Planning to run a marathon this year? Here’s a chance to get a program suited for your level!
In this article, find 3 different programs aimed at various time goals:
- Marathon under 4 hours (4 workouts a week)
- Marathon under 3 hours 30 minutes (5 workouts a week)
- Marathon under 3 hours (6 workouts a week)
Before starting a program, get some good advice below for running a marathon and detailed explanations of the programs. It’s crucial to thoroughly read the article to maximize your training benefits!
What does running a marathon require?
Marathon is a long distance. To enjoy your run, preparation is key, especially for marathon (and ultra), focusing not just on fitness but also on fluid and carb intake.
When discussing fluid and carb importance in a marathon, it’s not just about planning but also executing. For instance, if you plan to drink from plastic cups at stations while running, practice is advised – otherwise, you risk spilling most and gagging on the rest.
Equally important is having a plan for energy intake during the marathon and ensuring your stomach can handle the energy product and carbs. It’s highly recommended to practice this in several training sessions, especially those mimicking your desired marathon pace.
For more on energy intake, read the article: “Guide: Using energy before, during, and after a run”
Training volume in the different programs
A commonality in these programs is that marathon requires more training than shorter distances. Too little training could cause burnout in your body’s systems, drastically slowing you down and leading to a poorer race experience.
A marathon demands more training time. However, many are enamored with weekly mileage. Numerous other elements are crucial for a successful race, and there’s a limit to the weekly mileage you can handle for optimal results.
The focus isn’t just on running as much as possible but on running an amount that matches your level!
Work requirements for running a marathon
Running a marathon requires great endurance, but there are additional elements to work on – depending on your finish time, different elements may need more focus in your program.
- Despite the marathon’s length, for world elites, a relatively high top speed is crucial to run a marathon close to 2 hours, while for a 4-hour marathon, the ability to run long, manage energy, and intake the right fluids and energy is more critical.
Following the running programs
To avoid repetition, I wrote a general article on how to follow the programs here. This article also explains why the programs are structured as they are.
Find the article here: ”ALL RUNNING PROGRAMS”
Running shoes for your program
For the best experience with our training programs, we recommend having multiple running shoes. A good option is a pair of competition shoes for intervals and a pair of mileage shoes for other runs.
Find your daily running shoes
Find your competition running shoes
Download the running programs here
Download your preferred marathon running program by clicking on your desired level.
- Marathon under 4 hours (4 workouts a week)
- Marathon under 3 hours and 30 minutes (5 workouts a week)
- Marathon under 3 hours (6 workouts a week)
