The Ultimate Marathon Training Plan for Beginners
Running a marathon is an incredible challenge that pushes your body to its limits. The truth is it’s challenging, but with adequate training, anybody can do it – even beginners. If you’re just starting out, you’ll need a training plan to prepare your body and to avoid injuries.
This ultimate marathon training plan for beginners provides a schedule to gradually and safely build up your endurance and get your mind and body marathon-ready.
Table of Contents
Join A Runners’ Club
For beginners, joining a runners club is the ultimate training plan. Partner with a runners’ club if you want more support and coaching advice. You will also meet other marathon enthusiasts and enjoy the journey together.
Coaches will prepare programs that help you professionally train for the marathon and improve other areas you might be oblivious of. For example, most beginners don’t consider nutrition, hydration, managing stress, and disappointment in their training plan.
However, a runners’ club will incorporate these and other essential aspects in the marathon training plan.
Start Slow and Easy
The key to successful marathon training is starting slow and avoiding overtraining. Avoid taking long leaps during exercise, as this can potentially lead to an injury.
In the first four weeks, focus on base building with mostly easy runs at a conversational pace. Run 3-4 times weekly and keep your long runs under 90 minutes to acclimate your body to running regularly, without stressing your muscles and joints.
Gradually Increase Your Weekly Mileage
Once you establish that base, it’s time to gradually increase your weekly mileage over the next eight weeks from weeks 5-12. But keep your total weekly distance at most 10% to prevent overuse injuries.
For example, if week 4 was 18 miles, week five should be at most 20 miles. This weekly increase allows your body to adapt to the increasing workload without risking burnout or injury. Stick to the schedule even if you feel good – it’s designed for safe progress.
Take Long Runs
Long runs are the most essential part of marathon training. They prepare your mind and body to maintain a marathon pace for 26.2 miles. If you start at 12 weeks out, your long weekend run will increase to mimic the total marathon distance.
At 12 weeks out, your long run may be 12 miles. Aim for 13-14 miles two weeks later and continue growing it each weekend. When you’re nearing the end of the training, you’ll be doing 20+ mile runs to prepare for the marathon distance fully.
Incorporate Speed Work for Endurance
Once your weekly mileage is consistently over 20 miles from weeks 8-14, it’s time to start incorporating some speed work to improve your endurance at a marathon pace. Speed workouts like tempo runs, interval training, and hill repeats strengthen your cardiovascular system to sustain your target pace for 26.2 miles.
Hit The Road with This Awesome Marathon Training Plan
Following this 16-week marathon training plan for beginners provides ample time to slowly build up your long run distance and weekly mileage. You’ll cross that finish line strong after months of dedication with consistency, patience, and rest. For confidence in your training, join a runners’ club and enjoy the support and coaching advice as you prepare to go and run that marathon like a pro!