Nine Marathon Training Tips - The Marathon Guide That Will Help You Succeed

Marathon training done right comes down to nine things: realistic goals, consistent long runs, a solid programme, a mid-week medium-long run, weekly consistency, a proper taper, dependable nutrition, practised race-day fuelling, and a mental game that holds up past mile 20. Below I walk through each, plus a quick self-check video for runners chasing a specific goal time rather than just finishing.

Try explaining to a non-running colleague why you're doing a 2–3 hour long run on a Sunday morning while they're having a sleep-in — and why you actually enjoy it. At 26.2 miles, the marathon is a demanding challenge that most non-runners simply don't understand.

But when you are a marathon runner, you know there is real satisfaction in both the training and the race itself.

Let's face it — an accomplishment means nothing if you didn't have to work hard for it. And the marathon makes you work hard. Every mile of it.

Training for a marathon requires serious commitment and preparation. It's not something you can shortcut your way through.

Reasonably fit people can cover a 10k or even a half marathon with relatively minimal training — maybe not race it, but finishing is doable. The marathon is different. You can't just "wing it" and see how the day unfolds.

Even seasoned runners seek out marathon training tips that will sharpen their preparation.

So below I've listed what I think are the nine most important marathon training tips — the ones that will actually move the needle on your race.

By the way... can you answer "yes" to the questions in this video? Then you are probably ready to hit that goal time in your next marathon.

WARNING: This video focuses on trying to hit a specific goal time and is aimed at more experienced runners.

It assumes you regularly run 13–16 miles on your long runs already, before you start training for your marathon.

You don't need to answer "yes" to all these questions in order to finish a marathon. And there are multiple recognised ways to run a fast marathon. But if you want to race your marathon, you'd better answer "yes" to the majority of them.

Marathon Training Tip #1: Be Realistic

Before anything else, assess your current running honestly.

Have you been running a long time, or are you relatively new to it?

Do you run 25–30 miles each week? More? Less?

Do you track your mileage week to week?

As a general guide, most runners build a base of around 15–20 miles a week before starting marathon-specific training, then build up towards 40–50 miles a week at peak. Whatever your starting point, stick to the 10% rule: don't increase your weekly mileage by more than 10% from one week to the next. It's a sensible way to keep your build-up on track and your injury risk low.

My first tip is simply to be realistic. If you are very new to running, I'd recommend training for at least twelve months before even thinking about a marathon. Also check out this article:

How to Run a Marathon - The Six Things I Thought You Should Know

Yes, you can do a marathon with less preparation time — you can go from zero to the start line in 3–4 months. It depends on your goals. Do you just want to complete a marathon, do you want to run one, or do you want to race one?



Zero to marathon in three or four months is possible. Many go that route. But many never run again afterwards. For long-term health and fitness, it is far better to first run for a year and do some shorter races. Then get ready for your marathon.

The marathon is a tough event — and marathon training is tough as well. You need to do regular long runs. Start marathon training without a solid running base and a time goal in mind, and injury becomes very likely.

On top of a realistic training timeframe, you also need realistic time goals. Use my marathon calculator page — it has useful calculators that will help you pin down a sensible goal.

Marathon Training Tip #2: Long Runs

To cover 26.2 miles, you need to do a lot of long runs. A consistent weekly long run is non-negotiable.

Let's get into the why first — then cover how long and how often.

Why do a consistent long run?

In short: the best way to prepare for a super long event is to spend a lot of time on your feet.
The marathon is tough. Pounding the pavement for miles on end is tough — on your feet, your legs, every part of your body. Part of what the long run does is condition you to handle exactly that demand.

Beyond that, your body needs to get efficient at burning energy. Running long at an easy pace trains your fuel-burning processes to work better. You may have heard of The Wall — that moment many marathon runners hit at around mile 20? That's when their body runs out of glycogen and has to switch to fat burning, which is much harder. Consistent long runs push that wall back.

How long should my long run be?

There are different approaches out there. I've seen the best results when runners complete around 3–6 runs of 20 miles, supported by a consistent long run of 13–19 miles across the rest of the training cycle. The goal is a long run of 2+ hours pretty much every week of your training.

I know that's a lot. It's not needed if you're there just to finish. But when you have time goals, a consistently long weekly run matters. And clearly, this isn't possible if you're new to running and targeting a marathon 4–6 months away — you'll need to build up to it first. That's exactly why the 6–12 months before your marathon training programme are so important. That's where you build the capability to run 2 hours at a time. Once you can do that, going a bit longer isn't much of a jump. It becomes quite doable.

Marathon Training Tip #3: Use a Good Marathon Running Programme

Is your marathon running programme any good?

Do you know? Can you tell a good running programme from a mediocre one?

When you are training for a marathon, you need the best marathon running programme you can find. Think about it — you are spending months and months preparing.

Months and months and months.

With all that time invested, pick a programme that deserves it.

What makes a good marathon running programme?

It builds your training in structured blocks — also known as periodisation.

It builds your mileage progressively, but not so aggressively that you arrive at race day already worn down.

Not sure your current programme is up to scratch after reading this? Check in with me and see if my running coaching service can help.

Marathon Training Tip #4: Middle-Long Run

Most runners do their long run (13–20 miles) at the weekend. I'd strongly recommend adding a second long run — slightly shorter at 10–13 miles — mid-week. You need to build up your exposure to longer time on your feet.

I'm not going to go deep into the science here — that's for another article.

But I mentioned The Wall earlier.

Not pretty.

Here's the thing — your body runs on different types of fuel.

One is a fast-burning fuel that gives you a lot of quick energy but runs out fast (glycogen).

The other is a slow-burning fuel (fat).

You can run on it for a long time, but it's harder to access.

When your body has to switch between those fuel types — that's the moment people meet "the man with the hammer" or hit the marathon wall.

Suddenly the fast-burning fuel is gone and your body has to transition to the slow-burning one. That transition hurts.

Every time you run longer than 90 minutes or so, you condition your body a little bit better to burning that slow-burning fuel.

Do it often enough and it gets progressively easier. So don't just do a weekend long run — add a mid-week medium-long run as well.

Marathon Training Tip #5: Be Consistent

If there is one thing above all else — be consistent. Four to five times per week. Each week. Every week.

Get yourself a good marathon training schedule, or set one up yourself. Whatever you do, stick to it. Don't skip workouts.

You need uninterrupted training. Not every day — four or five times a week is the target. But every week, for months. The results really do come from that consistency.

So — have you got a baby on the way? Are you moving house? Changed jobs or got a promotion? Any other big events coming up? Take into account that these will eat into your marathon training schedule.

Don't think you're superhuman.

I moved house three times in the last fifteen years. Every time, my running had to go on the back-burner. I still managed to run occasionally — once or twice a week. But every time it was simply too busy for anything more than that.


Same happened when my kids were born.

The last thing you want on your mind is a marathon training programme.

Especially when you're waking up multiple times a night.


Don't do it to yourself.

Do your marathon in a more stable period.

Of course, many of us are busy all the time — and generally we can fit marathon training into our lives. It requires careful planning and some sacrifice. But when big life events are on the horizon, my advice is to reconsider the timing of your marathon.

Marathon Training Tip #6: Taper

Marathon training is exhausting. That's why the taper is absolutely essential — it gets your body fresh and fully prepared for race day. If you're following a traditional high-mileage programme, your last 20-miler should be at least 3 weeks out from the big day.

In those final 3 weeks, cut your mileage back considerably. Any last-minute hard push for extra mileage will backfire — you'll only arrive at the start line more tired than you need to be.

Many of us run out of time. We didn't get that last 20-miler in when we should have. The temptation is to do it two weeks out, or even one week out. Don't ever convince yourself it's better to get that very long run in than to do a proper taper.

It isn't. Do your taper properly — that's the only way you'll arrive at race day well-rested. A late 20-miler that leaves you exhausted at the start line helps nobody.

Also check out the marathon taper page, which I think is a pretty complete guide to tapering well.

Marathon Training Tip #7: Marathon Diet

A healthy diet is critical during marathon training. Eat plenty of carbs — especially complex carbs.

Lower fat diets work best, but you do need some fat. Fat has had a bad reputation for a long time — but good fats from sources like olive oil, nuts, and avocados are fine. Just stay away from sugar and greasy, fatty foods.

Drink plenty of fluids. Not only during training, but in the last few days before the race and during the race itself.

The bottom line: eat well. Your training is a real assault on your body — and to handle that assault, your body needs quality fuel.

You may still experience lethargy and tiredness during heavy marathon training. I've found that extra sleep and recovery helps to a degree — but I've also made a point of checking in with my doctor and getting blood tests done to make sure I'm not low on minerals like iron.

Don't use the marathon as an opportunity to lose weight. Let me be clear about this. You will very likely lose weight during marathon training — running very long distances does that. But don't combine a starvation diet with demanding marathon training. Your body needs the nutrients to keep going. Cut them short and your running will suffer.

During the week before the race, increase your carbohydrate and fluid intake. This is known as carbo-loading — an important part of arriving at the start line well-prepared.

Eat a good meal the night before the race without overstuffing yourself. Carbohydrates with some protein. You want to be light on your feet with plenty of energy.

Also check out these marathon training nutrition tips.

Marathon Training Tip #8: Train Eating While Running

On to tip #8 — eating while running. During the marathon you will need to replenish, and I'd recommend practising this during your long training runs.

There are two reasons for this. First, eating on the move takes a bit of technique. Second, you need to find out what your stomach can and cannot handle while running.

Experiment with gels and chews. Or real food — bananas, raisins. Maybe sports bars, maybe sports drinks. There are plenty of options. Experiment during training.

My own experience: energy gels and chews work well for me for about 3–4 hours. Energy bars — too much chewing involved. So gels and chews get me through a marathon. But during ultra marathons I've found that at some point, even the thought of another gel brings on nausea. Having a real food alternative at hand at that point is a life-saver.

Whatever you choose, do all the experimenting before your marathon — not during. Don't let months of hard training unravel because you tried something new on race day and ended up with stomach cramps for the final ten miles.

Marathon Training Tip #9: Believe in Yourself

This is possibly the most important tip of the nine. Prepare yourself mentally.

A positive mental attitude is as important as any other factor.

At some point in a marathon, things are going to hurt. How early that happens depends on how well you've prepared — but the pain, the tiredness, the feeling that you have nothing left to give will come. When it does, you will have one of two types of thought running through your head:

Option 1 — "Oh no, I still have another hour to go. I can't possibly sustain this."

Option 2 — "Only an hour to go. I always knew it was going to hurt. But I've done the training to keep going."

Clearly, option 2 is where you want to be. And I'm convinced you can actually choose what goes on in your head at that moment. You can influence this. Expect that the moment will come. Be deliberate about choosing option 2 when it does. It will make all the difference.

Work through these nine tips and you'll arrive at your marathon prepared — not just in your legs, but in your head.

The marathon demands serious commitment. Think of all the time you will invest in training for it.

Read up on marathoning as much as you can.

Below are a number of recommended pages that will take you further — and don't forget to check out the Q&A below, which is packed with practical tips and advice on marathon training.

More About the Marathon

Home > Running Races > Marathon Training Tips

  ☕ Buy Dom a Coffee