The idea of running a marathon has never been as prevalent and as popular as it is now in 2024. It seems more and more people are catching that running buzz that inevitably ends in the question that all runners have asked themselves: can I run a marathon?
The new-found popularity of marathon running was most evident when looking at the number of ballot entries received by the TSC London Marathon. In 2024 the event broke its record number of entries with an astonishing 840,318 runners signing up for the 2025 event. That is a 45% increase in just one year. Likewise, other World Majors events, like the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON and the Tokyo Marathon have over 10 - 15 x more applicants than available places for general entry because they are so in demand.
So the chances are if you have come across this post, you are also looking to run a marathon. In this article, we will take a look at everything you need to know to help you run 26.2 miles or 42.195 kilometres.
Maybe you’re thinking what a strange question and that everybody knows what a marathon is. However, we are not just here to tell you that it is a 26.2-mile run. Our goal is to tell you that it is far more than just miles and to tell you what a marathon really is to those who have run one.
A marathon is a personal challenge that runners set for themselves that at one point in time may have seemed completely impossible and unachievable. It is a challenge that allows runners to push themselves and their bodies past a point that they thought possible and prove that they truly can do anything that they put their minds to. It’s an elite club - only about 0.01% of the world's population has ever completed a marathon.
By this point in deliberating whether or not you want to run a marathon, you are probably after some reassurance that it won’t be as hard as you think. Well, at points, it’s likely going to be 10 times harder than you may initially think, but there are also going to be massive ups that come with the downs. Marathon runners will tell you, that there is truly no better feeling than crossing the finish line to complete your first marathon.
So our job as a team of charity running enthusiasts who have helped thousands of runners complete their first marathon is to do the same for you. Below we have listed everything you need to know before starting to think about running a marathon.
One of the most undoubtedly difficult parts of marathon running is knowing where to start. In fact, the feeling of not knowing where to start is one of the main reasons why so many runners fall out of love with the idea of a marathon.
At the start of marathon prep, it is hugely important to be realistic with yourself. You need to realise that it will be a process full of ups and downs and there will be many occasions when you want to give up. Accepting this fact early on helps to ensure that you can get over that hurdle when it inevitably comes your way.
The best place to start when contemplating the marathon is to assess your current fitness, understand when you want to run the marathon and think of a realistic time that you want to run it in. All of these will help you to lay out a plan and have a better understanding of what your life and regime need to look like to make it to race day. As training experts Runna likes to say, having the focal point of a race day really helps provide structure to your training…
Many training plans ‘work back’ from a key distance goal or event date so the best thing to do is find an event you want to take part in and sign up. There are so many marathon events being held across a host of amazing locations all across the world as well as local marathon events. So if you want to travel to run your marathon or complete a local one, there are a ton of events out there.
Once you have told yourself that you are going to be running a marathon, the very best thing you can do is sign up for one and make yourself accountable. This means that you have a date in mind and an actual goal to work towards. This makes it far easier to go on those longer runs and will keep you in the mindset that you need to be in to get through your marathon training and race day.
Another good thing to do to reinforce this accountability is to tell people that you have signed up for the marathon. This is vital anyway if you are running for charity as you’ll need to enlist supporters but is also great for reinforcing your motivation and making sure you have cheerleaders when you’re going through the highs and lows of marathon training.
Another hugely important piece of advice that every beginner marathon runner should be told at the start of their training is to know their limits. While marathon training is all about pushing your body and your mind to places you never thought possible, it is hugely important to know your limitations. It is also important to not worry about times when running your first marathon. It is all about progressing at your own pace, after all a marathon is you vs yourself. Completing a marathon is something the majority of the world has not done so it is a huge achievement in its own right.
Trying to push your body past what is physically possible is not how to complete a marathon training block. It is a very quick way of causing injuries that can significantly halt or even end your marathon training. In fact, a study performed by the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that when looking at the injury rate of New York City marathon participants, 40% of runners reported injuries during training.
The very simple reason for such a large percentage of runners picking up injuries is over-training and runners pushing their bodies past their physical limitations. There is a fine line between pushing your body to its limits during training and pushing it beyond those limits. Finding the sweet point between the two is hugely important. Starting your training block out easy before slowly increasing your mileage and speed every week is the best way to progress through your block.
If you want to know how to properly train for a marathon check out our guide here.
Another very common mistake that too many runners who are new to marathon running make is to completely neglect recovery. Recovery is integral for making it through challenging marathon blocks injury-free and making sure that you are 100% fit when you get to the start line.
4+ runs a week, miles increasing week on week, and longer runs than you have ever done before are just a few reasons why marathon training is so gruelling. Because of this, the recovery aspect of running becomes far more important. Marathon plans will also include de-loading weeks to help minimise your risk of injury.
Recovery does not have to be hugely scientific or advanced, simple stretching routines and rest days are the building blocks to proper recovery. These very simple actions that should be regularly added into an effective training block allow your body and most importantly your legs to have rest and recovery which is necessary for the volume of training needed for marathon training.
To find out more about recovery, check out our 2-week marathon recovery plan.
As we have discussed already, keeping the motivation needed to get through a marathon training block and race day can be difficult. One of the best ways to stay motivated is to have an external motivation. The best way of finding this is to dedicate your run to a worthy cause or a cause close to your heart.
Running for something helps to give your run an extra purpose. You are no longer just running for yourself, you are running for the many people that your fundraising will help - in what can often be life-changing support for charities and causes. In addition to this, by choosing to run for a charity you will unlock a whole new level of support for you.
If you are looking to run for charity but are struggling to find a worthwhile charity or event, then realbuzz can help you out. We have been helping runners make their miles mean more by running in major events for charities for over 20 years. We can help you gain guaranteed entry to a huge amount of hugely popular events all across the world.