Marathon
Marathon training: Everything you need to know
Long-distance pro Sonia Samuels runs through some of the key elements of marathon training – including the training sessions she prescribes in her 16-weeks plans.
The 11th edition of the Wings for Life World Run will take place on Sunday, May 5 2024. For registration updates, complete global results and unforgettable highlights: visit www.wingsforlifeworldrun.com and download the new Wings for Life World Run App for iOS or Android.
If you're following one of Sonia Samuels' 16-week marathon plans (you should be!), and are unfamiliar with any of the terms or sessions prescribed, fear not. Here's the key sessions explained, plus advice from Samuels on how to ensure four months of trouble-free training.
Long runs
Build up your long runs gradually
© Getty Images / EXTREME-PHOTOGRAPHER
The long run is the bread and butter of any marathon training plan. The mileage is built up gradually each week, until you’re able to run for two hours or more at a time. The result is improved endurance, obviously, but also a familiarity with what it feels like to be on your feet, running, for such a long time. “Time on feet is essential,” says Samuels, “because your body needs to hold together on race day.” She recommends adding an extra 15 minutes each week after your base phase.
Related
Speedwork
The ‘red zones’ in Samuels’ plans are dedicated to speedwork, which might seem odd when this is a marathon, not a sprint, but training fast will make the slower marathon pace feel a whole lot easier. “If you want to run a four-hour marathon,” says Samuels, “you take it down to say, ‘What do I need to run each mile of the race to achieve that time?’” (In that instance, you would need to run each mile in an average of 9mins 9secs.) “You need to be able to run that pace, but if you practice running a little bit quicker in training, when it comes to the marathon it won’t feel so hard.”
Stretching
Perform dynamic stretches before a run to mobilise the joints
© PeopleImages / Getty Images
Speak to two different runners and you’re likely to get two differing opinions on stretching, because while its benefits are not necessarily proven, many – like Samuels – do swear by it. “Personally I stretch every day,” she says. “If you think about it, you’re going to be doing a lot of miles getting ready for a race that's all in the same direction and all at the same pace, so if you're not going to bother stretching, I guarantee a few weeks in you’re going to be really stiff – and once you start getting stiff, you're going to get hurt. Static stretching is really good, but not before a run, so I do static stretches either in the evening or after a run. Before I run, I do some dynamic stretches, so things like walking lunges, hamstring sweeps and side lunges to get the joints moving.”
Aerobic and anaerobic
“Aerobic is when you're running at an easier pace and you can talk – it's what we call ‘with oxygen’,” explains Samuels, “so that's your slower, long run stuff, and it's important to do that because you can build endurance and the ability to go the distance. Alternatively, anaerobic is when you're running at quicker than race pace and that's important because we need to work these different systems in order to build fitness.”
Strength work
Regular strength work will reduce your injury risk while marathon training
© Getty Images /mel-nik
“For anyone looking to run 26.2 miles it's really important that your body is strong enough to do so,” explains Samuels. In other words, you don’t want calves, quads or hamstrings that are going to tighten up at 20 miles. Equally, having a strong core will improve your running economy, because it will allow you to maintain an upright posture even when the hard miles kick in. “I like to do a plank series of front plank and side plank,” says Samuels. “You can do 3 x 30 seconds for each of them, then some sit-ups and bodyweight squats, and that's going to take you no more than 15 minutes.” Do that two to three times a week and your body is going to be better able to withstand the rigours of both training and racing.
Strides
Simply put, strides are controlled sprints. “You wouldn't do any more than 100m,” says Samuels. “It's just about having good technique and turning the legs over before the big day. They're not full-out sprints, but you should have the action of a sprinter, moving quickly but in control.”
Sleep
If all this marathon training is new to you, getting to sleep will rarely be an issue. That said, the importance of adequate rest is difficult to overstate; this is the time your body and mind have a chance to properly regenerate and recover from the stresses of training. “If you can aim to go to bed to ensure that you get eight hours’ sleep, I think that's a good target to aim for,” says Samuels. And she highlights the importance of making sacrifices to make that happen. “You need to look at the bigger picture and say, ‘This is just four months of my life, and I want to get the best marathon time I can, so if that means missing a couple of episodes of Luther at 9pm then so be it.’” She then makes the equally important point: “Because you can watch it on iPlayer anyway!”
Nutrition
While marathon training, you need to be taking on more calories than usual
© Getty Images / bymuratdeniz
Marathon runners don’t only have to be good at running; they have to be good at eating, too. In order to reach peak performance, the quantity and quality of the food you eat is vital. “There’s no question that when you’re marathon training you need to eat more than you normally would,” says Samuels. “And it's really important that after a long run you eat well. I'm not saying you have to drink a protein shake, but it's really important you have your three meals and that you’re also snacking between them. You have to be really aware that you're fuelling right, because you’re not going to be able to run if you don’t have enough fuel in the tank.”
Samuels is a long-distance runner who represented Great Britain for 21 years. She is also an Olympian and a multiple British champion in the marathon, 10,000m and cross-country, and her marathon PB of 2:28.04 makes her the seventh fastest British female marathoner of all time.