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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    How long does it take to train for a marathon?

    Related Topic
    Fitness and Sports Medicine
    How many months should I set aside in order to train for a marathon? What about a half marathon?
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    Thanks

    John Toomey

    Exercise Physiologist, Personal Trainer

    I'm a down to earth practising (and fully accredited) Exercise Physiologist based in Esperance, WA. I have been a practising EP since 2004. I've been … View Profile

    It depends. Not the answer you were looking for perhaps! If you're already a regular social runner then perhaps minimum 3 months to simply ‘make the distance’. If you're not a runner then longer. Exactly the same for a half marathon - although to do both distances well a long enough period to progressively increase your tolerance to continuous long runs is necessary. i.e. gradual increases in distance and volume with unloading periods too to allow recovery and super-compensation.

    I've had people who were athletic in the past who have got through marathons / halfs quite well on minimal training - but those few starting from scratch and slightly over-weight etc have similarly got through 30k or so of the marathon before gritting their teeth and walk-jog combo-ing to finish. Obviously for a better chance of success I'd love to have 6-months to properly program someone's training for a marathon. Maybe 16-weeks for a half.

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