08 Jan Here’s How Much You Need to Run Weekly to Meet Your 2023 Mileage Goal

The start of a new year is often a time to set goals and intentions for the coming 12 months. While some runners look at their training or mileage based solely on their race cycles, others choose to set overall distance goals for the year.

Setting an annual mileage goal is a great way to stay consistent with your running throughout the year, and motivate yourself to train even if you don’t have a race on the horizon.

But, is setting a yearly mileage goal right for you, and if so, what should it be?

First off, what is a yearly milage goal?

A running mileage goal is simply a total distance you’d like to run in a period of 12 months. Typically a runner will decide to run a set distance in a calendar year, but you may also choose a distance based off a different anniversary (for example your birthday).

Apps and running watches have made this easy to track, but you can also monitor your progress by writing down the miles you run on a calendar or in a notebook.

Should you set a mileage goal?

Setting a mileage goal for they year isn’t necessary, BUT there are a variety of reasons why it may be beneficial!

An annual mileage goal can be a great way to stay consistent, accountable, and motivated with your running throughout the year, especially if you aren’t racing as often.

Many runners struggle with consistency and motivation when they’re not training for a race, so having a different yearly goal can increase your overall training volume between race cycles.

It can also help to build confidence in yourself as a runner, showing yourself that you’re able to continue your running habit week after week.

On the other hand, choosing the right mileage goal for you is key, because you don’t want to wind up injured or over trained as the year goes on. You also want to choose a mileage goal that makes sense for you based on your current running volume and experience.

Here, I’ve broken down how much you would need to run on a monthly and weekly basis to reach some common mileage goals runners might set. Your actual weekly running will likely vary from these amounts, but it gives you an idea of what the volume might look like so you can get an idea of what goal might be best for you.

Remember, if you are currently running less than the weekly target, you’ll have to make up for this by running a higher volume later on. Also, be sure to adjust your plan for things like down weeks in a race cycle, or when you need time off after a big race. 

How much do you need to run each week to reach your mileage goal?

By breaking down your yearly goal into smaller chunks, you’ll have a clear roadmap of what you need to do to reach it. Here’s exactly how much you need to run each month and/or week to reach different common mileage goals:

Mileage Goal: run 1000 km (621 miles)

You will need to run approximately 85km per month, or 20km per week.

To achieve this,  you can run 5km four times per week.

This goal is perfect for a new runner, someone returning to running after some time off, or a runner who is simply trying to focus on consistency.

Mileage Goal: run 1000 miles (1609 km)

You will need to run approximately 85 miles per month, or 20 miles per week.

To achieve this, run 4 miles five days per week or 3 miles four days per week with 1 longer run to make up the rest of the needed distance.

Mileage Goal: run 2023 km (1257 miles)

You will need to run approximately 170km per month, or 40km per week.

To achieve this, run 10km four days per week or 5-8km four days per week with 1 weekly long run.

Mileage Goal: run 2023 miles (3255 km)

You will need to run approximately 170 miles per month, or 40 miles per week.

To achieve this, run 5-8 miles five days per week with 1 weekly long run.

Mileage Goal: run 3000 km (1864 miles)

You will need to run approximately 250km per month, or 60km per week.

To achieve this, run 10km six days per week or 5-8km five days per week with 1 weekly long run.

Mileage Goal: run 3000 miles (4282 km)

You will need to run approximately 250 miles per month, or 60 miles per week.

To achieve this, run 5+ miles five days per week with 1 weekly long run.

How to know which goal is right for you.

It’s important to choose a mileage goal that is challenging, yet doable for your fitness level, running experience, and lifestyle. You also want to choose a distance goal that works well with any races you might have planned.

To help determine which distance will work for you, think about your current running volume. Instead of thinking about how much you SHOULD be running each week, think about how many miles you CAN currently run. This will give you a great place to start. If your life outside of running (work, school, family) makes it difficult to spend a lot more time running each week, keep that in mind too when choosing a goal.

If hitting these weekly distance targets means doubling or even tripling your current running volume, it may be wise to look beyond this year to reach these distance goals as you may be setting yourself up for injuries if you’re aiming for a much bigger running volume in a short period of time.

The bottom line

Goal setting is a great way to stay accountable and motivated so you can become a stronger, faster, and more confident runner!

If you’re currently not at the weekly goals I’ve shared, that doesn’t mean you can’t get there! You’ll just have to build your volume beyond these guidelines to reach your target.

If you’re setting a 2023 mileage goal, do it because it’s what YOU want to do, and not because of pressure from others or feelings of FOMO. You don’t want to end the year burnt out or resentful of having to do so much running.