First marathon training: where to start and what to check first

A marathon is 42.195 km, or 26.2 miles. When you search for "first marathon training," you find week-by-week tables and pace percentages. These plans are useful, but they answer a different question: which plan to follow, not where to start.

For a first marathon, the plan comes in fourth place. Ahead of it come your running base, your health, your race entry and a realistic goal. This is the order that the studies on first-time marathoners point to most clearly.

Before the plan: three questions to ask yourself

Do I already run regularly? The more your body is used to running, the less a marathon will catch you off guard. If you have only recently started running, build consistency first, then think about the 42 km.

Have I already run a half marathon? In Toresdahl's study (2022) of 720 first-time marathoners at the 2017 New York City Marathon, followed during the 12 weeks before the race, having already run a half marathon was linked to a lower injury risk (adjusted odds ratio of 0.40). A half marathon works as a stepping stone. It teaches you to hold effort for 2 hours, manage your pace, and test your fueling.

What is my goal? For a first marathon, finishing in good shape is a complete goal. Time goals can come at your second marathon, using data from your first.

Finally, choose a race far enough away that you aren't rushing. Coaches tend to give more months when your base is modest. With a recent half marathon and a regular routine, you start from a higher point and can prepare over a shorter timeline.

Health and entry: the two checks to do early

Here is what you need to know: if you have a family history of heart problems, symptoms during exertion, or several risk factors, see a doctor before you sign up. If none of these apply, you can start your training, with a doctor's opinion on your risk level, which you can't assess on your own.

These numbers come from the US. Across 10.9 million participants in marathons and half marathons between 2000 and 2010, 59 cardiac arrests were recorded, or 0.54 per 100,000 participants. The rate was higher at marathons (1.01 per 100,000) than at half marathons (0.27). The authors concluded that the overall risk is low.

In Europe, the European Society of Cardiology (2020) recommends considering an evaluation before exercise for people with a higher probability of cardiovascular disease who are about to do intense exertion, and a marathon is one of those. For adults over 35 at low to moderate risk, it considers recreational sports possible without extra testing. Your risk level is assessed with a doctor.

For race entry, read the event rules as soon as you choose a race. The organizer decides which document it requires, and the rules vary by country. It is better to know in September than one week before the start.

How many workouts and how many kilometers?

Two studies of marathon runners give reference points, based on different criteria.

In Toresdahl's study, runners who averaged fewer than 4 runs per week were injured less often than those who ran 4 or more (relative risk of 1.36).

These two results do not contradict each other. One is about kilometers, the other about the number of runs. Both too little volume and very high frequency are linked to more injuries. These figures come from observational studies. The way you spread out your week comes from coaching practice: a few runs, including one long run, with rest days between the hardest ones.

A volume in the 30 to 60 km (18.6 to 37.3 miles) range per week, built up gradually, fits the studies. If you run 15 km (9.3 miles) per week today, don't aim for that right away. Build up toward it.

Building up and extending the long run

Many plans rely on the 10% rule: do not increase weekly volume by more than 10% from one week to the next. It sounds sensible, but it has not been proven effective. In Buist's randomized trial (2008), with 532 beginners preparing for a 6.7 km (4.2 mile) race, a 13-week progressive program based on this rule led to an injury rate of 20.8%, compared with 20.3% for a standard 8-week program. That trial involved beginners and a short race, not marathon runners.

So keep the common sense of building up in steps, without relying on a magic percentage.

The long run

In the New York study, longer long runs were linked to fewer injuries on race day, but no study sets a specific distance to reach. Coaches recommend extending the long run gradually, with a lighter week now and then, and using it to test your pace and fueling. US plans count it in miles: 20 miles is about 32 km.

Race day: don't start too fast

Smyth's analysis covers 1,928,813 recreational marathoners. It identifies those who “hit the wall,” meaning they slow sharply and for a long time late in the race.

The study does not explain why. The advice to start slightly slower than your target pace is practical advice: the excitement of the start makes you think you can hold a faster pace. Work out your target pace beforehand, so you know how far “slightly” below it to start.

For fueling, test in training what your stomach tolerates, using the method in the article Long run: how to check whether your fueling worked.

What you can do in your first week

• ✓Note your base: number of runs and kilometers from the last four weeks.
• ✓Read the rules of the race you're targeting, and note the entry deadline and the document required.
• ✓If any point in the health section applies to you, book an appointment with a doctor.
• ✓Choose your goal: finish, nothing else for now.
• ✓If you have never run a half marathon, put one on your calendar before the marathon.

For the first checkbox, ELYO reads your workouts from your watch. Your runs and kilometers from the last four weeks are already there, with your pace, heart rate and consistency. ELYO uses that base to adapt your plan.

Written with the help of AI.