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After spending more than two years slowly building up my mileage, I managed to run my first marathon. But I found myself wondering, how long does it usually take a running beginner to train for a marathon?
There’s no straight answer. But on average, it can take around 16-20 weeks to prepare for your first marathon. Novice runners should aim to run around three to four times a week and reach an added up total of 50 miles a week.
What does marathon training consist of?
Generally speaking, marathon training is all about conditioning your muscles so that you can prepare yourself for the challenging task of running over 26 miles on race day.
The reason most people say that it takes between 16 and 20 weeks to run a marathon is because that’s what the vast majority of training plans state.
Although you may have just discovered running and have what I like to call, “the beginner’s buzz”, it’s probably best to make sure that you don’t complete more than four runs in a week.
In everyday life, running a lot one week and then feeling too tired to run the next is unlikely to be a problem. Annoyingly, when you’re training for a marathon, it’s a good idea to stick to the guidelines in a training plan.
But let’s make this clear, training plans aren’t the be all and end all. If you’re heading over the six-month mark and straying slightly from your plan, it’s not as if your legs are going to fall off, your feet will become bloodied and raw, and your mother will call you a failure. The time frame stated is a guideline, yes. But that’s all it is. A guideline.
Whilst running is probably the most important part. A lot of marathon training is also likely to involve rest, recovery, eating right and feeling guilty when you slept through your morning run (don’t pretend you didn’t).
If it’s your first time entering a race of any kind, your marathon training is likely to involve a lot more obstacles and hurdles to overcome. What shoes are right for you? Do you have enough running clothes to be getting in three to five runs a week? Do you like running with music or without? How are you going to motivate yourself to see this through?
This might seem like a kind of disadvantage if time is playing a factor. But on the plus side, you get to enter the fun and challenging world or running with a big ambitious goal at the end, which can act as a sort of incentive.
Perhaps one of the biggest problems first-time marathon runners experience is that they struggle to fit the training into their everyday lives. Three or four runs a week might sound easy when you’re feeling pumped.
In reality, however, marathon training tends to consist of early mornings and late nights. When following the basic guidelines of preparing for a marathon in under six months, training may seem unenjoyable.
Where can I get a marathon training plan for beginners?
Although I can’t currently provide my own official one, (I’m working on it) the internet is filled to burst with free marathon training plans. Personally, I recommend one from the guys at Bupa.
A marathon training plan really shouldn’t be too complicated. Ideally, I’d recommend one that comes in the form of a table. You should be able to print it off so that you can refer to it regularly.
A good marathon training plan will attempt to build up your mileage slowly over the weeks. Typically, the initial runs for a beginner programme start at around 20 – 30 minutes running a day and gradually build to a point where you should be able to run about 22 miles.
An important thing to say here is that it is doubtful that your marathon training plan requires you to run a full marathon before it comes to race day. As a beginner, it seems like running a full marathon before race day is something that you should avoid at all costs.
According to Greatist, 20 miles tends to be the best target for ambitious marathon runners because it sets a mental milestone which the novice runner can commit too and work towards.
What Pace Should I Run At?
Detailed training plans usually come with guidelines of how much effort you should be aiming to put in per workout.
Going flat out and hard in every day of training can be classed as many things. Motivating, fun, committed, dedicated and, most importantly, a bit dumb.
It’s best to follow your training plan’s advice and aim to stick to different speeds and tempos.
Occasionally the training plan may even ask you to switch things up a little bit and do some interval runs – a combination of walking and jogging or sprinting.
Training plans are an excellent source for novice runners when training for their first marathon. Still, I should probably stress to you that it is also crucial to listen to your body.
If there is a nagging pain in your side or if you aren’t sure whether your foot is wet because it’s full of blood or you stepped in a puddle, I would recommend that you take a break.
When I initially began training for a marathon, I remember deciding to buy the cheapest pair of running shoes I could get.
The shoes had no impact absorption, and the laces kept coming loose on their own accord. The result? What felt like a small fracture in my right foot.
It’s my fault, I know. But it just goes to show that external things can happen that are likely to keep you away from your training plan from time to time.
If I had continued running because my training plan told me too, it’s expected that I would have been injured a lot longer.
Is it possible to run a marathon in less than 16 weeks?
Sure. It’s possible but not advisable.
The truth is, if you wanted to run a marathon in a week’s time, you could certainly try. But it’s almost definitely a bad idea. Don’t forget that the first person ever to run a marathon died upon completion.
The chances are low that it would also happen to you. But the evidence is there that you could do some real damage.
The amount of commitment that people need to train for and complete a beginner marathon in a short amount of time is something that the vast majority of people don’t have access to daily.
What’s more, the chance of injuring yourself drastically increases when you try to cram what most people do in 16 weeks into a smaller time frame. So be prepared for swollen ankles, feeling physically and emotionally drained and experiencing little to no social life.
I feel like the guys at buzz feed managed to give a pretty fair representation of what it’s like to train for a marathon in a short amount of time. Check them out:
Are there any serious risks related to training for a marathon?
Besides general injury and soreness, there may be a few things to watch out for on your beginner marathon.
Some research suggests that running a full-blown marathon can cause harm to a runner’s kidneys. An article published by from Heart.org stated that some marathon runners might even suffer from scarring on their heart tissue.
Most of the literature out there seems to acknowledge that there are issues with running full marathons. It looks like the main health benefits of running a marathon come from the training aspect.
The concept of taking up running and doing it every day in small amounts should surely do some good right? Another reason not to shorten your beginner-marathon training!
Conclusion
So that’s it. With all the info out there, it should be easy for a novice runner to complete a marathon in just under six months. That being said, they are only guidelines and whilst they’re excellent to follow, it really comes down to you.
Check out these great books that could help motivate you to run a marathon!
Related Question
Q. What should I expect my beginner marathon running time to be?
A. You may feel motivated and excited, but when it’s your first run, it’s generally a good idea to aim to finish the marathon between 5-6 hours. If you can do it in less time, then that’s great! But don’t hold yourself to an unachievable goal.
Q. Can I train for a marathon on a treadmill?
A. Yes, but you probably shouldn’t. Unless you’re going it alone, it’s unlikely that you will be running a marathon on a treadmill. It’s always best to practice in the environment you will be running on race day.
