There are no shortcuts in running and when you see a dramatic drop in someone’s personal best for the marathon then it’s almost always down to a lot of hard work. That’s the case with Lululemon ambassador Anya Culling, who went from running 4hr 34min at the London Marathon 2019 to an astonishing 2hr 34min at the Copenhagen Marathon in 2023, when she represented England.

Prior to this year’s London Marathon, when Culling will take a place at the elite start, we spoke to her about her running journey and just how she got so quick.

How did you get into running and what was your first marathon like?

I ran my first marathon in 2019. That was the London Marathon. I did that for charity. It was a challenge. I’d never done much running before. I was sporty as a child. I played hockey and cricket, and my family is competitive, but I was never quite as good at sports as any of them.

I did some training for that 2019 marathon, but I didn’t do a lot. I went for some dog walks, which I would run bits of, or I’d run around the school rugby fields. I threw myself in the deep end. I didn’t know what I was doing—didn’t have carbon shoes, didn’t follow a plan, didn’t have a watch—didn’t understand anything.

It was the hardest and most painful marathon I’ve ever done. I didn’t catch the running bug and I downed tools with running for a bit longer. 

When and why did you start running again?

I didn’t like not being very good at it. I’d got to county level in hockey and cricket. I had to work hard to get there, but I felt like I succeeded. I felt like I hadn’t succeeded in the marathon. I wanted to commit and get good at it. 

Lockdown gave me the kick I needed to take up running. I downloaded Strava on the day we went into lockdown.

As we started to come out of lockdown, we were able to run with friends and do it more as a social thing. That was the only time you could see your friends so I always associated running with that. Then the more I enjoyed it, the more I wanted to do it. 

I was running around Battersea Park, in London, and I’d see the same man every day. That was Nick Bester. One day we just got chatting and he later became my first coach.

You ran 2hr 36min at the London Marathon in 2022, how did you progress to that point?

I did the Rome Marathon at the start of that year, and I did that in 2hr 43min. The one before that was Valencia and that was 2hr 52min, and the one before that was Manchester and that was 3hr 5min. So I was chipping away 10-15 minutes each time. It wasn’t that I just knocked off two hours.

When I ran 2hr 52min at Valencia 2021, I placed in the 1,000s because Valencia is such a big marathon. Then I did Rome in early 2022, and I came first European female and first non-elite, and I think I was top 40 overall, including the men. I thought, “Wow, l really performed there.”

Nothing changed with my training for London 2022. I just inched my way forward. I put my success down to the fact that the time and the PBs have always been secondary. I’ve just enjoyed running.

Along with gradually increasing training, did you change your lifestyle?

I’ve always just rolled with general life. I probably went out slightly less, but I’ve never changed my diet. When you get to doing the amount of running that I do, it’s about getting the calories in before worrying about everything else.

The biggest change has been training my brain like I’ve trained my body. That became a big thing in the weeks before a marathon. Working on my psyche and self-belief, and ways of canceling out any self-limiting beliefs. 

I also did more strength and conditioning. I think you can only get away without it for so long until something happens, and then you wish you had done a few calf raises! I didn’t want to get to that point before I started. I want to be in the sport for as long as possible, and the only way I’m going to do that is if I enjoy it, stay injury-free and be happy and healthy.

What would be your top tip for runners looking to improve?

Consistency. You just need to string together a block of good consistent running. It’s about piling it up and building layers on layers.

Whatever kind of runner you are, and whatever you’re training for, it’s always great to make parkrun part of your weekly routine if you can. It’s a great start to the weekend and will top up your motivation for running because of the always-excellent atmosphere.

However, fitting parkrun in isn’t always the easiest thing to do for me when marathon training, and not only because of the million activities my kids have lined up every weekend. It’s also because parkrun is 5K, and once I’m deep into marathon training my speed sessions tend to be longer, and they usually take place on a Saturday.

Fortunately my coach Andy Hobdell also loves parkrun and has found a way to include it in long speed sessions—he just makes me run hard before and after it. The parkrun sandwich during marathon training basically involves running two long stints at marathon pace, one before and one after the parkrun itself, which you still run as hard as you can.

Earlier on in my current training block for the London Marathon I did my longest parkrun sandwich session yet, doing 10K at marathon pace before parkrun, followed by 8km afterward, but you can do much shorter versions of the session—I’m doing 5K before and 5K after this weekend, for example.

It’s a great session for testing out how comfortable marathon pace feels, especially after the parkrun when you’ve put a fast 5K into your legs. The recovery time is usually meant to be three to four minutes between each section of the workout, but this is almost impossible to judge correctly for the start of the parkrun because they don’t usually begin at exactly 9am. Then afterward it can take a little longer to get your barcode scanned and say hello to a couple of people before heading off to run again.

The logistics of this session can also be tricky, depending on the parkrun—if you run a very hilly course, it might actually be tough to run at marathon pace on it before and after, so you might need to find a different route locally for those sections, or adjust your pace targets. It’s also sometimes nice to get off the parkrun route for the workout section after the run if possible, so you’re not in the way of runners still finishing their parkrun.

If you don’t have a parkrun near you or just hate early mornings, then it’s easy to do this session without a parkrun. Just do the middle 5K hard, or find another race if you want the extra motivation of other people to run with, which certainly always helps when you’re pushing the pace.

It should come as no surprise that elite athletes run a lot of miles when marathon training. Even so, actually hearing about what they do is still pretty mind-boggling, both in terms of the distance run and the amount of hard running they log each week.

Earlier this year I attended the launch of the Under Armour Infinite Elite running shoe, where the 2022 New York City Marathon winner Sharon Lokedi spoke about her training. Lokedi is currently preparing for the Boston Marathon, and based on the below it’s fair to say that she is putting the work in to succeed at Boston.

Lokedi said she typically runs 200-220km (124-137 miles) a week, doing doubles (two runs a day) on most days. If that amount wasn’t impressive enough by itself, Lokedi is doing most of her running at altitude in Kaptagat, Kenya or Flagstaff, Arizona, and logging several hard workouts each week as part of her training.

Here’s what a typical training week looks like for Lokedi. There are some runs where Lokedi just described them as a double, so presumably they’re a relatively short and easy run in the afternoon, after a harder or longer morning run.

Monday: Hill training—either reps or a hilly route (20-24km). Double in the afternoon (10-14km)

Tuesday: Track session (12-15km). Double in the afternoon.

Wednesday: Recovery run (20-24km). Double in the afternoon.

Thursday: Long run (alternating 35-40km one week, 30km the week after). 

Friday: Recovery run (20-24km). Double in the afternoon.

Saturday: Tempo or Fartlek sessions (20km). Double in the afternoon.

Sunday: Rest day or 25-30km.

It’s obviously very important to remember when looking at a packed schedule like this that Lokedi is an elite athlete with plenty of time to rest around her running, and a full team on hand to help her with her recovery and nutrition, plus other runners to do her sessions with. This is not something amateurs enjoy, and no-one is suggesting you go and try and copy Lokedi’s training for Boston (although you should pay heed to her coach’s Boston Marathon training tip). 

Lokedi says her nutrition strategy involves protein and carbs in every meal, and lots of snacks. There aren’t any real restrictions to her diet—if the body feels it needs it then just eat it. Or as her coach Stephen Haas put it: “there are no cheat meals when you’re running that much.”

The most important bit of any marathon training block is consistency. No single workout is going to make the difference to whether you achieve your goal time on race day—it’s the cumulative effect of months of regular running that makes the difference. 

That said, once you’ve run a few marathons, certain workouts stick in the mind as having proved great markers of your fitness as you approach the event, and for being enjoyable sessions overall.

I’m currently training for the London Marathon, which will be my 13th marathon and the 11th I’ve done with the same coach. While my coach always finds something fresh to tackle every training cycle, one workout that has been a regular feature of my build-up to races is a series of 3km reps at my target race pace broken up by a 1km float recovery.

I’ve done versions of this workout with five, six or seven 3km reps, so how many you do will depend on the overall amount you’re running and your experience. I usually do it two to three weeks before race day. 

The 3km reps are done at your goal race pace or slightly slower, and the floats are at a pace about 30 seconds per kilometer slower (48 seconds per mile slower, if using miles for your race pace). The floats shouldn’t feel tough, but they also shouldn’t be completely easy either. My top tip is to make sure you don’t run the floats early on in the workout too fast, that’s a recipe for disaster.

Depending on how many 3km reps you do, plus the distance of your warm up and cool down, the workout usually ends being 25-30km long, with a long stint running at your goal race pace. If you can knock out several 3km blocks at race pace with only float recoveries towards the end of a marathon training plan, it’s a great sign that you’ll be able to hold that pace on race day once you have tapered.

Finishing this workout feeling smooth and controlled is a massive confidence boost and in my experience it’s usually followed by a successful race. Conversely, if you do the workout and have to work hard to hold the pace during the 3km efforts, it could be a sign the pace is not quite there yet. Don’t despair if that is the case though, it could also be a sign that you didn’t sleep well that night, are a bit ill, or are just having a bad day.

It’s also a good workout for practicing your fueling strategy for the race, because you can road test carrying and using your gels and drinks while actually running at race pace for long periods. I usually fuel during the workout as if it’s the marathon itself, carrying everything I need for the full distance with me, even if I don’t plan to use it all.

This is a tough workout and one last thing I’d say about it is that it’s worth finding a flat, relatively clear loop to do it in, ideally without any traffic—a park loop is usually a good bet. Most marathons offer closed, flat roads and trying to hit the pace you plan to run in those conditions in training—while crossing busy roads and dodging pedestrians—is a lot harder.

I’ve run 12 marathons in the past seven years including doing the London Marathon six times, and right now I’m working harder in marathon training than ever before. The aim is a PR of 2hrs 27min (or faster, faster would be fine), and 10 weeks out from the race my weekly mileage is at its highest ever.

I’ve logged 70-80 miles in the past two weeks and there’s no letting up from my coach, with a couple of long and hard workouts each week, plus a long run and plenty of easy miles. In the past, I’ve run about 50 to 65 miles on average in marathon training, hitting 70 for the odd peak week, so it’s been an enjoyable challenge to increase my distance.

To get through the miles and hit targets during workouts, I’ve also had to be a bit smarter with my nutrition, and I’ve started using more sports supplements to make sure I’m not losing weight and getting the carbs, protein and other stuff the body needs when working hard. To this end, there are three main products I’ve been using regularly during marathon training.

1. Multivitamin Tabs

The main one of these I’ve been using is OTE’s Berry Multivitamin Tabs but they are currently  out of stock, and I’ve also been using more easily available tabs from Tesco, so I think you can substitute in any multivitamin drink for the same effect. A pint of water with multivitamins in it is a great way to start the day and a fixture in my routine when marathon training in the winter when I’m worried about getting ill, especially with two kids at school/nursery acquiring as many germs as they can.

2. Maurten Drink Mix 

This is expensive, but one of the best sports drinks you can get and I’ve really noticed the difference in how much better I feel in long workouts and races when using it compared with other drinks. With two or three runs of at least 12-13 miles each week, I’ve taken to using the Maurten Drink Mix regularly to ensure I have enough fuel in the tank during the runs so I’m not completely burned out by the end of them, which then compromises runs on the following days.

3. SiS REGO Rapid Recovery

One of the best recovery protein powders, SIS’s REGO contains 20g of protein, 23g of carbs as well as electrolytes, vitamins and minerals to help you bounce back after a hard run. In the past I haven’t felt the need for a dedicated recovery powder during marathon training, but with tough, long runs coming along every couple of days it’s been very helpful in speeding up recovery. It’s also a lot easier to get it down quickly after a run than making a meal, which can easily be delayed by pressing work or domestic matters. 

When you’re deep into marathon training with a goal time in mind it can become hard to believe you’ll be able to run that pace for 26.2 miles. That’s because during training you’re almost always running on tired legs, and your target pace feels unduly hard as a result.

Of course, when race day rolls around you’ll not only have a few more weeks of training in your legs to improve your fitness, but you’ll also have tapered for your marathon, meaning you’ve reduced your training load so you line up at the start with fresh legs. However, if you want to check in on your progress during training to see if your target time is realistic or not, you can try this long tempo session.

I got this session from Stephen Haas, coach of the Under Armour Dark Sky Distance group when I asked him for his favorite marathon workouts at the launch of the Under Armour Infinite Elite running shoe. It’s a workout he uses with his elite athletes and a great indicator of the kind of shape they’re in during marathon training.

It’s not easy or short, and it should certainly be the main workout you do in a given week of marathon training, with recovery days afterward. On the plus side, Haas normally has his athletes doing it at altitude, which you probably won’t have to contend with.

“When in Flagstaff or Camp Verde one of the [workouts] that I like to do a lot is a five-mile tempo, one-mile float, four-mile tempo, one-mile float, three-mile tempo, one-mile float, two-mile tempo, one-mile float,” says Haas. “It’s a session that we’ve done a lot. I like that it breaks up the tempo a little bit, and it’s still good volume.”

After a warm-up you hit the first tempo run section, running at a comfortably hard pace. A float recovery means that you slow down, but are still running rather than dropping to a walk or jog.

“For the float recovery we typically do that, depending on if it’s men or women, about a minute slower than what their race pace would be,” says Haas.

If you find that you’re naturally running your marathon pace during the tempo sections, it’s a great sign you’ll be able to hold that pace in your race.

It’s a long session where you’re running 18 miles of tempo and floats, so won’t be suitable for everyone. If it’s your first marathon or you’re just aiming to get around the course of your race it’s probably an unnecessarily hard one. Judging your effort on the tempo efforts will be crucial too, so if you’re not familiar with tempo runs it’s worth doing a couple of shorter ones first.

Ask any runner who has completed the Boston Marathon what the toughest feature of the race is and they’re likely to say the inclines. The Boston Marathon course is renowned for the cluster of climbs runners have to tackle in the second half of the race—with the most famous ascent being Heartbreak Hill between miles 20 and 21.

However, while the old adage “what goes up must come down” doesn’t always apply to point-to-point running events like the Boston Marathon, it’s true that runners spend a lot of time going downhill in the race, and it’s important that your training takes this into account.

That’s what Stephen Haas, coach of the Under Armour Dark Sky Distance team, told Coach at the launch of the Under Armour Infinite Elite running shoe. Haas is preparing New York City Marathon 2022 winner Sharon Lokedi for Boston, and has adapted her training to take Boston’s downhills into account.

“We try to adapt to the course,” says Haas, “and we’ve been making sure that we incorporate more downhill running into training. I think the downhill is more important, you have to make sure the legs are calloused for the downhills.

“In Boston you have a lot more downhill than you have in New York and that’s the area where, if your legs aren’t ready for it [and] you beat them up at mile 16 you’re going to have a long way to the finish.”

Mile 16 is worth noting because there’s a significant downhill around that point in the race, which is just before the four big climbs on the course. The first half of the race is mostly a mild downhill, so if you’ve pounded through that, then charged down the descent just before mile 16, your legs could be toast if you haven’t conditioned them during training.

It’s something US pro Colin Mickow also highlighted when we spoke to him about how elite runners train for the Boston Marathon.

Another thing Haas flagged, which is important for all road marathons, is to spend a lot of time training on the road. For most people that isn’t a problem, but if you’re blessed with abundant trails nearby you might almost always run on them—but you need to have some road runs in your legs to prepare for the event.

“In places like Flagstaff, Arizona, and Kenya, you have to seek out road running,” says Haas. “Not a lot of people have that problem, but we actually have to seek that out and make sure that we’re doing long runs on pavement and getting our legs used to the pounding that you get from the road.”

Known for its fantastic atmosphere and enthusiastic spectators, the Manchester Marathon is one of the UK’s best marathons and it’s the fourth largest marathon in Europe with 32,000 entries in 2024. According to the organizers, the Manchester Marathon is the UK’s flattest and friendliest marathon. 

The flat and fast route makes the Manchester Marathon an ideal race to aim for a PB. The route starts and finishes near Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium, and includes a loop through the city center. There’s even the option to run the marathon as a relay in teams of two or four runners. 

Registration is open for the Manchester Marathon 2025, and the good news is there’s no ballot—places are allocated on a first-come first-served basis. The race usually sells out so it’s a good idea to sign up soon if you know you want to take part. You’ll also benefit from a lower price if you snap up a place early. 

Crossing the finish line of a marathon is an emotional experience. Feelings of joy or disappointment, as well as relief that it’s all over, mix with physical and mental exhaustion. After such an intense experience, it’s little wonder that many people can experience a period of feeling down or empty in the days or weeks that follow—like a marathon hangover. This has become known as the post-marathon blues.

It is, of course, totally normal for people to experience feeling low, but it’s also worth knowing which symptoms and feelings might prompt you to talk to a medical professional about how you feel. We have guidance from mental health charity Mind and frontline NHS doctor Emeka Okorocha about when to speak to a doctor about your mental health. 

What Can You Do About The Post-Marathon Blues?

Here are Weir’s six strategies for dealing with the post-marathon blues positively.

1. Celebrate. You’ve just achieved something incredible. Don’t forget that! 
2. Share your thoughts and feelings. Someone else might be feeling the same way, and it’s great to get these thoughts out in the open.
3. Rest. Ensure you are allowing yourself time to recover physically and mentally. 
4. Reflect. Don’t just move on! Think about what you have achieved, understand what went well and consider what you could change for next time. Writing your thoughts down can help.
5. Reset. Spend time focusing on things you enjoy—these might even be things you had to sacrifice while in training. This could be quality time with family, reading a book, a day out with friends, or active relaxation such as yoga or Pilates. 
6. Mindfulness. Regular mindfulness breathing or body scan exercises can help you let thoughts go and get back to the present. 

“In hindsight I should have planned something in the week or two post-race to help,” says Miller, “or actually thought about things to help my recovery, to give me structure and something to think about. Not just running-related, but taking the opportunity to kick back and enjoy not being on the treadmill of marathon training. However, that treadmill is weirdly addictive and losing it post-race was harder than I thought it would be.”

“Look at other goals that excite you and get them in the calendar, whether that’s another marathon, or another distance,” says Yelling. “Having a goal to look forward to, rather than dwelling on the past can help to move on and pull you out of the gloom.”

Miller did just that. “To get back in the game I picked some races for pure enjoyment, local races that I hadn’t run before, where I could utilize my marathon fitness to its maximum potential. I went into those races with no expectations. To prepare for them I just immersed myself completely in my running club, joining them most evenings, maximizing the social element, having a routine again. This gave me a completely different experience of running races I hadn’t been training for and surprisingly running them went well for me.”

While amateur runners will never have the time or support to replicate the marathon training of elite runners, there are always fascinating insights to draw from how pros train for big events like the Boston Marathon.

Sports scientist Derek Dalzell is the senior manager for consumer education at sports watch brand Coros, and has been analyzing the data of some of Coros’s sponsored elites ahead of the 2023 Boston Marathon, in particular US runner Colin Mickow’s training. 

We spoke to Dalzell to see what amateurs could take from Mickow’s approach to improve their own marathon training. The first insight isn’t all that surprising—elite runners run a lot—but interestingly they don’t really hit top gear and focus on their event until they are close to race day.

“One of the big takeaways is the volume,” says Dalzell. “The volume that they’re training at is exceptional. It’s 131 miles a week. Their aerobic base, their endurance, is massive. But then the big thing that I think a lot of amateurs don’t understand is that they don’t really start running hard until four to eight weeks out from the race. It’s a specific block. 

“If you look at [Mickow’s] training intensity 12 weeks out, eight weeks out and four weeks out, you can see the closer he gets to race day, the more miles he’s putting in at race pace.”

The first practical application for amateurs is not to overdo it at the start of marathon training.

“A lot of amateurs are just getting into it and have this new motivation. They go out and are like ‘I’m gonna push myself, I’m going to get in shape within the next two to four weeks’,” says Dalzell. “That can be a bad thing, because it’s not going to make running easy. Ultimately, you’re not going to want to keep doing it because it’s not sustainable.”

One way to make racking up a lot of miles in marathon training achievable is to ensure that your easy runs really are easy, with your heart rate remaining in your lower heart rate zones, no matter how slow that means you run.

“One thing we can take away from these pros is that they run in their easy training zones,” says Dalzell. “They run a lot of miles in zone 1 or their fat-burning zone, and amateurs would be shocked at how easy or how slow that would be for them. A lot of people aren’t running slow enough.”

Once you’ve built that base fitness through easy running, stepping up to start doing more work at speed becomes easier.

“A lot of amateurs never get to that point because they don’t go through the proper process,” says Dalzell. “They’re too tired and they haven’t established the aerobic base needed to sustain that level of training.”

One thing that Dalzell picked out about Mickow’s Boston Marathon training was the high amount of time spent at race pace in later weeks.

“Over the last four weeks, [Mickow] spent 56% of his time at race pace, which is a lot,” says Dalzell. “If you look at 12 weeks prior to race day, 70% of his time was easy, and only 30% was race pace. So the closer you get to race day, the more you want to specifically train that system to be prepared.”

Of course you can’t keep hammering out race pace runs right up to race day. A taper period ahead of a marathon is essential for runners of all levels.

“Each person’s individual [requirements are different], but if somebody’s been training properly, a taper is usually somewhere between eight to 14 days,” says Dalzell. “Mickow started his taper on 6th April, so 11 days out from Boston.”

While most of the marathon training that elite runners do for Boston will apply equally to any city event, the Boston Marathon route does have some well-known features, such as the Newton Hills, for which pros make specific preparations.

“It’s actually a lot of downhill,” says Dalzell. “There are uphill sections, that’s the famous stuff, but there’s a lot of downhills as well. We just interviewed [former US marathon champion] Emma Bates and she [told us she] has spent a lot of time training downhills in preparation for Boston, because she doesn’t want her quads to seize up at mile 22 or 23. It is a net downhill race. 

“Everybody focuses on the uphills, and don’t get me wrong—you have to be able to surge above your threshold on the uphill to stay with the pack. But if you don’t have your legs trained for downhill running as well, they’re gonna give out at a certain point.”

One thing that elites don’t tend to do in their marathon training is short, all-out intervals well above their threshold pace.

“Maybe if there’s something wrong with their turnover or their gait, they’ll do some 400s or 800s,” says Dalzell. “But a lot of elite marathoners, they’re not doing 400m repeats on the track. They’re building volume and their aerobic base at an easy level, then they might go up to do some above threshold very sporadically. If you look at Colin’s breakdown of zones, 98%-99% of his training is threshold or below.”

One last point that Dalzell highlighted about elites in comparison to amateur runners was cadence—the amount of steps you take per minute. 

“When an amateur starts running, for whatever reason, they settle in somewhere between 155 to 170 steps per minute,” says Dalzell. “Research says that each person has their own specific maximum efficiency of cadence, but it’s usually somewhere above 180. So a lot of amateurs are just not turning their feet over fast enough. 

“When you look at the elites, like Colin Mickow, Eliud Kipchoge, Emma Bates, they’re generally more like the 190 to 200 range. So not not only is their stride length longer, but they’re turning their feet over faster, almost 20 to 30 times more a minute than most amateurs do. 

“The takeaway there is you don’t have to run faster to increase your cadence. It’s a neurological pathway—it’s basically your brain sending a signal to your legs to pick up your feet. You can practice this on your easy runs. And the more you do, the more efficient you’re going to become. 

“If somebody’s not going to run 130 miles a week—which nobody’s really going to do, right?— but they want to improve as a runner, I will basically tell them ‘slow down, build your base, and increase your cadence on all runs’.”

The first few weeks of marathon training involve getting into the routine of running regularly and are often the most enjoyable stretch of the programme. You’re relatively fresh, probably seeing rapid improvement in your fitness, and building up the amount you run slowly with the race still months away.

In the second phase of a marathon training plan things get a little tougher. The weeks of running are adding up and while you’re fitter, you’re also fatigued and running further each week. In this period of marathon training your injury risk can be at its highest, and you need to be alert to any persistent pain or stiffness to make sure they don’t become an injury.

To help you prevent, spot and treat marathon training injuries, we spoke to Oli Williamson, a specialist physiotherapist at Marylebone Health in London.

• Our expert guide to strength training for runners

Any marathon time is a good marathon time. Completing 26.2 miles is no mean feat and for most people it’s the result of months of training. But to choose between marathon training plans it can be helpful to work out what is a good marathon time to aim for.

To help, we got our hands on exclusive data from 2022’s TCS London Marathon, and gathered figures from Strava, Running Level and RunRepeat to identify average marathon times in the UK and abroad.

What is a good marathon time for me to aim for?

We asked Arj Thiruchelvam, running coach and founder of Performance Physique, for his take on how to work out your target time. The answer is, there isn’t an easy answer! Getting a target time is an ongoing process during marathon training that starts with a baseline 5K and a rough idea of what you want to run.

“It’s a really tough question,” says Thiruchelvam. “You can definitely scale up and down for different distances, and that is usually my starting point. We’ll do a baseline 5K and usually I get people to come up with their goal time after that, what they would like to do. And then we don’t discuss that for the next eight weeks. The next eight weeks is about training hard, using that baseline 5K to set a series of paces.”

A key workout during that time for Thiruchelvam is running a long section at goal marathon pace—around 20-22km—with a warm-up and a warm-down. How that felt and whether it was achievable will determine what the actual marathon goal will be.

“I’m quite comfortable that if you’re doing a 30km run with a 22km block of marathon pace that when it comes to the race scenario you’re going to be able to maintain that for the majority of 42km,” says Thiruchelvam.

While this is going to take a bit of time and effort, it will give you a great idea of what you can run on race day. Make sure that for that long workout you’re running in conditions that mimic your marathon—as in, run a flat road route if you’re doing a flat road marathon, rather than trying to hit marathon pace on hilly trails.

There are also online calculators you can use to predict a marathon time based on shorter race events, but Thiruchelvam warns that these are based on linear equations and aren’t necessarily going to give an accurate answer for individuals.

“People can use the race-based calculators and begin working out things for themselves,” says Thiruchelvam. “Just always err on the more conservative side of the pace.”

To help you pick a goal pace to get started, a good rule of thumb is to aim for a time that is 15 to 30 seconds a mile slower than your best half marathon time. We’ve collected running pace charts for 5K, 10K, half marathon and marathon distances, and included the marathon pace chart below for you to refer to. 

Marathon Pace Chart

We have two tried-and-tested programmes to choose from if you have a time in mind: a sub-4hr marathon training plan and sub-3hr marathon training plan. The paces can be adjusted in each if, for instance, you’re gunning for, say, 4hr 15min, or 3hr 30min. 

There’s a lot more to following a diet suited to marathon training than just eating a lot of carbs – but as an incentive to keep reading this article, we can promise that you will be advised to eat lots of tasty, tasty carbs.

Along with ensuring you have the fuel you need to tackle the runs on your marathon training plan, your diet also needs to help you recover after runs and stay healthy in general. We spoke to Mike Naylor, head of nutrition at Marylebone Health, for expert advice on what to eat when preparing to run a marathon.

What are the key things to consider when planning a marathon training diet?

You need to make sure you’re fuelling your training. Carbohydrate is the primary fuel that’s used by most people when they’re running a marathon. It’s essential to start practising how to fuel for your race early and also fuelling to get the most out of your training.

Most people will be running three to four times a week in their marathon programmes. To be able to do that it’s essential that you recover properly from training, and carbohydrates are a component of that recovery process. You need to replenish the carbohydrates that you’ve used during the training session. Then to repair your muscles, you need protein. You also need to rehydrate. Make sure you’re replacing the fluids that your body sweated out during the training sessions.

How do you make sure you don’t overdo the carbs?

It should be specific to your training. For more intense runs and longer runs, your body will require more carbohydrates, but on lighter days your body won’t require as much. We use the phrase “fuel for the work required”. You periodise your nutrition to match your training. That helps you to fuel your training sessions appropriately, but also manage body composition.

Can you do this through your diet or do you need supplements?

You can do most of it through your diet, but before you start training, it would be worth visiting your GP to ask for a basic blood screen, particularly for things like iron and vitamin D. 

Running a marathon can put a lot of pressure on your bones, for instance, so it’s good to make sure your vitamin D levels are sufficient. Iron plays a role in supporting endurance performance with oxygen delivery around the body. If deficient it’s worth using supplements to help support your health, first and foremost, but then also your performance. It’s not about throwing every supplement in the mix but being strategic.

Should you eat more fruit and vegetables than normal?

It depends what baseline you’re starting from. I always recommend consuming more of green leaf-style vegetables, bright-coloured berries and fruits, plus a varied array of regular vegetables and other fruit. This will help increase the amount of micronutrients – the vitamins and minerals, the polyphenols – in your nutrition. This can help support your immune system and general health throughout training.

How do you carb load before the race?

As a general guideline, consume around 10g of carbohydrates per kg of body weight. So, if you’re 70kg, you’re looking at around 700g of carbohydrates per day to load your muscle glycogen stores for a marathon. 

It’s a lot of carbohydrates, so try to add carbohydrates to each of your meals. Porridge for breakfast, and have some extra toast or add honey to your porridge. Have lunches and dinners including pasta or rice and have a bit of bread on the side.

• How to carb-load before running a marathon

Should you reduce your fibre intake in the days ahead of the race or long runs?

You don’t need much fibre then and you want to reduce the amount of food in the gut in the lead-up to the race. It’s better to use white sources of carbohydrates, like white rice and pasta in the days before long runs or races, because that is going to be converted to muscle glycogen faster, and support your performance more effectively. 

Fibre can also fill you up a little bit more than other carbohydrate sources, and that can prevent or make it less easy to consume the amount of carbohydrates required to support your performance.

When should you eat your breakfast before long runs and races?

You want to be consuming a bigger breakfast around three hours before the start of the race. Something like Rice Krispies, because it’s just easy carbohydrates that you can consume to get into the system. Some people like porridge too, or toast with jam is quite good. 

Then have a small snack 20 to 30 minutes before the marathon, like a cereal bar. Most of the work would have been done in the two to three days leading into the race, where you increased the amount of carbohydrates you’re consuming. That increases the muscle glycogen and all you’re doing on the morning of the race is just refining your liver glycogen stores with that breakfast.

• What to eat before a marathon
• What to eat before a run

What’s a good example of a meal to help you recover after long runs?

You want carbohydrates and protein, and fluids to rehydrate. Chicken and rice is always a good option with some peas and broccoli. White rice is absorbed quickly and chicken will provide the protein – usually you want around a 30g serving of protein to help support muscle recovery. Then plenty of vegetables. If you want a dessert with it, some Greek yogurt with some bright berries is good. Maybe a bit of honey as well for a bit more carbohydrate. 

Some people struggle to eat after a run and that’s where things like recovery shakes can be useful. Or even homemade milkshakes – just something that’s providing fast and easy carbohydrates and protein to help initiate that recovery process.

• What to eat after a run

About Our Expert

The road to getting in shape for a marathon is a long one, and it’s lined with people giving you advice. Lots and lots of people have run a marathon, and they all have marathon training tips to pass on.

Even though these tips will be well-intentioned, they may be misguided. Instead, we recommend going to an expert to get clear advice to follow – which is exactly what we did. 

We spoke to Jim Pate, senior physiologist at Marylebone Health, who specialises in (among other things) preparing people for sporting events. Here are Pate’s marathon training dos and don'ts.

1. Don’t Delay Starting Your Marathon Training

One of the first things that can go wrong is leaving it too late. Get started early and work on shorter distances first, building up a little bit of speed and conditioning that way. Ultimately, it’s the distance that is the really big challenge, and so giving yourself as much time as possible to build up to withstand the total distance is a smart move.

2. Don’t Run Too Far, Too Early

Focusing on running long distances too early is another thing people get wrong with the marathon. They try to become able to run a marathon distance, and then try to get faster over that distance. It doesn’t work very well. Start working on shorter distances, which are more achievable, and work on getting faster within that. If you’ve built up good speed and conditioning for shorter distances, then there’s only one challenge for you to deal with, which is to stretch out the distance incrementally until you get to the event itself. 

3. Do Some Strength And Conditioning

People often focus only on running and don’t do any supplementary conditioning or exercise that will help enhance the running itself. Doing some strength work that’s based around running, and also some work that will help improve stability, is really useful – especially in the early phases, because it sets a good foundation that helps protect against the overload created by running more than the person is used to. 

4. Don’t Get Into Bad Habits

What I mean is bad habits like not warming up, not warming down with stretching, not training regularly throughout the week. Try to foster good habits early on.

5. Do Get The Equipment That’s Right For You

All you need for running is just a pair of shoes really, but if you’re going to embark upon a long-term, challenging programme for a marathon, you want to make sure you get the right equipment – both for the task at hand and also for yourself. That means a pair of shoes that are suited to the marathon event and training, and suited to you. Just getting a pair of shoes because they are recommended even if they don’t fit your feet well is not a good decision. Don’t just go for what is working for other people, because not everybody is the same.

6. Do Consider Your Whole Lifestyle

Make sure your nutrition and your sleep are right. Partying into the wee hours is not conducive to good-quality training. It can push you into a vulnerable state if you’re going out and trying to do a high volume of exercise as well. 

7. Do Get Any Injuries Seen To

If you have any injuries, get on it quick. Go see a physiotherapist or sports doctor. As we start to do new things or push our body in ways that it hasn’t been pushed in a while, there’s a certain discomfort that goes along with that like soreness, but that is part of the normal progression of training, and it should come and go. If you’ve got something that doesn’t feel right, or is not getting better, in a lot of cases that’s a warning sign. You should seek help sooner rather than later, because if you do something sooner there’s more of a chance that you can correct this and get back on track towards reaching your goal.

8. Do Taper In The Last Stages Of Training

People often don’t do any tapering. You should be decreasing your volume and effort over the last 10 to 14 days leading into the event. You’re not really going to be able to build much fitness. The work that you do takes about two weeks to really show up. So the last 10 to 14 days is more about place holding, rather than trying to make any real gains. 

9. Don’t Run A Full Marathon In Training

I don’t get people to run a full marathon in training. I get most people to do about 35km at the most. Going into the marathon, they know that they’re going to do it, having got close enough. I don’t think there’s a need to confirm that. 

10. Do Find A Way To Have Fun

The last thing I say to everybody whenever they’re doing anything like this is don’t forget to have fun. Ultimately, if you’re not having fun doing something, it’s very likely you’re not going to be doing it for very long.

It takes a long time to train for a marathon, and trying to stay engaged for a full marathon training plan isn’t the easiest thing to do, even if you’re an elite runner.

“If you have a goal that’s too far away, you sometimes just go through the motions,” says Team GB marathon runner and New Balance ambassador Callum Hawkins. “Sometimes you don’t push yourself in training to the degree that you need to. I think breaking it up and having mini-goals keeps the motivation high and keeps you having fun.”

We spoke to Hawkins at the launch of New Balance’s Runlock campaign on Strava, which asks people to run 30km in 30 days to earn a chance of winning prizes including a place at the 2023 New York City Marathon.

The London Marathon returns to its traditional April berth in 2023 which means if you follow a typical 16-week plan you will begin training for the event in the first week of January. It’s a perfectly reasonably thing to do, because it gives you almost four full months of running – enough time for even complete beginners to get ready to run 42.2km – while also allowing you to enjoy the festive period without worrying about training.

Before we go on, we should stress that we’re not going to demand you go teetotal this Christmas if you’re running the London Marathon (or another spring marathon), and we’re also not going to suggest you start hammering out 80km weeks in December when everyone else is partying.

What we are going to do, however, is gently suggest a few things you can do this year to make you well prepared to start your full marathon training plan in January. And by “we”, we really mean Steve Vernon, coach and manager of Team New Balance Manchester when we spoke to him (now at UK Athletics), and an ex-international cross-country and mountain runner, who we asked for some advice.

What are the main benefits of starting your prep for the London Marathon before January?

“Starting early doesn’t necessarily mean you have to begin your specific marathon training,” says Vernon, “but it does provide the opportunity for you to build some base fitness so that you are in a good position to start in the new year.”

What should marathon runners do in December?

We asked Vernon to break down his advice for December training for different types of runners. First up – people who aren’t running currently and haven’t tackled a marathon before.

“December should be about getting used to running and if you haven’t done any before, this needs to be a really easy build-up of two to three runs a week,” says Vernon.

“It is advisable for most beginners to start with a run/walk. For example, 10 one-minute jogs with one minute’s walk between each jog for a total of 20 minutes. After doing this for the first week you could progress to five two-minute jogs with a minute’s walk between them in the second week. By the end of December you should aim to run for 20-30 minutes continuously.”

A couch to 5K programme, like our free running for beginners training plan, will guide you through this process. If that proves too difficult, the None To Run program builds up more gently.

If you already run once or twice a week but haven’t ever done a marathon, the advice is to focus on increasing the length of your runs in December to build up to the amount of time on your feet demanded by marathon training.

“Start introducing longer runs once a week,” says Vernon. “Depending on your running background you could aim to add one mile [or 1.5km if you prefer] or 10 minutes a week. This way you will start the new year with the benefit of having done some longer runs.”

If you’re a regular runner you’ll already be well conditioned to start a marathon training plan – you may even have taken on the distance in the past – but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t add some specific targets to your December training.

“The elite athletes I coach always start their marathon build-up in good 10K shape so I will often find a race for them to target before they start the specific marathon work,” says Vernon.

“Running a fast 10K leading into the new year will also boost your confidence and make marathon pace seem easy.”

December is traditionally a time of big parties and consuming huge amounts of food – should marathon runners scale their festive cheer back a bit?

“I think moderation and consistency is key! There is nothing wrong with enjoying the Christmas period but if it means missing training and putting on a huge amount of weight it doesn’t put you in an ideal position to start your marathon plan,” says Vernon.

“Plan around the social events so that you can still enjoy them but also fit in training. There are also lots of bugs and illnesses around at Christmas so take precautions to stay in good health.”

Is there any particular type of running you should focus on before January?

“Easy running is fine,” says Vernon. “The marathon is an endurance event and time on your feet is the biggest factor, so steady running and building up the duration of your runs are the most important things you can do at this stage.”

Races To Sign Up For To Prepare For The London Marathon

Another thing you can consider doing before the end of the year to help get ready for the London Marathon is to sign up for a couple of shorter races in early 2023.

Running other races won’t be able to match the intense demands of a marathon, or the heightened atmosphere of the London Marathon in particular, but it will help you get used to running in a crowd and the race-day experience – no-one believes how long the queues for toilets are before a running event until they witness it first-hand.

The best way to start is with a 5K run, and the best 5K runs to get involved with are parkruns. They’re free, weekly, very relaxed, and there will almost certainly be one pretty close to your home.

For a 10K it’s best to enter an event that takes place in early February. Our top pick for people who live in or around London is the Cancer Research UK London Winter Run, which takes place on Sunday 5th February 2023. You get to run on closed roads in the centre of London – always a treat – and it’s the perfect motivation to get you through the tough, cold first month of training in January.

The key preparatory race is a half marathon, which gives you the chance to practise your race day routine and pacing a run, as well as getting a great idea of how your training is going and what time you might be able to target in the full marathon.

Coach’s 14-week training plans asks you to run a half on 12th March. Choice options on that day include the Surrey Half, Carlisle Half Marathon and Inverness Half Marathon, while the Battersea Half Marathon runs loops of the London park on the Saturday. 

Run Britain’s race listings are another great way to survey your options – but it’s worth deciding on your plan and booking your half marathon this week, or you may find your preferred race is sold out by the time you get around to entering.

The moment you begin marathon training you will start getting advice about the race, and the most common pacing tip will be, “Don’t go off too fast.” You shouldn’t start a marathon running too fast—and yet it’s the most common mistake runners make.

To help you avoid doing so, I spoke to the running coach and founder of Performance Physique Arj Thiruchelvam to get his advice on marathon pacing. I also got tips from Puma elite athletes Rose Harvey and Jack Rowe.

About our expert

Top Tips From Elite Runners For Pacing A Marathon

It Should Feel Easy Until Halfway

“Elites go out too fast too—we’ve all been guilty of it,” says Rose Harvey. “I think people go out too quickly because you have fresh legs, you’ve done your taper, and your target marathon pace that felt really tough in sessions suddenly feels like a jog. Actually, it should feel like a walk in the park until at least halfway.”

A Negative Split Is The Way To Go

“It’s the fastest way to run a marathon, but even my fastest 5Ks have been when the last mile is the quickest mile,” says Jack Rowe. “It’s killer because you run it like that and immediately think, ‘What if I’d gone off 10 seconds quicker?’ But the ability to pick up and the time you make up in the last few miles is worth it compared with holding on for dear life. Not to mention the pain you get to avoid.”

“It always feels nicer if you can pick up the pace at the end, rather than fighting to cling on to your target pace,” says Harvey. “If you can conserve that energy you’ll run quicker than if you bomb. If you start too quickly you’ll lose a lot more time in the second half.”

Listening To Your Footsteps Can Help You Get Through The Last Few Miles

“Listening to my footsteps helps,” says Harvey. “Thinking about leg turnover and keeping it even and consistent, especially in the back end of a marathon when the pace doesn’t feel natural any more. Take your mind off the struggle and think about leg turnover.”

Marathon runners will try all sorts of different things to boost their performance during a race. That starts with obvious things like training for three to four months and fuelling well during the race so they don’t run out of energy, and extends to splashing out a lot of money on the best carbon plate running shoes to add some spring to their step.

However, sleeping well in the days leading up to the race can also be very important, not only to ensure you have the physical energy to power through your marathon, but also to give you the mental energy to make good decisions during the race, like not starting the 26.2-mile run at your 5K pace.

We spoke to sleep scientist Dr Sophie Bostock about the importance of sleep for running performance, and to get her advice on how to get to sleep the night before a marathon. Bostock is a member of the British Heart Foundation London Marathon support squad, a team of experts supporting the charity’s runners at the 2022 marathon.

• How Much Does Sleep Affect Athletic Performance?

It’s not surprising to learn that a lack of sleep can affect your physical performance – a systematic review of studies indicated sleep deprivation can result in a 7.5% drop in performance – but Bostock also highlighted how your cognitive performance can be negatively impacted.

“We tend to be a lot more impulsive – we have less emotional regulation when we’re short of sleep. So things like decisions about sticking to your race plan can be affected,” says Bostock.

With that in mind, we assumed that getting to bed particularly early the night before the race would be a smart move. But in fact the best advice is just to stick to your normal routine, or even go to bed later than usual.

“Hopefully, you’ve got a relatively regular bedtime and a relatively regular wake time, and I would try and stick to whatever you normally do,” says Bostock. “If you find that you are just way too excited and you’re not sleepy, don’t just lie there in bed worrying about it. I often actually tell people just go to bed a bit later if they’re not feeling sleepy. Maybe read for a little bit longer, distract yourself. 

“Also, the night before a race, positive imagery can be really helpful. Picture yourself having a really successful race, seeing yourself going around the course feeling great. Instil positive emotions in your head. That’s actually going to help you to relax and if you are tired, you’re going to find it easier to fall asleep.”

Bostock also pointed out that, given you’ll probably be tapering and exercising less just before the marathon, you might have more energy than usual – another good reason to perhaps go to bed 20-30 minutes later than you have been during heavy training weeks.

Given that many runners will probably be a bag of nerves the night before the race, there is a case for trying to bank a few extra hours of sleep earlier in the week. 

“In the days and even weeks leading up to the marathon, getting that little bit of extra sleep is going to make you more resilient to the sleep loss the night before,” says Bostock, though she did also say that for most people getting in “sleep credit” usually just means actually sleeping as much as they should be.

Sleep is important, then, and you should do what you can to get a lot of it in the week before your marathon, but another key takeaway is that you shouldn’t fret too much if you don’t sleep very well the night before your race.

“By that time you’ve done the work,” says Bostock. “Most of the studies that look at the impact of sleep deprivation on performance have done something pretty extreme – no sleep at all for 30 hours, or a really prolonged sleep loss. Very often we actually find even with these controlled experiments that one night of slightly shorter sleep probably doesn’t make that much difference. And the compensation that you’re going to get from the adrenaline on the day is probably going to be strong enough.”

You’ll feel that adrenaline from the moment you wake up on race day, and you can also counter the effects of a bad night’s sleep with some positivity.

“There was a study published recently that looked at the impact of positive versus negative self-talk and showed that positive self-talk reduces your rate of perceived exertion,” says Bostock. “Remember you’ve done the work, you’ve trained hard. That one night of short sleep probably doesn’t make much difference. I’ve spoken to so many athletes who have done their personal best or even broken records after a poor night of sleep.”

One last bit of advice is if you use a sleep tracker, the night before a marathon might be a good time to take it off.

“Whatever happens, whatever that tracker says, you’re going to have to do that race,” says Bostock. “So it might be a good time to take a break from it.”

• Tips For London Marathon First-Timers
• The Runner’s Guide To The London Marathon Route

The London Marathon Running Show, or Expo, is where your race experience for the London Marathon really begins. After many months of marathon training, joining thousands of fellow runners to collect your race number only serves to heighten the anticipation of race day.

Your Expo experience will be significantly better if you plan your trip to ExCeL in east London carefully, and ideally try to avoid going on Saturday, which is by far the busiest day.

Training for and running a marathon can be one of the most rewarding things you’ll ever do. Ticking off your training week in, week out, over several months is great for your physical and mental health, and the sense of accomplishment when crossing the finish line on race day is hard to top.

Having a good marathon training plan is essential to ensure all that training returns as much benefit as possible and you do yourself justice on race day. Olympic marathon runner and coach Steph Twell has launched a 12-week digital training camp in partnership with run coaching platform Onetrack to help people prepare for autumn marathons: Twell herself is training for the London Marathon on October 2nd so you can mirror her efforts – scaled back to suit all abilities, of course.

It costs £195 to join Steph Twell’s marathon training camp, which starts on Monday 11th July and includes virtual and in-person meet ups with Twell and your fellow marathoners. We spoke to Twell ahead of the plan’s start date to get her expert take on what it takes to train for a marathon.

How much do you have to train each day and week?

Elite athletes will train sometimes more than once a day, but I’m someone who has many jobs in the background and I think realistically training once a day is achievable in a 12-week build-up. 

That first four weeks, you’re building your ability to tolerate fatigue. So it is OK to run six out of seven days and have a rest day. Then in weeks four to eight I would swap out that rest day for something light to keep you active, like a cycle or something non-weight-bearing like swimming or the cross-trainer. Then in that last month you want to have adjusted to that tolerance of fatigue and have improved your training capacity. 

You have to listen to your body because the most important thing is getting to the start line healthy. But it’s also about not listening to your body too much and respecting that in marathon training, actually getting out there even when you’re fatigued is the adaptation that you’re looking for. The bit you have to overcome is accepting fatigue, knowing that your body is going to be tired, but equally still getting through it and consistently stringing together sessions that are going to build your stamina.

Should you do anything else alongside your running?

Absolutely. I’m a big advocate of strength and conditioning. You need to get to the start line healthy so you need to consistently strengthen your muscles. Twice a week is ideal, but even strength training once a week resets your body. It activates the muscles that can become switched off in marathon training.

Then work on your mobility too. If you can’t get to a physio then do a yoga session once a week. Or just stretch when you can in front of the telly.

• An Expert Guide To Strength Training For Runners
• Try These Mobility Exercises Before Your Next Run
• Yoga For Runners: Five Moves To Help You Recover After Long Runs

How does following a training plan help?

Having a plan puts you in the right mindset to take on the challenge in the first place, and it’s important to be organised. It helps that you don’t have to think too much about what you have to do that day, or what the week looks like. It is shaped for you by a coach like me. I think it also can make you accountable. And when you get closer to the goal race day, you can look back and see that consistent training you’ve ticked off. 

Sign up for Steph Twell’s Marathon Training Camp

We hope this won’t come as a surprise to anyone who has signed up for the London Marathon, but it takes a long time to train your body to run 42.2km. But it’s not just the training that you need to consider well before race day itself. Figuring out the gear you’re going to use and the nutrition you need also takes time.

All of the above means that now the London Marathon is 14 weeks away, it’s time to get running, and get thinking about your running. 

The first thing to nail down is your training plan. We have a range of 14-week marathon training plans to suit a range of abilities, whether you’re a beginner just looking to finish in one piece, an intermediate looking to set a new PB, or an experienced marathoner lining up a sub-3hr bid.

• Beginner marathon training plan
• Intermediate sub-4hr marathon training plan
• Advanced sub-3hr marathon training plan

To help you through that training, you’ll need a set of running shoes. Or actually two or three sets would be ideal, because not only will you then have different shoes that better suit different types of runs – such as lightweight speedsters for interval running, and cushioned shoes for easy and recovery runs – but you’ll also reduce your risk of injury. When we spoke to an expert to find out whether running is bad for your knees, his top tip was to use a range of shoes to vary the impact on your body and help avoid repetitive strain injuries.

We have a round-up that showcases the best marathon running shoes to suit different goals, and our best running shoes round-up will guide you through a range of excellent options for training and racing in general. Both include the best carbon plate racing shoes like the Nike Vaporfly, which have become the go-to option for runners chasing marathon PBs.

Coming back to common running injuries, you will naturally be putting yourself at greater risk of these during your training. Following a training plan will help you increase your running in a gradual way that reduces the risk of overuse injuries like plantar fasciitis, shin splints and achilles tendonitis, but strength training for runners is also important to help your body handle the training load.

Beyond shoes, the other gear you need includes a comfortable running T-shirt or vest, plus some top-notch running shorts, all of which will limit the risk of chafing on long runs in particular.

• The Best Women’s Running Tops
• The Best Running Shorts For Women
• The Best Men’s Running T-Shirts
• The Best Running Vests And Singlets For Men
• The Best Men’s Running Shorts

Another must is a few sets of great socks, because the best running socks reduce the risk of blisters and increase your comfort on the run.

Many runners also benefit from using a tracker during their training. The best running watches can actually create entire training plans for you or suggest workouts each day, but even more useful is having your heart rate and pace stats available at a glance – this can help you judge your effort correctly during different types of runs.

A less obvious but equally important bit of gear is a running belt, or even a running backpack, which will help you carry all the essentials you need on long runs that will last several hours. Along with things like your phone, a set of the best running headphones to keep you entertained, your keys and card, you also need to carry hydration and nutrition.

Water is obviously the key to staying hydrated, but you also need to consider your electrolyte intake over long runs where you sweat out a lot of sodium. Your body uses a lot of carbohydrates to fuel long runs, so topping those up with running gels, energy bars or sports drinks is vital to avoid hitting the wall during training runs and on race day itself.

Consuming a lot of carbohydrates during runs is not something most people can do easily without practice, so it’s best to start the process of training your gut early during your training plan. Finding some gels or drinks that work for you and don’t cause any gastrointestinal distress on the run is a big step towards enjoying your race day a whole lot more.

That’s a lot to think about, and it might seem a little overwhelming, but you still have loads of time before the race to consider all of the above. Break it down into small steps and remember that, if you come at it well prepared, training for a marathon is just as enjoyable and challenging as the race itself.

You’ve only gone and done it. You’ve committed to running the big one. A marathon. The full 42.2km. And make sure you keep that 0.2km in mind, because trust us when we say that you won’t believe how long the final 200m can feel on race day.

For many people, their first marathon is a genuine life highlight. And it’ll be a real test of your physical and mental strength. Once you cross the finish line, you’ll feel a sense of euphoria that’s hard to match – but you have to get there first.

Assuming you have at least four or five months before race day itself, you have plenty of time to get yourself into shape for a marathon, but it’s always better to start as early as possible to give your body time to adapt to the rigours of regular running. If you’re still six months or more away from race day you don’t necessarily have to dive straight into a full training plan yet – but getting out for one or two runs a week now, and gradually increasing the distance over time, will make starting a plan so much easier when you do begin to ramp up your mileage in preparation for the race. 

This guide contains everything you need not only to finish a marathon, but to finish it in grand style. For some that means flying over the finish line with a huge new personal best; for others it means not having to crawl the last two (point two) kilometres.

Marathon Training Plans

Find the right training plan – one that suits both your target time and current fitness – and you’re halfway there. The other half is following that training plan closely, which is admittedly a lot harder than picking it.

You might wonder why you can’t just go out and do whatever running you want when training for a marathon. It’s just running after all, so doing a load of running in the build-up will help you, right? Not quite. A structured plan involves a variety of runs that prepare you to complete 42.2km in as smooth a fashion as possible. It also builds up gradually to reduce your risk of injury. If you just go out and run at the same (probably too fast) pace all the time, your training will become a real chore and you’re likely to burn out or get injured well before your race.

Coach has a range of 14-week marathon training plans for all aims and abilities, and each of them involves several types of run. There are interval sessions to help build your speed, tempo runs to improve your ability to sustain your marathon pace, and long runs to build the endurance required to complete 42.2km in one go. Each plan also includes a lot of easy running, which helps to condition your body for the marathon while also allowing it to recover from your harder runs. The balance of all these is key – even if you’re an experienced runner, that balance is very easy to get wrong if you’re simply winging your preparation for an event.

Now you’re presumably convinced by the merits of following a marathon training plan, it’s time to pick yours. Below you’ll find more info on all our free training plans to help you find the one that’s right for you.

14-Week Beginner Marathon Training Plan

You don't need to be running already to tackle this plan, but you do need to be active in some way, as you run a steady 5K at the end of the first week of training. It’s ideal for an especially busy marathoner, as you only need to commit to three runs a week plus one core workout. The target marathon finish time is five hours, but you can run much quicker on this plan if you discover an innate running talent.

See the beginner marathon training plan

14-Week Intermediate Marathon Training Plan For A Sub-4hr Finish

This plan is good for both regular runners tackling their first marathon and those who are looking to bring down their time. You do four runs a week including a couple of sprint or hill sessions – just the ticket for improving your marathon pace.

See the intermediate marathon training plan

14-Week Advanced-Intermediate Marathon Training Plan For A Sub-3hr Finish

If you have the time and existing fitness to tackle five runs a week, you can fit in a variety of quality sessions – including hills, sprints, easy runs and long runs – which will stand you in good stead whatever your target marathon time is.

See the advanced marathon training plan

Picking Your Marathon Running Shoes

Let’s start at the bottom. You’re going to be spending a lot of time in the shoes you use for your marathon training, so it’s important to get the right ones. If you already have a preferred style and brand, then stick with them – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. If it is broke, in that you are uncomfortable in your shoes or pick up a lot of injuries, or if you’re a beginner runner with no shoes at all, then it’s worth getting your gait analysed.

Many running shoe shops perform a gait analysis free. A quick run on a treadmill will help an expert ascertain if you overpronate (where your foot rolls too far inwards when it lands) or underpronate (it doesn’t roll far enough), or if you are a neutral runner. More advanced gait analysis will also look at how your entire body moves when running, but this is probably only worth doing if you are suffering from a lot of injuries and then it’s best to visit a physio for advice.

Once you know the right type of shoes for you, test some on a treadmill in the store if possible. Going for whatever feels best is a good rule, even if it runs counter to advice from others.

You want a well-cushioned shoe for marathon training, because you’ll be racking up a lot of distance. If you can stretch to more than one pair, it may also be worth buying a lighter, less cushioned pair for faster interval sessions in training and maybe race day itself.

One last point in this section: do not, under any circumstances, buy a shiny new pair of shoes at your marathon expo and wear them for the first time on race day. That goes for all your gear – you want tried-and-tested stuff that won’t annoy, chafe or injure you.

• The Best Marathon Running Shoes For Training And Racing
• The Best Cushioned Running Shoes For Your Marathon Training
• The Best Stability Running Shoes For Overpronation

Are Carbon Plate Running Shoes Worth It?

If you have any interest in the world of running you’ll no doubt have taken note of the carbon plate racing shoes that have come to the fore in recent years. At the time of writing we’ve tested (or are testing) all the carbon shoes out there bar two and have logged many a PB in them. We’re convinced they do offer a performance edge, especially over longer events like the marathon.

However, before you rush out and buy a pair, it’s worth knowing a few things. Firstly, carbon shoes are very expensive and don’t tend to be very durable, so you will need to save them for the odd crucial training run and races. That means buying at least one other pair of shoes on top of the £170-£260 you’ll fork out for a carbon plate pair.

Secondly, the high stacks of cushioning in most carbon shoes are mostly made from a soft and springy foam. That’s lovely on race day because it protects your legs and keeps you moving, but it makes for a more unstable platform, so if you have pronation problems this kind of shoe may not be for you. Some carbon shoes are better on this front than others though, so use our review run-down to pick out the firmer options that could be better for you.

There’s also debate about whether the shoes perform for every runner. Some suggest that it’s really only elites who benefit from the technology. However, there certainly seems to be enough evidence – both anecdotal and more scientific – that suggests amateur runners can enjoy significant performance gains with something like the Nike Vaporfly. Although, of course, it’s hard to decipher exactly what is down to the shoes and what is down to better training, or favourable conditions on a given day.

If you intend to buy yourself some shiny new carbon shoes it’s also worth noting that, as good as they are, they won’t do the running for you. You need to train hard and view them as the cherry on top. We can certainly attest to the fact that hitting the wall while wearing the Vaporfly hurts just as much as hitting the wall wearing any other shoe.

RECOMMENDED: The Best Carbon Plate Running Shoes

The Running Gear You Need For A Marathon

When it comes to your marathon outfit, it’s worth investing in technical garb that wicks sweat away and doesn’t irritate. Don’t forget to extend these principles to your socks and underwear. You might only run one marathon in your life, so it’s worth splashing out on some top-quality kit to make sure the memory isn't ruined by blisters or *shudders* chafing.

You’ll also need a method to carry some kind of sustenance with you while you run. There will be drinks on the course, but if you’re using energy gels or bars, you should bring ones that you’re used to with you to avoid any stomach… unpleasantness. A running belt with space for your gels, water bottle, phone and headphones is a useful purchase. You could buy a running armband instead, but in our opinion belts are better. 

RECOMMENDED: The Best Running Gear

How Can Tech Help You?

When you’re preparing your body to complete a marathon you should follow a training schedule set by a qualified run coach. This plan will invariably have you running multiple times a week and doing different types of runs – some long and slow, some fast and short, and various other combinations of distance and pace. It pays to follow a plan as closely as possible, and that’s where tech can help.

To follow a beginner marathon training plan like Coach’s, you could easily get by with nothing more than a stopwatch to make sure you’re sticking to the time the training plan is asking you to run for and a GPS run tracker on your phone to make sure you’re sticking to the distance asked of you. GPS is the American satellite system that phones, sat navs and the like use to establish your location. A GPS run tracker simply uses this information to map your progress, telling you how far you’ve gone and how quickly.

If you don’t mind spending the money, fitness trackers offer a highly convenient combination of stopwatch and basic run tracker. Just make sure to buy one with connected GPS (where the fitness tracker connects to your phone and uses its GPS signal) or built-in GPS. Virtually all fitness trackers have that capability now but it’s worth double-checking.

When you’re training by running sessions at different paces, it’s extremely useful to have that information on your wrist. A tracker with a heart rate monitor – again, virtually standard – can help you gauge if you’re putting in the right amount of effort in, even if you’re struggling to hit the required pace that day for whatever reason (a hilly route, a bracing headwind, feeling a bit run down, etc).

The more you spend – trackers go up to close to four figures – the more likely it is that your device will offer other features like coaching you through each run, providing insights into your running form and the effect of your training, and helping you to tweak it for the better.

If you’re new to running and are taking a fundraising, one-and-done approach to a marathon, free running apps like Strava, Runkeeper or Nike+ Run Club that allow you to track your runs and review them later are your best bets.

If you have been running for a while and want to make the step up to marathon distance or are training towards a target time, we’d recommend a basic GPS running watch like the Garmin Forerunner 55 ($199.99/£179.99) or Coros Pace 2 ($199/£179.99). These reasonably priced watches are able to track all your stats and coach you through guided workouts and training plans, although Garmin is yet to release a full marathon training plan.

Spend around £300 and you’ll get a tracker with not only a vast array of running stats but also smart features including music storage and streaming. Pair it with wireless running headphones and you can cover all the training mileage with your choice of entertainment and without your phone. The best best running watch at this price is the Garmin Forerunner 245 Music (£299.99), a terrific device that will satisfy the key needs of any runner as well as having space for music and the ability to wirelessly sync playlists if you have a Spotify Premium account.

Most will find all they need for less than £300, but if you want to treat yourself to more advanced navigation features and training feedback, check out the high-powered watches available. The Garmin Forerunner 955 ($499.99 / £479.99) and Garmin Epix 2 ($899.99-$999.99 / £799.99-£999.99) are our top picks for runners if money is no object. Both will give detailed feedback on whether your training is productive or if you’re overdoing it (we strongly recommend pairing a chest strap heart rate monitor to get the most out of this feature), and what kind of training you should do more of – interval work or recovery runs, for example.

On top of that, these watches have music and full colour maps on board, so you can always find a new route to liven up your training – trust us, it can be a real shot in the arm when you’re running three or more times a week. Both also include Garmin’s PacePro feature, which will help you pace your race perfectly, providing individual mile or kilometre split targets to keep you on target for your overall goal.

RECOMMENDED: The Best Running Watches

How To Fuel Your Running

During your training the main general dietary advice is to ensure you’re eating enough carbs to fuel your exercise, protein to help your muscles rebuild and recover, and fruit and vegetables to keep your immune system in good shape – especially if you’re training in the winter.

When we spoke to Ali Nolan about her book on marathon training for women, told us that “every nutritionist, dietitian and sports medical doctor I talked to said in general, when marathon training, women are eating too few calories and don’t realise.”

You need to also start thinking about in-run nutrition and hydration when your training runs are longer than 90 minutes. Make sure you increase your carb consumption before those runs, and consider carrying gels or another source of carbs with you to restock during the run. Running gels are popular because they are easy to carry and consume on the move.

Staying hydrated is also vital, and this means topping up electrolytes like sodium as well as glugging down plenty of water. Sports drinks contain electrolytes as well as carbs, or you can buy hydration tablets you dissolve in water to create an electrolyte-rich drink.

For your final few long runs before the marathon you should be trying to replicate the nutrition you will be using on race day itself so your body gets used to the gels and drinks. Gels in particular can upset your stomach, and how they affect you varies from brand to brand, so keep trying till you find one that works for you.

RECOMMENDED: Running Supplements For Marathon Runners

How To Avoid Injury

When training for a marathon most people do a lot more running than they have ever done before. Hopefully this should not be news to you. Given that the most common cause of running injuries like plantar fasciitis, runner’s knee, shin splints and achilles tendonitis is a rapid uptick in the amount of running done, it’s not surprising that lots of would-be marathoners are struck down with injury during their training.

A gradual, managed increase in your training mileage is key to avoiding injury. If you’re following a training plan, this will be taken into account. If you don’t follow a particular plan, try and avoid massive increases in your total weekly distance – making consistent increases of around 3-5km is a good rule to follow when marathon training.

If you miss a couple of weeks for whatever reason, you’ll also need to adjust your plan accordingly. It’s unwise to go in at week eight, for example, if you missed six and seven. Instead look at what you did in week five and build a little faster than on the plan, maybe catching up with the plan by week 12 or so. This is especially true for your long runs. If you haven’t run for two weeks and try to knock out the 25km listed on your plan when you’re not ready, you are asking for trouble.

Strength training for runners, ie that focuses on your legs and core will also help prepare your body for the demands of running a marathon. Exercises like squats, calf raises and lunges will strengthen your legs, while yoga and Pilates are good options for both stretching your tired muscles and building core strength. You’ll also find a foam roller becomes essential.

Another thing to check if you are picking up niggles constantly is whether you’re wearing the right kind of running shoes for you. 

Some injuries are completely unavoidable, of course, and even if you do everything you can to prepare your body for the demands of marathon training it can break down. Be sensible about it if that does happen – go and see a physio, and don’t worry if it ultimately means that you can’t run your marathon. There will always be another race, as long as you don’t destroy your body by running through the pain.

Strength Training For Marathon Runners

Adding some strength training to your routine brings with it two major benefits to your running.

“Number one is robustness and injury prevention,” says Sean Kazab, trainer for fitness app Fiit, which has a Marathon Prep collection of strength, stretching and Pilates sessions to help support your training. “Then number two is performance.”

The kind of strength work you should do is similar to what you’ll see everyone else doing at the gym, with a focus on improving your leg and core strength through fundamental movements like squats and lunges. However, your ultimate aim of running a marathon means you should avoid really heavy lifts like the back squat, which can really fatigue you.

“Your strength training should involve a lot of unilateral work,” says Kazab. “You can stress muscles with less systemic fatigue – you can really smash those legs with a lunge, for example, but you will use less overall weight so your nervous system will get less fatigued. And unilateral work also will help iron out any imbalances that you get from running.”

How much strength training you do will depend on your level of experience. “The good news is that for most beginners, you can do very little and get results,” says Kazab. If you’re new to resistance training one to two times a week should be plenty, but whatever your starting point it’s important to not to go overboard. Kazab recommends letting soreness be your guide: “If you’re sore from your strength training going into your long runs, you’re probably training with too much volume or too much intensity.”

Lastly, when it comes to fitting strength training around your running, it’s best not to use your recovery days to do strength work. Keep those entirely clear so you get a break.

“We talk a lot about physical fatigue but there’s also mental fatigue, and stepping away from training is really important,” says Kazab. “Do your strength training on an easier run day, and do it as the second session of the day rather than the first.”

RECOMMENDED: The Expert Guide To Strength Training For Runners

What Should You Do Besides Running?

Cross training is a key part of any marathon training plan. We’ve touched on how strength training, yoga and Pilates can reduce your risk of injury, but that isn’t the only reason to add some cross-training to your weekly schedule. Strength and mobility work will also improve your performance when running, so they are essential for anyone training to beat their best time.

You can also swap some of the running in your training plan for other cardiovascular exercise like cycling, swimming or the cross-trainer. As long as the session is intense enough, you’ll get the same cardio benefits as you would from running, and it might help break up your training so you don’t get bored. Furthermore, if you’re starting to feel a niggle it might be worth swapping your run for a session in the pool or on the exercise bike, which will allow you to get your training done while giving your body a break from the specific impacts of running. And if you’re training during the UK winter, you’ll probably be only too glad to head indoors for a workout once in a while.

RECOMMENDED: Cross-Training For Runners

Should You Join A Running Club?

The long road of marathon training feels a lot shorter if you’re travelling it with others, whether you manage to find a buddy working towards the same race as you, or just getting out for the odd group run here and there with a club.

Many traditional running clubs put on special marathon training groups ahead of major events like the London Marathon, and you often don’t need to be a full club member to join in with these. You’ll generally have to pay to join them, but the cost will be minimal and in return you’ll get training buddies along with a whole lot of invaluable advice from experienced runners who have done one or more marathons already. United Kingdom Athletics can help you find your local club.

There are also some free running clubs. Usually these are created in partnership with a brand, though this type are all in London to our knowledge, or through a running shop like Runners Need. While the training might not be marathon-specific, you’ll be able to join in with others for a couple of runs a week, reducing the solo workload you have to face.

Any run you can do with others will be a little easier, and having committed to meeting people to run will help you find the motivation to turn up in the first place. Joining a running club is by no means essential when training for a marathon, but we will say that there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy the process more if you do and are less likely to make rookie mistakes. And if you have any plans to continue running after completing your marathon, joining a club will help keep your passion burning for the sport.

Given that all marathon runners have to complete the same 42.2km to finish on race day, there are naturally a lot of similarities in how they train for a marathon. However, every runner is also different, and ensuring those differences are taken into account with your training is vital to producing your best performance.

Ali Nolan’s new book Master The Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide for Women is designed to help women of all levels train for the marathon, providing access to the kind of insights elite runners enjoy.

“I wish every runner had a strength training coach, running coach, nutritionist and dietitian, sports medicine doctor, and a bunch of other random experts in their corner,” says Nolan. “So I consulted experts that I know, and tons of interviews went into the book.”

We spoke to Nolan about how marathon training is different for women, and for her advice for everyone taking on the distance.

What are the differences in marathon training for men and women?

I think that women think differently and we’re built differently. It’s obvious, in a way, that there are differences, but at the same time, they’re very small because we’re all training for the same distance.

In the book I say there are five elements of marathon training: running, strength training, nutrition, mentality and recovery. I think it’s much more important for women to home in on those other elements that aren’t running. I think women are very task-oriented and so they get the training plan done, but they neglect strength and nutrition.

One more thing for women is our hips are slightly wider and our lower extremities will be more off-balance than men’s. It’s debated in the medical community, but some people believe that that does leave women more prone to foot injuries and calf strains. So in the book, there are strength training programmes that focus on hip strength, first of all, and glute activation, then little tweaks like calf raises that will help prevent plantar fasciitis and make everything more balanced. And then, of course, a bunch on core strength, because that feeds into your bottom half.

Women also have weaker upper bodies on average, and a lot of new runners don’t realise that you use your upper body when you’re running. It’s about making sure you build that strength into the plan.

Nutrition is complicated because it’s very individualised. But every nutritionist, dietitian and sports medical doctor I talked to said in general, when marathon training, women are eating too few calories and don’t realise. So it’s waking people up and being like “no, carbs are good!” and just getting women to eat more.

Mentality-wise, I think balancing life with training leads a lot of women into burn-out while marathon training. It’s something that I’ve dealt with a lot, so a huge part of my book is about really focusing inward – trying to take an inventory of how your body feels and how your mind is feeling. That can make such a difference to your marathon training because if your mind is completely burned out, you’re not going to perform at your peak and you might be disappointed. And if you haven’t learned the skills for self compassion, which a lot of women do not have, then you’re going to get into this spiral. Maybe you quit running or maybe you run too much.

The other thing is that men have higher VO2 maxes than we do, so let’s up the speed training. That’s really for more intermediate and advanced runners – a lot of track workouts, uphill sprints and that kind of stuff.

Is it harder in general for women to join in things like track workouts with clubs?

I think it is. First of all, it’s hard to motivate yourself if you’re doing a track workout by yourself. Then if you do go to track workouts, you will find that it’s not an even split [between men and women].

Some beginner runners don’t even realise that it’s necessary when training for long-distance running, and when they figure it out and try it, it probably is intimidating at first. Especially if you’re dead last – that sucks – and if you’re a woman going to a track workout that might happen because of our differences.

I made some workouts for the book that were more fun that you can do on your own, or with one other friend. And I just encourage people to try. The running community, even if they are elite or faster, they’re so open and excited to cheer for people that are trying something new.

See related 

• Marathon Training: Plans, Gear, Nutrition Advice And More
• Can Anyone Run A Marathon?

How do you manage periods around marathon training?

For women that time of the month it is, in a very basic sense, a pain! Sometimes you just have to grin and bear it, and get through it, but I will also say that if it’s your long run day and you feel like crap, wait a day and adjust your training plan. That kind of goes for everything. If you’re not feeling your best – if you’re under the weather, or if you have cramps or a migraine – and you try to go out and do a good-quality workout, it’s going to end up being garbage miles. It’s better to wait and get those quality miles in than rush it and feel miserable. That’s not going to do anything for your confidence either.

A lot of runners nowadays totally skip it. They take birth control, because periods get in the way. The other thing I’d say about it is a lot of women runners who are very dedicated, who are maybe not eating enough calories, will begin to skip their periods. Sometimes that’s OK, as long as you talk to a doctor. Sometimes it’s really bad and can lead to osteoporosis and female triad [now more commonly known as RED-S]. I know not everybody has access to great health care, but if there’s anything wrong with your body in that way, I recommend seeing a doctor.

Are there any other marathon mistakes women in particular tend to make?

That was a question that I asked every expert. As I said, the nutritionists and dietitians said they’re not eating enough calories. Then the physical therapists, sports docs and running coaches said that most women run too fast on their long, slow runs, and their easy training miles. People should really use the pace charts and the pace apps. Plug in your 5K time and I guarantee people will be surprised to see that their slow training days should probably be like a minute a mile slower than what you’re actually running.

One other thing is that we don’t give ourselves enough time to recover – this is probably true for men too. When our plan says rest day, maybe we’ll sneak in a mile or two because it feels good, or maybe we’ll go and do a stupid high-intensity interval class. Really you should be putting your feet up and eating a nutritious meal. I don’t think people treat themselves well during marathon training.

Ever since the London Marathon ballot stopped capping entries at 125,000 people, the number of people throwing their hat into the ring for a race place has grown every year. Unfortunately the number of places available through the ballot has stayed the same, with the result that the ballot disappoints an increasing number of runners every year. 

The results of the 2023 ballot have now been announced and hundreds of thousands of runners will have been told they’ve missed out. The only option for people seeking a spot now is a charity place – unless they’re quick enough to claim a Good For Age or Championship place. Getting a charity place at the marathon, however, is the most rewarding way of all to complete the 42.2km – and it’s arguably a more reliable method of obtaining a place than simply entering the ballot.

More than 410,000 people entered the ballot for the London Marathon 2023, and even more are expected to apply for a ballot spot in the London Marathon 2024. Only around 20,000 race places are awarded via a ballot, so the odds are not in your favor.

The other main option available is a London Marathon charity place—unless you’re quick enough to claim a Good For Age or Championship place. Getting a charity place at the marathon, however, is the most rewarding way of all to complete the 26.2 miles, and it will keep you motivated though the long months of marathon training as well.

It’s arguably a more reliable method of obtaining a spot than entering the ballot, though that’s not to say it’s easy to get a charity place. You’ll need to move quickly: Some charities are so oversubscribed that they close registrations more than six months before the race.

If you want to apply for a charity spot and already have a cause that’s close to your heart, look at that charity’s website to see if it is accepting applications for places in the 2024 London Marathon. If you don’t already have a cause in mind, visit the London Marathon website to see a list of charities that have guaranteed places in the race.

You can apply to more than one charity to boost your chances of getting a place, though it is best to stick to organizations that you have a genuine connection with. That’s because charities will generally choose their runners based on that connection, as well as an estimation of how much the runner will be able to raise. If you have taken part in other events to raise money for a charity in the past, that could help your chances.

Each charity’s website will have details on how to apply and what it expects from its runners. Charities have to pay for places, so bear in mind you’ll be required to bring in a large amount of sponsorship money if you are given a place—£2,000 (around $2,500) is typical. This will probably not be a voluntary target, which means you’ll have to make up any shortfall yourself. Some charities also charge a registration fee, payable on offering you a place, which is likely to be in the region of £100.

If that figure seems daunting, take a look at this fundraising advice for a marathon for some recommended strategies. It’s only a small taste of the support and ideas you’ll receive from the charity you’re running for—they’re invested in your success after all.

You don’t just get a race place. The charity will offer support for your marathon training and fundraising, and on the day itself you’ll have your own dedicated cheer squads looking out for your organization’s vest. It can make all the difference, as we found out when we spoke to Tom Barron, who ran the London Marathon to raise money for Afghanaid.

“I hit a real low point at the 22nd mile of the race,” says Barron. “I was struggling, but I remember looking up and seeing 30 or so people wearing green Afghanaid shirts in the crowd all cheering me on. That was such a well-timed pick-me-up.”

Most charities will let you know at least six months before the race if you have been successful in applying for a place, so you can start training in good time for the event.

Finally, even if you get a place in the London Marathon through the ballot rather than a charity spot, you can still raise funds for a cause you believe in. Once you have your ballot place, inform the charity that you’ll be running the event and that you’d like to raise money for it. You’ll still be provided with excellent support and you won’t have any mandatory fundraising goals—you’ll just be trying to raise as much as possible. It’s a win-win.

• What It’s Like To Run The London Marathon For A Charity
• How To Fundraise For Your Marathon
• Great Charity Challenges
• Marathon Training Plans

Running a marathon takes guts, carbohydrates and a whole lot of training. For many people it’s the toughest physical challenge they’ll tackle in their lifetime – but given enough time to prepare, just about anyone can run a marathon.

If you watched the London Marathon over the weekend and decided that you’d like to get in on the action, there is absolutely no need to wait to start training for it. Even if you don’t manage to get a ballot place or charity spot in the race there are plenty of other marathons to run, and you’ll be reaping the health benefits – both mentally and physically – of the running you’ve already done.

And if that’s enough to convince you, start marathon training 12 months before the big day and you can take your time to scale up your running very slowly, reducing the risk of injury and increasing your enjoyment of the sport. We spoke to Nick Anderson from Running With Us, Polar’s official training partner, about the best way to spend a year training for the marathon.

How should a beginner break up a year of running to train for a marathon?

Your first goal is to train for a 5K rather than try to run a long way. In eight weeks you’ll be able to run your first 5K all the way round without stopping. Then there’s a natural progression to a 10K.

Train for a half marathon, with the odd break here and there, and you’ll be starting your marathon training in a really good place, regularly doing a long 60- to 90-minute weekend run and some other clever runs in the week, like threshold running, intervals and hill runs.

Do that and you will be so ready to do your first marathon you’ll probably end up following an improvers’ rather than a beginners’ plan – and your marathon will go really well.

If you are unfit or overweight right now, how do you make running more enjoyable and reduce the risk of injury?

Don’t try to run too far or too fast. Run at the speed of chat – if you can’t hold a conversation then you’re running too hard. Wear a heart rate monitor, record your training and start to look at your sleep recovery. Check the amount of steps you do in the day and your general activity – you want to become a physically fit human being first of all.

Make yourself strong enough to run. Maybe see a physio and have a body MOT, rather than getting injured in six months’ time and going to see a physio then, which is what most people do. Do strength training for runners so you become strong enough that your body can handle any training you throw at it .

Just build it all up and take your body on a health journey. In 12 months’ time you’ll be a healthy human being enjoying life in many other areas as well. That makes the whole thing sustainable.

See related

• Running For Beginners: Free Couch To 5K Plan
• The Fundamentals Of Strength Training For Runners
• Nine Things I Learned Running The London Marathon At 45

How can a fitness tracker help a beginner runner? What are the key features?

For me, heart rate is more important than GPS capacity. People look for GPS because they want to know how far and fast they’ve run, and track where they’ve run. It’s lovely and it all looks great, but you can become a bit of a slave to that – chasing time, chasing extra distance.

To me, heart rate is more important. It will tell you if you’re getting fitter, because you can see whether your resting and recovery heart rates are better, and you can also see how the same run becomes faster but with the same heart rate. Heart rate is the one metric that never lies to you – it will tell you if you’re training too hard or if you need to pick things up.

Crossing the finish line of the London Marathon is a fantastic achievement, and one that marks the end of many months of marathon training. It’s a time to relax and celebrate with your friends and family, and you should go ahead and do just that, but bear in mind that there is one more stage of your marathon to go. Fortunately it’s the easiest stage of all—the recovery.

Many runners, especially first-time marathoners, will overlook the importance of their post-race recovery. If you intend to carry on running after your marathon it’s vital to consider what your body needs to get back into a good condition after the race. And even if you have no intention of ever running again, you’ll want to minimize the unpleasantness that can arise after covering 26.2 miles on foot.

To help you do just that, heed this marathon recovery advice from Kathy Scorer, senior physiotherapist at Nuffield Health when we interviewed her in 2018, and Graham Ferris, strength and conditioning coach at Pure Sports Medicine when we spoke to him in 2019.

“The final stage of a marathon training plan should always be recovery,” says Scorer.

“Recovery is essential for minimizing your injury risk, and skipping this vital stage can often inhibit your future performance. Running a marathon puts a huge amount of physical strain on the body, whether it’s your first or your tenth. Your immune system will be suffering and your muscles will be severely fatigued.”

The first step of your recovery should be to run through a quick check of your body and work out if you’ve picked up any injuries in the race. There will naturally be some pain and muscle tightness after running that far, but it’s important to separate short-term niggles from potential long-term injuries.

“If you’ve suffered a muscle strain or are feeling pain in a joint, you may need advice or treatment,” says Scorer. “If pain or injury persists, listen to your body and get it checked out immediately.”

If you have not been struck down with injury, then the next step is to NOT RUN. If you’ve become used to running regularly during your marathon training you might feel the itch to get back out there, but resist that temptation.

“I often see overuse injuries a couple of weeks after a marathon when runners have tried to get back into training too quickly,” says Scorer. “In the first couple of days after the event you shouldn’t be doing any running.

“The most common concern that drives people to overtrain too quickly is loss of fitness, but there is little loss of conditioning in the couple of weeks you take off to recover.

“Keep active by doing gentle, low-impact exercise such as walking or swimming to avoid overtaxing yourself.”

Marathon Recovery Checklist

After The Race

• Keep an eye on your body temperature. Even if it’s a mild day you have to be careful not to get too cold. “Get a foil wrap,” says Ferris. “Your body temperature rises during exercise and requires the shedding of heat to keep you within an optimal range. Once the race is over, your body is a little slow at switching this auto-regulation down and therefore you continue to lose body heat. The foil retains this heat so you can manage your body temperature.”
• Do a warm-down. The idea of more movement after a marathon might fill you with dread, but it’s necessary. “Try a gentle jog or walk for five minutes after you have finished the race to help promote blood flow around the body and minimize light-headedness from blood pooling,” says Ferris.
• Then stretch. “Finish your warm-down with a whole-body stretch to not only release your stiff lower body joints but also help correct any postural ailments accumulated during your run,” says Ferris.
• “Put your feet up for 10 minutes—literally,” says Scorer. “For example, lie on your back with your legs up against a tree. This will help reduce the build-up of fluid.”
• Refuel. And don’t dilly-dally—you should start snacking straight away. Check the bag you get from marshals at the end of the race for tasty treats. “The ideal post-race snack should contain a 3:1 ratio of carbs (1.4g of carbs per kilogram of bodyweight) to protein (0.4g per kilogram of bodyweight), consumed within 30 minutes of finishing,” says Ferris. “Wash this down with an isotonic drink containing salts to top up the fluids lost. Double up with further protein within four hours of the end of the race to aid muscle recovery. Only then should you indulge yourself—do that too early and the recovery process (glycogen synthesis) will be blunted by fats.”
• “Assess any blisters or injuries,” says Scorer. “Make sure the blisters are clean and dry, and if you have any muscle or joint pain, put some ice or cold water on the area for 20 minutes every two hours.”
• Consider an ice bath. “There are mixed opinions on ice baths,” says Ferris. “Some research says that an alternating hot-cold bath—two minutes in each—can aid in blood circulation and help with recovery. What seems to have the strongest anecdotal evidence is the mild pain-relieving effect it can have, which can get you off to sleep the first night after the race. Good-quality sleep can reduce cortisol levels and aids muscle tissue recovery. Try for eight to ten hours a night in the days after your marathon.”
• Compress yourself. “Compression leggings have been found to improve blood circulation and reduce soreness while you sleep so it might be time to invest in a pair of compression tights,” says Ferris. “Try on a few pairs before you buy though because you don’t want to be so warm that you can’t sleep.”

The Next Day

• Keep moving. “Avoid being in a static position for too long, apart from when sleeping,” says Scorer. “Take a 15- to 30-minute walk or a gentle cycle.”
• “Continue eating balanced meals,” says Scorer. Protein, carbs and plenty of veg will help your body recover.
• “Gently massage and stretch your calves, hamstrings, glutes and quads,” says Scorer. If you’re not sure what to do, you can try following a YouTube video of stretches for runners. If you have a foam roller you can try this foam rolling routine, but do it gently.

72 Hours After

• “After the first 72 hours you should be over the worst, but that doesn’t mean you should start running again,” says Scorer. “The earliest you should consider running is seven days after the event, but the optimum recovery time is 14 days. If you can, hold off from running and restrict yourself to low-impact activities instead.”
• “Start with five to seven days of relative rest and gentle, active recovery,” says Ferris. “You want to be mobilizing stiff joints that have seized up but avoid stretching any particularly painful areas. Reactive tendinopathy is a common response to increased running—remember you have probably just done 10% longer than your longest training run. That stress to the tendons means they need time to recover, sometimes as long as 12 weeks.”

Recovery Products To Consider

You can recover from a marathon without spending a penny on specialist kit, but there are some products that might just make the process a little easier.

Foam rollers

Foam rollers are the cheapest route to massaging your muscles back to life, and though foam rolling is not exactly a pleasant experience, it’s certainly effective. Here’s advice on how to use a foam roller as well as our picks of the best foam rollers.

Massage guns

Those looking for a more high-tech approach may wish to consider massage guns. These are very expensive and the claimed benefits are yet to be backed up by a robust body of scientific evidence; however, they are an easier and less painful way to massage your muscles than foam rolling, and that is something a lot of runners might appreciate. We’ve reviewed models from all the leading brands and ranked them in our round-up of the best massage guns.

Compression socks

You can take a more passive approach to your recovery by using compression socks, or even tights, which you can slip on to help keep the blood circulating through your muscles as you go about your business. They are particularly handy for those who need to travel or sit at a desk the day after a marathon. Find a pair with our guide to the best compression socks. 

Recovery shake

In the immediate aftermath of your marathon it’s also worth considering using a recovery protein powder. Unlike most protein powders, these contain all the key nutrients your body needs to kick-start the recovery process. See the results of our taste test in our selection of the best recovery protein powders.

Recovery shoes

Having a pair of recovery shoes handy to slip on after the race is also wise, because you’ll be keen to take off your race shoes and put on something more comfortable. Here’s our survey of the best recovery shoes.

Some people will glide through the London Marathon without any problems. Everything will go exactly to plan and they’ll finish in the time they want without their body falling to pieces. However, those people will be in the minority, because a marathon is a serious undertaking.

We’ve run the London Marathon three times and experienced one huge blow-up at the event in 2018, when it was very hot and we made the all-too-common mistake of starting too fast. What helped us get through that day was switching to a walk/run strategy in the second half of the race – running slowly, and walking for a couple of minutes every mile or so.

Going out too fast is just one problem that crops up repeatedly when running a marathon, so we’ve enlisted running coach Nick Anderson from Running With Us, Polar’s official training partner, to provide some solutions for when these mini (or indeed maxi) marathon crises arise.

You’ve Gone Out Too Fast

You knew this was a potential pitfall and yet here you are, running way faster than you should be. Fortunately, in some ways at least, the marathon is looooong.

“You’ve got time to rein it in,” says Anderson. “The real problem area in the London Marathon is Cutty Sark to Tower Bridge. That period, between six or seven miles and halfway, is where the real damage is done. People always say, ‘I felt fantastic’. Well of course you felt fantastic, you’ve been training for a marathon and this is only six to 13 miles. Please, please slow down and bank the energy.

“People try to create a buffer – get ahead of time – and that goes horribly wrong. You can lose that three or four times over at the other end. If you bank the energy you’ll be able to push on in the second half, especially at 18 to 20 miles.”

You Need The Toilet

In almost every life situation people are happy to just go to the toilet when they need it. The exception, it would seem, is when they’re on pace for a marathon PB.

“Look, the guy who came second in the Brighton Marathon in 2018, he stopped twice in the first half because he had a dodgy tummy,” says Anderson. “He sorted himself out and on he went – there are plenty of loos on the course.

“What you can’t do is run for 5K or 10K in agony, slowing down, trying to contract your pelvic floor and everything else. You just need to go to the loo. If you lose a minute sorting it out you’re probably going to gain five to ten minutes later on through avoiding things going wrong.

“If you were going to win the London Marathon and were on world record schedule and your name was Paula Radcliffe, well, we’d all do what Paula did, wouldn’t we? But for most people losing a minute is the wise thing to do.”

You Feel A Niggle

An altogether more serious issue than needing the toilet, when you feel a niggle it’s important to work out how bad it is quickly, because it’s always better to stay healthy and race another day.

“If the pain is getting progressively worse over the miles I would stop at the side of the road and stretch the affected area to see if that can alleviate it.” says Anderson. “If it’s a niggle you’ve had in training and it’s raising its head again, stop every mile or every few miles and stretch to try to get rid of it.

“If you’re chasing a time or a PB you’ve got to make a calculated decision. Athletes often try to push through it and then it suddenly goes wrong. That’s the risk – sometimes you are better off getting treatment. If it’s getting really bad and it’s early in the race or mid-race and you know you’re going to struggle later on, I would stop and get it sorted out. You can always race another marathon.”

THE CHAFING! THE CHAFING!

This is one issue you really should have sorted out though savvy pre-race planning, but there should be some Vaseline available on the course if you keep a sharp eye out.

“Vaseline and various gels – they do work,” says Anderson. “Look at the fabric you’re wearing, and there are plasters and pads you can put on which will stop you having an issue. You need good running underwear, and you should think about lubricating various areas. There’s no reason to experience chafing – it’s all about planning.

See related

• 21 Tips For London Marathon First-Timers
• How To Cope Mentally When The Going Gets Tough In Your Marathon Training
• Nine Things I Learned Running The London Marathon At 45

You’re Only Ten Miles In And You’re Screwed

If running one more mile, let alone 16, feels impossible, focus on your motivation for signing up to the event in the first place. And maybe start walking.

“Why are you running? Are you running to raise money for a charity? Is this something you’ve got to do? In which case slow down and move towards a walk/run strategy,” says Anderson. “Reduce the pace – everything is now about getting round. Make it a fun day out, rather than trying to run a time.

“One bad mile does not mean the marathon has gone wrong. The marathon is 26 miles and every mile will feel different. But if you’ve had a number of bad miles and you’re starting to struggle and it’s getting worse and worse then there is an issue. You need to back off and decide if you want to finish. And if you’ve got to get around, you have to change your strategy, because if it’s not right at ten miles it’s definitely not going to be right at 20.”

Your Running Partner Has Left You For Dead

“There are thousands of people to run with!” says Anderson. “If you’ve made a pact to finish together, look after each other. But if you start together and one feels better than the other, you have to decide – and maybe accept that if one of you feels better, they carry on ahead.

“Don’t try to stick with someone you know you can’t stick with, then get to 18 miles absolutely knackered. Be realistic.”

No matter how many marathons they’ve taken part in, almost every runner experiences pre-race nerves in the week before the event. It’s so common that the pre-42.2km anxiety has picked up its own name – maranoia.

A few months away from race day, the idea of maranoia is easy to scoff at, but come race week every runner will start to worry to some extent. When it’s a huge event like the London Marathon it’s even worse, because everyone knows it’s happening, coverage of the event is almost impossible to avoid, and most of your friends and family probably know you’re doing it. Especially if you’ve been tapping them up to donate to your fundraising efforts.

As a result the marathon is always on your mind and worries will start to build, and these concerns can have a real impact on your race. You’ll start questioning all the decisions you made about gear weeks ago, wondering if you should swap your tried-and-tested long run shoes for something entirely new. You’ll be tempted to ignore the advice to taper your training and knock out a fast run to boost your confidence (tip: don’t do this).

You’ll also probably be terrified of getting ill, especially this year, and anyone who dares to sneeze or cough anywhere near you risks becoming a lifelong enemy.

The good news is that this is all normal, and all of your doubts and fears are almost certainly groundless. The bad news is that us telling you that isn’t going to actually stop you worrying. To help with that, we’ve enlisted sport psychologist sport psychologist Jo Davies for some advice on how to reduce the impact maranoia has on your race week.

How common is maranoia?

It is absolutely normal to feel some nerves or butterflies before the marathon. This is particularly true if it is your first marathon, because there is some fear of the unknown if you haven’t yet run the full 26 miles.

Even runners who have completed a marathon before may feel some apprehension about the physical and emotional challenges that running the distance brings. Seasoned or competitive marathon runners may experience a slightly different form of nerves, concerning their time or result.

What are the usual ways it manifests itself?

Runners may experience “what if” thoughts. What if my body gives up on me? What if I don’t achieve my goals? Or they may imagine worst-case scenarios, such as not being able to complete the race.

Sometimes the emotional centre of our brain will blow challenges out of proportion. It may say, “The forecast is for warm weather but I’ve trained all winter in the cold, so I’ll never be able to run all that way in the heat!” Or catastrophise scenarios illogically – “I just sneezed, am I getting a cold? What if I’m unwell on race day?!”

Nerves may also be experienced physically when thinking about the marathon or on race day, for example feeling butterflies in the stomach, nausea, or increased heart rate or adrenaline.

See related

• How To Cope Mentally When The Going Gets Tough In Your Marathon Training
• What To Do When Your London Marathon Doesn’t Go To Plan
• 21 Tips For London Marathon First-Timers
• Nine Things I Learned Running The London Marathon At 45

What are some good ways to ease your fears about the race in the days leading up to it?

Remind yourself of why you are capable of achieving your goals, such as the preparation you have done and the training experiences you have accumulated. Write all these reasons down and look at them whenever self-doubt begins to creep in.

Focus on what you can control. Often our fears will take us to uncontrollables like the weather or the outcome. Bring yourself back into the present moment and what you can directly influence by asking yourself what’s important now. It could be that you need some rest, or to fuel your body sensibly, or to have a gentle run, or to do some stretches, or to plan your journey to the race.

Imagine achieving your goals. Visualising yourself crossing the finish line will prime your mind and body to be race-ready. You might also work through any anticipated challenges to develop confidence in your coping mechanisms. For example, imagine keeping your pace up despite discomfort.

Remind yourself of what you are most looking forward to to fuel your motivation. That could be passing iconic landmarks, raising money for charity or the personal accomplishment of running further or faster than you ever have before!

Marathon race week has arrived, and for most runners that’s exciting and terrifying in equal measure. The good news for everyone is that the hard work of training is done. You cannot get any fitter at this stage, and all you have to do now is keep yourself ticking over until race day itself, when you will achieve your goal of scoring a new PB or simply getting around the course in one piece.

That is, you will as long as you avoid doing something silly in the last few days before the race. This week is a time to be as sensible as possible – eat smart, avoid too much booze, get to bed early, and generally rest and relax as much as life allows. This is not the week to start redecorating your house or take up the barbell back squat, and hopefully everyone around you will forgive you for doing the bare minimum.

Coach Nick Anderson of Running With Us – the official training partner of fitness tracker company Polar – is familiar with many of the common pre-race pitfalls that can undermine all that hard work. Here he explains how to avoid them so you can come through the final week unscathed and put in a great performance on the day.

1. Not following your training plan

Don’t start questioning if you’ve trained enough. Keep to your running plan and don’t suddenly add an extra hard session, long run or conditioning workout. It’s too late to get any fitter. At this point, less can be more – you don’t want to start the race tired.

2. Changing your diet

This is one where I see so many mistakes made and races ruined. Giving in to the temptation to try something new or eat a little less because you aren’t running as much on race week can be disastrous. Stick to the foods and fuels that have worked for you in training and before hard sessions or key long runs. For example, don’t suddenly eat porridge for the first time on the morning of the race. It might work but equally you might find out halfway into the race – in the worst possible way – that it hasn’t!

3. Tapering too much

Resting too much on race week will leave you feeling sluggish. Try to run as frequently as normal but reduce the distance, intensity and duration as race day gets near. Resting for days – unless you have to through injury or illness – can leave the body confused and result in your metabolism dropping, leaving you tired. I even recommend an easy 20-minute run the day before the marathon, with a stretch afterwards.

See related

• Tapering Tips For The London Marathon
• Pacing Tips To Make You A Better Runner
• London Marathon 2021 Travel Guide: How To Get To The Race
• How To Carb-Load Before Running A Marathon

4. Forgetting to plan

It sounds simple but have you looked at the weather forecast and planned your kit for the day? Are your racing shoes packed? How are you getting to the race – can you park or is the train station near to the start? Will your hotel have your normal race day breakfast or have you packed this just in case?

It really is worth taking 20 minutes early in the week and listing all that needs to be done. Tick these off and you are already taking control of your race day experience. It’s one less thing to worry about and will reduce stress.

5. Not running your race

You should run at a pace that’s familiar to you and that you’ve practised in training. Be mindful to keep an eye on your own pace, even if somebody is trying to be helpful by telling you that they’re heading for the same pace as you and that you should run with them. Take control of your race and speed up gradually to your race pace. Get to halfway feeling good and attack the second half of the race with confidence, rather than feeling tired and hanging on.

6. Being unrealistic

This is probably my hottest tip of all when it comes to racing. Train and race for a time or result that’s within your grasp. It might be a new PB or a return to racing form, but keep it achievable.

The London Marathon went virtual in 2020 with great aplomb. It set a Guinness World Record for the number of people running a remote marathon in 24 hours, with 37,966 runners covering the distance.

Although the mass-participation element of the London Marathon returns in 2021, the organisers are retaining the virtual event and 50,000 people have signed up to do it (entries are now closed).

Runners have to complete a marathon on the same day as the main event, running 42.2km on Sunday 3rd October. The run needs to be tracked via the Official Virgin Money London Marathon App to earn the race medal and T-shirt.

While there are some advantages to the flexibility of a virtual race, runners will of course miss out on both the special London Marathon atmosphere and the logistical support provided during the race.

That means careful planning is required to make sure your marathon is enjoyable. Last year we spoke to the London Marathon’s resident coach, Martin Yelling, for some advice on how to plan your virtual run.

What advice do you have when it comes to route planning?

Fixing your route is really important, because you can make mistakes easily when you’re tired. Set a finish line – a physical point that you know in advance. My recommendation would be to do loops. It’s a bit more boring but you’ve got more control.

With no water stations on route, how should you stay hydrated?

It’s really important for runners to think through the logistics of their event. Are you running loops? Are you carrying fluid?

People are running in different places around the world so you have to think what your environmental demands and conditions are, and then what your strategy is to meet them. For runners looking to run it in three hours they might just carry 250ml with them, but others might be out for six or seven hours, and they might need to stop and refuel with fluid. If the strategy is loops, you can make fluid accessible.

There also won’t be any medical support available, so what should runners do to reduce any risks on that front?

Firstly you have to do the basics – make sure you’ve got everything you need to survive the distance, tell people where you’re going and take some Vaseline with you!

Then you have to think about contingencies. What if it all goes wrong and you’ve got to make a choice when tired and emotional? Especially if you’re running solo, not in a particularly populated place. Identify a “response person”, let them know and have their number in your phone. It’s a good idea to tell some people that you’re doing it, but in the event that you need some help you have that response person. That could be anything from just some encouragement right through to saying you’re in need of medical assistance.

Something I recommend is an app called what3words. If you’re in need of support and to tell somebody where you are quickly, you describe your location in three words by dropping a pin on a map. They put those three words into the same app to find out where you are. If you were on a country lane and somebody asked, “Where are you?”, you might not be sure, you’re by a tree! what3words will give you “orange, spanner, court” and those three words would give your response person a precise location within three square metres.

So I would say plan your route and share it with someone so they know where you are. Have an emotional support contingency, and then a full bail-out plan in case it all goes wrong.

Do you have any pacing tips for running a virtual event?

All the marathon pacing rules still apply. If you go out at a pace that you cannot hold, it is going to get hard and you’re more likely to need those contingencies you put in place. Evenly paced, consistent running to get you through the distance is the best advice.

There are also some amazing flexibility benefits because you’re doing it virtually. Because of how uncertain everything is at the moment, you might not have done all your training or be as fit as you’d like, so take the pressure off. If you want to stop, stop. Have a rest. Refuel, walk a bit. There doesn’t need to be any pressure here.

The key thing is to accept your fitness level. Understanding and accepting where you’re at is really important.

Should you take painkillers to deal with pain that arises during the run?

I keep seeing these flat-lays where people lay all their gear out, and there’s always a packet of ibuprofen or something. My understanding is that taking a painkiller is only masking pain, pain that’s there for a reason, and it can also cause gastrointestinal issues.

I would rather people listened to their body, noticed the discomfort they were experiencing, and worked safely within it. More often than not that means slowing down. That’s not the end of the world. There are instances where the discomfort is really considerable, an injury, but even then you shouldn’t manage pain with painkillers, particularly in a virtual event where you don’t have race support.

If your body hurts, you need to make an adjustment. That doesn’t necessarily mean you have to stop. It can, but most times when I’ve been really hurting it does pass. Unless it’s something really acute and serious, you can work through it with patience. You’ve not got the pressure of time either, so you should just let yourself work through it. That’s a safer option than smashing yourself and scoffing a load of painkillers.

See related

• Should You Take Painkillers During A Marathon?
• Pacing Tips To Make You A Better Runner
• The Best UK Virtual Running Events To Sign Up For Right Now

Any other tips for the day?

There are going to be a lot of people running at the same time. So for a little motivation, I’d say even if you’re running on your own, remember – you’re not really. There are 50,000 other people out there pounding 26.2 miles with you.

Also, if you’re doing it on your own, line up some virtual spectators. Get people to call you at certain times, maybe at three hours, four hours, five hours. Or, you can say when you’re going past people’s houses so they can cheer you on.

The spring marathon season is upon us, and hopefully this will be more exciting than frightening if you’re running one. You’ve logged the majority of your marathon training already, and three or four weeks out from the race it’s time to begin your marathon taper, a gradual reduction of training volume so you begin the race fresh.

If this is your first marathon you might assume tapering simply involves chilling out for a few weeks, but it’s possible to get tapering for a marathon wrong and knock yourself off your stride for race day. Don’t underestimate how sluggish the body can feel when you start reducing your running after following a consistent training plan to the letter—and right now the last thing you want to feel is sluggish.

To ensure that doesn’t happen, we asked Nick Anderson of coaching company Running with Us, who was the Cancer Research UK coach for the London Marathon when we spoke to him in 2019, for the lowdown on tapering and his top tips.

Now you know the fundamentals, here’s how to nail the finer points.

Maintain Your Running Routine

You still need to run during a taper or you’ll start to feel sluggish, so keep following your training plan closely.

“So that you don’t feel rusty during your taper, keep the frequency of your training the same,” says Anderson. “If you normally run three, four or five times a week, keep this up, but consider getting some faster sessions in to get a bit of zip back into the legs. A local 5K parkrun blast could be perfect for this.”

Don’t Ignore Injuries

“Niggles and sickness can still strike during your taper and the desire to run through this can see many runners undo all their hard work,” says Anderson. “If you are sick or carrying a niggle take extra rest or consider cross-training like aqua jogging, spinning or the elliptical.”

Stay Positive

The taper period is when “maranoia” first starts to set in. This happens to all runners, no matter how many marathons they’ve done, so follow this excellent tip from Anderson to make it clear to yourself how well you have trained for the event.

“‘Should I squeeze in another three-hour run?’ ‘Do I need to make up for that week I missed when I had a cold?’ These are common worries in the final weeks,” says Anderson. “Look back over your training diary and write down eight to 10 positive statements about what you have achieved so far, reinforcing the positives.”

Book A Check-Up

“If you were entering a car race you’d definitely want to make sure everything was running smoothly,” says Anderson. “Your body is no different. Book in with a good local sports physio or consider getting a sports massage in the final two weeks. However, don’t book a massage closer to the event than the Wednesday of race week, because sometimes these can leave you feeling a little sore.”

Clear Your Diary

“The taper is all about doing less, not more,” says Anderson. “Just because you have more time because you’re not training, that doesn’t mean it’s time for more gym classes or DIY jobs at home. Be a bit selfish and ask for help with jobs around the house. If you can, take a day off work on the Friday before the race and use it to do nothing!”

Hit The Hay

If your sleep routine is a little sloppy, this is the time to clean it up.

“An extra 15-30 minutes of sleep a night in these final two to three weeks could make a massive difference to your final performance,” says Anderson. “Banish smartphones and tablets from the bedroom, avoid stimulants such as caffeine or alcohol late at night, and eat your main evening meal a little earlier—ideally two hours or more before you sleep.”

Bonus Tips

Ease Back On Your Strength Work

If you’ve been doing supportive strength training alongside your running (and you’ve definitely been doing that, right?) you need to gradually reduce your workload there too, as we discovered when we asked Fiit trainer Sean Kazab about the fundamentals of strength training for runners.

“Your strength training should taper off,” says Kazab. “In those last few weeks, the number of sets should drop. You’re looking to only maintain your strength.” You don’t need some gym-induced DOMS plaguing your legs as you prep for your race.

Plan Ahead

As your long runs get progressively shorter, it’s good to keep busy so here are two ways to fill your time productively. First, plan what you are going to eat in the final few days before the marathon, because consuming sufficient carbohydrates to bolster your muscles’s store of glycogen is not as easy as eating a second helping of pasta the night before the race. As you’ll find in our guide to how to carb-load, a 70kg person should look to eat 2,800 calories of carbs in each of the final two days before an event, all the while maintaining their normal intake of protein and vegetables.

Second, work out your pacing strategy and read this advice from elite runners on how to pace a marathon, including what to do if you realize you’ve gone out too fast. It’s all the more valuable if you’ve aced your marathon taper, because if you’re raring to go it’s easy to start too fast.

It’s fantastic that the London Marathon is able to go ahead at all in 2021. It’s going to be a different event from usual, but – touch wood – 40,000 people will be able to run the course, in person, which will be an amazing experience.

To make that possible, there is one particular change to the usual routine that runners need to be aware of: there is no bag drop at the start of the race. Instead you leave your kitbag at the Expo when picking up your race number earlier in the week, and it is taken from there to the finish line for you to collect afterwards.

This means a longer bag drop process that requires a little more thought than usual, which is detailed in the Six Steps to the Start Line email sent out by the organisers, which can also be found on the London Marathon website.

The process starts by updating your contact details and giving an estimated finish time. You will receive an email by Friday 27th August asking for this info, and have until Sunday 5th September to respond.

It’s essential you make sure your details are right because they will be used to send out your official race kitbag, which will arrive by Friday 24th September. Load this up with everything you think you’ll need at the end of the race and drop it off at the London Marathon Expo when you collect your race number.

See related

• What You Need To Know About The London Marathon Expo 2021
• Training Tips For The Final Four Weeks Before The London Marathon

The Expo runs from Wednesday 29th September to Saturday 2nd October at the ExCel in east London. You have to go there to collect your race number anyway, but there’s now an extra very important thing to do there, which is leave your bag.

You will need to show proof of a negative lateral flow COVID-19 test to enter the Expo. This can be acquired through a free home lateral flow test kit. Register the test with the UK government to get an official negative result.

Your kitbag will be waiting for you at the finish line of the race along with a couple of extras. The organisers will add your race medal and T-shirt, plus a bottle of water and a sports drink. Where your bag is found at the end of the race will depend on your estimated finish time, so be realistic when entering that to make life a bit easier for yourself.

The changes to the bag drop for the London Marathon 2021 will make running the event a little trickier than usual, but with a bit of careful planning it shouldn’t affect your race too much. If you want to wear more clothes than just your running kit to the race, opt for gear you’re happy to give away – the British Heart Foundation will be accepting donations at the start.

If you cannot make it to the London Marathon Expo, you can nominate someone to drop off your kitbag and collect your race number for you. They’ll also need a negative COVID-19 test to show to enter the Expo, and to act on your behalf they’ll need a letter from you authorising them to collect your number and drop off your kitbag, plus a photocopy of your passport or driving licence. Plus their own ID. You might owe them a serious favour after all that.

The London Marathon is less than one month away. If that doesn’t both excite and terrify you, it’s probably safe to assume you’re not running it.

If you are running it, there are probably a couple of things running through your mind right now. The first is “HOW CAN IT BE SO SOON?!” and the second is “How long before I get to taper?”

The good news is that the tapering – reducing the amount of running you do in order to be fresh for race day – can start soon. There are one or two more long runs to tick off before that happens, but you’re definitely over the hump as far as your training plan’s concerned.

Alongside a little more running, there is plenty of other prep to be done before you line up at the start. This includes settling on the kit you’re going to wear, then changing your mind several times before going back to your original choice, which hopefully you’ll have been testing during your longest training runs. You’ll also be finalising your nutrition plan for the big day and then, in the days before the race itself, consuming a boatload of carbs. That last part is the really fun bit.

This year it’s also vital to pack your kitbag earlier than usual because it will need to be dropped off at the Expo in the days before the marathon, rather than by the start line on the morning of the race.

For all the advice you need on what to do during the final four weeks before the London Marathon, here’s running coach Nick Anderson from Running With Us, Polar’s official training partner.

Four Weeks To Go

“This is when you get the voices in your head, making you think, ‘Have I done enough training to successfully finish this marathon?’” says Anderson. “This is a common worry in the final weeks, but it is important to remember that less becomes more. It’s time to let the body start to recover and build its strength for race day.”

“You should start focusing now on protecting your fitness and feeling great on race day. You can use the final weeks to sharpen up slightly with a couple of shorter, faster sessions.”

That doesn’t mean skipping your Sunday long runs, however. Anderson recommends scaling down the final few.

“Your longest marathon training run should take place three or four weeks out from race day. Aim for a three-hour run, with the last 60 minutes at your target marathon pace.

“Two weekends before the marathon, reduce the long run to about two hours with the last 45 minutes at target marathon pace.

“One week before, it’s time to shorten your runs and enjoy tapering. I would recommend not going over a 60-minute run.”

See related

• One Excellent Piece Of Gear For Your Marathon Training You Might Not Have Considered – But Should
• Recovery Tips For Your Marathon Training
• Running Supplements For Marathon Runners
• How To Carb-Load Before Running A Marathon
• How To Ease Your Maranoia Ahead Of The London Marathon

One Week To Go

Tapering is in full swing at the point, but that doesn’t mean you should be sitting on the sofa all week.

“Don't taper too much – you don’t want to have too many rest days and then feel sluggish by race day. Your body loves routine, so aim for short and easy runs that are no longer than 60 minutes long.

Aside from running, don’t go too hard in the gym and get some early nights.

"Avoid heavy strength and conditioning or gym work this week to let your muscles recover,” says Anderson.

“Sleep and rest – you always need to respect this key element as a runner if you want to improve. Try to get a few early nights in race week and protect your immune system – late nights and picking up a cold will wreck race day.”

The Final 24 Hours

Your “maranoia” will peak at this point, especially if you’re a first-timer, but follow these three tips from Anderson and your nerves should settle a little.

“We often advise runners to jog for around 20 minutes the day before the race and stretch. It helps you to feel loose on race day and can calm the nerves a little.

“Snack on small meals throughout the day and stay well hydrated. Eat your last main meal at 6-7pm and snack on easily digested carbohydrate snacks afterwards if needed.

“Get to bed early! If you find it hard to sleep don’t worry, this is normal, but stay in bed and rest, read and relax.”

Nick Anderson is co-founder of Running With Us and head coach for Polar

This plan is for you if… This is your first marathon and you’re simply aiming to get to the finish in one piece.

How often will I need to run? Three days a week, plus one day of core exercises.

Target time: Five hours.

Whether it’s your first marathon or your 40th, you get the same mix of excitement and trepidation when you sign up for the event. The main difference with your first is that there are a lot more unknowns about both training and race day, and the chances are you’re about to run more than you ever have before.

You might feel nervous about that, but the truth is that while the first week or so of following a running training plan might come as a bit of a shock, once that’s over you’ll settle into a routine and start to enjoy—even look forward to—your runs (honest).

You can also be confident that as long as you’ve given yourself enough time to train, you will be able to cross the finish line. A 14-week marathon training plan for beginners—like this one by James Heptonstall, captain of Adidas Runners London—can help anyone run a marathon. 

This training plan will help by ensuring you’re doing the right amount of running to get fit for race day, but not overdoing it. It’s carefully designed so that any aspiring marathon runner can complete it and arrive at the start line in great shape come race day. The plan also includes a half marathon at the end of week eight, so you gain some experience of what a long race is like before your marathon.

We have lots more advice to help, gathered here in our essential guide to marathon training, but from the off we’d like to draw your attention to the best marathon running shoes and marathon diet advice—good news, you need to make sure you’re eating enough carbs to fuel all of this running.

We have all of the details you need to complete this plan further down this page, but to help you get an overview of what’s in store, or let people who are using the plan to look up their next session more easily, we begin with the pacing guide and weekly schedule.

14-Week Marathon Training Plan For Beginners

Pacing Guide

Easy: You can hold a conversation while running.

Steady: You can manage the odd sentence, but not speak for long. This is your marathon pace.

Tempo: You won’t be able to talk much at all. This is the kind of pace you might run a 5km at.

Strides: These are fast, short sprints at around 85% to 95% effort. The pace you would run a one-mile (1.6km) race in. Ease into these intervals for the first five seconds at a fast pace, before building up to speed, then slow yourself to a stop over the final five seconds..

Week 1

Here we go then! In these early weeks it’s almost as important to be nailing the core strength workouts on the plan as it is the running. You’ll need a strong body to handle the rigors of the running to come.

Week 2

Week 3

This week involves your first taste of tempo running. It’s not easy to get the pace right when new to this, but try to keep it even between your reps, and don’t go out too fast in the first one!

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Your long run this week is 15km and as these runs get longer, it’s the ideal time to start testing different running gels and other energy products. Once you’ve decided which ones you like, practice using them to get your gut used to digesting them on the move. You’ll also need to consider how you’ll carry the gels and liquids, since running with water is advisable for runs lasting more than 90 minutes. Our tried-and-tested picks of the best running water bottles, running belts and hydration vests will help you understand the options available. 

Also, as the long runs get longer it’s a good time to focus on recovery work like stretching, yoga and foam rolling, which can make a world of difference.

Week 7

Week 8

It’s race week! The plan is to do a half marathon on Sunday to help get you used to the atmosphere of mass participation events, but if you can’t make a live event you can try a virtual one to ensure you get a medal for all your hard work. Trust us when we say it really does help with motivation.

Week 9

Week 10

Week 11

The long run this week is 32km, which is the furthest you’ll run before the big day itself. By now you hopefully have your race day kit in mind, so make sure to use it all on your long run for a dress rehearsal. To keep you motivated over the 32km, remember that after this week the runs get shorter until your marathon!

Week 12

There’s a lot of rest this week after your 32km run in Week 11, and in general this is the beginning of your taper for the marathon. You’ll still be running regularly and doing long runs on the weekend, but overall you’ll be doing less work and getting your body primed for race day.

Week 13

Week 14

It’s race week again and this time it’s the big one! There are a couple of short runs on the plan ahead of Sunday’s marathon, just to keep you moving, but the main aim is to take care of yourself. Eat well, carb-load in the final few days, sleep as much as possible, and steady those pre-marathon nerves by remembering all the work you’ve done—it’s time to enjoy the race.

About This Plan

This is one of three plans created for Coach by James Heptonstall. The sub 4-hour marathon training plan adds in another run a week, while the sub 3-hour marathon plan adds in a fifth session and introduces running drills.

Here’s a little more on the structure of the plan and advice on adhering to it.

How do you know what marathon time you should aim for?

“If it’s your first ever marathon it’s best to get an idea as you progress through the training of what pace you can sustain on your longer runs, then extrapolate from that,” says Heptonstall. “So if you can maintain 6min/km on long runs, you are likely to sustain that for the full marathon distance, and you’d be looking at 4hr 13min.”

Here’s a marathon pace chart, taken from our collection of running pace charts, to refer to.

Why is it important to do different kind of runs in training?

“Rather than just putting in distance, variety in training—be it interval runs, easy pace or hills—keeps it enjoyable,” says Heptonstall. “It also will make you a better runner: as you are pushing yourself more in intervals and hill sessions, you will improve your lactate threshold and aerobic capacity, making you more comfortable running at a faster pace.”

How do I fit all this running in around other commitments?

“Fitting in the sessions is always difficult with work and other commitments,” says Heptonstall, “plus the lack of light in the winter months. For most people, Saturday and Sunday provide the most time to get that long run in. Other, shorter sessions can be done Monday to Friday, either in the morning or at lunchtime if your work has shower/changing facilities, and then after work.

“You can even run to work and turn your commute into a training session. The key is planning: work out the logistics and put the sessions in a diary. Then make sure you are prepared, so prep food and keep running kit at work to make sure the sessions are always easy to do and not stressful.”

How important is warming up before each session?

“Your runs should be preceded by an active warm-up, which involves things like skips, side skips, high knees, heel flicks, dynamic stretches and gentle strides,” says Heptonstall. “For the core sessions in these plans, try and do five to 10 minutes of cycling, running or rowing beforehand, then warm down with a five-minute jog.”

Helpfully, Heptonstall has also provided a routine to follow. Here’s how to warm up for a run.

Do I need to do anything on rest days?

“Rest days must be adhered to,” says Heptonstall, “but they can include active recovery, such as 20 minutes of easy swimming or cycling. Or try a five-minute ice bath followed by hot shower held over your legs for 30 seconds. Also, try to use a foam roller after running sessions and, if your budget allows, have weekly massages.

“To keep yourself in tip-top shape, it’s also a good idea to do some static stretching for 20 minutes each day. On training days, make sure you do that after the run or core sessions.”

We have plenty of sessions to follow, including 10-minutes of stretches for runners, post-run stretches, a yoga for runners sequence, and foam roller exercises for runners. It’s easy to skip these extra sessions, but your body will benefit enormously if you can make the time. 

Core Exercises

On core workout days, choose eight exercises from the following.

Plank

Lie face down supporting your body on your forearms and your toes. Engage your core so you form a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles. Hold this position.

Crunch

Lie back on the floor with your knees bent and feet planted. Use your core muscles to lift your shoulders off the ground, then lower slowly back to the start.

Wall sit

Rest your back against a wall and lower until your knees are bent at a 90° angle. Hold this position.

Press-up

Begin by supporting your body on your hands and your toes, with your hands directly under your shoulders and your body straight from shoulders to ankles. Bend at your elbows to lower your chest until it’s just off the floor, then push back up.

Superman (arms only)

Lie face down on the floor with your arms extended in front of you. Raise both arms, then lower them so they’re hovering just off the floor.

Russian twist

Sit on the floor with your legs bent and your feet raised, leaning back so your torso is at a 45° angle to the floor. Clasp your hands together in front of your belly, then take them over to the right side of your body, then over to the left.

Lunge

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Take a big step forwards and lower until both knees are bent at a 90° angle, then push up and back to return to standing.

Sit-up

Similar to a crunch, but with sit-ups you lift your shoulders and head further off the floor so your chest comes all the way up to your knees.

Unweighted squat

Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Lower, bending at the knees and pushing your hips backwards, until your thighs are at least parallel with the floor. Push through your heels to stand back up.

Side plank

Lie on your side supported on your forearm and your feet, forming a straight line from your ankles to your shoulders. Hold this position for a set time, then switch sides.

Sit-out

Start in a high plank position with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lift your right hand, bring your left foot through under your body and extend it out to the side as you rotate your torso up and to the right. Return to the high plank position and do the same on the other side.

Step-up

Stand with a flat surface that’s just under knee height in front of you. Step up onto it, alternating which foot you lead with, then back down.

Photograph: courtesy Virgin Money London Marathon

The London Marathon is not normally an easy race to get into. Every year hundreds of thousands of people are left disappointed by the ballot process, and with more and more entering the ballot each year, the chances of getting a place on the start line aren’t improving.

The virtual race taking place in 2020 is, then, a unique opportunity to get hold of a coveted London Marathon medal. While it won’t be the same as completing the route itself alongside 40,000 other runners, the event organisers have made every attempt to create a special day on Sunday 4th October when entrants can complete the marathon distance however slowly they like and wherever they want.

You have from midnight to midnight on the day to complete your marathon, so you can take all day about it and walk the distance if you like. Or, if you have been training hard just in case the event went ahead, find a nice flat route and go for your best time. If you’re fast enough, you will be able to qualify for a Good For Age or Championship place at next year’s London Marathon through this virtual event.

See related

• Everyone Should Enter The Free Great North Run 2020 Virtual Race
• The Best UK Virtual Running Events To Sign Up For Right Now
• You Can Now Join A Virtual Running Club

A new app is being developed by the London Marathon and its partner TCS to officially log your 42.2km so you get a place on the list of finishers for the 2020 event. You will probably need to carry your phone with you for this, so a running belt or backpack is going to be useful, especially because you’ll also need to take all your hydration and nutrition with you since there won’t be people handing out water.

It costs £20 to enter the virtual London Marathon, with all profits going to the London Marathon Charitable Trust. You get a race medal and finisher’s T-shirt if you complete the virtual event.

If you’ve not started training yet, we’d strongly recommend opting to take the marathon on the 4th October nice and easy, and walk it in a silly costume with friends (at an appropriate social distance of course).

Whenever and wherever you run, we also urge you to watch the elite London Marathon race on the 4th, which is taking place on a short, closed loop in St James’s Park and features the two fastest marathoners of all-time – Eliud Kipchoge and Kenenisa Bekele – going head to head, as well as the female world record holder Brigid Kosgei. The short version is, it’s going to be fast.

Enter the 2020 virtual London Marathon | £20

The organisers of the London Marathon have announced the postponement of the 40th annual event, which was due to take place on Sunday 26th April. Rather than cancel the event entirely, a new date of Sunday 4th October has been set.

Hugh Brasher, event director, said: “The world is in an unprecedented situation grappling with a global pandemic of COVID-19, and public health is everyone’s priority.

“We know how disappointing this news will be for so many – the runners who have trained for many months, the thousands of charities for which they are raising funds and the millions who watch the race every year.

“We know that there will be many, many questions from runners, charities and others and we ask you to please bear with us as we work through the detailed planning process to deliver the 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon on its new scheduled date. We will email all runners and charities today and then update them via email by the end of next week at the latest. We will also post regular updates on our website and social media channels.”

The organisers have also issued further guidance, but have stressed runners don’t need to do anything at this point. 

If you have a ballot place you’ll be able to run on the rescheduled date without any further payment. If you can’t make the new date for whatever reason you can receive a refund or donate it to the charitable trust. There’s also the option to defer your place to the following year. 

If you happened to defer your ballot place until 2021, but can run the race in October, you’ll be given the option to change your mind, although you can stick with your decision to wait until 2021 if you wish.

If you are running through a charity, talk to the charity which “owns” the race place. London Marathon Events will communicate with those bodies to arrange substitutions if required. 

If you qualified through the Good For Age process you will be automatically entered into the race in October. If you cannot take your place on the start line you will receive a full refund, but you won’t be able to defer your place to the following year.

Even for regular runners, training for a marathon is a steep learning curve. While running a few times a week and tearing it up at your local parkrun every Saturday doesn’t involve too much thought beyond what gear to wear, covering the long distances required to prep for a 26.2 mile race means considering how to avoid injury, how to fit in and vary all the running you need to do and, lastly but by no means least-ly, how you fuel your body for all that exercise.

Most, if not all, of your fueling should be done through your diet, and our marathon training diet advice and guide to what to eat when marathon training will help you do just that. But there are times when eating real food just isn’t possible or desirable—one of those times being the race itself—and that’s where supplements can help. 

The main supplements to consider are sports drinks and running gels that top up your carb reserves and electrolytes during long runs, and ones that help you restock and help the body recover during an arduous training schedule. There are also supplements like beetroot juice and caffeine that can help to boost your performance. In short, there are loads of different supplements you can use to help you body cope with the demands of marathon training. Here are the top types you’ll come across.

Running Gels

Probably the most common marathon training supplement, the best running gels are scoffed by runners during long runs (anything over 90 minutes) to replenish their carb stocks. In the marathon itself, you’ll probably go through at least four or five gels depending on how fast you’re expecting to run it. It’s vital to make sure you’ve already tried the ones you use in the race, because gels can be hard on the digestive system. 

Many races will hand out gels on the course too, so it’s worth checking to see what kind they are so you can try them in training. Then on race day you can pick up a gel or two on the way and not have to carry all your gels from the start.

Sports Drinks

The best sports drinks can either be a carb-only drink, or a combo of carbs and electrolytes. They are great for fueling long runs because drinks often contain more carbs than gels, and are sometimes easier for the body to take in without upsetting the stomach. The downside is drinks are harder to carry with you, so usually people use them before big runs and their race to ensure their carb stores are completely full before switching to gels during the race.

That said, if you have a set of the best running shorts with a lot of pockets for storage, it’s possible to carry drinks with you—I’ve carried my own drinks for my past 10 marathons because I prefer them to gels during the race.

Electrolyte Tabs

Pop one of the best hydration tabs in water and they dissolve quickly to create an electrolyte-rich cocktail, containing minerals like sodium, potassium and magnesium, which help your body to hydrate itself. Carb gels generally don’t have electrolytes, which you need to replenish when you exercise for a long period and sweat a lot. Having the tab with you means you can just grab water on the course of the race and create your own electrolyte drink, and they’re handy for marathon training in warm conditions too.

Beetroot Juice

Research into the nitrates found in foods like beetroot, spinach and rocket suggests they can have a positive effect on performance in endurance activities. You can get beetroot supplements such as Beet It shots which contain 400mg of dietary nitrate—try drinking them daily in the week before your event as well as having a couple in the 12 hours beforehand. This is definitely something to practice before race week though, because concentrated beetroot juice is something your body will need to get used to.  

Recovery Drinks

When weightlifters finish a workout they reach for a protein shake—but while runners need protein too, it’s more important to replenish carbs and electrolytes. If you’re undertaking a loaded training schedule and don’t have time or the inclination to do this through meals, one of the best recovery protein powders, which contains carbs, protein and electrolytes, is useful to have on hand.

Multivitamin Tabs

You can get all the vitamins and minerals you need to support your body during hectic training schedules from your diet, but a multivitamin can be a helpful insurance policy, and starting the day with a multivitamin tab dissolved in a pint of water is no bad thing for your hydration as well.

Caffeine

We don’t mean chugging down a coffee before running, mainly because that’s a gastrointestinal risk only the foolhardy would take, but getting versions of the above supplements that contain caffeine can provide a timely boost. Save a running gel or electrolyte drink with added caffeine for kilometre 30 of your marathon—it might be just what your body and brain need to spur you on to the finish line.

Energy Bars

They’re harder to consume on the go than a sports drink or gel, but the best energy bars generally have the advantage of being far tastier and less likely to ruffle any gastrointestinal feathers. If you’re running an ultramarathon or taking part in any kind of event where you stop to refuel, energy bars are a great choice. They also make for a great pre-race snack.

Sweets

Yes, you read that right. If all of the above sounds a little too serious for you, then you can just opt for some of your favourite jelly sweets to fuel your running. It’ll be cheaper and tastier, though do be aware that it's harder to chew some sweets when running than slurping an energy gel.

The nutritional number to look out for with sweets is the amount of carbs they contain. Percy Pigs are very strong on this front, containing almost 7g of carbs per pig, while jelly babies offer 5g of carb per baby. Isn’t it nice to talk about the high amount of sugar in those sweets in a positive way? However, both Percy Pigs and jelly babies can become a little less appetising if kept in a sweaty running belt during your marathon, so also consider jelly beans, because they have a hard shell that can keep them fresher for longer on the run. The own brand beans at your local supermarket will be cheap—it’s what I opt for.

Training for and completing a marathon takes mental strength as well as physical fitness, and if you neglect the former you might come unstuck no matter how much time you put into improving the latter.

“You can’t just get through on mindset, you need to be fit, and you can’t just get through on fitness, because if your mind gives up the body will follow,” says Ant Middleton, the former SBS man turned adventurer, author and TV personality.

“You must be more mentally prepared than you are physically prepared. People have that the other way round. The moment they get mentally challenged I’ve seen the fittest people melt down and quit.”

Middleton’s new Audible Original Podcast, Mind Over Muscle, follows several runners training for the London Marathon and looks at how the right mindset can help, as well as the benefits that training for the event can have on their mental health.

“It [the podcast] was originally designed to get people in the right frame of mind to get them to the start line of the London Marathon. A lot of people sign up to the London Marathon, then they get the form saying they’ve been accepted, and something like 30% of applicants don’t make it to the start line.

“It’s to get them into the mindset of sticking to a regime, a training programme, and getting to the start line. That’s the hardest bit of a marathon. If you’ve prepared correctly and you’re in the right mindset, then the race is just a few hours of staying in the zone. It’s the build-up that’s really important.”

To help ensure you make it to the start line of your marathon armed with the right mindset, we asked Middleton for some tips.

Break training down into smaller chunks

Instead of thinking about everything you have to do before a marathon in one go, break your training down into small parts, and then break them down again.

“Once you’ve got it down to bite-size chunks, then all you do is commit to the next chunk, the next small commitment,” says Middleton. “Once you commit to one, you find it isn’t that bad, then you commit again – rather than having one full commitment to a whole training programme and the marathon itself, which is overwhelming.”

Appreciate what you’ve achieved as you go

Training for a marathon requires a lot of discipline and commitment. It’s important to recognise that in yourself, and be proud of every early start, and every hard run logged.

“Once you get into that zone of getting up at 5am before you go to work, you think ‘I never knew I was capable of that’,” says Middleton. “Once people have done that training, they use that after the marathon. They realise they’re disciplined, that they can do it. It gives them a new lease of life to attack another thing.”

Stop thinking and do

This is a crucial tip for the moments before a run, when you’re starting to talk yourself out of doing it.

"When people start overthinking it, I stop them! Just stop thinking, and do,” says Middleton. “If you don’t want to go out for a run, stop thinking, put your socks on, that’s a little commitment. Then put your trainers on. Open that door. Then shut that door and go. By the time you start thinking about it, you’re on the road anyway. You know what you’ve got to do, you go into autopilot. All you’re going to do is talk yourself out of it, so replace your thought process with action."

See related

• Can You Complete Ant Middleton’s Gym Rings Workout?
• Ant Middleton On How He Almost Died Climbing Mount Everest
• Why Ant Middleton Ditched The Bench Press
• Marathon Training: Plans, Gear, Nutrition Advice And More

Remember your good days, forget the bad

“I think it’s important to record when you’ve had a good day and I wouldn’t record when you’ve had a bad day,” says Middleton. “We all have them, but why do you need to bring that up? You’re going to have more negatives if you think negatively. I haven’t tapped into a new part of my mind, I just think differently. I turn negatives into positives, and if I can’t, I cut them away. I don’t entertain them.”

Be realistic

Embracing a positive mindset can be hugely important in marathon training, but it’s not going to turn you into an elite runner overnight. You need to keep working hard and base your targets on your capabilities.

“Be honest with yourself,” says Middleton. “Don’t expect miracles. Often you see on social media the before and after, and you don’t see the hard work, the discipline, the structure that goes into it. Break it down to your capabilities and your timescales. Everyone should be different.”

Listen to Mind Over Muscle: Journey to The Finish Line | £19.99 or subscribe to Audible for £7.99 a month. Free 30-day trial available

Many long-distance runners will spend hours agonising over which songs to put into the perfect playlist to soundtrack their long training sessions, but what if the perfect playlist contained just one item? Having trained for and run six marathons, with another on the horizon, we have almost entirely switched from music to podcasts and audiobooks for our long runs, and we reckon you should too.

A good book will capture your interest better than even the most motivational music, and that distraction will mean the miles tick by quicker than you could have thought possible. Here are some of our favourites.

You will get odd looks from passersby when you suddenly crack up while running, but rest assured frequent laughter won’t derail your training. Steve Coogan’s Partridge autobiography is our go-to for marathon training and race day itself: it’s just about the most entertaining book ever written – and it’s only improved by Coogan reading it in character.

Buy from Audible | £9.99

If you want to stay on topic with your audiobook material, then check out Adharanand Finn’s excellent account of a year living and training in Kenya with some of the best runners in the world. The book is full of interesting titbits you might want to apply to your own training, and is also just a well-told story of Finn’s life in Kenya and the build-up to his first marathon.

Buy from Audible | £15.69

Having tried to listen to several weighty literary masterpieces while running, we can tell you that – as impressive as they may be – it’s quite hard to keep track of what’s going on. So now we stick to lighter fare, and you can’t go wrong with a Jack Reacher thriller. Especially if you’ve already read any other Reacher books, because let’s be honest, they don’t differ much. Lee Child’s novels are always highly entertaining though and listening to Reacher beat the heck out of some deserving chumps is just as motivational as your favourite song. Blue Moon is the newest Reacher novel, and the most expensive too, so if you’re new to the series opting for an earlier, cheaper book is a savvy move.

Buy from Audible | £31.99

See related 

• The 14 Best Running Books
• The Best Running Headphones Of 2021
• The Best Running Belts
• The Best Phone Armbands For Running

Think of all the time you’re going to spend running during marathon training. If you devoted that much time to learning stuff, you’d be a lot smarter, right? Non-fiction is a smart choice for anyone making the switch from podcasts to audiobooks, but you have to be careful to avoid anything too heavy that will be hard to follow on the run. Stephen Fry’s Mythos is perfect, providing a detailed look at famous Greek myths that you may already be somewhat aware of, delivered by Fry himself in engaging fashion.

Buy from Audible | £23.99

Comedian Paul Tonkinson is familiar to many runners as one of the hosts of the Running Commentary podcast alongside fellow running funnyman Rob Deering. In this book he details his full history with the marathon. It’s entertaining and inspiring, and will keep you hyped for your race day during the long days of training.

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When you commit to train for and run a marathon, you are signing up for making a slew of changes to your lifestyle. The biggest of those is running a whole lot more than you were previously, which will have an impact on other things too – you’ll probably sleep more and find that you only really want to talk about running during social occasions, which weirdly not everyone loves.

Your diet is also going to change. We know what you’re thinking: it’s carb time. Carbs all day every day. Pasta for breakfast. Wearing clothes with more pockets and filling them with bread so there’s always a roll to hand. Well, we have some bad news – you’re not going to be shovelling down bowls of linguine every couple of hours. There will be some high-carb days for sure, and nothing tastes as good as the massive pizza you wolf down after a long run, but in general the main things you’re going to want to do diet-wise are to eat more healthy stuff and drink less alcohol. Your body is already being pushed pretty hard with all the running, so you need to treat it well at mealtimes.

For all the advice you need on what you should be eating during marathon training, we spoke to an expert in the field – Tim Lawson, director and founder of sports nutrition brand Secret Training. You’ll find loads of excellent advice from Lawson below, but if you just need the key points quickly, here’s the short version.

• Start by improving your general diet. A healthy person is a healthy runner – eat more fruit and veg, drink less booze.
• Don’t overdo the carbs. You need energy, but in line with the running you’re actually doing that day. There’s no need to shovel in platefuls of pasta when all you have lined up is an easy 5K. Putting on weight during your training because you’re overdoing the carbs is not going to help you on race day.
• Plan your recovery meal. Carbs, protein and some electrolytes. They’re the foundations of what you need to speed your recovery after tough runs in particular. Some evidence suggests that getting the nutrition in ASAP after your run is beneficial, especially protein.
• Supplements can be a convenient option. Before and during training in particular it’s much harder to use food for fuel, so running gels and sports drinks are worth investigating. On race day you’ll need to carry fuel with you, so practise this in training and find gels that don’t upset your stomach.

What are the main general changes to a diet someone training for a marathon should make?

There is some dietary advice that never changes, regardless of the situation.

“The general advice is no different than what is recommended for a regular healthy diet,” says Lawson. “Less alcohol, lots of greens, oily fish and quality protein foods evenly spaced through the day, with sufficient fluids.”

Carbs are also key, but don’t go overboard.

“Carbohydrate-rich food like pasta, rice and oats should be regarded as fuel for training sessions,” says Lawson.

“A mistake amateur athletes often make is to eat the same high-carbohydrate breakfast day in, day out, whether they are fuelling for a gruelling training session or sitting in the office all day.

“Carbs that are not used as fuel for training are quickly stored as fat. So if you are not training, think more along the lines of a boiled egg than a huge pot of porridge. Just because you are a marathon runner it doesn’t mean that every meal needs to be loaded with pasta.”

Right now you might be angry – perhaps you were wooed by the promise of endless carbs when you signed up for a marathon. One positive way to look at not going overboard on carbs, or junk food in general, is that it’s an easier way to get better at running than logging more miles.

“The biggest performance gains may be from increasing power to weight ratio by losing mass rather than doing more mileage,” says Lawson.

“Reducing the consumption of any junk calories is an obvious start point. For example, every 13 pints of beer you don’t drink (that you normally would do) in the run-up to a marathon is likely to result a reduction in race weight of 1kg. This will have a significant effect on performance.”

Should you increase your calorie intake in line with your mileage throughout a training plan?

Building on the above, Lawson recommends looking at your overall weight when determining your calorie intake, as well as the training you are doing.

“Increasing your calories in line with training is something you only need to do if you are at your optimal race weight,” says Lawson.

“In practice people seldom are, and even top elite athletes will try to reduce their body fat for specific events. When training sessions become harder and longer they will need fuelling appropriately, but away from training the biggest gains may be had from portion control.”

So unless you’re already at your ideal weight, adding extra calories to your diet during training might be counterproductive. Of course, there are limits to this.

“If weight loss become severe or your training sessions start to suffer, then your calorie intake needs to increase,” says Lawson.

How quickly after training sessions do you need to eat?

“There are some studies that show that enzyme activity is most active within 20 minutes of finishing exercise and this has led to an emphasis on refuelling within that 20-minute window to maximise recovery,” says Lawson.

“Other studies show that with adequate carbohydrate provision it is possible to replace carbohydrate stores within 24 hours if this window is missed.”

When deciding when and what to eat after a run, it’s important to consider not only the training you’ve just done but also what you plan to do next.

“If your next session is a recovery run there is less necessity to consume carbohydrates quickly than if you’re doing back-to-back intervals sessions with a short recovery period,” says Lawson.

And it’s not just carbs you need to consider.

“You should also consume protein as soon as possible after exercise to aid recovery,” says Lawson. “And it is also important to remember to rehydrate and replace sodium and potassium. Many runners use an electrolyte drink for this.”

See related

• What to Eat Before a Run
• What To Eat After A Run
• What Are Electrolytes And Why Do You Need Them
• Running Supplements For Marathon Runners
• Do Beetroot Supplements Work? Yes!
• How To Carb-Load Before Running A Marathon
• The Runner’s Cookbook – Easy, Delicious And Not Just For Runners

How should people use supplements to help their training?

Even if you have never used supplements to support your workouts before, the demands of marathon training can make them invaluable, if only for their convenience.

“Supplements have their uses. For example, it is far easier to consume a protein gel containing cherry anthocyanin antioxidants just after a training session than a can of tuna and 40 cherries,” says Lawson.

Different supplements have different uses, usually related to when you take them.

“Before exercise a carbohydrate drink or gel or even a caffeine energy gel may help to provide the energy to complete a session if life has got in the way of optimal preparation,” says Lawson.

“During your sessions, carbohydrate gels and drinks can be the best way to maintain energy levels. Using them during some training sessions serves as practice for the event, and may improve the quality of those sessions.”

“After training protein-based recovery drinks and gels provide a convenient way of refuelling.”

It’s vital to plan what you are going to eat and drink, especially with regard to post-workout refuelling, as the right supplements can help you recover faster.

“Don’t leave it to what’s available in the vending machine or in the fridge at home,” says Lawson.

“There is increasing evidence that anthocyanin-based phytonutrients from berries, cherries and the like can reduce inflammation and improve recovery. Similar effects have also been observed with turmeric and its extract curcumin.”

Tim Lawson has a BSc (Hons) in Sport Science and an MSc in Sport and Exercise Physiology, and over 30 years’ experience of working in sports nutrition

This plan is for you if… You’re a keen runner and have already done at least one marathon. It’s time to shoot for that magical sub-3 finish.

How often will I need to run? Five days a week, plus one core exercise session.

Target time: Three hours.

There are a few common signs spectators hold up at big city marathons. One offers a power boost if you touch it on the way past. Another cracks wise about the Kenyans having already finished. And a third reads “pain is temporary, sub-3 is forever”.

It’s just a number, but there’s something very special about a marathon time that starts with a two rather than a three. To achieve that feat, however, you’re going to need to put in some consistent good-quality training. There’s no half-arsing it when it comes to training for a sub-3 marathon, so get ready to spend a lot of time running and thinking about running over the next few months.

The first thing to consider is whether a sub-3 is realistic for you. No-one knows your body better than you, but a good indication that you’re up to the challenge is that you’ve already run a half marathon in under 1hr 25min. If you haven’t run a half marathon at all then don’t worry, this training plan has one scheduled in, and we’ve rounded up the best half marathons in the UK so you can find one that fits the plan for your marathon.

This plan will work well for anyone shooting for a marathon time up to 3hr 30min as well as sub-3-chasers, with all the runs based on paces that you can easily adjust to your ability.

About This Plan

This is one of three plans created for Coach by James Heptonstall, captain of Adidas Runners London (there’s also a plan for beginners and a sub-4hr plan). The full plan is below, but first here’s some advice to help you follow it.

Why is it important to do different kinds of runs in training?

Once you start aiming for faster times in your marathon it’s vital to mix up your training. This will make you faster and stronger and ensure the many miles of training you have to log are a little more enjoyable. Long runs help build endurance, interval sessions build speed, and tempo runs do a bit of both. Hill sessions increase strength and improve your technique, while easy runs help you to log more distance to boost stamina while still recovering from tougher sessions.

How do I fit all this running around other commitments?

“Fitting in the sessions is always difficult with work and other commitments, plus the lack of light in the winter months,” says Heptonstall. “For most people, Saturday and Sunday provide the most time to get that long run in. Other, shorter sessions can be done Monday to Friday.”

One of the best ways to fit in those midweek runs is to make them part of your commute. This is tougher to do when it comes to hard sessions, because trying to do intervals on busy city pavements is frustrating for all concerned, but it’s great to do your easy runs on the way to work or the way home.

Whatever your approach is, the key is planning. Line up all your runs for the week ahead on Sunday, keep a stash of running gear at work so you’re never left short when you need it, and consider prepping meals in batches so you have food ready to go in the fridge when squeezing in a run at lunchtime – the minutes saved on popping to the shops and back will keep you under the hour mark.

How important is it to warm up before each session?

It’s really important, and even though you won’t want to do it, you should. This is especially true before hard sessions, when you’re going to start at a fast pace. Doing this without a warm-up risks injury, or a horribly slow first rep. Up to you which of those is more terrifying.

“Do an active warm-up, which involves things like skips, side skips, high knees, heel flicks, dynamic stretches and gentle strides,” says Heptonstall. If you’re shooting for a sub-3hr marathon, you probably have a go-to routine already, but in case you don’t or you fancy mixing things up, try this warm-up routine from Heptonstall.

Do I need to do anything on rest days?

You don’t have to do anything on rest days, but if you’re the kind of person who gets antsy doing nothing, then you can slip in 20 minutes of active recovery – opt for cycling or swimming, not running.

“You can also try a five-minute ice bath followed by a hot shower held over your legs for 30 seconds,” says Heptonstall. “Also, try to use a foam roller after running sessions and, if your budget allows, have weekly massages.”

In general it’s also important to stretch. Every day if possible. If not, just 20 minutes of static stretching as often as you can manage will work wonders. On training days, make sure to do this after the run or core workout, not before.

See related

• The Best Marathon Running Shoes For Training And Racing
• Sub 4-Hour Marathon Training Plan
• 14-Week Beginner Marathon Training Plan
• Marathon Training: Plans, Gear, Nutrition Advice And More

Sub 3-Hour Marathon Training Plan

Pacing Guide

Easy: You can hold a conversation while running.

Steady: You can say the odd sentence, but not speak for long periods. This works out at around your marathon pace.

Tempo: Dispense with talking. This is around your 5K pace.

Strides: Short sprints at around 85% to 95% effort, around the pace at which you’d run a mile or 1500m race. Build up your speed over the first five seconds of the stride, hit your pace through the middle stretch, and then ease off over the final five seconds.

1:1 standing rest: The length of your rep dictates the length of your rest with these sessions. For example, if you’re doing 1km reps and you do the first rep in 3min 30sec, you then take a 3min 30sec rest. The same goes for the rest of your reps. Rest for as long as your run, in short – but do try to keep those reps equal!

Core Exercises

On core workout days, choose ten exercises from the following.

• Plank
• Balancing crunch
• Wall sit
• Press-up
• Superman (arms and legs)
• Russian twist with weight
• Mountain climber
• Split squat
• Sit-up
• Weighted squat
• Side plank (both sides)
• Sit-out
• V-sit (jackknife)
• Burpee
• Step-up with extension

Drills

Where noted, complete the following eight drills.

• High knee walks (HKW) on the flats of your feet.
• HKW with kick-outs on the balls of your feet.
• Backwards walk with kick-out. Place your heel down before moving backwards.
• A-skip. High knees with skip.
• B-skip. A-skip with a kick-out.
• Backward running. Stride out.
• Straight leg bounces on the balls of your feet.
• Bent leg bounces on the balls of your feet.

Week 1

You’ll need to do a lot of running to get into sub-3hr shape, and to make sure your body can handle that mileage you need to get your core work in. Make sure you build a routine you can stick to during these early weeks, when the amount of running is low compared with later on.

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

The workload starts to pick up significantly this week, and you’ll be running 24km over two days at the weekend. Make sure you help your body recover between runs with things like stretching, yoga and foam rolling, and get your feet up when life permits a break.

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8

It’s race week! If you can get to a live half marathon that’s ideal, but a virtual half would also be a good tester to see where your fitness is at. As a rough guideline, most sub-3hr marathoners aim for a 1hr 25min half marathon, but don’t despair if you don’t hit that mark – remember you’re tackling this half marathon in the middle of an intense marathon training plan, rather than coming in completely fresh.

Week 9

Week 10

Week 11

Your longest run of the plan is this weekend, and you’ll be logging a hefty 35km. This is a great chance to test all the kit you’re going to use for the marathon, and also rehearse your nutrition plan including running gels. Try to find a route that’s similar to your marathon in terms of terrain and elevation – don’t pack your 35km with hills if you’re going to be running a flat marathon, for example.

Week 12

The taper for the marathon begins here, but while you should be focused on resting where possible, there’s still a lot of running to do before race day. Keep ticking off your runs and look after yourself – this would be a bad time to get ill!

Week 13

Week 14

Time to shine. All the hard work you’ve done during the plan is about to pay dividends. Try and stay calm during race week and don’t let maranoia get the better of you. Sleep as much as possible and start to increase your carb intake in the final couple of days before the race. Enjoy!

This plan is for you if… You’re a regular runner and are shooting for a specific time in the marathon.

How often will I need to run? Four days a week, plus one core exercise session.

Target time: Under four hours.

Smashing the four-hour barrier is one of the most common targets for marathon runners. For many runners it marks the moment they change from someone just looking to get through a marathon to someone who lines up with a specific pace and goal in mind. Often that comes after you’ve already completed a marathon, but it’s also common to discover that competitive instinct within yourself as you train for your first event.

Whether you’re lining up for your first crack at a sub-4 or your fifth, this plan is one of three created for Coach by James Heptonstall, captain of Adidas Runners London – will help get you there. It’s also great for any marathon runners with a goal between 3hr 45min to 4hr 30min in mind, because the pace you should do each type of run at can easily be adjusted to your ability.

It’s a tried-and-tested plan too. Helen Shannon followed this plan in advance of the London Marathon 2022 and romped home in a time of 3hr 51min, beating her previous best of 3hr 56min, chalked up eight years and two kids earlier. She details more of her experience below.

Along with this schedule, we have an extensive guide to marathon training which will help you every step of the way. You may also want to view our beginner marathon training plan and sub-3hr marathon training plan before committing to this one.

To help you get a quick overview of what’s involved with this plan, and for returning readers, we begin with the weekly schedule. For detailed instructions for how to follow the plan, which core exercises to do and how to do them, and more information to help you get the most out of the plan, keep scrolling or use the page navigation to jump around.

Pacing Guide

Easy: You can hold a conversation while running without getting too out of breath.

Steady: You can say the odd sentence, but not hold a conversation. This equates to your marathon pace.

Tempo: Getting fast now, so you can barely talk at all. This is around your 5km pace.

Strides: These are short sprints at around 85% to 95% effort. If you know your one-mile race pace, then that’s the effort level you should aim for. Ease into the start of each stride, hit your pace in the middle, then ease off again over the final few seconds.

1:1 standing rest: You run for a set period of time then recover for the same period of time. For example, if you run the first 1km rep in 3min 25sec, the rest period is 3min 25sec which is spent stationary, before then going into the second 1km rep. If you complete the second rep in 3min 43sec, the rest period is then 3min 43sec, and so on. The aim is to keep all reps equal.

Week 1

It’s time to get up and running. You’re starting with a relatively light workload, and these early weeks are a great chance to make sure you nail the supportive core strength sessions. Your body will need that strength down the line when the running ramps up.

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

The workload starts to climb steeply this week, with a tempo run, a hill reps session and a 16km long run. Make sure you’re supporting your body with stretching, yoga and foam rolling. Getting into a good routine with recovery work now will serve you well in the weeks to come.

Week 5

Week 6

Your long run hits 21km this weekend, and that distance will keep climbing for the next couple of months. These long runs are great for your fitness and also serve as a chance to practise your race day routine, from the fuel you’re going to use to the kit you’re going to wear. It’s particularly important to start experimenting with different energy sources like gels and drinks to make sure you find one you can stomach comfortably on race day. Start with our guides to the best running gels and the best running water bottles, along with the best running belts or best hydration packs to carry everything.

Week 7

Week 8

Capping off this week is a half marathon race. It’s ideal if you can get to a live event, but even entering a virtual one is good to provide some extra motivation (and a medal, of course). The race is a good chance to practise your pacing, so be smart, aim to finish strong and give yourself a confidence boost for the full marathon to come. Browse our list of the best UK half marathons to see if one of our picks matches up to your schedule.

Week 9

Week 10

Week 11

Your longest training run is this week, with 35km lined up for the weekend. Use this as the big dress rehearsal for the marathon, because you should have your race-day kit and nutrition already mapped out by now. Also, use it as a chance to practice your pre- and post-race routines to help you prep and recover.

Week 12

Your taper for the marathon begins here, so you’ll be reducing your weekly mileage. However, you still have some hard runs to do before the big day, so it’s not the time to take your eye off the ball. Focus on recovery and keep nailing your sessions.

Week 13

Week 14

The hay is in the barn, as they say. You’ve done the hard work and marathon week is all about eating well, sleeping as much as possible and sticking with the sound decisions about your race you’ve made already – do NOT get distracted by a new pair of carbon shoes now. Read this advice from elite runners about how to pace a marathon and make “don’t start too fast” your mantra. Enjoy the race!

About This Plan

Now you’ve seen the day-to-day details of the plan, here’s some more information on what’s involved and advice on how to stick to it.

If it’s a sub-4 you’re after, however, you’ll need to run at a pace of 5min 41sec per kilometre on the big day (or 9min 9sec per mile in old money). If you have a few half marathons under your belt, a rough guide to setting your marathon target time is to double a recent half marathon time and then add seven to ten minutes. A half marathon in something like 1hr 50min is a great indication you have it in you to go sub-4.

Core Exercises

On core workout days, choose 10 exercises from the following.

• Plank: On your forearms and balls of your feet, hold your body in a straight line from your head heels. Hold this position for time.
• Balancing crunch: Sit on a bench, lean back and extend your legs out in front of you. Bring your knees and chest towards each other, then return to the start. Complete the specified number of reps.
• Wall sit: Press your back against a wall with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor and thighs parallel to the floor.
• Press-up: Get on your hands and feet, with your hands under your shoulders with your arms extended and feet hip-width apart. Brace your core and, keeping your body in a straight line throughout, bend your elbows to lower your chest to the floor, then press back up powerfully.
• Superman: Lie face down on the floor with your arms extended in front of you. Raise your arms and legs, pause, then lower. Your head and neck should remain in a neutral position.
• Russian twist with weight: Sit on the floor holding a weight in both hands by your chest, with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Lean back and twist your torso from side to side, keeping the weight in the centre of your chest. Lift your feet off the floor to increase the difficulty.
• Mountain climber: Begin in the high plank position with your hands under your shoulders and arms extended, with your body in a straight line from head to heels. Brace your core, then bring one knee to your chest, then the other. Repeat at pace.
• Split squat: Adopt a split stance with one leg in front of the other. Bend both knees to 90° then push back up through your front heel. Complete the specified number of reps, then switch legs and perform another set of reps. 
• Sit-up: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Lift your torso until you are sitting up, then lower under control. Take care not to strain your neck. 
• Weighted squat: Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower, keeping your back straight and chest up. Pause once you're parallel to the floor, then push back up through your heels. Add weight in any way you can, holding a kettlebell or makeshift weight by your chest as in a goblet squat, or holding dumbbells by your sides or shoulders. 
• Side plank (both sides): Lie on your side, with your elbow under your shoulder and forearm perpendicular to your body. Lift your body so it forms a straight line and hold. Repeat on the other side. 
• Sit-out: On your hands and knees, lift your knees slightly off the floor keeping your toes on the floor. Raise your left arm, twist your torso so your chest faces left and then bring your right leg under your body, kicking it out to the left. Return to the start and repeat on the other side.
• Jackknife: Lie on your back with your legs extended and arms extended behind your head. Raise your arms and legs and reach your hands to your toes. Lower to the start under control. 
• Burpee: Stand, then bend over to place your hands on the floor. Jump your feet back to land in a high plank position, lower your chest to the floor, then push back up. Jump your feet back to your hands, then jump straight up and clap your hands above your head. Land softly and go straight into the next rep.
• Step-up with extension: Stand in front of a stable platform about knee high. Step onto the box, then extend your leading leg and raise the trailing leg, bending the knee until your thigh is parallel to the floor. Reverse the move under control. Switch sides with each rep.

Does This Plan Work?

Yes, or more accurately, it worked for Helen Shannon who followed the plan and ran a sub-4 time at the London Marathon 2022. 

Shannon completed almost every run on the plan, but only did the core element three times, something she regrets. “If I have a piece of advice, it’s don’t skip the core work,” Shannon says. She was also unable to race a half marathon as she was abroad on holiday at the time.

“It’s a straightforward plan and easy to follow,” says Shannon. “It was my first time doing speedwork and intervals, and was a good introduction.” A running watch which allowed her to set up the intervals to follow proved useful.

Shannon suffered with an acute case of maranoia while tapering, especially during the final week. However, it came together on the day and she felt great, flying out of the blocks and notching up a half marathon PB in the first half. Although the second half was slower, she finished with a time of 03hr 51min 26sec. Bravo! 

The scenery is not something that’s usually a big draw with a road marathon. Many events take place in city centres to ensure sizable crowds and there are landmark buildings to supply interest for the eyes, rather than stunning natural landscapes, which are usually reserved for off-road events.

One event that bucks this trend is the Loch Ness Marathon. The paved route runs alongside the famous loch in Scotland and even if you don’t spot Nessie along the way, you are treated to an incredible view for almost the entire course, with only the final few kilometres in the urban environs of Inverness.

As a result, the Loch Ness Marathon has been on my race bucket list for some time, so when running gear brand Hoka One One offered me a chance to run in the 2019 race, I jumped at it. Here are seven things I learned about the event which may come in handy should you ever decide to run it.

1. Be Prepared For An Early Start

The Loch Ness Marathon is a point-to-point race that finishes in Inverness and starts 42.2km away near Whitebridge. Getting all 5,000 runners to the start line in what seems like the middle of nowhere involves an awful lot of coaches and an early start – runners need to get to the main departure point in Inverness for just before 7am. This means you’ll need to change your pre-race routine, because when you might normally be having breakfast and lining up a trip (or trips) to the loo, you’ll be on a coach.

I ended up staying in Drumnadrochit, a town on the northwest side of Loch Ness. This meant I had to travel into Inverness to get my race number on the Saturday and make a longer trip home after the race, but it was closer to Whitebridge and meant my bus pick-up wasn’t until 8.15am on race day.

2. The Start Is Beautiful, But Chilly And Lacking In Loos

Of all the epic views you’re treated to during the Loch Ness Marathon, the best come at the start, because it’s the highest point of the course. However, that also means you’re quite exposed, and it’s the windiest and coldest part of the course. While waiting for the starting gun, wear bin bags and old jumpers you’re happy to ditch. Fortunately, the race starts with a long downhill in the first two kilometres, which quickly gets you out of the wind, so don’t base your expectations of the weather on how it feels at the start.

There also weren’t enough toilets at the start, with queues stretching a long way and not moving fast enough for many runners, who decided not to wait and instead took a trip into the woods beside the road. Announcements will ask you not to do this, but in truth there’s little choice – if everyone waited for the Portaloos a sizable proportion of runners wouldn’t have made the start on time.

3. Don’t Go Bananas On The First Downhill

The race starts with around 90m of downhill in the first two kilometres, which is lovely. However, if you’re someone who already tends to start races too fast this can be like a red rag to a bull. Downhill running might feel easy, but if you’re going a minute per kilometre faster than expected, that may well come back to bite you later on.

4. The First Half Isn’t As Easy As It Looks

If you examine an elevation profile of the Loch Ness marathon you’ll immediately be struck by the general downhill trend of the first half of the race, especially the first 16km or so, where you descend almost 300m in total.

However, the course actually undulates a lot, and there’s a sharp hill at around 8km that caught out a lot of runners expecting an easy ride for the whole first half. My advice is to run the first half of the race cautiously, enjoying the benefits of the downhills without pushing yourself too hard. That way you’ll have more energy for the second half, which has more uphill sections, and you’ll probably find you’re passing a lot of runners who blew it all on the downhill.

5. Enjoy The Scenery

This really can’t be stressed enough. The Loch Ness Marathon is beautiful, with long stretches through forests and constant views of the Loch itself and the hills around it. I ran the first 25km with a huge smile on my face just looking around at the scenery. The time and the kilometres flew by.

6. Be Ready For The Hill

This is the real Loch Ness monster – 3km of almost entirely uphill running starting in kilometre 28. It sounds brutal, and if you’re struggling with your race then it can be, but if you know it’s coming and keep some energy in reserve the Dores hill can be conquered without it derailing your race plan. For the most part, the gradient is not actually too steep and there are a couple of breaks in the hill along the way, so focus on getting to those to break it up rather than worrying about getting to the very top.

See related

• The Best UK Marathons
• Marathon Training: Plans, Gear, Nutrition Advice And More
• The Best Marathon Running Shoes

7. There Are Still Ten More Kilometres To Run After Dores

Once you crest the hill just outside the town of Dores you’ll see a helpful sign saying something like, “It’s (almost) all downhill from here”, and you might well start to relax. The biggest hill in the race is done and you can roll right down into Inverness to the finish line.

Not quite. Running ten kilometres is never easy and especially not at the end of a marathon. All the undulations will have beaten up your legs to the point that even downhills start to hurt, and there are a couple more uphills after Dores too, even if they’re relatively mild. Stay focused and don’t start celebrating the finish line until you see it.

Early bird entry for the 2020 Loch Ness Marathon is open and costs £54. Sign up at lochnessmarathon.com

Unless you’re really fast or really good at raising a lot of money for charity, the London Marathon is seriously hard to get into. The ballot is hugely oversubscribed every year, so when October rolls around and the ballot results are announced, the majority of people who entered will be left without a spot in the 2020 race.

However, in the same month as the next London event there is another brilliant marathon taking place in another European capital that’s people from the UK can get to easily. And you can sign up to guarantee your spot in that marathon right now.

The Paris Marathon 2020 will take place on 5th April and registration for the event is open now. If you head to the marathon’s website you can secure your spot at a reduced price of €110 (approximately £98), a price that rises to €125 (approximately £111) on 25th November.

Although there is space for over 50,000 runners in the event, it’s still worth moving quickly in case it sells out – 22,000 spots have already been allocated in the pre-registration period. Maybe just wait until the next Brexit development that has a positive effect on the value of the pound happens and go for it then. Be quick before it all goes wrong again.

See related

• The World’s Best Marathons
• The Best UK Marathons For 2022
• Marathon Training: Plans, Gear, Nutrition Advice And More

The Paris Marathon boasts an especially scenic route for a city marathon, taking in two woods – Bois de Vincennes and Bois de Boulogne – alongside all the major landmarks in the city like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre before finishing by the Arc de Triomphe. It doesn’t have the same incredible support as you get at the London Marathon and it’s also hillier, but there’s nothing too steep and there are long downhill stretches where you can pick up the pace with less effort.

If you’ve entered and are wondering how to go about preparing for the race, we have free 14-week training plans to suit different targets, along with a whole load of general advice about the gear and nutrition that can make completing a marathon just that little bit easier.

Sign up | €110 (approximately £98)

In many ways trail running is a completely different sport to road running. There are similarities of course, but when you’re off-road pacing and kilometre splits tend to go out the window as you focus on tackling rugged terrain and exploring beautiful places, and trail running also has the potential to lift the spirits in a way that chugging along the pavements near your house struggles to do.

It’s a little trickier to get into than road running, but with a bit of planning you’ll find that there might be a host of great trail running spots far nearer to you than you think. You’ll find some great runs from the National Trust below, but before we get to that, we have some wise words from British ultramarathon runner and The North Face ambassador Jez Bragg about how to get into trail running.

Do you need trail-specific shoes for off-road running?

In the summer, no, but you do in the winter when you have to deal with cold and wet conditions. You want something that’s cushioned with good grip on all different types of surfaces. It has to have wicking properties – to keep water out and let vapour out – and be light too, because you’ll really feel the extra weight if you’re covering any real distance. You should also carry a small rucksack or hydration pack. Put a spare waterproof, base layer, map, food, drink and mobile phone in it so you can cope with changing weather and getting lost or injured.

Should you change your running style on treacherous trails?

Aim to look about 6-10m ahead so you have time to adjust your speed or change direction. It takes a bit of getting used to but having to focus on finding the smoothest, most direct route takes your mind off running and some of the pain you’re enduring.

What’s the best way to tackle hills?

When climbing, shorten your stride, lean forwards and settle into a steady rhythm. Depending on how steep the hill is, you will probably find it more comfortable to run up it on your toes. When running down a hill you’ll be moving faster so look a few metres further ahead than if you were on the flat. This will help you pick the right line. Avoid slowing down because it’ll tire you and sprinting because it can stretch your quads to the point of injury. Try to relax and let the gradient of the hill turn your legs over – you’ll know when you’re moving at the right speed because you’ll be exerting the minimum amount of effort.

Can you train for trails without actually running on them?

You need good core and lower leg strength to help your body withstand the rigours of running across rough and uneven terrain and you can build this in the gym doing moves, such as planks and weighted lunges. Ankle strength is also key but is something that can only be developed through running. Hills are a big part of trail running so you also need to include hill work in your runs. Don’t worry if you need to walk the hills to start with – it will still help you build up solid leg strength.

What are some good places to go trail running?

The UK has one of the best networks of footpaths in the world. Get a local Ordnance Survey map, plot a route and run it. Having to navigate and overcome challenging terrain will make the runs seem much shorter and interesting than pavement plodding.

I love running in the Peak District, along the Jurassic Coast in Dorset and in the Scottish Highlands. All three places offer awesome terrain and fantastic views. If you’re planning on a trail-running weekend, try looking up some local hostels or bunkhouses where you can get a bed for the night for £15 or so. Works for me!

See related

• The Best Trail Running Shoes For 2021
• The Best Trail-Running Spots In The UK According To Run The Wild
• How To Master Hill Running – And Why
• Three Simple Ways To Get Better At Running Downhill
• The Fundamentals Of Strength Training For Runners

11 Great Trail Runs For Beginners To Try

If you’re not sure about plotting your own route using an OS map, look up your local National Trust properties. NT is keen to encourage trail runners to visit and its rangers have created 11 Ranger Runs for people to try. A couple of them are only for experienced trail runners, but there are nine great options that beginners can tackle, and you can tweak the harder routes to suit all levels. Or you can just walk the uphills!

These are a great place to start with the sport, because you’ll know the length of the route, which is mapped out, and have a good idea of the terrain you’ll cover. You can even tackle them in the company of others if you’d prefer – the National Trust is putting on free monthly 10K events at the Ranger Run locations plus other great trail-running spots.

Polesden Lacey, Surrey

This 10.9km run is only an hour away from central London, and it’s a great way to escape the bustle of the city and clear your head with some epic views of the North Downs countryside. There’s a fair bit of uphill work to tackle to earn those views, but you can always stroll those bits.

Rhossili, Gower

Rhossili Bay in Wales is the location of one of the finest beaches in the entire UK and you get to explore a 4.8km stretch of it with this easy run. It includes a small loop of Worm’s Head headland to provide the best views of the bay.

Craflwyn, Snowdonia

This run requires a fair bit of fell running experience, with over 16.8km of mountainous trails to complete. Beginners can base themselves in Craflwyn or nearby Beddgelert and explore the Nant Gwynant valley through shorter runs, but make sure to earmark the route to come back and conquer once you’re a trail-running regular.

Blickling Estate, Norfolk

An easy 10.1km loop around the grounds of a Jacobean mansion featuring a mix of woods and parkland. Take it slow and look out for barn owls.

Coleton Fishacre, Devon

This undulating run follows the Devon coast for around half of its 9km length, but don’t get too distracted by the sea views – there are cliff edges and uneven sections of the path to keep your eyes on.

East Soar, Devon

If you’re seeking something longer, this 19.2km jaunt around Devon where Dartmoor meets the coast is a great option. The route isn’t too hilly, and wildlife fans will enjoy passing long-horned Highland cattle and Dartmoor ponies along the way.

Fountains Fell, Yorkshire

This 13.6km route in the Yorkshire Dales takes in the glacial lake of Malham Tarn along the way to the summit of Fountains Fell, from where you follow the ridge-line and enjoy the views of the Yorkshire Three Peaks.

Golden Cap, Dorset

Head to the Jurassic Coast for this 9.9km figure-of-eight run that includes a trip to the summit of Golden Cap cliff, the highest point on the south coast of Britain.

Longshaw, Derbyshire

Set in the heart of the Peak District this run is a very reasonable 6.1km long, though some steep sections will make it feel a little longer. A highlight of the route is the Tumbling Hill outcrop, which offers outstanding views of both the Derwent and Hope valleys.

Souter Lighthouse, Tyne and Wear

You’ll be amazed at how much wildlife you get to see over the course of one 2km lap of the Whitburn Coastal Park Nature Reserve on this run. So amazed you might just want to run another lap.

Tarn Hows, Cumbria

This 6.4km loop circles around an ornamental lake surrounded by huge trees. It’s one of the most popular tourist spots in the Lake District, so try to avoid peak season if you don’t want to run around the crowds.

Signing up for your first marathon is an exhilarating moment. You’re excited at the prospect of taking on the event, which is probably still far enough away that the actual challenges involved don’t seem too daunting. You have ages to train for it, after all.

Once you’re into the long period of marathon training, however, you quickly realise that the challenge of the marathon isn’t so much the 42.2km you run on race day as the hundreds of kilometres you cover in training.

It’s essential, therefore, to ensure you pace your training correctly so you don’t burn out long before race day itself. We have free marathon training plans for runners of all levels, which can get you to the start line in great shape. But before you choose a plan, check out these invaluable marathon training tips from Tom Craggs, a running coach and Loch Ness Marathon ambassador – you’ll find his suggestions mirrored in any top-quality training plan.

1. Start With Regular Running

“If life allows, aim for small and regular runs in the early weeks of training,” says Craggs. “Four to five short runs will be better than two long efforts with nothing in between.”

2. Build Up The Length Of Your Long Run Slowly

The long Sunday run is key to marathon success, but there’s no need to go for broke early on.

“Build patiently and slowly, and add ten to 15 minutes maximum each week,” says Craggs. “In the early weeks focus on completing these runs at a relaxed and conversational pace. Then, if you feel good, try to get used to increasing your pace for the final 30-40 minutes of your run.”

3. Plan Ahead

“Track back from race day and plan in your key long runs three to eight weeks before your event,” says Craggs. “Get organised and structure your training week in advance to ensure you are running at times when you have the best chance of completing the sessions and feel most energised. Plan to take at least one full rest day each week and line up a slightly lighter week every three to four weeks.”

4. Use Your Midweek Runs Wisely

Often first-time marathoners drift through any midweek runs they do, with all the focus on the long run they face that weekend, but the right kind of run on a Tuesday or Wednesday can reap as many gains as your Sunday session.

“Try a 45- to 60-minute run that includes five sets of five minutes running at a pace where you can only speak three or four words at a time, jogging for 90 seconds between each effort,” says Craggs. “Aim to build this up over the weeks to six sets of five-minute efforts, three sets of ten minutes, or even 20-25 minutes as a solid block.”

5. Race

Don’t just practise running, practise racing too. Sign up for a few races throughout your plan and you have some short-term goals that can help to break up your training and make it seem less like one long slog. It also helps you to refine your race day routine so you’re not tripped up unnecessarily.

“Aim to book in a half marathon five to six weeks before your marathon,” says Craggs. “You could either run this hard, looking for a PB, or turn it into a long run by adding a couple of miles before and after, and running the race at goal marathon pace. If you can’t get into a half consider running a parkrun every three to four weeks – this can be great for testing your fitness.”

6. Don’t Just Run On Pavements

“Running on different surfaces such as grass and trails will help prevent injury, and also help build strength and balance,” says Craggs. “Consider also mixing your running with other forms of cardiovascular exercise such as cycling, swimming or using an elliptical trainer. This will still give your heart and lungs a workout, without the joint impact of running. “

7. Learn How To Run Easy

In some training runs you’ll aim to push yourself, but a lot of the time should be spent running easy. Pushing too hard on these runs is how you burn out.

“If you find yourself short of breath and feeling like you need to stop after four to five minutes you are simply running too hard,” says Craggs. “Try to stick at the ‘speed of chat’ to get yourself working and enjoying your running. Don’t worry if you need to mix running and walking in the early weeks. Aim to keep the pace of your running easy and gradually reduce your walking breaks as the weeks progress.”

8. Strengthen Your Core

“Runners who are more robust and who can hold their posture and technique even when tired tend to perform better on marathon day,” says Craggs. “Getting into a good routine of two to three short core sessions a week is a great goal in the early weeks of training. For the more experienced doing squat, deadlift, lunge, row and press-up exercises can be a great addition to your training.”

See related 

• Marathon Training: Plans, Gear, Nutrition Advice And More
• The Best UK Marathons For 2022
• Pro Tom Evans On The Benefits Of Cross-Training For Runners
• 15-Minute Core Workouts For Runners
• The Fundamentals Of Strength Training For Runners

9. Run With Others

“Surround yourself with positive people and look to train with friends or family sharing the same goal,” says Craggs. “If none do, then you can join a local running club. Having a group to motivate and support each other will help keep you out running when it gets tough!”

10. Log Your Training

“Getting your training down on paper, or on screen, can be a great way of monitoring your progress and having accountability,” says Craggs. “Aim to note down two to three positives from your training every week, plus a couple of priorities to develop for the following week. When you look back at your training before the marathon you’ll have a big bank of positivity to review!”

11. Eat And Sleep Well

“Focus on high-quality nutrition with a wide range of fresh fruit and vegetables, and adequate amounts of protein,” says Craggs. “To improve sleep, aim to get off your phone in the final 90 minutes before bed. Creating a good pre-bed routine can improve the quality of your sleep, which is when many of the positive adaptations to training occur.”

Sticking to the same handful of routes puts you on the fast track to a running rut, especially if you’re a city dweller pounding grey pavements. Admittedly, it’s hard to be adventurous when it’s a struggle even to squeeze a run into your schedule, but it’s well worth setting aside some time on a weekend and making a weekend of it because the UK has some extraordinary trail-running spots, and there’s sure to be one within a few hours of where you are.

To provide some inspiration for your next running escape we asked Simon James, founder of running holiday company Run The Wild, to tell us about his favourite places to go trail-running in the UK.

Gower Coast

The first place in the UK to be designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and with some of the best beaches in the world, the Gower clearly ticks the scenery box! Clifftop trails, epic stretches of sandy beaches, hills and valleys, castles, estuaries and woodland rivers – it really does have it all. Despite all this it’s a relatively unknown gem. It’s also my childhood home and where I first learned how liberating trail running truly is.

Chiltern Hills

Just 30 minutes from London by train is another AONB, the Chiltern Hills. A beautiful chalk escarpment that stretches for around 80km from Dunstable in the east to Goring-on-Thames in the west, it provides a huge variety of trails, from the ancient woods at Ashridge to the hilltops that give stunning views of the Home Counties. A network of paths criss-cross the area, with the most famous being the Ridgeway, the UK’s oldest road, which is around 140km long in its current form. The first trail runners on this path were probably from Neolithic times!

Cotswolds

Further west from the Chilterns are the Cotswolds. With plenty of cute B&Bs and pubs to visit, as well as good transport links, it’s an easy place to escape to for a run. For longer trail runs there is the 100-mile (161km) Cotswold Way to explore.

Suffolk

Running through the breadbasket of England is a breath of fresh air. The rural environment offers wide-open fields that change colour with the seasons, from neatly-ploughed fields in the winter to summers of thigh-high corn, rapeseed and sunflowers. Quaint villages with Tudor-style leaning thatched houses offer a quintessentially English experience, especially around Dedham Vale in the east. A mix of coast, rivers and vales provide a good variety of scenery via a well-connected network of footpaths.

Lake District

The Lake District is the UK’s answer to Chamonix for trail running, with the Bob Graham Round (a challenge that involves running on 42 fells in a 24-hour period) and many historic fell races in the area. Trail running is more raw and wild here. It’s pretty remote for most people but it’s worth the trek to get there and if you get good weather, epic trails, peaks and views await you.

See related

• Munro Bagging: A Great Way Of “Escaping From Our Modern Sanitised World”
• The UK’s Best Adventure Races Of 2021
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Snowdonia

Having spent a lot of time in Snowdonia on mountain training courses, I have a soft spot for this part of the world – in fact, it’s where I first ever experienced mountains. You don’t even need to set foot on Snowdon itself to make the most of it – circumnavigating the highest mountain in Wales was one of the best trails I’ve ever done. Ridges and scrambles add a good dash of adventure to the routes.

Cairngorms

The Cairngorms are the UK’s most truly wild space and are more accessible than you may realise – just a short drive from Inverness. Here you will find four of the five highest peaks in the UK. Although definitely not a place for the ill-prepared, this wilderness offers some epic trail-running adventures and as a bonus, you can extend your trips by using the bothy system (basic free-to-use shelters scattered throughout the National Park). There are not many places in the world where you can wake up to a stag sniffing your tent! From remote high peaks to lakes and wooded valleys, this environment will test your trail-running and mountain skills to the max.

Running a marathon hurts. Even if you sailed through your marathon training plan and are flying through your race towards a PB, you’ll still experience muscle fatigue and pain in the final few kilometres. And if you’re carrying a running injury or worried that one might arise during the race, then you might have more than standard muscle pain to consider.

However, the answer does not lie in painkillers. For one, masking the pain of undertaking such a tough physical challenge is not smart – your body is under stress and you should keep an eye on any pain that develops in case you have to stop. Furthermore, several studies have found that dosing yourself with painkillers to try to improve your performance can actually have the opposite effect, as well as risking your health.

For example, participants in the 2010 Bonn Marathon were asked if they used any non-prescription pain medication. The number of people who failed to finish because of pain and other health symptoms differed little between those who used painkillers and those who didn’t.

However, far more of the people who took painkillers had to drop out due to stomach problems than those who didn’t. Runners who necked painkillers were also five times more likely to experience symptoms including stomach cramps, cardiovascular problems, gastrointestinal bleeding, blood in the urine, and joint and muscle pain than those who took nothing.

Overall, nine runners who took painkillers ended up in hospital: three for temporary kidney failure after taking ibuprofen, four for bleeding ulcers after taking aspirin, and two after heart attacks (also aspirin). Not a single person who competed in the race without painkillers was admitted to hospital.

It gets worse. In 2006 physiologist David Nieman, director of the Human Performance Laboratory at the North Carolina Research Campus, did blood tests on competitors at the 100-mile (161km) Western States Endurance Run. He found that people who took painkillers (including anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen) before and during the race actually had more inflammation than those who didn’t. The pill-popping athletes also suffered kidney damage and even a particularly nasty condition in which colonic bacteria leaked into their blood.

Putting grim thoughts of poo-contaminated blood aside, it would seem logical to assume that painkillers must at least increase pain tolerance, but it appears that’s not the case. Among Western States Endurance Run competitors, researchers found no reduction in pain and muscle soreness between those who had and hadn’t taken painkillers. In fact, the pill-poppers actually reported more inflammation and pain.

In an endurance event everyone will suffer some degree of discomfort – that’s natural and it will be something you’ve already encountered during your training for a marathon. This will give you some idea of what is normal pain for you during long runs, which is vital, because it then allows you to ascertain whether something that crops up in a race is abnormal. While everyone wants to complete their marathon, if you start experiencing serious pain you have to consider the potential cost of carrying on. You could end up sidelined for months or more if you push it too hard on race day and turn a niggle into a serious injury.

No matter how many marathons you run, the pre-race nerves never go away completely, but it those nerves will almost certainly be at their worst before your very first one. Especially if it’s the London Marathon, which is such a huge event that you can’t escape mentions of the race in the days leading up to it.

A little advice from someone who has experienced the buzz of the London Marathon can go a long way towards helping first-timers handle their nerves and prepare for the day. That’s why we enlisted Gary McKee, who is running it for the fifth time in a row in 2019, to give us his tips. McKee runs to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support and when he took part in the London Marathon in 2017, it capped an epic endurance feat in which he ran 100 marathons in 100 days. Basically, McKee knows his marathon onions, so listen up.

How did you get into running marathons?

“I took part in a half marathon in 2008 with a few friends in memory of someone who’d died,” says McKee. “I hadn’t done a lot of training and the next day I had legs like Pinocchio’s, coming down the stairs wishing I had a stairlift! I did more half marathons over the next couple of years, and then my first full marathon was in 2010, when I did the Edinburgh Marathon. I was aiming for four hours. It was one of the hottest days of the ear and I ran 4hr 36min, I was absolutely shattered – I felt ten times worse than after my half marathon!”

Not to be deterred by this, McKee stepped up his running even further by running from Land’s End to John o’ Groats in 2011, before returning to the Edinburgh Marathon.

“When I ran Land’s End to John o’ Groats I covered around 900 miles [1,450km] in 26 days, so I was doing 32 miles a day. Then I went to Edinburgh a couple of weeks after I’d finished and ran it in three hours thirty-something – I took nearly an hour off my previous time, so I was pretty pleased!”

See related

• What London Marathon Runners Need To Know About The Race’s Sustainability Changes
• Tapering Tips For The London Marathon
• Everything You Need To Know About The London Marathon Ballot 2022

What tips do you have for marathon first-timers?

Warm up: “When I go to a marathon now I will stretch and jog a couple of miles beforehand, which I didn’t used to do,” says McKee. “That way you hit the ground running, so to speak, and you’re into your pace before you know it, rather than setting out cold.”

Have a strategy: “In your own head you have to process how you’re going to complete the race. Are you going to run it all? Are you going to walk a bit, run a bit, walk a bit? You have to understand the strategy you’re going to use.”

Talk to people: “If you’re running with a partner, try to talk to each other and have happy thoughts. And if you’re running solo, talk to other people to pick yourself up. If you encourage other people, it seems to do the trick for you too. During that 26 miles you might need some encouragement and help yourself, and you’re only going to get that from your fellow runners, so talk away. It’s diversional therapy – taking your mind off the pain that your body’s going through.”

Get your name on your vest: “When someone is shouting your name, it’s personal to you and it picks you up, it’s unbelievable. The thing about London is there are supporters from the first to the very last step you take, and you’re cheered along the way by thousands and thousands of people.”

Why do you run to raise money for Macmillan?

“We’ve all got a cancer story, it affects every one of us,” says McKee. “I’ll never forget the day I was told my dad had cancer and I just wanted to do something. When you’re facing cancer you tend to think you’re facing it alone but I want to show people that although I can’t fight it for you, I’ll be in your corner trying to help, raising as much money as I can.’

Gary is running the London Marathon for Macmillan Cancer Support as part of #TeamMacmillan. To take on your own challenge event to help Macmillan be right there with people living with cancer visit macmillan.org.uk/challenge.

Pictured: Matilda and Lloyd. Photograph: Paul Ward – Stink Films

There’s a good argument for not listening to anything while running the London Marathon. There are no parts of the course where supporters don’t line the streets and the noise of the cheering can motivate you to keep on keeping on, especially if you’ve got your name on the front of your vest so people can shout it.

However, we’ve run the London Marathon twice and are tackling it again this year, and we will be taking headphones for the third year in a row. That’s because, although the support is brilliant, running a marathon takes a long time and even well-intentioned cheering can start to grate after a while – especially if you’re having a tough race.

Another reason to consider headphones is that the crowd can actually knock you off your race plan, especially if you’re spurred on by the crowd in the first few kilometres and go off too fast.

So having a playlist lined up is a great strategy, and New Balance and Runners Need have even done the heavy lifting for you in creating four playlists on Spotify that you can use on race day.

The playlists come from New Balance ambassadors Leon, Lloyd, Matilda and Matt, who are all running the London Marathon themselves. Each has been designed to fit a different pace, ranging from six minutes per mile up to nine minutes per mile, but we don’t think you have to hold to that idea – just pick the one that suits your music preferences best. Or use all of them – each playlist is 20 songs long, so one won’t last you the entire marathon, but you may also want to spend some time without headphones to take in the crowd at times anyway.

Lloyd’s Running Playlist

Notionally for those running a six-minute mile pace (which is really very quick), this playlist from student athlete Lloyd is heavy on indie classics, including “I Am The Resurrection” by the Stone Roses, which would be a hell of a soundtrack to have as you finish on the Mall.

Leon’s Running Playlist

This playlist is designed for seven-minute milers (which is still very quick) and comes from Leon, who works on Savile Row. There’s a strong mix of genres, with The Doors’ “Break On Through (To The Other Side)” on there which will hopefully come on just as you’re hitting a sticky patch.

See related

• 21 Tips For London Marathon First-Timers
• What London Marathon Runners Need To Know About The Race’s Sustainability Changes
• Training Tips For The Final Four Weeks Before The London Marathon
• The Only Running Music You’ll Ever Need with Trevor Nelson

Matt’s Running Playlist

Matt is a London Marathon veteran, and the 2019 race will be his third year in a row at the event. His playlist is designed for eight minutes per mile pace and has the perfect one-two punch to get your race going – “This Is The One” by the Stone Roses and “Right Here, Right Now” by Fatboy Slim.

Matilda’s Running Playlist

Matilda founded a group called Fly Girl Collective to encourage more BAME women to get into fitness, and she’s leading by example by taking on the London Marathon. Her playlist is designed for nine minutes per mile pace and she has smartly included not one, but two, London-repping tracks – “London Town” and “It’s A London Thing”.