Nike Melbourne Marathon
Program for Women
16 weeks of structured, expert-led marathon training designed around the realities of women's lives. Built for the Melbourne course, fast, flat, and finishing inside the MCG.
Running the Nike Melbourne Marathon
The Nike Melbourne Marathon is Australia's largest road marathon and one of the most celebrated events in the country. Starting on Batman Avenue near Rod Laver Arena, the course takes runners through Melbourne's iconic streets: along St Kilda Road past the Shrine of Remembrance, around the foreshore of Albert Park Lake, and out to the Port Phillip Bay coastline before returning to the city. The finish is one of the most memorable in global road racing, a full lap inside the Melbourne Cricket Ground to the roar of the crowd.
The 2026 course has been redesigned with up to 20% less elevation gain, 30% fewer turns, and the removal of the notorious 36km Birdwood Avenue climb. It is now faster and more runner-friendly than ever, making it an exceptional course for a personal best.
What the course demands
- Flat and fast, designed for consistent pacing and personal bests
- Gentle rise around the Royal Botanic Gardens at mid-course
- Long coastal stretch along Port Phillip Bay requiring aerobic durability
- Final kilometres back into the city requiring mental hold when legs are tired
- MCG finish, a full stadium lap to close out 42.2km
How this program prepares you
- Aerobic base to sustain consistent effort across a flat, fast course
- Tempo and pacing sessions to find and hold your race rhythm
- Long run progression to build durability through the coastal mid-course
- Late-race strength so the MCG finish feels like a celebration, not a survival
Built around the whole of your life
Training for a road marathon as a woman means balancing work, family, hormonal shifts, fatigue, and recovery. This program is built with those realities in mind. With structured progression, integrated rest, and a weekly rhythm designed around your life, it grows your physical and mental capacity without asking you to leave the rest of yourself at the door.
Base Building
Progressive long runs, easy aerobic efforts and introductory strength work lay the foundation for everything that follows.
Build Phase
Tempo runs, speed sessions and a time trial sharpen pacing and lift race-specific fitness. A deload week protects recovery.
Peak + Taper
Peak long runs and race-specific sessions, followed by a structured taper so you arrive on start line fresh and confident.
Race Week
Detailed race-day preparation, pacing strategy and warm-up guidance to carry everything you have built to the MCG finish.
Everything you need, in one place
This program covers your training, strength, recovery, and coaching from one integrated platform. Nothing is bolted on.
Training Program
- 16-week progressive road marathon plan
- Base building, speed, tempo and long runs
- Deload week and time trial built in
- Structured taper and race-week preparation
- Delivered via Her Trails platform and app
Strength + Recovery
- Weekly strength sessions designed for runners
- Mobility and yoga for recovery and injury prevention
- Female-specific physiology integrated throughout
- Guidance on training across your cycle
Coaching + Community
- Weekly live coaching calls, join live or watch replays
- Ask questions anytime via the coaching platform
- Private coaching group for support and accountability
- Expert video content for every stage of training
Expert Coaching Team
- Endurance and marathon coaching specialists
- Strength and conditioning for runners
- Physiotherapy and injury prevention guidance
- Yoga, mobility and recovery expertise
Created by a team of experts
Developed by specialists across every dimension of women's endurance performance. This program supports the whole runner, not just the athlete.
Built by people who understand how women train
Our coaching team brings both lived experience and technical expertise across endurance, strength, mobility, physiotherapy, yoga and recovery. Performance meets purpose here.
Training in this program reflects the way women actually move, adapt, and grow, not a male training template adjusted for pace.
Questions before you begin? Contact us at [email protected]
- Endurance and marathon coaching
- Strength and conditioning for runners
- Physiotherapy and injury prevention
- Yoga and movement coaching
- Mobility and recovery specialists
- Female physiology and cycle-based training
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