Marathon Training Program for Beginners

Do you want to run a marathon for the first time? A good training schedule is important to avoid health risks and injuries. The distance of this run is 42 km and 195 m or 26 miles 385 yards. You will understand the need for good preparation to start this athletics event. Nobody will do like the Greek soldier Pheidippides who ran the entire distance without stopping from Marathon to Athens and died by his arrival.

How to train for a marathon depends on the current condition of the runner. Some important questions are:
- How long ago did you started running?
- Did you already run long distances?
- How many times are you used running in a week?
- What is the normal distance you run usually during a long distance run?

If you began running recently it is a training which takes more than one year. It is important that you build up your program very slowly to prevent injuries and you need to have the time to do it regularly. Don't you have the time to spend more than one hour each day or the courage to do that; running a marathon will give you more trouble than pleasure. Injuries are the consequences and probably you won't reach the end.

Probably if you think on a marathon; your condition is good enough to run at least 5 km without stopping. When you are not being able to do that you can best start with a conditioning program which makes it possible after several weeks to run at least 5 times each week 5 km.

Now you can think on your real schedule for running a marathon. It is not recommended to set up a time goal for your first marathon; it is best that you just want to run your first marathon without stopping or with a minimum of stops.

A good training schedule for a marathon takes at least one year. If you are able to run 4 or 5 times each week 5 km every day you need to build up your program till it is possible to run 10 km each day.

SCHEDULE FOR THE FIRST 6 MONTHS

The first months it is only a matter of running a long distance and the speed is not important; it is better that you run not too fast. It is necessary that you can talk when you run and it will increase your endurance resistance.

SCHEDULE FOR THE THREE NEXT MONTHS

After one half year and you are be able to run 50 km in one week it is necessary that you bring some variation in your marathon program and also rest is important in your training schedule. During the three next months I advise you to do three long distance runs in one week ( every week a little bit longer till you are be able to run 26 km in once at the end of these three months) and two shorter runs between 5 and 10 km but on a higher speed.

Possibilities of the building up of the long distance runs during these 3 months are every day one km more until you reach the 25 km.

By example:

MONTH ONE

- Week one: 3 days of 11 km (slowly) and two days of 5 km (on a higher speed)
- Week two: 3 days of 12 km (slowly) and two days of 5 km (on a higher speed)
- Week three: 3 days of 13 km (slowly) and two days of 5 km (on a higher speed
- Week four: 3 days of 14 km (slowly) and two days of 5 km (on a higher speed)

MONTH TWO

When you start your second month you will increase the distance of your faster runs (by example 7,5 km) and at the end of your second month your program will be :
3 days of 18 km (slowly) and two days of 7,5 km (on a higher speed)

MONTH THREE

During the third month you can best increase the distance of your long distance runs with 2 km every week and that you do two times in the week a run of 10 km on a higher speed.
At the end of the third week it is possible to run 3 days of 26 km (slowly) and two days of 10 km (on a higher speed).
It is very important that you take two days of rest during the week for relaxing your muscles.

SCHEDULE FOR THE LAST THREE MONTHS

The last three months you only need to build up your endurance training till you reach the next week program:

- day one: 15 km slow distance run
- day two: 35 km slow distance run
- day three: rest
- day four: 10 km run on a higher speed
- day five: 35 km slow distance run
- day six: 10 km run on a higher speed
- day seven: rest

Don't expect to run a marathon with a schedule of 12 weeks! If you browse through the different Internet sites you can find a lot of such schedules. Following such schedules will damage your general health. Many injuries and even the possibility that you never can run a marathon again in the future are possible. Some people can succeed in these programs but I don't recommend it. I saw in the past too many people with injuries and even some of them needed to stop with running totally.

If you follow these tips and you do the necessary stretching exercises you can reach the goal of running a marathon.
Try it out and enjoy your marathon! The next marathon you can set more time goals.

These tips can help you in a good training program for beginners but the schedule is individually and can be changed by your personal trainer.