Hal Higdon and Pete Pfitzinger have written the two most-followed marathon training plans in the English-speaking world. Higdon's Novice 1 has guided more first-time marathon finishers than any other plan ever published. Pfitzinger's Advanced Marathoning 18/70 has produced more sub-3 marathoners than any other source.
They're built on different philosophies. They suit different runners. The wrong one will frustrate you; the right one will transform your marathon. Here's the honest comparison.
For the broader picture of how plans fit together, see the running training plan guide. For the head-to-head with a paid app, see free vs paid running training plans.
The Higdon Philosophy
Hal Higdon is a coach and journalist who started writing marathon plans in the 1970s. His core belief: most amateur runners get injured because they train too hard, not too easy. His plans reflect that — moderate weekly mileage, lots of easy runs, a long run every weekend, minimal speed work.
The Higdon plan family:
- Novice 1: 18 weeks, peak 40 mpw, 4 days/week. The famous "first marathon" plan. Long run is the only quality work.
- Novice 2: 18 weeks, peak 45 mpw. Adds slight pace runs.
- Intermediate 1: 18 weeks, peak 45 mpw. Adds tempo runs.
- Intermediate 2: 18 weeks, peak 50 mpw. Adds intervals.
- Advanced 1: 18 weeks, peak 55-60 mpw. Real speed work.
- Advanced 2: 18 weeks, peak 60-65 mpw. The hardest Higdon plan.
What Higdon does well: finishing healthy. Survival rates from his Novice 1 plan are exceptionally high. The plan is forgiving, the workouts are clear, and the structure is hard to mess up.
What Higdon doesn't do well: time goals. Higdon plans, even the Advanced versions, generally produce slower marathon times than Pfitzinger plans of equivalent mileage because the intensity distribution is more conservative.
The Pfitzinger Philosophy
Pete Pfitzinger is a former Olympic marathoner (twice — 1984 and 1988) and a coach with a deep exercise physiology background. His core belief: marathon performance is built by lactate threshold and VO2max, not just easy mileage. His plans reflect that — higher overall mileage, more medium-long runs, more marathon-pace work, more threshold sessions.
The Pfitzinger plan family (from Advanced Marathoning):
- 18/55: 18 weeks, peak 55 mpw. The "less mileage" Pfitz plan.
- 18/70: 18 weeks, peak 70 mpw. The canonical sub-3 plan.
- 18/85: 18 weeks, peak 85 mpw. For runners chasing 2:30-2:50.
- 12/55, 12/70: 12-week versions for experienced marathoners with current bases.
What Pfitzinger does well: time goals. The Pfitz plans have produced more BQs, more sub-3s, more sub-2:45s than any other published source. The medium-long run mid-week (10-13 miles, often with marathon-pace work) is the signature element that distinguishes them.
What Pfitzinger doesn't do well: forgiveness. The plans assume you'll hit most workouts. Missed weeks compound. The 70+ mpw plans have a higher injury rate than Higdon equivalents because the volume is real.
The Direct Comparison
| Dimension | Higdon | Pfitzinger |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | First marathon, finishing healthy | Time goals, BQ attempts, sub-3 |
| Weekly mileage | 30-65 mpw across plan tiers | 55-85 mpw across plan tiers |
| Days/week | 4-5 days | 5-6 days |
| Quality sessions | 1-2 per week (in higher tiers) | 2-3 per week |
| Long run | Weekly, 10-20 miles | Weekly, 16-22 miles, often with MP |
| Mid-week medium-long | Not present | Yes — 10-13 miles, signature workout |
| Recovery weeks | Not explicit | Built into the structure |
| Cost | Free PDFs | ~$20 book (Advanced Marathoning) |
| Forgiveness | High — built for missed runs | Lower — assumes consistency |
Which One Should You Pick?
Three honest scenarios:
First marathon, just want to finish: Higdon Novice 1. There is no debate. It has guided more first-time finishers than any other plan ever written.
Second or third marathon, modest time goal (sub-4:30): Higdon Intermediate 1 or 2. Still forgiving, still simple, plenty of structure to improve.
Chasing sub-3:30 or faster, willing to commit to 5-6 days a week: Pfitzinger 18/55 or 18/70. The structure produces faster marathons because the intensity work is real.
Chasing BQ or sub-3: Pfitzinger 18/70 is the canonical choice. If 70 mpw is too much for your life, fall back to 18/55.
If you're in between (Higdon Advanced 2 vs Pfitzinger 18/55, both around 55-60 mpw), the deciding factor is intensity tolerance. Higdon Advanced is more forgiving; Pfitzinger 18/55 produces faster times if you can execute it.
The Honest Take on Both
Neither is perfect. Higdon's plans are conservative enough that experienced runners often outperform them — they could have run a faster time on a more intense plan. Pfitzinger's plans are demanding enough that runners with messy schedules struggle to complete them — they would have been better served by a more forgiving structure.
The classic mistake: an intermediate runner picking Pfitzinger 18/70 because it sounds impressive, then missing a week, then a long run, then arriving at race day under-trained and over-tired. The plan didn't fail; it was the wrong plan for the runner.
The other classic mistake: an experienced runner sticking with Higdon Intermediate because it's familiar, then plateauing race after race. The plan worked; it just stopped being the right plan once the fitness baseline grew.
Both authors update their plans periodically. The 2024 analysis of 92 marathon plans places both Higdon and Pfitzinger in the meta-supported sweet spot for plan structure — they just sit at different ends of the intensity-volume tradeoff.
Or skip the choice and let Pheidi build it
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Build my planKey Takeaways
- Higdon = conservative, forgiving, moderate mileage. Best for first marathons and finishers.
- Pfitzinger = high-mileage, intensity-focused, less forgiving. Best for time goals and BQ attempts.
- The signature Pfitz workout is the mid-week medium-long run with marathon-pace miles. Higdon has no equivalent.
- Higdon Novice 1 is the most-followed first-marathon plan in the world. Pfitzinger 18/70 is the canonical sub-3 plan.
- Pick by goal and life-fit, not by reputation. The wrong plan will frustrate; the right one transforms your marathon.
- Both are excellent. The 2024 marathon-plans meta-analysis places both in the optimal sweet spot.