Marathon Training Guide for All Levels
Marathon training is a long process but with the right strategy, you can prepare for a great race day. Photos by Marques Jackson Photography.
By Marnie Kunz
Whether you’re marathon training for the first time or the 50th time, this guide will help you lay down a strong fitness foundation to crush your big race. I’ve coached many runners for the New York City Marathon, Chicago Marathon, and others, and it is always exciting to see all their hard work pay off in the marathons. For this marathon training guide, I will go over the basic principles you will need to incorporate into your training, and explain how to do each phase of training.
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Ultimate Marathon Training Guide
Training for a marathon can feel overwhelming, but if you follow the right training plan, you will make steady progress. If you’re not sure how to train for a marathon and this will be your first time, I got you covered. To start with, most runners need at least 16 weeks to train for a marathon, and beginners need 20 weeks or more. Marathon training involves three phases: building your base fitness level, increasing your endurance with long runs, and adding speed workouts. Recovery and fueling are also key to your success. Read on to find out how to do each phase of your training.
Base Runs
Your base-building phase lays the foundation for an effective marathon training program. Building up your base endurance level will help you avoid running injuries and make you a stronger runner for tougher workouts ahead.
In the base building phase, you will increase your run frequency and distance to improve your endurance and cardiovascular fitness level. For most runners, I recommend doing a base running phase for the first month of marathon training. If you are a beginning runner or if you have not been running regularly, you will need more time - 6 to 8 weeks of base runs to build up your fitness level.
A base run is a short to medium-length run at a relaxed pace. You will be able to easily carry on a conversation at your base run pace. Your base run will feel like 60% effort level (out of 100 as max effort). Once you have built up your aerobic base, you will begin doing long runs. Even as you add long runs and speed training to your workouts, your base runs will remain a staple of your training and will be your most common workout.
Check out more of my tips on how to do base runs.
Long Runs
If base runs are the foundation, long runs are the framework for your marathon training. Doing long runs is critical for boosting your endurance to prepare for your marathon race. Long runs are the most demanding part of your training and they will prepare you for the challenge of running 26.2 miles.
In your marathon training plan, you will have a long run once a week, on average. Since the long run is categorized as a hard training day, it’s important to follow your long run with a rest or recovery day. Also, only do a base run, recovery run, or rest day the day before your long run. You never want to do hard workouts two days in a row when marathon training.
Below are my coaching tips to help you master the long run:
Run at a relaxed pace. Some runners think they need to run at their race pace for every long run, but this is not the case. Unless you are an advanced marathoner or elite runner, your long run is not the time to work on speed. Do your long run at your conversational base run pace. If you are an intermediate runner and are focusing on cutting your marathon time, you can get progressively faster by the last miles of your run to hone in on speed. But in general, most runners do well with a relaxed, base run pace for long runs.
Build gradually. You will need to build your mileage and intensity gradually in your marathon training program. Do not add more than 10% more miles a week to your plan. So if you run 25 miles one week, for instance, you can add up to 2.5 miles the next week. This goes for your long runs as well. You can increase the long-run distance by a mile or two but don’t jump from 10 miles to 20 miles.
Hydrate. Hydration is really important for any runner but especially when marathon training. Always bring hydration on your long runs over 6 miles and on shorter runs if the weather is very hot or humid. I recommend taking a sip or two of water with electrolytes every mile of a long run. Opt for Nuun tablets or anything similar that has electrolytes without high amounts of sugar and unnecessary additives. For long runs, I put a Nuun tablet in my water bottle and am ready to run.
Use fuel. Your body needs fuel on any long runs over 60 minutes, and marathon training is the best time to try different fuels to find the one that works best for you. Over the course of training, you’ll be able to experiment and find the best pre-race foods that don’t upset your stomach, as well as the best sports fuel to take during the run. For your long runs and in your race, you will want to fuel at least once in the first hour of running, and then consume 30 grams of carbs every 30 to 45 minutes for the rest of the run. Running fuel options come in gel form, chews, and sports drinks, and many people find that a combination strategy works. You may take some energy chews and water for most hydration stops, for instance, and have sports drinks at a few alternating stops. See our post on running fuels for more specific tips on choosing the best fuel for you.
Make a playlist. Make a motivational running playlist and this will help pull you through the tough miles of your marathon training runs. Consider tempo when making your playlist, as you’ll want upbeat songs that keep you moving but not so fast that you start sprinting.
Run with a buddy, even if it’s just for the last two miles. A running partner can help you stay accountable and make your long run more fun. Many of us don’t have friends who enjoy 15- or 20-mile runs, but you can have a friend track you (share your run in Strava, for instance) and meet up with you to run the last few miles together. Usually, the last miles of a long run are the toughest so having support will keep you pushing through.
Take safety precautions. Marathon training can be arduous, and take you far from home. Some precautions will help you stay safe even in an emergency. Before your long run, you can share your running location with a running app like Strava or ROAD iD so a trusted contact can track your run in real-time. ROAD iD also has identification bands for runners that are a life-saver in an emergency, offering your identity and trusted contact information, and critical medical details. Also, when you run, follow the traffic signs and stay out of bike lanes. Check out more running safety tips to keep you safe on the move.
For more insights on how to get the most out of your long runs, here are my top long run tips.
Marathon Speed Workouts
Speed workouts are an optional addition to your marathon training plan. If you are a beginning runner or this is your first marathon, you do not need to worry about speed. Your goal will be to just finish the marathon. But if you have a few marathons under your belt and already have a solid base fitness level, you can add speed workouts to your marathon training. Speed workouts will help you become a faster, more efficient runner, boosting your leg strength and oxygen efficiency. If you have a marathon time goal, speed workouts are key for helping you reach that goal.
Here are my recommendations for the best speed workouts for marathon training:
Intervals
Interval workouts involve periods of intense running with recovery segments in between. For marathon training, I recommend doing intervals that are 800 meters or longer. You may want to do Yasso 800s, mile repeats, or a ladder workout, which could include 800-meters, 1200 meters, 1-mile, 1200 meters, and 800 meters. Do a warm-up and dynamic stretching before your intervals and a cool-down jog and stretch after your workout.
Yasso 800s
Yasso 800s are one of the best speed workouts for marathon training. The concept of Yasso 800s is that whatever time you can do the 10 Yasso 800s will predict your marathon time. So if your goal is to run a 4:00 marathon, for instance, you should aim for 4 minutes for each of your 800s. Yasso 800s are a form of interval training, and I’ve included the Yasso 800s workout here to guide you. Also, check out my article on how to do Yasso 800s for more tips on these workouts for marathon training.
Tempo Runs
Tempo runs are the simplest speed workout to do when marathon training. Tempo runs are runs with extended higher effort levels that last anywhere from 2 miles to 6 or 7 miles. For a tempo run, after your warm-up, aim to run at 70% effort level or 10 seconds slower than your 10K race pace. Starting out, do 2-3 miles for your tempo run and build up to running 6 or 7 miles over a period of months. Threshold runs are similar to tempo runs as they involve a steady state effort during your runs. Threshold runs are usually shorter than tempo runs and should be at a pace that is slightly faster than your half marathon pace.
Hill Workouts
Hill Workouts should be part of every marathoner’s training program. Running hills improves your leg strength, running form, and efficiency and prepares you to conquer the hills in your marathon on race day. For a simple hill workout, warm up with a 10-minute jog. Then run up a hill for 2-minute intervals at about 80% effort level, then jog down the hill and repeat to do 8 total repeats. You can increase the hill running duration by adding more intervals as you get accustomed to the workout. Jog for 10 minutes to cool down and stretch.
How Often to Do Speed Workouts
I recommend doing a minimum of one speed workout a week if you are aiming to lower your marathon time. If you can, do two speed workouts a week, such as a tempo run and an interval workout. Follow the easy-hard principle of training and do a speed workout after an easy day or recovery run. After your speed workout, take a rest day or base running day the next day. Remember that long runs count as hard days so don’t do a speed workout the day before or after a long run.
If you need help calculating your speed workout pace or your marathon race pace, see the Runstreet Running Pace Chart for help.
Rest and Recovery
Many runners overlook this, but learning the right way to rest and recover will make a huge difference in your marathon training success and greatly reduce your chances of getting injured. Recovery involves more than just resting. Here are some steps to take after your long runs to help your body recover:
Refuel and rehydrate within 30 minutes of your long run. Have something with protein and carbs to replenish your depleted glycogen levels, electrolytes, sodium, and fluids. Some options I recommend for muscle recovery include a protein smoothie, chocolate milk, avocado toast, cottage cheese with fresh fruit, or an apple and peanut butter.
Change clothes after your long run. Dry, clean clothes will help your body circulate blood and nutrients more quickly.
Stretch and foam roll. Do some static stretches and break out your foam roller to roll out tight leg muscles.
Put your legs up the wall. This is one of my favorite and most effective ways to help runners recover from long runs. Lie on your back facing up and bring your legs out straight and rest along the wall. This boosts your circulation and delivers more nutrients to your leg muscles for recovery. Do this for 10 minutes.
Eat a healthy meal rich in complex carbs and lean protein. For your big meal following each long run, have some lean protein, whole wheat or other complex carbs, and plenty of veggies for nutrients. This will help replenish vitamins and minerals your body used up during your long run. Nutrients from fruits and veggies will also help fight inflammation in your muscles.
Get enough sleep. Get plenty of sleep the night after your long run. If you can, taking a nap will help your muscle recovery as well.
See my marathon recovery tips for more ways to speed up muscle recovery after your big race.
Rest days are also important as you follow your marathon training program. Make sure you have days of complete rest with no running or workouts. You can also have recovery days with cross-training where you do workouts like swimming, biking, or weightlifting. I recommend strength training for all marathon runners as it will help improve your leg strength, running form, and running efficiency and reduce your risk of getting injured.
Marathon Training Shoes
Your running shoes are your most important tool for marathon training. It’s important to find the best running shoes for your running habits and gait. You can go to your local running store to get fitted for shoes or check out our tips on how to find the best running shoes.
When you’re marathon training, you will put miles on your shoes quickly, so it’s important to change your shoes regularly. Each running shoe company and model varies, but in general, most shoes should be replaced every 300 to 400 miles. You can track your shoes with running apps like Strava, Garmin or Nike Running and you’ll see when you reach 300 miles.
If you can, I recommend getting two pairs of running shoes so you wear one pair and then alternate the next day. This helps prolong the life of your running shoes and allows your shoes time to literally bounce back from the wear and tear of each run. You may want to get two of the same pair of shoes if you run consistently on the same running surfaces but if you alternate trails and street running, you can get a pair of shoes for running on roads and a pair of trail running shoes.
I hope these tips help you in your marathon training journey. I also have customized marathon training plans available in the Training Center if you need a training program created just for you.
And tag @Runstreet on Instagram to share your training and racing posts and get cheered on. Happy running to you - you got this!👊
Related Posts: Running Pace Chart for All Levels, 10 Long Run Tips from a Run Coach, How to Do Yasso 800s
Marnie Kunz is a NASM-certified trainer and USATF- and RRCA-certified running coach, a dog lover, an Akita mom, and the founder of Runstreet. She is based in Brooklyn, New York.
