How to Train For a Marathon: The Beginners Guide

As preparation is key for any race, even avid runners will often wonder how to train for a marathon. Whether you’re currently training or are looking to start, we’ll tell you exactly how to successfully prepare.

This article will break down:

• Initial Steps to Take When Training for a Marathon
• Fitness Tips When Training for a Marathon
• Nutrition Tips for Marathon Training
• How to Train for a Marathon That’s Coming Up

But before we jump in, have you considered a rewarding career where you can help train others? If so, check out our Personal Trainer Diploma or download our course prospectus to see exactly what we offer!

Initial Steps to Take When Training for a Marathon

When wondering how to train for a marathon, there are various elements to consider, such as:

• The different types of training methods you incorporate into your routine
• Dieting & equipment
• Advised rest & recovery periods

We’ll guide you through these elements you should take into consideration – let’s get started!

Check-in With Your Doctor 

The human body has an incredible ability to adapt to the strenuous activities it faces on a daily basis. Whether it is from climbing up several flights of stairs, running to catch the last departing train, or carrying several bags of shopping into the house, we’re constantly engaging different muscle groups to adhere to these demands.

Inadequately preparing for an activity your body isn’t accustomed to will most likely lead to either a serious injury or the potential of something much worse. 

This is why it’s highly recommended you seek professional advice from your doctor before commencing any training schedule.

Get the Right Fitness Gear

If you’re going to be training several times a week, you’ll need several sets of clothing! When thinking about what clothing to have in your wardrobe in preparation for a marathon, you have to factor in several things, including:

• Weather
• Terrain
• Time of day
• Level of darkness

It’s very difficult for people in vehicles to see runners late at night unless they’re wearing reflective clothing. This means having the correct set of clothing and equipment is absolutely crucial to getting your marathon preparation right from the beginning.

Trainers

Trainers are by far the most important piece of equipment when doing any sort of physical activity. You can have the highest powered performance car with an engine that does 0 to 60 in 2 seconds, but this means nothing without a set of decent tires. As your shoes have a significant impact on how to train for a marathon, this same rule applies to athletes competing in sports! 

The right set of shoes will also minimise the chances of injury. The best approach to buying running shoes is to find a store with Gait analysis equipment. This is a method commonly used to identify biomechanical abnormalities in how you walk and run. 

The outcome of the results will determine whether you need stabilising shoes to correct pronation or neutral shoes for runners with overpronated or supinated foot motion. 

You can find our list of running shoes in this article – 21 Best Cross-Country Running Shoes.

Socks

A runner’s nightmare is not finishing a race, made even worse if this is due to blisters. However, this issue can actually be avoided by having the right set of socks. The average cotton socks will not provide the level of breathability necessary when running long distances. 

As you run, your feet start to get hotter and with the heat not being able to escape, this leads to sweaty and smelly feet. This increases your risk of developing fungal infections such as athlete’s foot.  To avoid this, look for Dri-FIT socks with a tab on the Achilles to prevent rubbing and blistering from your shoes.

Pants & Tops

As the weather in the UK is unpredictable year round, which is annoying when it comes to outdoor training, having the right combination of thick and thin layered clothing is essential for tackling your training schedule. The main piece of advice is to find clothing that fits – nothing too tight or loose. 

Although you might not be running 25mph, aerodynamics are still relevant to getting a faster time. As they provide comfort and warmth, leggings are by far your best friend as they also feel light while running. 

You should also aim to cover areas at risk of chafing, with common areas being: 

• Inner thighs
• Sides of your body
• Arms

Compression shorts are ideal for warmer days, in contrast to tights which are great for colder morning runs. As for your upper half, longer sleeves will prevent chafing, but you might want to consider short sleeves on warmer days.

The key thing to realise is your body will heat up rather quickly if you wear too many layers. It’s highly recommended you feel the cold during the first few minutes of your run as your body will naturally warm up and keep you warm throughout your run.

Building Base Mileage

As you need to build up your base mileage in stages, follow our step-by-step approach below:

1. Tackle Your First Mile
2. Set Realistic Goals & Targets
3. Low Levels of Intensity First
4. 3-4 Runs per Week of 2 Miles
5. Increase to 4-5 Miles per Run
6. Take on a Training Plan

No matter how daunting the task may seem, you have to tackle your first mile! This way, you can gain awareness of your current running abilities and how to set realistic goals. You can think of how to train for a marathon the same way as building a house from the ground up. There needs to be a strong foundation so your structure can withstand the weight of the finished product.

When you train for a marathon, you have to engage in low-intensity levels of running periods leading up to the actual training programme. Depending on when you plan to fully invest in a training plan, you should start building up base mileage by engaging in runs that allow you to comfortably maintain a conversation. 

While the answer to ‘how long to train for a marathon’ is different for everyone, you can follow our rough running guide. This should typically be 3 to 4 runs per week at distances of 2 miles, which gradually increases over a period of 3 months to about four to five miles per run, with the occasional medium run peaking at about 6 and half miles.  This will allow you to gradually increase your aerobic capacity, helping you build the foundations of how to train for a marathon efficiently in the later stages.

Only after doing this can you then take up the challenge of how to train for a marathon and look to tackle a training plan. However, it’s important to still do this even if you’re just wondering how long to train for a half marathon.

Join a Running Club

There are plenty of benefits to you completing your first marathon, including:

• Extra Motivation
• Learn From Other Experienced Runners
• Give You Support & Advice
• Create Accountability
• Raise Your Confidence
• Gain Lifelong Friends

Once you’ve built a foundation of shorter runs for a consecutive number of weeks, you should be prepared to tackle a marathon training plan. A good way of answering any questions regarding how to train for a marathon is by joining a running club.

Let’s break down some of these advantages:

Training With Others

One of the best aspects of joining a running club is gaining support and motivation from those surrounding you. Seeing others push themselves further often inspires you to do the same!

As we tend to gravitate towards the examples relatable to our own cause, attending a running club means you can find real-life experiences of people similar to you, looking to achieve similar goals.

For more information about the positives of training with others, check out our guide – 11 Social Benefits of Exercise to Boost Your Motivation.

Learning From Others

Nearly everything we learn in life is picked up from the people around us. From coaches to teachers and those with years of running experience under their belt, running clubs give you access to a variety of knowledge to help you better tackle the question of how to train for a marathon. 

From picking up advice about the most common mistakes to avoid to the best running routes and time frames to run, a running club can educate you in ways you may not be able to yourself.

Gain Lifelong Friends

Making new friends may not be something you might value as important, but it’s likely to happen if you join a club. Naturally, you will be spending a lot of time running in preparation for your marathon. This means there will be some highs and lows, but you don’t have to go at it alone. While at a running club, you’re able to share some of that stress with others who might be going through the same obstacles as you.

Strength in Numbers

Running in a group can give you peace of mind if you were to face an injury or unforeseen circumstances. Having the support of others around you will give you extra confidence so you can push harder and further. More importantly, having group leaders with first aid experiences, protocols, and duty of care also goes a long way in making sure your health is never put at risk.

Fitness Tips When Training for a Marathon

Train With Long-Term Planning

Understandably, running with other people may be daunting for you and create too much pressure. However, if you don’t intend on joining a running club and still need answers about how to train for a marathon, you can still find them here.

A typical marathon training plan should include 4 main building blocks to help you reach your maximum potential just before the big race:

• Start Long Runs
• Introduce Speed Work
• Start Cross Training
• Rest & Recover

Let’s break these down!

The Long Run

After building up base mileage over a period of 2 to 3 months, you should start to increase your ability to run long distances in one single run. Your long runs should be incorporated into your training schedule at the end of a training week. Your base mileage will give you an indication of how far your medium length runs should be. 

The most important aspect about your long runs is they should gradually increase in distance week by week. For example, if you started doing 3 to 4 two mile runs per week when you first started training, by week 12 you should have increased each individual short run to about 4 miles. At the end of every week from week 13 onwards, you should be incorporating at least one long run of about 11 to 12 miles, gradually increasing your long run one mile at a time week by week.

Long runs will prepare you differently for the 26.2 miles as they will strengthen your musculoskeletal system for the actual marathon. In contrast, short runs focus on your aerobic capacity. It’s important to note most marathon training plans will have you peaking at 20 miles for your long runs. 

The extra 6.2 miles will come from having trained prior to the marathon, tapering, and the adrenaline generated by the crowd on race day. However, you should never actually run the full 26.2 miles before race day as this will increase your chances of injury substantially.

To keep track of your body during training, check out our range of 11 Heart Rate Monitors to Train Your Data.

Speed Work

Having the aerobic capacity to reach the full marathon length will be crucial for completing the full race. A way in which you can increase your aerobic capacity gradually throughout the course of your preparation is by involving intervals of faster paced running for shorter distances. 

Intervals will be more demanding on the body but this will be for shorter periods. In between these fast paced runs, you should slow down your pace to near walking speed if you need to. This will give your body enough time to take in more air and recover quickly so you’re ready to do it again. In contrast to intervals, tempo runs should be sustained for much longer periods as you should be aiming for 3 to 9 miles at a sustainable but challenging pace so your body is pushed to some discomfort.

Cross Training

We can’t stress the importance of mixing up your training routine so you take some stress away from your legs, especially your knees. There are various methods adopted by several athletes on how to train for a marathon, but regardless of the sport you’re training for, getting in the gym to work on your overall strength is crucial.

We recommend doing at least a day’s training in the gym working on the upper body using strength or resistance training. This means focusing on taking stress away from the body, not adding to it. This means you don’t have to worry too much about racking up the weights to 100kg and pushing yourself to the limit, instead focus on engaging your muscles with lighter weights with higher reps. Other great forms of cross training include, yoga, pilates, and using the spin bikes at a gym as a form of recovery.

Make Sure You Rest & Recover

The majority of people competing in sporting events tend to overlook the importance of rest and recovery, especially when it comes to getting enough sleep every night. In this section, we’ll break down 4 elements of rest and recovery:

• Minimum of 8 Hours Sleep
• Icing Down
• Recovery Days
• Stretching

– – – – 

For more information on looking after yourself for those wondering how to train for a marathon, check out these articles below:

• The Importance of Rest Days & How Many You Need
• 15 Best Knee Compression Sleeves
• 19 Best Compression Shorts

Now, let’s get started!

Minimum of 8 Hours Sleep

The biggest misconception some people have is thinking the body gets stronger while we exercise. However, when we train, we tear down muscle fibres which can only be regenerated during the recovery phase. Sleeping is the optimum way to get our muscles to adapt to the rigorous stresses we put our bodies through during exercise.

For someone who doesn’t exercise and who isn’t putting a heavy amount of stress on their body, it’s recommended they get 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night. However, for someone who is putting new amounts of stress on their body on a daily basis, it’s recommended they sleep 8 to 10 hours each night so their body can repair damaged cells caused by training.

If you’re someone who finds it very difficult to get the recommended hours of sleep, here are a few tips to help you reach those 8-10 hours of sleep:

1. Don’t eat late at night.
2. Create a nighttime ritual you can follow.
3. Have a cool air temperature in your room.
4. Make sure the room is cool & quiet.
5. Try to limit distractions before falling asleep.
6. Get a comfortable bed, mattress, and pillow.
7. Listen to relaxing music or white noise.

Icing Down

An effective way of reducing swelling right after a long run is by icing your knees and sore muscle areas. Icing is still regarded as one of the most effective ways to recover from strenuous activities and to reduce the risks of injuries through excessive swelling. 

The cold sensation we feel when placing ice on muscle areas triggers blood vessels to constrict, bringing down the swelling in the muscle tissue and slowing down the metabolic activity, giving your body the maximum chance to fully recover from a workout.

Recovery Days

When it comes to answering ‘how long does it take to train for a marathon’, you should be putting as much emphasis on recovery days as you do with training. On recovery days, you should avoid any kind of exercise that will cause further breakdown of muscle fibres. Try to relax the mind so you can replenish your thoughts and refocus that energy for when you next train.

Stretching

Stretching after a run will significantly decrease your chances of injury by keeping muscles flexible, strong, and healthy. This allows them to regenerate and keep the necessary range of motion in the joints that allows us to keep our stride while running. By avoiding stretching post workout, the muscles shorten and become tight, which often leads to injury. 

This is why these are crucial to perform whether you’re wondering how to train for a half marathon or a full one. Below is a list of some of the best post-run stretching exercises recommended by Runners World for you to try:

• Lying Hamstring Stretch With Cord – Keep your upper body relaxed and both legs straight as you pull one leg towards you. Lying as before, bend the upper knee in towards your chest. Holding the cord around the foot of the bent leg, push away with the foot, trying to straighten the leg against the tension of the cord. You should feel the stretch higher up the hamstring.
• Lying Glute Stretch Against Wall – Keep the ankle of your front leg just below your knee, ensuring you’re close enough to the wall for your lower back to be off the floor. As gravity gently brings your lower back towards the floor, you’ll feel a stretch in the muscles around the side of your buttocks. Adjust the angle of your hips and front knee to intensify the stretch.
• Groin Stretch – Hold your feet and gently use your leg muscles to move your knees towards the ground. Keeping a straight back and bringing your feet closer to your body intensifies the stretch.
• Gastrocnemius (Upper Calf) Stretch – Keep the back leg straight and push the back heel into the ground. Keeping a straight upper body and gently lifting up your hip helps. There shouldn’t be much pressure on the front foot.
• ​​Soleus (Lower Calf) Stretch – Stand closer to the wall and bend one leg, keeping the foot flat on the floor. You should feel a stretch in your lower calf. Leaning towards the wall intensifies the stretch. There should be little pressure on the other foot.
• Iliotibial Band Stretch – Place one foot around the other, with both feet flat on the ground. Keeping both legs straight, lean your hips towards the side of your rearmost foot (If your right foot is rearmost, lean your hips to the right). You should feel the stretch down the outside of your leg and around your hip – if you’re very stiff, it may take a few times before you feel anything.
• Hip Flexor Stretch – Keep your hips squared forwards and your upper body vertical,  slumping forwards reduces the stretch.
• Standing Quadriceps Stretch – Flex your foot and keep your body straight to maximise the stretch through the front of your leg. You can put one hand on a wall if you need balance. Make sure you hold each stretch position on each leg for 30 seconds, easing out of the stretch. Avoid bouncing stretches that put you at risk of pulling and damaging muscles.

Check out our articles below for more tips and information for stretching to help train for a marathon:

• 13 Hamstring Stretches for Back Pain
• 9 Best Back Stretches for Before or After a Workout
• 15 Best Arm Stretches for Before & After Your Workout

Nutrition Tips for Marathon Training

Nutrition plays a pivotal role in how we perform during exercise. An athlete could do all the right training exercises, stretch, and then get 10 hours of sleep at night and still not see any progress in their ability to lift heavier, run longer, or recover faster. 

For those wondering how to train for a marathon, there is more than just the physical aspect of training or the recovery phase. Without the correct nutrition, you simply will not be able to go the distance, risking both your health and chances of getting to the race in good shape. 

In this section we will be highlighting the essential macronutrients you should include in your diet and when to have them.

Fuel Your Body With Healthy Eating

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are one of the most important macronutrients that form a large part of our diet. These should compromise at least 60% of a runner’s calorie intake. Research has shown our bodies work more efficiently for quick and long lasting energy when operating with carbs, in comparison to protein and fats.

Protein

Protein should make up about 20% of a runner’s calorie intake. The longer you run and the more stress you put on muscles, the more protein you’ll need to repair the damaged tissue during training. Typically speaking, if you’re 13 weeks into training and have started including long runs into your training schedule, you should be consuming 0.5 – 0.75 grams of protein per pound of body weight a day.

Fats

Although there are good and bad fats, an excess of either is going to have you pack on one too many pounds. Make sure your diet consists of no more than 20% of good fats such as nuts, oils, and cold water fish. These contain essential fats called omega-3s, which help prevent certain diseases and promote overall good health.

Vitamins

You may not necessarily get energy from vitamins, but they’re still an important part of your diet. Exercise may produce compounds known as free radicals, which are unstable molecules that can damage cells in our bodies. Antioxidants such as Vitamin C, E, and A help neutralise free radicals.

Foods such as:

• Berries
• Citrus Fruits
• Soy Products
• Carrots

Essential Minerals You Must Consume

Calcium

Essential for keeping your bones resistant to injury and keeping our teeth in good health. You should be taking about 1,000 milligrams per day of calcium as it will also aid muscle and blood vessel contraction. Good sources of calcium include milk, spinach, tofu, and chia seeds.

Iron 

Iron is essential for giving our muscles an extra boost by transporting oxygen to the blood and muscles. Naturally, women need more iron than men because they lose so much in their menstrual period. To make up for this deficiency, women should consume more than twice as much iron as men, 8 milligrams for men and 18 milligrams for women per day. Sources of iron include lentils, red meat, dark meat, poultry and fortified cereals.

Sodium

This helps our bodies maintain the necessary fluid and electrolyte balance and is essential for preventing cramps if you sweat heavily. On average, men and women should be consuming 2,250 milligrams per day, but much less if you have high blood pressure. Realistically speaking, you will already be getting the required amount of sodium from your diet, but to replenish your levels after a long run, consume foods such as bread, cheese, chicken or a sports drink.

What Should I Eat Before a Run?

You should avoid eating too much just before a run. Ideally, you should be focusing on consuming meals high in carbs and low-fibre 2 to 3 hours before you set off on a run lasting more than 60 minutes. This is enough time for your body to fully digest meals and reduce the chances of aggravating your stomach during your run.

Depending on the time of day you plan to head out and run, it may not always be possible to allow 2 to 3 hours of time to fully digest a meal. If you’re running in the morning, try consuming 40 to 50 grams of carbs an hour before your run. 

If you find yourself going on a very long run, you may need a boost in energy, try adding a little protein to give you that extra push. Peanut butter and jam bagel or two eggs with a bagel are always a good idea to keep you going just a little bit longer.

Other great meal ideas before you run include:

• Bananas – Great source of carbohydrates and potassium.
• Oats – Slow releasing energy.
• Coffee – Leave out the sugar and add plenty of milk to get an extra dosage of protein.
• Fruit Smoothies – As long as you use natural ingredients, fruit smoothies are a great way to fuel your runs. Avoid adding any extra sugar and add yoghurt and extra milk for a boost in protein.

What Should I Eat While Running?

You won’t need to concern yourself with consuming foods during exercises shorter than an hour. However, if you plan to go on long runs exceeding 60 minutes, taking in foods high in carbs is vital towards keeping your blood sugar balanced and energy levels high. 

Try to consume between 35 to 65 grams of carbs for every hour of exercise by spreading consumption in between 20 to 30 minute intervals.

Energy drinks are a great way to get nutrition on the go too. You should also consider energy gels and see which ones work for you. These will become your best friends leading up to race day!

Foods that are fairly easy to carry with you during runs while also being good sources of carbs and protein include:

• Bananas 
• Raisins
• Dried Cherries
• Gummy Bears
• Marshmallows
• Homemade Energy Bars

What Should I Eat After a Run?

After you’ve done your run, naturally you should be feeling somewhat exhausted. This means focusing on getting a balance of carbs and protein back into your body an hour after your run. Carbs will help restore glycogen, the body’s main source of energy. Protein will repair the microscopic damages to muscle tissues. 

What you eat after your run will depend on two things: 

• Time of day you finished your run.
• The intensity of the run. 

You should aim to have a recovery meal consisting of 20 to 30 grams of protein, and 60 to 75 grams of carbohydrates. 

Foods high in protein and carbs include:

• Brown rice – 23g carbs per 100 grams.
• Sweet potato – 20g carbs per 100 grams.
• Grilled salmon – 20g protein per 100 grams.
• Flank steak – 28g of protein per 100 grams.

Important Hydration Tips

Having enough fluids in your body is key for those wondering how to train for a marathon successfully. It can mean the difference between finishing your run or crashing out before you’ve even started. 

The average human should be consuming at least 2 to 2.5 litres of fluid per day, but not all of it needs to come from water! Before going out on your run, you should aim to consume 6 to 8 ounces of water or an energy drink. 

While on your run, aim to drink 3 to 6 ounces every 20 minutes to stay hydrated. 

After you have completed your run, you should aim to replenish carbs and sodium through fluids such as energy drinks again, which are high in electrolytes.

Take a look at our list of water bottles to find the best one for you – 15 Best Running Water Bottles.

How to Train for a Marathon That’s Coming Up

Now we’ve covered all our fitness and nutrition tips to get you prepared, let’s jump into our section on how to train for a marathon.

Tapering

As mentioned above, you should never actually run the full 26.2 miles during training. At best, you should gradually increase your long runs by at least a mile week by week, peaking at about 20 miles for your longest run. 

As you get closer and closer to race day, your body now needs to recover so you can put on your best performance during the actual run. Tapering means cutting back on the volume and intensity of your routine as you draw closer to race day and in this section we’ll be showing you how to do so correctly.

3 Weeks Before the Race

From about three weeks out from the race you should start to slowly decrease your weekly mileage to around 90% of what you had run the week before. This can be done by simply running less miles on your longer run, or by taking an extra rest day. 

You don’t need to be adding any additional exercises at this point, trust in what you’ve been doing for the past few months and maintain a positive mind frame. This will essentially be the last time you do your long run before your marathon. We recommend you wear the same clothes you plan to wear for the actual race, as well as eat and hydrate with the same food and drinks you intend to for the marathon.

2 Weeks Before the Race

At this stage of your training, you should switch your focus from training to resting. Your weekly mileage should not exceed 70% of the amount you ran during your highest mileage week. Your pace should be significantly slower than your marathon goal pace, although you should incorporate your marathon goal pace into one of your shorter mid-week runs to practise keeping a good pace during the race. 

However, your weekly short runs should not exceed 4 miles. These should be between 6 to 8 miles and your weekend long run should not be more than 10 miles at this point. In contrast, you should still be consuming a good amount of calories so your body can effectively repair the damaged tissues caused during your mileage build up.

Race Week

On the week of the race, you shouldn’t be pushing your body to run for longer than four miles. Runs during the week of the race are more for the mind, not the body. You should focus on running two minutes slower per mile for every mile to your marathon goal pace. 

Three days before the race, don’t even bother putting on your running shoes. Try some yoga to relax the mind and take time to just unwind!

The day before the race, go out and do a light jog or walk to take your mind off the race as this will also help you sleep better. Make sure you get plenty of carbs the day before the race and make sure you drink a good amount of water. 

A way to determine whether you have sufficient levels of fluid is by checking the colour of your urine – the clearer the better.

Race Day

Race day is about putting any negative thoughts aside and channelling all your energy towards running the best 26.2 your body and mind can withstand.

Eat Breakfast

Ensure you go to bed early to allow yourself to get around 9 to 10 hours of sleep and wake up early the day before the marathon. Naturally, your glucose levels will be very low first thing in the morning, so make sure you fuel up on plenty of carbohydrates as it will be your body’s primary fuel source when tackling the marathon.

Wear Familiar Gear

As mentioned above, you should have practised your longest run in the shoes and running gear you intended to wear for the actual race. As tempting as it may be to wear brand new shoes on race day, resist the temptation and go for the gear you’re familiar with. Shoes need time to mould into the shape of your feet, so stick with the same ones.

Consuming Carbs During the Race

The world’s top marathon runners are capable of completing 26.2 miles in just over the 2 hour mark, but we aren’t quite there yet. Be sure to bring with you several high in carb foods you can easily pack with you during the race. This is so you maintain blood sugar levels and delay the depletion of carbs.

Hydrate Continuously

The importance of hydrating while running the 26.2 miles cannot be stressed enough. Taking on fluid will aid the flow of oxygen and blood to your muscles and can make the difference again to reaching the finish line or crashing out midway through the race.

Pace Yourself

After hydrating, pacing yourself throughout the race is the most crucial element to successfully completing the race. If you start by pushing your body too hard and far within the first few miles of the race, it will come back to haunt you down the stretch. 

The best way to run a marathon is to avoid fluctuating between speeds. Focus on keeping a steady pace your body is comfortable maintaining, with the goal of finishing the race.

Before You Go!

After reading our complete guide on how to train for a marathon, you’ll be able to implement our methods and tips at whatever stage of your training.

Before you go and run a marathon, be sure to check out our Personal Training Diploma. Find out about exactly what else we offer by downloading our course prospectus.