Don’t disrespect the marathon

20% of people who enter marathons don’t make the start line often due to injury. A further 2-4% on the day then go on to DNF (did not finish.) Yet if you look on social media you might be drawn into the illusion that running a marathon is “easy.” And while I believe anyone is capable of running one, I think modern day influencers aren’t quite alluding to how tough they are and how hard they are to train for.

I have long said that I think the marathon distance is the hardest there is. It’s long enough that it will wear you down but short enough to run the whole thing. The fact you run on pavement means you take a lot of impact. Plus there is a general attitude you have to run every minute to actually be worthy of holding the title “marathoner.” 

This notion, by the way, is complete nonsense. However, it almost forces people to move above a walking pace for the entire race, which means their body takes a battering.

In this brief article I will outline why it is so tough and why you should respect the distance if you plan to take it on.

It's physically tiring.

This sounds obvious but running 40+ mile weeks is very tiring and that tiredness will affect your work and life outside of training. As you continue to go deeper into your marathon prep your overall fatigue will build and you will more than likely experience a general feeling of lethargy.

So prepare yourself for early nights and turning down invitations to late night dinners/raves/parties if you don’t want to run yourself into burnout.

It takes up a lot of time.

Not only will you be in training for 6-12 months continuously depending on your goal. But it also takes up a lot of time week to week.

In peak stages of your running this can be from 6-10 hours (or more) of running. That's before you factor in any strength training, mobility, showering, eating etc. 

On the day you do your long run you can easily spend half a day preparing, running and then recovering from a long run. So don’t expect to be doing much else on a Sunday.

You will hurt.

It’s more than likely you will get injured or pick up a niggle at some point. Shin splints, runners knee and lower back issues are common suspects.

 But if you manage to get through unscathed then you will probably ache from the hours spent on the road. This is completely normal, but make sure you get used to it.

You will want to give up.

In the training and the race. Not only will you suffer from physical fatigue but also the mental fatigue of the unrelenting forward motion you put yourself through. There will be times you will want to give up and in those moments you will have to keep a strong grasp on why you started.

What does giving the marathon respect mean?

Making sure you give yourself enough time- 3 months isn't enough. More time is better than too little. 6 months if you already regularly run. 12 months if you dabble. 18 months if you're starting from scratch.

Do the work- run at least 3-4 times a week. Follow a plan. Stay on top of your strength and mobility. Dial in your nutrition to support your goals. Prioritise sleep. Live the lifestyle of a runner.

Get help- if you don’t have a clue what to do…..get help. Go to a local run club. Hire a coach. Get a plan. This will remove a layer of stress from training and just allow you to do the main thing…..train hard.

Ending thoughts

I haven’t written this article to dissuade you from giving the marathon a go, quite the opposite. I think running a marathon is lifechanging in many ways. But you have to give it the respect it deserves  or it will chew you up and spit you out. The difference between feeling ok in a few days and walking like John Wayne for a couple of weeks.

Part of the achievement of running a marathon is being able to get through all the tough bits along the way. Oh and running the 26.2 miles. The more training you do, the less impact the marathon will have. This is often the difference between one and done or getting the marathon bug.

About the Author:

Hi my name is Ollie McCarthy and I am a Running Coach and Personal Trainer in Tunbridge Wells. I help people to build fit, robust and capable bodies that look good but also perform well. This is done through a combination of running, mobility, strength and conditioning work.

E: Ollie@mccarthysf.com

T: 07828573920