A More Complete Training Schedule

By:  Nathan Quinn
Published:  October 23, 2025

It turns out, 3 weeks is not enough time to train for a Marathon. Luckily I’ve been hauling a 50 pound pack and swinging an axe or treating patients on the side of a Mountain that’s on fire so I’ve had some kind of training but the Marine Corps Marathon is just flat out going to hurt.

My Last Run was in February, the 18 mile Horseshoe Lake trail run and at 5 hours it didn’t go well. Since then I’ve lost 25 pounds and had that three weeks of actual running so as long as I finish I’ll take the many jokes and jibes I’ll get from the Force Blue Instagram models that will probably finish in 4 hours or less. For me it will be more of a training run than anything else working towards the most difficult week of the challenge: 100km/62 Miles at elevation in the Sahara Desert with food and camping gear on my back for Stage 3 of the Marathon De Sables. People smarter than me say that to train for this I’ll need 6 weeks of 70 Miles or more of training and two weeks of tapering to rest before the race begins April 4th 2026- I’m already tired just typing that. To allow for cross training to prevent (or in the event of) injury I’ll count running miles and Rucking with more than 45 pounds as well as other Cardio for 20 minutes = 1 mile.

27 Weeks to Train for 100km/62 Miles in Moroccan Desert

  1. September 29th 2025 – 40 miles
  2. 6 October 40 Miles
  3. 13 October – 50 Miles
  4. 20 October – 15 Miles + Marine Corps Marathon
  5. 27 October – 50 miles
  6. 3 November – 15 Miles + Mount Tam 50k/31 miles
  7. 10 November – 15 Miles + Veteran’s Half marathon
  8. 17 November – 15 Miles + Homestead Marathon
  9. 24 November – 50 Miles
  10. 1 December – 50 Miles
  11. 8 December – 50 Miles
  12. 15 December – 10 Miles + Woodside Ramble 50k/31 miles
  13. 22 December – Rest
  14. 29 December – Rest
  15. 5 January 2026 – 50 Miles
  16. 12 January – 24 Miles + Maui Marathon
  17. 19 January – 50 Miles
  18. 26 January – 15 Miles + Surf City Marathon
  19. 2 February – 15 Miles + Monterey 50 Miler
  20. 9 February – 70 Miles
  21. 16 February – 70 Miles including 30 Mile Ruck with 65lbs
  22. 23 February – 10 Miles + 100k/62 Mile Blue Run
  23. 2 March – 70 Mile
  24. 9 March – 15 Miles + Marin 50 Miler
  25. 16 March – 22 Miles
  26. 23 March – 22 Miles including Blue Run in London 29 March
  27. 30 March – MDS Begins 4 April 250k/155 Miles