have, and how often to cut back, and get a full table of every week's target mileage, so you always know the exact target before you lace up.
Peak week
40.0km
Weekly plan
| Week | Mileage |
|---|---|
| 1 | 20.0 km |
| 2 | 22.0 km |
| 3 | 24.0 km |
| 4 | 18.0 km |
| 5 | 26.5 km |
| 6 | 29.0 km |
| 7 | 32.0 km |
| 8 | 24.0 km |
| 9 | 35.0 km |
| 10 | 38.5 km |
| 11 | 40.0 km |
| 12 | 30.0 km |
How it works
The plan increases weekly mileage by up to 10 percent from one week to the next, a commonly cited ceiling for avoiding overuse injury, capped at your goal so the plan never overshoots once you get there.
Every cutback week drops mileage to 75 percent of the week before it, giving your body a recovery week before resuming the build; the week right after a cutback jumps back up from the pre-cutback level rather than starting the 10 percent climb over from the reduced number.
Choosing no cutback weeks produces a straight 10-percent-per-week ramp to your goal. Most structured plans use a cutback every third or fourth week, though the calculator also supports every fifth week for a gentler build over a longer runway.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I increase my weekly mileage?
A widely cited guideline is no more than about 10 percent more distance per week, which is what this planner uses as its default growth rate between non-cutback weeks. It's a rule of thumb rather than a hard physiological limit, and more conservative increases are always safer.
What is a cutback week in a running plan?
A cutback week is a scheduled drop in mileage, typically to around 75 percent of the previous week, inserted every few weeks to let your body recover and adapt before the volume keeps climbing. Skipping cutback weeks entirely raises the risk of overuse injury over a long build.
How long should a mileage build take?
That depends on the gap between your starting and goal mileage: a 10 percent weekly ceiling means roughly doubling your volume takes about seven to eight weeks of steady growth, longer once cutback weeks are factored in. This planner's week count lets you see the full timeline for your own numbers.
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Overload tracks your weekly mileage automatically
Overload totals your weekly running volume from every logged run, so you can see in real time whether you're following your planned build or ramping up too fast. Free on iOS and Android.