Marathon Training Guides

Marathon trainingWelcome to Marathon training guides for beginning and advanced runners. All the information presented on this web site is to help runners of every level to enjoy training and racing with a smile and injury free. With our advice on runners’ diet, marathon nutrition, cross-training, weight-training, tapering, psychology and much more, we hope to see you at the starting line of your race healthy and rested. In recent years marathon running has become increasingly popular with the number of race participants growing on most continents. We hope to support your training efforts with advise, suggestions and schedules.

Guide to Marathon Training Schedules

On the left menu you'll find several full 18 week marathon training schedules - divided into beginner, intermediate and advanced... If you have no recent running experience, the best thing you could do is to allow yourself a good 6 months to slowly build up your mileage. Please refer to the base training program (mileage build-up schedule). These training schedules have further guides to help you get into your best condition before the marathon race. Even those who have been able to finish the beginner training schedule should consider a half-marathon for their first race experience and aim for a full marathon the second time.

Compared to beginner and intermediate training schedules the Advanced program is shorter because it assumes you have a solid running base and run more than 30 miles a week. A solid base meaning years of marathon running experience, and having successfully completed several full marathons under four hours. The advanced marathon training program can be supplemented and supported by cross-training, weight training, and strength training.

Additional guides will cover other important issues - choosing the right running shoes, re-hydration, nutrition and so on. These are as applicable to the 2:30 runner as they are to the first-timer.


Marathon Training Guides Tip of the Month

Recently many runners inquire about strength training and cross training. One of the questions we'd like to pick up this time is "Should you do squats when training for a marathon?" It is a serious question for many runners since there are various books and sites promoting squats for strength. We want to add to the main theory of promoting squats that doing a lot of squats will only improve your squatting strength. This general strength will help prevent injuries by increasing strength in the knees and hips for more stability. However, squatting will not improve your running nor make you faster. Instead, do lunges to improve posture and to increase leg strength for the forward motion.

No matter it is strength training or running hill repeats, always consult your weekly (monthly) training schedule before starting a new form of training. If you are already on a strenuous running schedule you must be careful not to over-train. Probably your off season training schedule will allow additional strength training and various types of cross-training.
- Runners Cross-training
- Runners Strength Training


NEW!! Marathon Runners Psychology

Most runners who are serious about their training have run into their share of psychological obstacles. On this page you can find some useful ideas and tips of how to manage your thoughts.
- Marathon runners running psychology


A Word of Caution

Browsing the web in search of marathon training tips, programs, and schedules, there is something we want to warm you about. There are lots of web-sites and blogs which suggest marathon training programs which are too short, like less than two months, and we've even spotted ones which try to promote a 6-week marathon preparation program to its readers. Besides the improbability of this promise, attempting to run a full marathon with less than 6 months of proper preparation is asking for trouble. When we come across these unbelievable promises, we can only imagine a list of physical injuries, and possibly mental scars which would prevent those people from ever entering a full marathon race for a second time.

Even if you choose to enter a marathon for charity reasons, please do so after considering your own situation and experience. Opting for a half-marathon would be a much better idea if you are pressed for training time. Read through our marathon training guides and choose a proper training schedule according to your athletic level. In case your situation calls for a steep training schedule or you have run into an injury already, this book has helped a lot.


History of Marathon Running

These days probably most people have heard about marathon races and know that it is a long distance. To be exact, it is 42,195 kilometers or 26 miles and 385 yards. According to unconfirmed legend from ancient Greece, the Greek soldier Pheidippides ran a distance of around 40 kilometers from the town of Marathon to Athens to deliver a message. His effort was highly regarded and the legend was turned into a sport.

Later at the first Olympics, the marathon race was one of the main attractions. The first marathon was won by Spyridon "Spyros" Louis in 2 hours 58 minutes and 50 seconds. The current marathon record time is 2 hours 2 minutes and 57 seconds, set in the Berlin Marathon by Dennis Kimetto of Kenya on September 28, 2014. He is the fourth Kenyan to hold this title since Paul Tergat in 2003.

 
 

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World Marathon Majors

Boston Marathon
( April 16, 2018 )

New York Marathon
November 4, 2018

Chicago Marathon
October 7, 2018

London Marathon
April 22, 2018

Berlin Marathon
September 16, 2018

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