Are you getting ready to run a marathon? Which one? Or maybe you have a question about training for a marathon that we didn’t cover? Let us know in the comments below ↓↓

Just ran my fastest half marathon today 😊 1:42:50 so proud of myself!!!

When I did my very first race, someone told me, "If you can run a mile, you can run a 5K. If you can run a 5K, you can run a 10K. If you can run a 10K, you can run a half. But a marathon is a whole different beast." He was right, but I've been able to do it twice.

I’m training for Stockholm’s marathon, my third one , first one 5:55 , second 5:26 and now I want to run in 5 hours 😊

Running Channel: Stepping up to marathon Anna: I just completed a 6 day ultra lol

I just did my first half yesterday. 2:08:34. That was also my first race too. Six months of training. Six weeks down for an injury. I wasn't sure how I'd feel. Would I hate it? Would I get bored? Would I ever want to race again? I didn't hate it. I didn't get bored (I didn't even put in my ear buds). And I'm already planning my next race and thinking about a full a little further out. Running has become not just exercise, but my meditation. Practicing mindfulness was the coolest part of my half. The second quarter (😁) was completely saturated with me concentrating on my form, breathing, listening to my body for trouble, and with a little help from my Garmin, trying to determine how to manage my pace and heart rate to get as close to my target at possible without burning out (I managed to get a little behind after going too hard at the start). I loved it, and I can't wait to go further.

I’m still trying to get to half. I’ll get there one day.

I'm training for a marathon right now (just did my first 32k run last sunday) and what I found a bit frustrating is that when I told friends I was training for a marathon, most of them were like "again?" simply because I ran several half marathons in the past as if this were almost the same...and another weird reaction that I'd kept getting by 2-3 friends was that I shouldn't do it or that my body simply wasn't cut out for it, after I explained what kind of work this was going to involve for me. As if "normal" people were able to run a marathon without training. Then, after I'd explained that everybody needs several weeks to prepare for a marathon, they say that I was wrong and that there were people who simply did it...after a few days it will usually turn out that these people they know have only run a half marathon or even less, but this news will be brought to me alongside the recommendation that I should stick to the half marathon distance too - as if it were unfathomable to actually prepare for a race for 12 weeks

This video is extremely timely because I’m going to be running my very first half marathon tomorrow. I’ve been contemplating running a full marathon, but I’ll have to see how I feel after completing my half tomorrow. My longest training run so far was 12 miles, so I feel that 13.1 is highly achievable. I’ll know how it feels in about 17 hours from now...

Halfway through traininng for the Manchester marathon, my first ever! The longer recovery and even longer long runs took some getting used to but I'm getting strong and learning more and more every day about how my body responds to the training. Thanks for all the tips your channel gives!

Hi -- I have 2 half marathons in Sept and Oct 2023 and as my friends daughter died of breast cancer last month I registered for the Donna Foundation marathon the first Sunday in February 2024. -- Thank you for the advice

Thanks for the awesome content as always running channel. I did three half’s last year, 2 standalone and an IM 70.3. Currently training for my first full, Rock N Roll San Diego May 31st. Can’t wait.

I’m running the New York marathon in November! - my first marathon! I have plenty of time to train which I am happy about and loved your video on the New York marathon!

Hi Anna you legend. I watched your NYC Marathon video and wrote in the comments that I was going to do my first marathon; you were that inspiring. I signed up for one where I live (Australia) and have been following a training plan ever since. Aiming for four hours, but will see how we go. Been listening to Hall and Oates on repeat, thanks pal!

Agreed: Don't do nothing new on race day! Goal Setting: Gold, Silver & Bronze targets. If it's your first marathon: go out and enjoy it! If your crazy enough to want to do another one, then think about finish times etc. Next race: Hackney Half then NYC marathon. Love your channel guys xo

Thank you so much for that video,Ive just finished my first half (Stafford 1hr 53 at 55 years old)and starting to think about my first full marathon whilst I'm still in the training groove! The running channel has helped my so much through my running journey 👍👍

Love the video, just training for my first Brighton marathon, then off to Chicago !!

Training for the Napa Half Marathon on March 1st! I’m running a lot of trails and climb a lot on my training runs and have started seriously thinking about just keeping this up and going for a marathon - maybe this summer or fall? I ran a marathon once before - like 28 years ago now! So this will be like the first time again if I do it. Whole different me and different approach to running on a much older body. I feel great and know I can do it. Your channel is so much fun to watch. It’s very good inspiration!

Thank you for this video! It showed me that I am on the right path. Training for my first marathon in April the Humana Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon.

Running my 2nd marathon this year . Last years was hard but i learnt a lot from it and i also learn a lot from your videos . Thanks for all your info and help

Thanks for the tips. I have gone back to basics this year and building up for two half’s in April and May. I have a distant eye on what will be a first, of a 50k Ultra in September, but want to see how the half’s go first. In the past though, I have found the mental side of things the hardest to come to terms with.

I’ve been training for my first full marathon: Los Angeles Marathon in March!

Love meeting you guys last weekend, and looking forward to my half, fulls and 100km marathons this year. I reckon we were the two rare irish men at the event... loving the jackets and Tshirts will need to try and get some :)...

I like your channel! I have just started the 12-weeks-training-session for my 10th Marathon with a target of sub 3:20.

Doing my first full at Edinburgh in May and the training starts next week. I'm looking forward to the challenge and I know first and foremost is to enjoy the day itself, lap up the atmosphere and don't go off too quick. Thanks for the tips, I'll go and check your video on gels.

Well timed video, stepping up to run my first marathon this year - went for the Yorkshire marathon!

The best thing in marathon training is a flexible training partner. I personally noticed that last year because whenever one of us felt bad, it was the job of the other to motivate again. And in addition to that you will have the same running stories as your partner and can also talk, laugh and remember everything you went through together. In the end you even become good friends.

On my second marathon training cycle. My first marathon I dod the slow build plans and only did 2 20 mile runs towards the end before tapering and the thing I learned is that I hit my wall at mile 22 and the last 4 felt impossible. So my plan this time is to do longer runs early on to get comfortable with these distances. My race is in April and I’ve already done a couple 15&16 milers and already I feel my fitness increasing and my confidence building. Marathons are so much mental strength and that’s ultimately what will get you through what feels impossible.

Thanks for the tips! Got my second half coming up this year, so hopefully will do a marathon in the next few years.

Running my 3rd marathon, Boston. 💙💛 thank you for the tips!

I'm about to do my first ever 50 miler (Beast of Burden, Lockport NY)....have really enjoyed all the advice and tips I've been able to get from your videos

Thanks doing exactly this at the moment, so it's really helpful!

Signed up for my very first full this autumn and I can’t wait! But I must admit: I’m a little terrified of the distances since I already walk everywhere, all the time 😅🥴

This is a great video for me running my first marathon this year in October, ran a few halfs last couple of years so I'm pretty confident at that distance and with the training but this is perfect information thanks guys! 👍

I’m training for London 2020 which will be my 1st marathon...you’re videos are helping me big time👍

Thank you this was just the video I needed. I'm training for my first marathon, the Cybi Coastal Marathon.

Great video. Got my first marathon coming up in April. Training was going great until injury struck and I'm now very anxious about it all

Thanks so much, awesome vid, just whot I was looking for , I'm training for Manchester marathon

Please don’t think I’m blowing a trumpet here or anything guys, but as a 2:42 marathon-er, and only having ran 2 in my life, the running channel has hit the nail on the head with this video! All useful and meaningful tips that I definitely did use during my training. Only thing i would include is... if you guys are worried and/or find it a mental battle rather than a physical battle... is to find a friend who maybe running one soon or maybe even a stranger who you find on social media thats close by and training for the same race. Or heck! maybe even join a club that host long based runs on ‘x’ day of the week. Clubs are SO SO cheap to join and its worth while as the Long runs mean EVERYTHING during training for a marathon! Happy running every one!

Entered my first marathon (Brighton) in April - great tips, practicing with kit & nutrition I think will help me as well as the last around not stopping or beating yourself up about your training. Thanks guys

Yesterday i ran my first 7,5km in 0:49. Then i was nearly death 😅 i want to improve that. Started with running this year.

A great video as always. So many practical tips, this video should become KZfaq's #1 suggested marathon training video! I'm looking ahead to March 2021 for my first. Slowly building up mileage and endurance each week and planning two more HMs this year.

Great video! I am running the Paris marathon in April and it will be my first one.

Hey Anna and Rick great advice thank you. Am training until June for The GNR in September and then starting marathon training for The Yorkshire Marathon in October. I remember one of you’re previous marathon videos where you collated data from Strava so aiming for 4 hours on the marathon 👊 Rick didn’t get to meet you past weekend at The Running Show hope all is well with the little one catch you next year 👍

I absolutely loved this video!!!

Signed up for my first Paris marathon and absolutely ruddy terrified! Training is going really well but the hunger is real 🤤

Rick, nice to see you. It's been a few episodes lol

Cheers guys. Great tips as usual. Signed up for the Dublin Marathon in October so all this information is fantastic 👍

Timely video! I’m signed up for Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota in June to redeem my marathon attempt (failed due to undertraining) of 2012.

Nice guys! I love that you kept that in and didn’t redo it!

Running my first marathon end April (Madrid). No time goal. My only goal is to have a positive experience and finish strong. Already signed up for my second one in Valencia in December. Lately my volume has increased considerably (averaging 70km / week) but all of my training is done at very low intesity (HR based). General rules of long runs (from what I've read) is that they shouldn't make up more than 33% of your total weekly mileage. All my training is based on time not distance. So during the week I'm running 5 times between 70 - 90 minutes each. Sunday is usually long run day which is 2 hours 10 minutes to 2 hours 20 minutes. Will be running 2x three hours runs at the end of Feb and the end of March but other than those two specific sessions my long runs won't exceed 2.5hrs. Really can't wait to get my first marathon under my belt. Completely fallen in love with running over the last 18 months and I'm excited to see where this journey takes me!

Great tips!!! Thank you x I’m currently training for my first ever marathon so will take this on board. Love your videos x

Very timely video for me! Did my first half last summer and currently training for my first marathon (Manchester) in April. Great tips as always 👍

Great vid. I've just started training proper for my first marathon in Windermere. 😮

Fantastic video guys. Very professionally put together. I’m running the london Marathon this year the plan my coach puts me on is the”Hanson” method which you touched on in your video. I’m a fan on that method.

Thanks for upload! @ 57 years young hoping to do a half in Liverpool in May and a full one same place following year. Best of all I'm 4 stone lighter than I was and now a Plantface eater! to beat diabetes!!

Finally decided to run a full marathon. Thank you for your videos. They got me through training for my halfs.

Thank you. Very useful video. My next and first marathon ever will be the TSC NYC Marathon in November. very excited 😍... Hopefully I can stay healty until then... Before that I will be running NYC United Half in 3/15/2020. Race course goes through Times Square. Looking forward to it 😊

Thank you. I'll be running my first marathon 1st August 2020 :)

Currently training for my first marathon in Copenhagen in May. Finding the training hard but hope I can be ok for race day!

Ohh it’s the perfect video for me thanks, my last marathon was 3 years ago and want to do another 👏🏻

Thanks for making this video, I'm planning on doing my first full next January but I'm injured and can't run at the moment. I'm losing my mind!

Great advice, just training for a half now; full next year maybe.

Hi running channel. Am in training for the Edinburgh marathon in May am really enjoying the training

Great video as always! I'm heading towards a 10k in three weeks and after that hopefuly my 2nd half marathon in october!

Plenty of stretching and yoga kept me straight for my first marathon. 20 miler for me today then taper for race on 16th of feb - as many laps of a 3.28 mile course within 7 hours. Managed 9 last time hopefully should be able to get at least 10 laps this time. Enjoy the vids thanks ❤️

Training for my first marathon, it will be in Valencia in couple of months. And using Ben Parkes trainning plan. So helpful your videos

Training for Newport Marathon in April, 1st one after racking off 6 half's. So true about the bad runs, hit the dumps after doing 16 miles for the first time, took a while to recover from that mindset.

I’m running my first next Saturday in Calgary. Should be a nice -8C and I ran the course today (as a half marathon). Not the best tapering but had to finish breaking in my shoes. Hoping for 4 hours

Hi! Great video full of good tips and empathy. Don’t forget to mention the 30km wall. I started trail running a year ago and it took me three attempts before i was able to go through it.

Am training for Vancouver marathon, it’s my 6th marathon but this video is a good reminder on how to prepare

Need watch this today just can’t seem convince myself that can do half marathon yet, run half marathons with ease with best time been around 01:40:00 which is good average. Think big commitment take on full marathon may have put some gym weight training aside and certainly need work on better sleep. Thanks for sharing such good positive content and some great advice.

Training for Brighton marathon in April, iv already had setbacks this year with getting ill, but I’m get back to it :)

Not ready for a full yet, but I am signed up for my 2nd half in April and my goal is the same as it was for my first last year....don’t die! 😵😵

First marathon in October! Ran two half marathons and am ready to make the jump! I’m both excited and terrified 😅

I’ve got a full marathon and an Ultra (40) miles this year so loads of long slow runs ahead.

Training for Brighton Marathon on April 2020. Had few setbacks with family commitments and a sore throat/cough last week which was annoying. Currently done 14 miles longest run in training. Its definitely tougher on the knees.

Love distance running, and had done 3 official marathons or more and five for fun. I'm looking at a summer mountain marathon, and a flat and fast trail 50k at the end of the year

excellent advice and help thank you for posting

My tip to aid you on your way to your first marathon, pick a reasonably popular one with large crowd support and big race field. I completed my first marathon last year and it wasn’t a big one, the race field must have only been 30 athletes and therefore the crowds were non existent.....holy crap I struggled like hell having nobody to instil confidence in me and racing alone. The crowds and other athletes are your greatest asset, use them and that finish line will become infinitely more easy to cross. I think it was the NYC marathon that Anna ran where she was in tears because of the thousands of total strangers yelling words of support. That’s what I’m attempting to illustrate, choose a big event and smash it. Good luck all 🏃‍♂️🏅

great vid! yet again! weird thing for me, a full mara does not sound good for me, but i would to run an ultra...race to the stones or something like that, dont know why?! 🤔🤣 keep up the good work!

Thank you very informative done 3 half marathons and stepping up to london 🙀🙀🙈

Hi I running 50 mile per month with one half marathons. Few day ego I spontan kły decided run marathon and I did it. There be not that bed but hard enough. I hit the wall after 33 I’m. But I finish in Time 4:44:38. Now thanks to You I start train properly. My target is run 4 marathons per year to 50 I’m 45. After 50 2 in the years.

I have signed up for 4 this year and they are Milton Keynes, Round Reading ultra, Berlin and Amsterdam (hopefully do the new parkrun the day before) :-)

Hi Anna and Rick. Thank you for the tips as it's greatly appreciated and I'm preparing for the Gold coast marathon in Australia. Can I ask once you've worked out your hopeful marathon running pace what do you do on race day? Do you try to maintain that piece the entire race or start slower and pick up the pace later? Just interested in your thoughts. Cheers guys.

I’m am getting ready to run my 6th half in about a month and a half but I’m thinking about running a full next year in April. It scares me but I think it will be worth it 🤞

My partner and I are training for the Queenstown marathon (NZ) in November with our eyes set on the 2021 NYC marathon after that!

Great video. I just completed my first half marathon (2hrs 1 min) and I am tempted to sign up for marathon in 5 months time from now

good tip about not trying anything new on race day, i did my first marathon yesterday! and one thing i regret is having first energy gel on the race day! felt like throwing up after consuming my first and second energy gel

I am training to run a Sub 3:30 marathon in July at the Gold Coast Marathon on the Gold Coast, Australia or at Melbourne Marathon in Melbourne, Australia in October. I have signed up for both marathons and I live in Sydney, Australia so the Gold Coast one is technically in winter but Sydney is cold and Gold Coast is warm and humid. The past 2 years it has been 100% humidity at the start of the race so it is a challenge. I have two half marathon in April and May as training runs leading into the Gold Coast Marathon to get an idea of how the training is progressing

As of now i'm halfway through training for my first 1/2 in March. So far so good a little knee pain is all. When I think of a Marathon it seems like its some mysterious monster out lurking in the mist. But then again this time last year I told my wife the same thing about a 1/2. Something to dream about though.

As of tonight my race schedule for the 2020 circuit is popular Brooklyn half New York marathon, New York City half marathon, Marine Corps marathon, Philadelphia Liberty Bell challenge which is a half marathon on Saturday then full marathon on Sunday. New York City Marathon and 60 K

Thank you so much for your helpful video! What if my goal is just to finish a marathon in the allotted time? I’d like to see a video about people who have run a marathon who did NOT track their pace/time, but used creative cues to assure they could finish before the finish line “shut down”. Thank you!!

I'm training for the Cape Marathon here in SA (October). It will be my first one and I started my training on the 2nd of Jan. I ran my first 21km last weekend (2h:20m) and experienced my first 'runner's high' lols I actually wanted to do the Two Oceans Marathon its in April and I don't think I'll be ready for it😅

So helpful as always, many thanks .

My 'normal run' is a 10k. I've done 1/2 dozen 1/2 Marathon's all around the 1:40min mark but STILL struggle to get my head around doubling that distance, particularly while I'm out there. I think anyone thats achieved that distance, at any speed, deserves to gloat about it. It's a real achievement. Hmmmm maybe one day. Love this channel !

3 weeks in to a training plan for Dallas, December 13, if not canceled! First one, and my only half was 3 years ago

So far I have run one half marathon, Maldon last year. I now have the Cambridge half before taking on the mighty London Marathon! Trouble is, I now have a knee injury but I've seen physio and I can run slowly and carefully (no more than 10m LSR at 10 mm). Luckily I have time to get back to where I should be! 😁

Running my first marathon in September!

Berlin Chicago and Dublin.... all within 6 weeks 🤷‍♂️😧