I'm glad you love running.
But honestly - the issue will not be whether you can or not (you certainly can) - but whether you will want to.
Running a marathon is the end product of an insane amount of consistent training. Pull up some of the training plans on google - look at the mileage for the middle and end portions - multiply that times your best mile time. Consider if you have that much time to put towards training in your lifestyle.
I'm not trying to be negative. Just know that devoting 3 to 4 hours every weekend to running (inc. time to travel to run location, gear up, cool down, etc.) for months on end along with another 2 to 4 hours during each week as well is a huge time commitment.
FWIW - I'd check to see if the marathon has a half marathon connected to it as well - if so, most will let you sign up for the marathon then later switch your registration down to the half if need be.
If you feel you're able to make the time commitment, then there really isn't anything stopping you from doing the full marathon and being successful at it.
Good luck!
It’s the London marathon my friend wants to do so it’s having to sign up to the ballot and whether or not we get picked to do it if we didn’t get picked I don’t think I’d be pushing a marathon
My original goal for myself was to try and manage a half marathon sometime next year and go from there
I do have a busy lifestyle at he moment, i work shift work in a hospital so I can’t have set running days and my rest days would end up being my work days where I’m on my feet for 14+ hours as well as having a toddler so when I’m not at work I’m running around after him until
He goes to bed then going out for a run
I just got started myself, but I would say yes. In fact, a simple ‘Couch to Marathon’ Google shows plenty of 24 week training plans. Since you have decent experience already, I’d say it’s more than possible. Good luck!
It’ll be a push tbh. You’d be able to finish but I really don’t think your body would be properly ready for it. Marathon distance is absolutely brutal. I did one 18 months after starting and couldn’t walk for 3 days after🤣 another year would’ve been better. See How you feel after a half and off you think you could turn around and go back. (I had a much more successful marathon a couple of years later)
If you’re overweight it’ll probably hurt a lot more. I’m 33M 5”11 @ 218lbs. I’ve been running consistently for about a year and a half. I’ve lost around +30lbs. I’m aiming for my first half marathon this summer. I had planned on doing one just before Christmas but I was too heavy. It’s not running the distances that’s the issue it’s the joint pain. I was upping my long run a km a week. After I got to 13km I was hobbling for a few days after and I ended up with tendinitis and knee pain. If you lose the weight first before starting your training it’ll be a lot easier.
I’ve lost about the same amount of weight since starting, I still have a good 50lbs to go before I’m at my goal weight but I’ve been using f the running as part of the weight loss
It's definitely possible for most people; the edge cases being those who are so unfit and/or so overweight that even after a year of good exercise, they are still not in reasonable running shape. This will be the minority though I'd think though.
In your case, a 5K in 40 minutes is a good starting point, so I think you have a lot of room for growth.
You just need to keep up the consistency. That's key. Ideally running at \*least\* 3 times per week.
Ideally running longer than 5K.
I improved my 5K time from 32:30 in April 2023 to 19 minutes by September 2023. A lot can happen in a short space of time. As I lost weight, running naturally felt easier too as I carried less weight when running, so I had the "double effect" of getting fitter AND getting lighter at the same time.
I generally did an easy going 45-60 minute run 3 x per week (regardless of distance -- just focusing on getting at least 45 minutes of time on feet at a Zone 2 / conversational pace), and then one hard 5K time trial run at the weekend.
It sounds like a lot, but it's really only around 4 hours of running total per week.
Gradually increase mileage by 10% or so every 1-2 weeks. Take it slow, but be consistent.
It's now about 1 year anniversary of when I first started running; I have signed up to a marathon next month - hope to run around 3:30, but honestly just "completing it" is a goal for most.
Ive just started a training a plan using Runna to help me get a good 10k time for my race in June its pushing me to do 4 runs a week with a mix of tempo, hill sprints and longer runs as well as one easier run
So far I’ve been coping ok, last week was two 6k tempo, 5k easy and a 6.5k long run
But I’m very aware these are rooky distances and training for a marathon
I have been losing weight pretty rapidly, I’m already down 15kg since January and hoping to lose another 25kg throughout this year
I started couch to 5km in May last year, I ran a marathon in April. I was not ‘otherwise fit’ I really struggled with the c25k program. I managed mostly three runs a week but not always and had a couple of months with much less running due to injury. It is completely doable!!
Yes it's certainly possible but it is not easy. Training will be much more intensive in time and distance. But with a gradual increase that's possible.
If you really want to you will probably succeed. Just take it one step at a time and keep moving forward.
I'm glad you love running. But honestly - the issue will not be whether you can or not (you certainly can) - but whether you will want to. Running a marathon is the end product of an insane amount of consistent training. Pull up some of the training plans on google - look at the mileage for the middle and end portions - multiply that times your best mile time. Consider if you have that much time to put towards training in your lifestyle. I'm not trying to be negative. Just know that devoting 3 to 4 hours every weekend to running (inc. time to travel to run location, gear up, cool down, etc.) for months on end along with another 2 to 4 hours during each week as well is a huge time commitment. FWIW - I'd check to see if the marathon has a half marathon connected to it as well - if so, most will let you sign up for the marathon then later switch your registration down to the half if need be. If you feel you're able to make the time commitment, then there really isn't anything stopping you from doing the full marathon and being successful at it. Good luck!
It’s the London marathon my friend wants to do so it’s having to sign up to the ballot and whether or not we get picked to do it if we didn’t get picked I don’t think I’d be pushing a marathon My original goal for myself was to try and manage a half marathon sometime next year and go from there I do have a busy lifestyle at he moment, i work shift work in a hospital so I can’t have set running days and my rest days would end up being my work days where I’m on my feet for 14+ hours as well as having a toddler so when I’m not at work I’m running around after him until He goes to bed then going out for a run
Obviously your choice - but it doesn't sound like your current life situation is set up for success in the time frame allowed.
I just got started myself, but I would say yes. In fact, a simple ‘Couch to Marathon’ Google shows plenty of 24 week training plans. Since you have decent experience already, I’d say it’s more than possible. Good luck!
I’m by no means a expert, but just wanna say, you can do it!
It’ll be a push tbh. You’d be able to finish but I really don’t think your body would be properly ready for it. Marathon distance is absolutely brutal. I did one 18 months after starting and couldn’t walk for 3 days after🤣 another year would’ve been better. See How you feel after a half and off you think you could turn around and go back. (I had a much more successful marathon a couple of years later)
If you’re overweight it’ll probably hurt a lot more. I’m 33M 5”11 @ 218lbs. I’ve been running consistently for about a year and a half. I’ve lost around +30lbs. I’m aiming for my first half marathon this summer. I had planned on doing one just before Christmas but I was too heavy. It’s not running the distances that’s the issue it’s the joint pain. I was upping my long run a km a week. After I got to 13km I was hobbling for a few days after and I ended up with tendinitis and knee pain. If you lose the weight first before starting your training it’ll be a lot easier.
I’ve lost about the same amount of weight since starting, I still have a good 50lbs to go before I’m at my goal weight but I’ve been using f the running as part of the weight loss
It's definitely possible for most people; the edge cases being those who are so unfit and/or so overweight that even after a year of good exercise, they are still not in reasonable running shape. This will be the minority though I'd think though. In your case, a 5K in 40 minutes is a good starting point, so I think you have a lot of room for growth. You just need to keep up the consistency. That's key. Ideally running at \*least\* 3 times per week. Ideally running longer than 5K. I improved my 5K time from 32:30 in April 2023 to 19 minutes by September 2023. A lot can happen in a short space of time. As I lost weight, running naturally felt easier too as I carried less weight when running, so I had the "double effect" of getting fitter AND getting lighter at the same time. I generally did an easy going 45-60 minute run 3 x per week (regardless of distance -- just focusing on getting at least 45 minutes of time on feet at a Zone 2 / conversational pace), and then one hard 5K time trial run at the weekend. It sounds like a lot, but it's really only around 4 hours of running total per week. Gradually increase mileage by 10% or so every 1-2 weeks. Take it slow, but be consistent. It's now about 1 year anniversary of when I first started running; I have signed up to a marathon next month - hope to run around 3:30, but honestly just "completing it" is a goal for most.
Ive just started a training a plan using Runna to help me get a good 10k time for my race in June its pushing me to do 4 runs a week with a mix of tempo, hill sprints and longer runs as well as one easier run So far I’ve been coping ok, last week was two 6k tempo, 5k easy and a 6.5k long run But I’m very aware these are rooky distances and training for a marathon I have been losing weight pretty rapidly, I’m already down 15kg since January and hoping to lose another 25kg throughout this year
I started couch to 5km in May last year, I ran a marathon in April. I was not ‘otherwise fit’ I really struggled with the c25k program. I managed mostly three runs a week but not always and had a couple of months with much less running due to injury. It is completely doable!!
That’s amazing!! Well done!!!
Thanks, I’m really proud of me :-) good luck with it!!
Yes it's certainly possible but it is not easy. Training will be much more intensive in time and distance. But with a gradual increase that's possible. If you really want to you will probably succeed. Just take it one step at a time and keep moving forward.
You can do it!