US Edition
How to train for a marathon (no matter how fit you are)
Taking on a marathon is a great commitment and requires months of training – but any novice can do it. Here are some tips to get you started
If you’re planning a marathon, you’re on the road to becoming part of a select proportion of the global population – 0.01 per cent, to be exact. But that doesn’t mean running one is exclusive to the lycra-clad minority. With the right planning, training and dogged determination anyone can have a go.
Here’s what you need to know if you’re gearing up for the race of your life.
Which marathon should I choose to run?
The London Marathon is special, with incredible atmospheric and historic appeal, but it’s notoriously tricky to get a place and is far from the only one to consider.
All marathons are 26.2 miles, so if you’re a beginner, you might want to choose what seasoned runners call an “easy” marathon – one with a flat and paved course.
While the Brighton Marathon is one of the most popular (and mostly flat) UK spring races, the Greater Manchester Marathon is known as the flattest and fastest UK option.
The under-the-radar Abingdon Marathon is one of the oldest in the UK and also has a flat route – great for new runners and for those who are keen to beat their personal bests.
Around Europe, try the Berlin and Frankfurt marathons in Germany, or the Amsterdam Marathon in the Netherlands. More recently, the Valencia and Seville marathons in Spain have grown in appeal.
For a great beginner list, visit coopah.com. It’s worth doing your research to ensure it’s a route you’ll enjoy (atmospheric, well populated, flat, historic… whatever piques your interest), as this will pay dividends when things get tough.
Training
How long does it take to train for a marathon?
“You need 16-to-18 weeks of training,” says Richard Pickering, a UK Athletics qualified endurance coach. “And if you’re starting from nothing, I think you need closer to six months.” This may sound like a long time to dedicate to one event but a structured plan will help you develop the strength, endurance and aerobic capacity to run longer distances. Not to mention work wonders for your overall health.
“Anyone can run a marathon if they are willing to put in the hard work,’ says Cory Wharton-Malcolm, Apple Fitness+ Trainer and author of All You Need Is Rhythm & Grit. “As long as you give yourself enough time and enough grace, you can accomplish anything.’
How to structure training around your life
“It really helps to have a plan,” says TCS London Marathon’s expert coach Martin Yelling. “You’ll feel accountable if you can look at it and go, ‘I’ve got to get up today and walk for 60 minutes’, or whatever is required. Training for a marathon is intimidating, but structure stops you worrying about what you’re doing or not doing.”
Googling marathon plans and choosing or tweaking one that fits your lifestyle is enough. “Simple is better,” says Yelling. “You don’t need your own coach, but what a good coach would do is listen, take time to understand you and build something around your commitments.”
Most marathon training plans involve two or three shorter runs a week and a longer one. The shorter ones are usually half an hour to an hour, going at various speeds. Then the longer one can be anything from one hour, building up to around four. In addition to the running, you should incorporate strength or cross training, which can be done at the gym, at home or out and about. But you can be flexible: if you have weekend commitments, there’s no reason you can’t do your long run on a Tuesday.
How to look after your feet when training
Unsurprisingly, your feet take a battering during marathon training – both musculoskeletally and cosmetically, with 59 per cent of runners experiencing problems, according to a 2010 study.
Simone Sandra Paul, a podiatrist and the CEO of The Footlift London clinic, says that some of the most common runner issues she sees are:
- Achilles tendonitis and tendinopathy (these affect the muscles connecting your calves to your feet)
- Calluses and corns
- Athlete’s foot
- Ankle sprains
- Plus blisters and ingrown
- Bruised and thickened toenails – usually caused by the repeated striking of the toes against running shoes.
It’s not a pretty list, but investing in the right shoes by booking a gait analysis with a podiatrist or at a specialist running shop before you buy can help. This is where an expert will closely observe your running style on a treadmill and recommend shoes based on the shape of your feet and the way they move and land.
What if your foot gets injured?
But what if you get injured during training? “Inflammatory foot conditions such as plantar fasciitis and ankle sprain injuries require rest, offloading, rehabilitation and stretching to promote healing,” says Paul. “But it’s dependent on the severity of the condition and whether it’s acute or chronic.”
Paul advises non-weight-bearing exercises like swimming during any enforced breaks from running, to keep fitness up before getting back on it when you can.
Six steps to preparing for a marathon
Ready to start running? Consider the following:
1. Follow a training plan and increase mileage gradually
“Even if it’s a simple plan, and that plan is to run X times per week or run X miles per week, it’s beneficial to have something guiding you,’ says Wharton-Malcolm. ‘It’s happened to me, without that guidance, you may overtrain causing yourself an injury that could have been avoided. And if you’re injured, you’re far less likely to fall in love with running.”
For authoritative plans online, see marathon event websites (try the Adidas Manchester Marathon or the TCS London Marathon websites) or from a chosen charity such as the British Heart Foundation. Most will consist of the key training sessions: speed work (spurts of fast running with stationary or active rest periods), tempo runs (running at a sustained “comfortably uncomfortable” pace), and long-distance slogs.
Most marathon plans will abide by the 10 per cent rule, in that they won’t increase the total run time or distance by more than 10 per cent each week – something that will reduce your risk of injury.
2. Practise long runs slowly
Long runs are your bread-and-butter sessions. They prepare your body to tolerate the distance by boosting endurance, and give you the strength to stay upright for hours. Intimidating as this sounds, the best pace for these runs is a joyously slow, conversational speed.
“People may think they need to do their marathon pace in long runs,” says Pickering, “but it’s good to run slowly because it educates the body to burn fat as fuel. This teaches it to use a bit of fat as well as glycogen when it goes faster on race day, and that extends your energy window so that you’re less likely to hit the ‘wall’.”
The caveat: running slowly means you’re going to be out for a while. With the average training plan peaking at 20 miles, you could be running for many hours. “When I did lots of long runs, I had a number of tools: listening to music, audio-guided runs, apps or audio books,” says Wharton-Malcolm. “I used to run lots of routes, explore cities… You can also do long runs with friends or colleagues, or get a train somewhere and run back so it’s not the same boring route.”
3. Do regular speed work
Speed work may sound like the reserve of marathon aficionados, but it’s good for new long-distance runners too. “I think people misunderstand speed work,” says Wharton-Malcolm. “The presumption is that the moment you add ‘speed’ to training, you have to run like Usain Bolt, but all ‘speed’ means is faster than the speed you’d normally be running.
“So if you go out for a 20-minute run, at the end of the first nine minutes, run a little faster for a minute, then at the end of the second nine minutes, run a little faster for a minute.”
Small injections of pace are a great way for novices to reap the benefits. “The idea is to find the sweet spot between ‘Ah, I can only hold on to this for 10 seconds’ and ‘I can hold on to this for 30-to-60 seconds’,” he adds.
Hill sprints are great for increasing speed. Try finding a loop with an incline that takes 30 seconds to ascend, then run it continuously for two to three lots of 10 minutes with a 90-second standing rest.
Interval work is also a speed-booster. Try three lots of three minutes at tempo pace with a 90-second standing rest. “The recovery [between intervals] is when you get your breath back and your body recirculates lactate [a by-product of intense exercise, which ultimately slows bodies down],” explains Pickering, “and this means you’re able to do more than you otherwise would.”
4. Run at marathon-pace sometimes
Every now and then, throw in some running at your chosen race pace. “You need to get used to a bit of marathon pace,” says Pickering, “but I wouldn’t put it into your programme religiously.”
Some runners like to practise marathon pace in a “build-up” race, typically a half-marathon. “It can give people confidence,” says Pickering. “Your half-marathon should be six-to-seven weeks prior to the main event, and have a strategy to ensure you’re not racing it because you need to treat it as a training run.”
5. Schedule in rest and recovery
Of course, no training plan is complete without some R&R. Rest days give your body a chance to adapt to the stresses you’ve put it through and can provide a mental break.
“Active recovery” is a swanky term for taking lighter exercise such as an easy run, long walk, gentle swim, some yoga – crucial because you don’t want to do two hard sessions back-to-back.
“A long run would count as a hard day, so if your long run is on Sunday, you could do an easy run such as 30-40 minutes at a conversational pace on a Monday, but don’t do anything fast until Tuesday,” says Pickering.
The longest run in most training plans is usually around 20 miles, a few weeks before your marathon. Doing more than this increases your risk of injury and fatigue, especially as a beginner.
“While some super-keenos might be able to run 20 miles in a couple of hours, for most new runners this isn’t the case,” says Yelling. “You could be out for hours and hours, week after week, which puts a strain on your body and your life.
6. Load up on the carbohydrates
Marathon training is not the time for restrictive eating regimes like the keto diet, says Charlie Watson, a registered dietitian, the author of Cook Eat Run and founder of TheRunnerBeans.com. She says it’s all about embracing carbs.
“Carbohydrates are your body’s preferred energy source, so consuming adequate amounts before and during your long runs will help you perform optimally,” she says. “Simple carbs that will digest quickly such as bagels, English muffins or white pasta are all good pre-run options.”
In everyday life, many of us try to minimise white carbs, but for endurance athletes – and that’s you now if you’re training for a marathon – foods high on the glycaemic index win out. This is because your glycogen stores, the main source of energy for your body, take a beating during running. Plus, wholegrain options are generally higher in fibre, which can cause the kinds of stomach issues that runners want to avoid when they’re miles from the nearest toilet.
Everyone’s heard of marathon runners guzzling platefuls of pasta the night before their run, but carb-loading should actually start earlier. “Around two to three days pre-race is ideal – the idea is to fill up your glycogen stores before the big day,” Watson explains.
Carb-loading doesn’t mean eating with wild abandon. While sizable portions of your carb of choice are good, accompanying them with rich or spicy sauces could be risky. Instead, experienced runners tend to opt for simple meals, like grilled chicken and rice, in the days before a race.
Race day
What to eat on race day
“The marathon is going to be relying on carbohydrate loading [such as spaghetti, mashed potato, rice pudding], which should take place one-to-three days before an event,” explains performance nutritionist Matt Lovell. Other choices might include:
- Root vegetables (carrots, beetroot)
- Breads
- Low-fat yogurts
“On the day, the main goal is to keep your blood glucose as stable as possible by filling up any liver glycogen.” Which means eating a breakfast rich in slow-release carbohydrates, such as porridge, then taking on board isotonic drinks, like Lucozade Sport or coconut water, and energy gels roughly every 30-45 minutes.
How to stay focused
Even with the right fuel in your body, the going will get tough. But when you feel like you can’t do any more, there is surprisingly more in the tank than you realise.
“Sports scientists used to think we eat food, it turns into fuel within our body and, when we use it up, we stop and fall over with exhaustion,” says performance psychologist Dr Josephine Perry. “Then they did muscle biopsies to understand that, when we feel totally exhausted, we actually still have about 30 per cent energy left in the muscles.”
How do you tap into that magic 30 per cent? By staying motivated – and this ultimately comes down to finding a motivational mantra that reminds you of your goal and reason for running.
“Motivational mantras are incredibly personal – you can’t steal somebody else’s because it sounds good; it has to talk to you,’ explains Dr Perry, author of The Ten Pillars of Success. “Adults will often have their children as part of their motivational mantra – they want to make them proud, to be a good role model. If you’re doing it for a charity, it might be that.”
Write your motivational mantra on your energy gel, drinks bottle or hand. “It doesn’t just need to come from you,” adds Dr Perry. “I love getting athletes’ friends and family to write messages to stick on their nutrition, so every time they take a gel out of their pocket, they’ve got a message from someone who loves them.” Perry is supporting the Threshold Sports’ Ultra 50:50 campaign, encouraging female participation in endurance running events.
Smile every mile, concludes Dr Perry: “Research shows that when you smile it reduces your perception of effort, so you’re basically tricking your brain into thinking that what you’re doing isn’t as difficult as it is.”
What clothes should you wear for a marathon?
What you wear can also make a difference. Here are some tips:
- Look for clothing made with moisture-wicking fabrics that will move sweat away from the skin, keeping you dry and comfortable.
- An anti-chafe stick such as Body Glide Anti-Chafe Balm is a worthy investment, or simply try some Vaseline, as it will stop any areas of the skin that might rub (under the arms, between the thighs) from getting irritated.
- Seamless running socks, like those from Smartwool, can also help to reduce rubbing and the risk of blisters.
Post-race recovery
What to eat and drink
Before you revel in your achievement, eat and drink something. Lovell says recovery fuel is vital: “Getting carbohydrates back into the body after a marathon is crucial. It’s a forgiving time for having lots of calories from carbohydrates and proteins, maybe as a recovery shake or a light meal such as a banana and a protein yoghurt.”
Here’s what you should prioritise:
- Have a drink of water with a hydration tablet or electrolyte powder to replenish fluid and electrolyte salts (magnesium, potassium, sodium) lost through sweat.
- Choose anti-inflammatory compounds such as omega 3 and curcumin from turmeric, which you can get as a supplement, to help reduce excessive inflammation and allow for better muscle rebuilding.
- Tart cherry juice – rich in antioxidants, anti-inflammatories and naturally occurring melatonin – could also be useful, with the latest research reporting that it can reduce muscle pain after a long-distance race.
- Precision Hydration tablets are very good for heavy sweaters.
“You can have a glass of red later if you want, but your priority is to rehydrate with salts first, then focus on carbohydrate replenishment, then have some protein, and then other specialist items such as anti-inflammatories.
“And anything that improves blood flow such as beetroot juice, which is a good vasodilator, will help with endurance and recovery,” adds Lovell.
Any other other good products to help with recovery?
The post-run recovery market is a saturated one, but there are a few products worth trying:
- Magnesium – from lotions and bath flakes to oil sprays drinks and supplements – relaxes muscles and can prevent muscle cramps, as well as aiding recovery-boosting sleep.
- Compression socks boost blood flow and therefore the removal of waste products from hardworking muscles, and have been shown to improve recovery when worn in the 48 hours after a marathon.
- Arnica has anti-inflammatory properties that can help speed up the healing process after a long run, and can be used as an arnica balm or soak.