Among the more than 61,000 runners who crossed the finish line of the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon were 18 Runner’s World+ members who were part of the Race With Runner’s World+ team. Two were first-time marathoners while 16 others set big goals, such as adding to their World Marathon Major collection and hitting new PRs. No matter their specific ambition, some team members used these Runner’s World+ training plans to power themselves to the Central Park finish line.
Whatever your goal distance and time, you can find a plan by exploring our full training plan collection, including the ones our members used to return to the marathon, earn a sixth star, and run a PR. 🏃♀️ Want to run some of the best races in the country with us? Bookmark our Race With Runner’s World+ program page, which gives Runner’s World+ members of all backgrounds and levels a chance at free entry into select races. Prior to New York, 46-year-old Erin Dewalt ran her last marathon in 2022, a race that she described as a “disaster.” Then, she finished in more than four hours and had an overall rough race day experience.
After a four-year marathon hiatus, Dewalt knew she needed a smart training plan to ensure she would arrive prepared for the NYC Marathon start line. The RW Break 3:45 plan aligned well with her weekly training volume of around four runs per week. For inspiration, she printed the calendar and stuck it to her fridge, checking off completed runs and moving workouts as needed.
The result for Dewalt in the Big Apple? A 3:26:18 marathon performance—breaking the 3:45 barrier by nearly 20 minutes. In fact, he used it for two races: the NYC Marathon in November and the Flying Pig Marathon in his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, in May.
Though he didn’t quite break 3:15 with his 3:21:27 performance, it marked his second-fastest marathon to date. With a hectic schedule as a coach, Courtney Sobanski knew she needed a training plan that could fit into her everyday life. With our 3-Day training plan, Sobanski managed workouts successfully around other responsibilities—and remained injury-free.
Our 3-Day plan features three key workouts a week—and any other days of easy running or cross-training you complete count as extra credit. At the New York City Marathon, Sobanski crossed the finish line in 4:19:09 and told Runner’s World that she showed herself she could still run strong following foot surgery two years ago. Ashley Osburn, 41, used the Break 4:30 plan to have every part of her training block mapped out in front of her—intervals, hills, tempo runs, long runs.
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