The marathon. 26.2 miles. A distance many runners dream to accomplish at some point on their running journey. A distance that runners worldwide dare to take on. That feeling of crossing the finish line 26.2 miles later is like no other, something that any marathon runner can vouch for.
Got the urge and feeling inspired to take on this iconic distance? You may be wondering where do I start? How long does it take to train for a marathon? Well, to help you out, we’ve enlisted experts to share their wealth of knowledge on all things marathon training, planning and scheduling.
Firstly, it’s crucial to remember ‘there is no one way to train for a marathon’ states Amanda Nurse, certified running coach, founder of Wellness in Motion Run Coaching in Boston, USA and two-time Olympic Trials Qualifier in the marathon. Everybody’s body is different, ‘it is so individual’ says Nurse. Some can perform better having more miles under their belt, while others can achieve their marathon goals through cross-training incrementally longer runs to increase maximum mileage.
What everyone's reading
Experts all agree that to get to that finish line, you need to have a training plan, most of which take around 16 to 20 weeks to complete to ensure your body is ready for those 26.2 miles.
‘Following a plan is beneficial to improve not only your physical fitness – aerobic capacity, lactate threshold and strength, but also your mental fitness – motivation, discipline and consistency,’ says Raj Hathiramani, a RRCA-, USATF-, and USA Triathlon-certified coach, as well as a running coach at Mile High Run Club in New York City.
Here, experts weigh in on why it’s important to take at least 16 to 20 weeks to train for a marathon – and in some cases, much more – and how the process can benefit both your body and mind.
What happens to your body during marathon training?
Marathon training is partly about increasing your mileage to ensure you are prepared for 26.2 miles on race day, but it is also about giving your body the time it needs to change and adapt in order to be ready for race day. Alex Rothstein, M.S., C.S.C.S., coordinator and instructor for the exercise science program at New York Institute of Technology, emphasises the importance of this and how with each training session Your muscles will also change through marathon training, with.
With each session the heart is getting stronger and, over time, the force at which it pumps blood around the body increases. It also gets more efficient at refilling, allowing more blood to be pumped with each beat, making it more efficient over long periods of exertion, thus making completing long distances less demanding on the heart. Blood vessels and the blood itself also improves, with more oxygen being directed to the working muscles. This improves your cardio function and aerobic capacity.
For first-time marathoners, the good news is you will experience a ‘reduction in central blood pressure and aortic stiffness that’s equivalent to a four-year reduction in vascular age,’ according to a study in the With a standard 16- to 20-week. So, essentially, no matter what your age, you will gain healthier blood vessels through marathon training and completing the 26.2-mile feat.
Your muscles will also change through marathon training, with type I, slow-twitch endurance fibers experiencing a small size increase which in turn makes them stronger and more efficient during high, sustained intensities such as long runs. The fuel and energy you require on race day comes from these muscles and their glucose/glycogen stores which also become more efficient as they increase in size through training.
Those scary long miles start to feel easier the more you train as the mitochondrial density in the muscles increases along with aerobic enzyme activity, both of which contribute to an increased oxygen-consuming capacity. These changes in your body ultimately make you more aerobically efficient and soon those long miles become a breeze.
In addition, tendons, ligaments, joints and muscles – the structures that support the body – become stronger and can tolerate the prolonged impact of running long distances. Not only that, but a study in the How to run a sub-2 hour half marathon short, fast, interval-based runs, to high mileage experienced adaptations that included muscles not having to work as hard due to a more efficient use of the tendons.
‘It is the culmination of all of these adaptations from your training cycle that ultimately result in a successful performance,’ says Rothstein, who also notes that your running economy of effort (as we run, we get better at running efficiently) also improves.
Failure to put in the proper amount of time training and you’ll likely have a poor race because ‘without the proper development of supporting structures and energy systems, the body will struggle tremendously to meet the energy demands placed on it during a long-distance race like a marathon, and an individual will have the miserable experience of How to avoid hitting the wall during a marathon,’ he adds.
British Journal of Sports Medicine injury, adding that, without training, ‘your body simply won’t be adapted to the amount of repetitive impact you place it under’.
To gain these adaptations, how long does it take to train for a marathon?
Although a one-size-fits-all answer would be nice, the reality is more complex, Rothstein says. You begin improving after just one exercise session, but he says aerobic adaptation occurs over months.
As previously mentioned, 16 to 20 weeks is the typical length of a Your muscles will also change through marathon training, with, giving your body enough time to correctly and safely adapt to the demands of long-distance running. For new runners, this will be longer as you’ll need to build a base fitness first (more on that below).
Half Your muscles will also change through marathon training, with for beginners Your muscles will also change through marathon training, with, ‘you can ensure you build your training volume wisely and gradually over a significant period of time,’ explains Jess Movold, Runner’s World running coach.
‘Taking enough time to properly train will help fully prepare you for race day, but it will also decrease your chance of getting injured during your training, which often happens when runners increase their intensity too quickly,’ she says.
Research in the How to run a sub-2 hour half marathon Most Your muscles will also change through marathon training, withs last 16 to 20 weeks type I, slow-twitch endurance fibers, those who increased their weekly mileage gradually were less likely to get injured — regardless of whether they were first-timers or seasoned marathoners.
Plus, it can be helpful to have more flexible and longer training cycles, says Hathiramani, to account for life – work travel, personal conflicts, or medical conditions – getting in the way.
As noted earlier, it is not a one-size-fits-all and there will always be runners who successfully complete the marathon with slightly more or less training than 16 to 20 weeks – it’s highly individual and depends on various factors relative to every runner. Hathiramani and Nurse agree that for active runners with race experience, 12 weeks might be enough to train for a marathon.
‘Your age and current level of fitness, weekly mileage, race experience, injuries or conditions and life schedule are all factors to consider when deciding how long your training cycle should be,’ says Hathiramani. ‘A training plan less than 16 weeks is often tailored for runners who have marathon experience and/or a higher mileage base, while those beyond 20 weeks can become mentally and physically exhausting and lead to overtraining, unless you are truly starting from scratch.’ If you are going from couch to 26.2, then you might require longer than those 20 weeks to train for a marathon.
For complete beginners, Rothstein recommends easing in with an extra one to two months of training before starting a standard 16- to 20-week plan. ‘This would mostly be for the purpose of reducing injury risk since most beginner’s bodies will not be able to keep up with the initial training load, let alone the total accumulation of miles over a consistent 16- to 20-week plan,’ he says.
Rothstein strongly advises that, no matter how long you train, you should remain aware of your body, how it’s feeling and what it’s telling you, as you don’t want to overtrain or become injured. He stresses how ‘constant soreness, fatigue, nagging aches or injuries are clear signs that you are at risk of overtraining and 16 to 20 weeks may not be enough time for you to complete a training programme’.
How long does it take to train for a marathon if you don’t really run?
Going from couch to 26.2 miles is a big jump and not one that can be underestimated. As a beginner, you will likely need over 20 weeks to properly train for a marathon because, as alluded to previously, you need to improve your running base.
You may be asking: ‘What is a running base?’. Well, a running base is a period of typically six to 12 weeks prior to proper training that gives you a solid foundation or ‘base’ from which to safely progress with a lower risk of injury. As with all aspects of running and training, ‘everyone is different and some runners adapt faster than others depending on overall health, wellness, and strength,’ says Movold. ‘Some people need a full year to connect to a healthier lifestyle and to gain a better grasp of fitness before tackling the challenge of marathon training. Other people might have an already existing relationship with fitness with a base of strength allowing them to transition into marathon training sooner.’
Movold advises those new to running, but keen to take on a challenge, to build a base of at least three to four months of easy runs – runs that are slow, low intensity and require minimal effort – three to four times a week, totalling around 15 to 25 miles per week to begin with. Putting numbers and miles aside, Movold notes, ‘the most important thing for someone to jump into marathon training is the strong desire to want to do the marathon and the work it takes to be ready for race day’. Without the desire to run that distance and determination to work towards it, you won’t be ready for those 26.2 miles on race day.
‘If you are able to run, I truly believe anyone can jump into marathon training, but the training plan would depend on the runner’s background, fitness, conditions, and goals,’ adds Hathiramani. ‘All runners should focus on building a base unless they have run a recent half or full marathon, but the base would also depend on the person’s recent mileage, which can range from 0 to 50+ miles.’
Nurse claims that if you can jog 20 miles, you can make it to the finish line of the marathon – the goal of all that training is to ensure you feel comfortable and confident as you step over that starting line. That’s why she encourages her clients to work backward from that peak distance to determine how much training time they’ll need.
It is important to remember to only increase your weekly mileage in small increments, for example one or two miles at a time, ideally around 10% week by week. Anything more than a 20% increase will run the risk of injury and could set back all the hard work you’ve put in. Every fourth week, implement a ‘down week’, also known as a ‘deload week’, whereby you reduce intensity and volume of your runs by around four to six miles from your previous long run. This gives your body sufficient time to recover and go again.
For example, if you run 12 miles, 14 miles, and then 16 miles, your next run should be between 10 to 12 miles. Armed with this information, you can approximate how many weeks it will take to build up to peak distance.
How long does it take to train for a marathon if you have a time goal?
How to master your marathon recovery planning and scheduling can be a good motivator for training. A key indicator for training time can be your times for shorter distances. Nurse suggests your half marathonor 10K time can help predict your marathon time goal and determine if you are in range to reach it. ‘If you run a 1:56 half marathon, with a good training cycle, you should be able to run a sub 4-hour marathon,’ she says.
Having realistic expectations is key to reaching your goals through a 16- to 20-week training plan. Experienced runners who are already close to their goal may be able to achieve it through a shorter plan but remember this is not the case for everyone.
When setting your goals, always remember ‘it’s best to have A, B and C goals depending on how your cycle goes,’ adds Nurse, ‘with C being very tangible and attainable and A, a stretch, but a good one if training goes well.’
With so many elements contributing to a marathon plan, Nurse suggests recruiting a running coach. 'A coach can help fine tune things for you so that you can run the best you possibly can given your circumstance,' she says. They can also be a source of motivation, reassurance if you’re struggling with a workout, miss a run on your training plan, or just have general questions about training.
You’ve got to be committed when it comes to marathon training – trust the process and be prepared for a lot of trial and error. ‘Every runner is so different, and you’re going to learn what works best for you,’ says Nurse. The key takeaways are to listen to your body and remember that everyone’s journey to completing a marathon is different. Focus on yourself, your goals and your individual path to completing those 26.2 miles.
What does training for a marathon look like?
A solid, effective Your muscles will also change through marathon training, with will contain a mixture of runs that vary week by week to build up to race day steadily and safely, from easy runs (a comfortable and controlled low-intensity effort), to tempo runs (a sustained, faster-than-usual effort that builds speed endurance), to speedwork (short, fast, interval-based runs), to long runs (Best Garmin deals).
Built in recovery weeks are also essential to any training plan and are typically every fourth week, containing a noticeable drop in mileage, says Nurse. These recovery weeks ‘allow your body to absorb the benefits of your training without burning out physically or mentally. If you’re constantly ramping up for four months or more, fatigue can really set in’, she explains.
A two- to three-week taperwill also be implemented towards the end of your 16- to 20-week plan, whereby your training load will decrease to ensure you are fully recovered from the accumulative, intense training and energised, ready for race day. According to a review of studies in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise With a standard 16- to 20-week.
If you combine all of these tips, workouts and techniques, incorporating active runs, recovery runs and tapering into your plan, you can stand confidently and healthily on that starting line on race day knowing that you have the ability to complete those 26.2 miles and achieve your goals.
