Whether you’ve secured a place in the London Marathon or setting yourself a fresh challenge for the new year, our quick questionnaire will tell you when to start training along with practical tips.
In this article we unpack when you should start training for a marathon by asking you a few key questions. Maybe you’ve just signed up for a marathon or you have run marathons before, you can check to see how ready you are. Too early and you could lose your momentum, too late and you risk not finishing or missing a personal goal.
First what is the point of training?!
Training might not be the most endorphin filling part of running, but it’s essential. It’s essential because it not only prepares your body physically, but also mentally for the challenge. The process also teaches you how to fuel, hydrate, what shoes to wear, how to run in different weathers, when to ease off and when to push harder. Finally, it’s the challenge of training that makes the final 26.2 miles so much more fulfilling and life affirming when complete, that’s because things that easy are easily forgotten and don’t make us better or more interesting people. So, embrace the process and the outcome will be so much sweeter.
Where are you now?
Where you are on your current fitness journey will help determine how much training you have left to do to complete a marathon and therefore when you should start. A marathon needs to be trained for, and the key components of that training are:
Endurance – being able to run the distance
Speed Endurance – so you can reduce the time it will take to complete the marathon
Strength – to have good muscle strength to reduce risk of injury
Mental strength – ability to put up with discomfort, doubt and the wall
Nutritional experience – being able to fuel correctly during training and the final event
- Is this your first marathon?
Yes – 5 points | No – 10 points - If no, was it completed in the last 18 months?
Yes – 20 points | No – 5 points - How much regular exercise do you currently do per week?
1-2 times a week – 5 points | 3-4 times a week – 10 points | 5-7 times a week – 20 points - Do any one of those sessions last longer than 2 hours?
Yes – 20 points | No – 5 points - How often do you run a week?
1-2 times a week – 10 points | 3-4 times a week – 20 points | 5-7 times a week – 25 points - How much volume do you run a week?
Less than 10 miles – 5 points | 11-30 miles – 15 points | 31-45 miles – 20 points | more than 45 miles – 30 points
Scoring
35-65 points – you need to build up your base fitness first
70-90 points – with some training you can put yourself in a good place to start your marathon training
90-125 – you are in a great place to train specifically for a marathon
If you have a low score then you are going to need to build up your base fitness which will take time, possibly even up to a year. Build up your distance gradually. Once you have a good base and built up your endurance starting a marathon specific training plan 4 months out from the event will help you reduce the chance of injury and build consistently towards the event. Regular runners can start training for a marathon 2-3 months out, that’s because it takes around 6-8 weeks for our body to adapt physiologically, and that gives enough time during training to tap into each of those key trainable components.
What’s your target?
Are you aiming simply to complete the marathon and make it around the course? Are you hoping for a new personal best? Or are you targeting a specific time—perhaps breaking four hours, three hours, or even less? Understanding both your current fitness level and your desired outcome helps you judge whether your goal is realistic.
For example, a first‑time marathon runner aiming to run under three hours is setting an unrealistic target if they’ve never run before. However, for someone who already trains regularly, that ambition might be achievable. It all comes down to the starting point.
Setting goals that are too ambitious can lead to injury or discouragement. Your targets should stretch you, but they must also be realistic. The more demanding the goal, the more time, consistency, and commitment you’ll need to reach it.
Here are some realistic goals:
Current 10km 70 minutes – Marathon 5-5.5 hours
Current 10km 60 minutes – Marathon 4.5-5 hours
Current 10km 50 minutes – Marathon 3.5-4 hours
Current 10km 40 minutes – Marathon 3 hours
The above is a rough guide, with its objective to put current performance into a perspective on what can potentially be achieved.
How much time do you have available?
For most this is the real stumbling block. In an ideal world, in training for a marathon you should be dedicating at least 4 sessions to running a week. If you miss training, then adjust your target to the new trajectory. The essential training sessions are speed, endurance, speed endurance and recovery. Training plans usually contain, speed session such as intervals, a long run, speed endurance such as a tempo run and a recovery run. Alongside this strength and conditioning aid recovery, mobility and injury prevention. Time sacrifice and choosing training <training when you are short on time> over other more fun things is part of the process, are you ready to do that? If so, then you are ready to start!
Written by Simon James – Run the Wild Founder
