Marathon Training: How Long Does It Take?

Now that you’re ready to train for a marathon, you might be wondering how much time you will spend in training. The time spent will vary for each individual, especially for busy people with jobs, families, obligations, and hobbies. We have some general tips that can help you determine your marathon training schedule. We want to help you approach the starting line on race day with confidence. Read on for some important advice!

First of all, how long does it take to run a marathon? The short answer: it depends. Many factors will affect your race day performance, including but not limited to weather, your level of training leading up to the race, how many marathons you have done in the past (if any), and your general fitness level are some of the factors that will affect race day performance. For first-time marathon runners, it can be difficult to assess just how long it will take to complete the course without some guidance.

Again, it depends. For example, if you run a 10-minute-per-mile pace for a 5K, that pace will not necessarily be your average for a marathon. The longer distance causes a cumulative effect on the body, and pacing often requires slowing down for longer distances in order to maintain a steady pace. Therefore, the person who runs a 5K in a little over 30 minutes might be able to do a marathon in 4.3 hours. Or they might average closer to 12-minutes-per-mile over the length of the race, which means they will reach the finish closer to 5+ hours.

First, let’s talk about the weeks and months leading up to the marathon race. Ideally, you will start training about six months ahead of the marathon race you plan to run. This is not a hard and fast rule, but a general guideline.

If this is the first time you will be running a marathon, 6 months provides you with plenty of time to build up from minimal running to running 26.2 miles. Even if it’s your second, third, or tenth marathon, giving yourself 6 months of training time allows for a slow and steady increase in mileage, which can help prevent injury.

For those who are regularly running high mileage, and who have done marathons in the past, 3-4 months will likely be enough time for you to sufficiently train for the race.

Also, there is the time it takes for each training run. This will involve more in-depth scheduling according to your fitness level, current pace, and the goals you have for the race. Most weeks will involve increasing distance on the weekends for longer runs, and increasing the shorter runs from week to week. The time it takes for longer runs will start around the one-hour mark, and by the time you’re closer to race day will increase up to about 3 or 4 hours. Again, this depends on your personal pace and goals.

One of the best pieces of advice that we have to share: hire a coach! This person will help you get your training schedule tailored to your specific needs and goals. At St. Pete Running Company, we have coaches to recommend to you. Visit our Coaching Page HERE.

Lastly, we highly recommend that you run with a group! When you’re training for a marathon, the best way to train includes group runs. Join St. Pete Running Company every Monday and Thursday at 6:30 PM. We’re a group of friendly runners and walkers of all levels. You might find running partners for other training runs, too!

If you still have questions about marathon training, we can help! Call or come into the store where our shoe experts are ready to provide the high-quality customer service you expect from a Top 50 Running Store in America.