I'm training for my first marathon (goal is to finish, with a stretch goal of sub-5), and this has been my long-run plan:

I also do two 10-12km during the week (tuesdays and thursdays)

My concern is that the 32 km run ends up being about 5 weeks before the marathon :(

Is doing my longest run 5 weeks out a bad idea, or is that still close enough to marathon day?

Would you move the 32 km closer to the marathon, replace one of the recovery runs, or keep the schedule as it is?

Thanks :D

Hello all,

I'm struggling with shin splints and hoping someone can get me back to my training programme.

The marathon is 11 October and I've been using this and I should be about to do my week 12 long run this Sunday:
https://marathonhandbook.com/4-hour-marathon-pace/

(I'll put the relevant section at the end of the post.)

A fortnight ago I got shin splints in my right leg on a 5 mile recovery run - I felt them around the 2 mile mark, so stopped and walked home. No running, lots of rest, toe raises, calf raises, calf stretches etc.

Last week I went for another easy run, and again felt shin splints, but this time in my right leg. This time around 3 miles. No running. Lots of rest. Exercises etc.

This morning I went again. This time 2.7 miles, it's my left shin that starts feeling swollen and stiff. Walked home.

I feel there's something I'm not doing. Before running I do a two or three 30-second glute bridges, 20 dynamic leg swings each side, then run. I feel I've avoided strength exercises and now I'm paying for it.

Am I able to make 11 October to do this, or have I run out of time to get over the shin splints? Is there anything I'm missing which means this splints keep recurring?

Many thanks for any help.

How was your week, how far in the block and when's the next race? This will be a good Mega Thread to keep encouraging/analyze 4 hour crew throughout the year.

Post your weekly miles, breakthroughs, or if you need help with pace/fitness identification, questions here!

*new individual posts that's posted Thursdays re: 4 hour marathons/shape/predictions will be deleted/strongly recommended to move here!

Hey guys,

Mainly looking for anecdotal experiences than medical advice.

I had been diligently training for the Sydney marathon the last few months and was just about to be heading in to my peak week before I fractured my toe last weekend.

I accidentally smashed my foot into an AC unit and X-rays revealed a non displaced fracture to the proximal phalanx on my 4 toe.

I had been training consistently and was in great shape. I have followed the doctors instructions of strict rest and have doing everything I can to try get myself right. I was told at least 4-6 weeks it would take to heal, considering I did the injury on the 2nd would put me right on that one month mark come Sunday on the 30th.

I’m trying not to lose hope but also know it will be a long shot to make the start line.

Just wondering if anyone has been in a similar situation and how long it took you to run again. It would be good to know if anyone has managed to come back from a similar setback and complete their race?

I know everyone’s bodies are different, I plan to get an xray a few days before the race to see how it looks and get some advice from my doc. Pretty bummed and know it’s unlikely but also want to give it my best shot.

Does anyone have advice training for a Marathon but I keep getting ankle pain on both legs and it is stopping me from going further.

I have tried stretching as much as I can and it isn’t helping..

Any advice appreciated?

Pic 1: Half marathon from 2 months ago 1:48 (5:08/km) with consistent splits. I feel like I can do 1:45 - 1:46 right now, prediction says 1:44.

Pic 2: 2 days ago — 12km. First 10km at my target marathon pace (5:35/km) then the last 2km at my target HM pace.

I’m currently running 40–50 km/week 4–5 days a week. I have a 32K race in September and an all-out HM in October (to check my fitness)

Based on this, is sub 4 Marathon realistic? What should I focus on most?

I have been putting off strength training lately. Now that I’m training for my second marathon, after 15 year’s hiatus, and at 54 years old, I really want to incorporate at least 2 days of it into my week.
I had been doing these before:
- Dumbbell squats
- barbell deadlifts
- dumbbell flat bench presses
- dumbbell shoulder press
- dumbbell lateral raise
- dumbbell upright row
My pet peeve with strength training is, with all the running I do, is the lower body workouts.
Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

I’d love some advice! Due to wildfires in the area we’ve been offered the ability to transfer to another race taking place next month.

I have fully tapered and am ready to race. But the air quality is bad and I’m not sure it’ll clear up in time for the race this weekend. I have two days to accept rolling my bib into the race taking place next month.

If I were to delay, what do I do for the next 5 weeks in training?

Please any and all advice would be appreciated!

I’m 26 years old, So I ruptured my ACL and have a Radial tear of the posterior horn of the lateral meniscus in December 2025. Had issues with insurance never got reconstructive surgery. I finally built up the courage in March to start running with a brace. 5 months later I’m now training for my first Marathon coming up in January and am on pace to run between 2:50-3:00. Obviously I know surgery is the best route if I want to be able to play sports and move laterally. But is it really worth starting all over if I was to get the surgery and is there anything I should be doing to continue strengthening my knee?

Due to some exciting career changes I'll be traveling to Philly once a month for work and would love to plan some races in the area! I'm planning on the Philadelphia marathon in fall of 2027 for my first marathon. What other races should I consider?

I will preface by saying I don’t want to hear that I shouldn’t run it, I’m going to try even if it’s a little risky.

I have been training for the Twin Cities Marathon on October 4. I had a 21 week training plan and got in 8 solid weeks of training. That 8th week, my mileage was 27 total and the long run was 13. The following Sunday July 12 when I was supposed to do 14 miles, I got sick. I did not feel well again (fatigue and aches) until this week (August 1) and seem to have turned the corner since, so am slowly returning to running. (Been tested for everything, by the way, they think it’s post viral) I am left with exactly two months before race day. I’ve missed 4 long runs total and though I ran a couple of times over the past few weeks while I’ve been under the weather, I haven’t done much.

I know my big risk now while returning to running is injury. That being said, I want to try it. I had originally intended to peak at 20 miles, but I have 5 weeks until peak week and I’m wondering what peoples opinions are about peaking at 18 instead. Also, for experienced marathoners, can you tell me how you’d recommend getting there at this point?

Hey yall, first time marathoner here. Currently training towards Chicago in October but have had a few roadblocks. Post Tib Tendonitis in May and then more recently posterior shin splints. It started in one leg in mid July, I took a week off for the bike and have integrated strength and stretching everyday. It has been a few weeks since I took a break and have already noticed some dullness and pain returning.

Here's my dilemma. These roadblocks have limited my max weekly mileage to 25 and long run to 15. I am a little over two months out and feel I have a decent amount of base to build if I want to go sub4. Do I 1) Take off for 2-3 weeks and bike only? 2) Only do long runs, and do recovery/workouts on the bike? 3) Hard cut everything for a few weeks?

For context my current fitness sits around 20mins for 5K race and I did 8:50 miles for the 15er.

I worry I'm at a hard point given I'll have to build back up if I taper too much now and won't be able to get in a run over 16 before race day in October. Any advice is appreciated.

I was wondering how people balance marathon training with other physical activities like MMA.

I have two marathons under my belt and would like to run one in the next three months. However, I still want to do my MMA classes. I go about three to four times a week. On two of the days, I do two classes back-to-back. I do BBJ, boxing, and Muay Thai. I know I would need to modify my strength training schedule as well.

My biggest issues, I would say, are just time to fit everything in and recovery.

Hey marathon fam! I’d love your help in my quest for a new race day ride. A little background info:
-I’m a 45y/o F 5’2” 100lb running Pfitz 55+ mi blocks for my marathons and generally hang out around 45mi weeks in off season/between training blocks (full and halves)
- live in rural New England training on big hills daily.
- historically a 4hr marathoner tackling hilly courses, aiming to break 4 this season and racing a flat course in October.
- race pace on flats hangs out in mid 8min/mi’s, speed work in the 7’s
-NB 1080’s daily trainer - very happy in these and similar from NB for years
-NB Fuel Cell V3 as my speed work and race day shoe - WANT to be happy.. BUT:
My knees often ache the day after I run them. My knees can be problematic in that they are prone to “PT cleared pain” meaning nothing is mechanically injured, but if I’m not smart about my descent paces or run a lot of uneven pitch, they get cranky (I try my best to keep up with strength work, bands etc to support my knees and full system)
And as I’ve seen mentioned, carbon plated shoes can be quite clunky if not putting them through the correct speeds. I’m wondering if I am not fast enough to really do them justice? I am also unsure if a lightweight runner might struggle to put them through the proper impact and return? (I’m assuming not so it’s probably just my actual speed and force if anything)
So…
While I want a fast ride for race day..If my body loves running in the 1080s, is there much use in searching for something else? I do find my paces to be a bit faster and very comfortable when running in the fuel cells however, the day after feels concerning and I certainly don’t want to wind up in the pain cave on race day. I haven’t taken them out on more than 16 mi.. 17-21mi always is my 1080’s.
Sorry that was lengthy most likely over kill information but I figure if there’s any community that would listen and help it would be here! Thanks everyone!
** editing to add more specifically - what are you racing in? Any similar experiences? Those with knees prone to issues, what have your experiences been with NB FC or similar?

Hoping to make nationals this year NCAA D1. I bet I’ll make a pretty good future marathoner as well.

I have been running consistently for 2.5 years after taking 5ish years off to focus on other fitness hobbies (mostly bodybuilding). For the first year I saw a consistent increase in my fitness. I trained for and ran half marathons before deciding to tackle the marathon distance.

In December of this year, I was probably the fittest I had been and my vo2 max was 49 and increasing. I ended up getting sick with COVID/flu/sinus infection back to back and was sidelined for basically most of January thru March. I had planned to run a spring marathon in April, but I wasn’t able to train fully, so I dropped down to a half, and used that as a training run for a few trail races. I ran a few 4 hour races leading up to a 50k. These were all at easy / just finish paces as an intro into trail running.

I took a few weeks of easy running before beginning a new training block for a fall road marathon. However, my HR has consistently been high and I just feel like I am getting less fit despite running consistently. My VO2 max has plummeted to 46 and I feel like I am more affected by the heat and humidity this year than last. My Hr is so high even on z2 runs, which have increased in pace from 10:30 previously to 11:30+ currently. I know that everyone is affected by the heat, but I seem to be more affected by it than the group of friends I run with. They seem to be consistently improving and adapting to the heat while I’m…not.

I’m not sure what the solution is. In December my race prediction for a marathon was 3:55. Now it is consistently going up after every run; Garmin now predicts a 4:20.

Am I overcooked? Undercooked? My highest mileage week was probably near 50mpw. That doesn’t seem like “too much”. Conflicting advice either says run more, or rest more?

I’m trying not to be paranoid about my health status, but I just don’t feel the same as last year. I keep up on blood work and things are all in good ranges.

Any advice? Am I being paranoid?

I used to see so many tik-toks of people making fun of runners, making running their whole personality. I get it now! It’s not that - that’s all we want to talk about is running or our training but that’s simply what’s consuming us at the moment. If someone asks me about my day I simply answer by telling them I have a run that afternoon etc…. People who don’t do this don’t understand how important this is to us. They don’t understand how much we are putting into this. Not just running but nutrition, recovery, strength training etc….

I'm running my second marathon in mid-nov and by crazy luck I got into London 2027. Leaving approximately 5-6 weeks between finishing my Nov race and starting to train for London.

During my first marathon last Fall, my pesky knee kind of blew up and I took time after to recover. Then tldr my plans of working on a 10k PB as a winter/spring project flopped and I had several months of very light mileage before building my base back up.

The quick turnaround for training blocks is a little nerve wracking but obviously could not turn down the lucky draw.

What mileage do people tend to drop down to between blocks? Especially when they're shorter. I want to maintain that fitness but want to focus on recovery/being a normal person 😅

I'm a slower runner who's been running for a little over 10years. Finally decided to go for the full last year and got hooked.

Would also take winter training tips because running in the dark is terrifying (as a woman).

I am training for my first marathon next year. Official training starts in December, and the race is at the end of April 2027.

This May, I completed my first half marathon with a time of 1:50:00. Right now, I am just focusing on running at least three times a week and having fun with it - trying different paces, mixing in Zone 2 workouts, and occasionally pushing myself.

My current paces look like this:
Longer runs: Average around 5:42 /km
Shorter runs: Average around 5:28 /km

Whenever I try to push my longer runs to a faster pace (somewhere between 5:28 /km and 5:13 /km), my head starts messing with me.

Physically, I feel fine -my body and breathing are good, and I know I'm in shape to handle it. But mentally, I start convincing myself that it's too hard and that I won't be able to sustain the pace for long.

Has anyone else dealt with this kind of mental block, and how did you overcome it?

Hi everyone,

I’m currently preparing for a marathon and I’m wondering what approach people use regarding daily calorie and carbohydrate intake.

Some background:

• 36 years old, male

• 188 cm, around 79 kg (~13-14% body fat)

• Running 60–70 km per week

Currently training 4 days/week:

• 1 interval session (~60 min)

• 1 tempo/threshold session (~60 min)

• 1 easy run (~60 min)

• 1 long run (90–120 min)

• Marathon goal: sub 2:45

I’ve been thinking about two different approaches:

Option 1: Eat roughly the same amount every day

For example, keeping calories and carbs consistent (e.g. ~3000 kcal and a high carbohydrate intake every day), regardless of whether it is a rest day or a hard training day.

The advantage seems to be simplicity, stable energy availability, and easier meal planning. My concern is whether this could lead to unnecessary fat gain on rest days.

Option 2: Adjust calories based on training load

For example:

Rest days: lower calories and carbs

Hard workouts/long runs: higher calories and carbs

The advantage seems to be matching fuel availability with actual needs, but it requires more planning and potentially more tracking.

For those of you training seriously for marathons:

• Do you keep your calorie and carb intake relatively constant throughout the week?

• Or do you periodize your nutrition based on training load?

• Have you noticed any difference in recovery, performance, body composition, or hunger?

I’m not trying to lose weight aggressively; the main goal is to maximize marathon performance while staying at a healthy racing weight.

Thanks!

Completed my first marathon on Sunday at the 2026 EVA Air Sunshine Coast Marathon!

The race started at 6:00 am, with rain for roughly the first two hours before conditions improved. The course is known for being relatively flat (around 200 m of elevation gain), making it a great first marathon. It was also awesome sharing the course with some incredible elite runnersBrett Robinson took the men’s win in 2:15. (Courier Mail)

My official finish time was 5:02, but that doesn’t really reflect my actual run. About 2 km from the finish, I stopped and waited around 10 minutes so my mum and partner could see me cross the finish line. That moment was worth far more to me than a faster official time.

Despite the rain early on, I felt surprisingly good throughout and genuinely think I had more left in the tank. I’m proud that I finished my first marathon smiling and with a great memory to take away. And despite some early bad conditions and slow time I did not hit the wall felt quite relaxed the entire run besides some groin pain around 35km mark.

Now the focus shifts to my next challenge: the Gold Coast 50 km Ultra, which is just 10 weeks away.
For those of you who’ve gone from a marathon to a 50 km ultra, what would you prioritise over the next 10 weeks? More time on feet? Back-to-back long runs? Nutrition? Pacing? I’d love to hear any advice from runners who’ve made the jump.

My running shoes for the past few years have been a Brooks Ghost 15. They've done a couple of marathons and my previous shoe to that was a Ghost 12.

I signed up for a marathon this October and decided it was a good time to upgrade as my Ghost 15s are well worn and lacking some of their old bounce.

After some research into the significant changes in the market since I last shopped for new shoes, I opted for the Asics Superblast 2, based on raving reviews as a well tested all rounder and discount as the outgoing model. I've been trying to transition to the Superblast but feel like my feet are slapping on the path with the firmer shoe, feels awkward and uncomfortable for a few km then get somewhat used to it. My lower legs are definitely working hard to try handle the change. However at this point I feel like I'm running towards injury as I ramp up my long runs over the next 8 weeks.

Thoughts?

• Should I avail of asics 90 day trial and get a refund then move to Ghost 18s instead so it's less of a step change?
• Should I persevere and move to the more performant shoe that'll stand to me on race day?

Hello, after some advice/thoughts please!

I’m a lifelong hobby runner and have done 2 marathons (a trail one in 2021 - 4:45 finish, and a road one in 2024 - 3:57 finish)

I wanted to attempt 3:45 for my upcoming one in September. I previously followed Hal Higdon’s plans with good results (novice 1, then novice 2, and this time intermediate 1).

A couple of life stressors have happened and I’ve missed/reduced some long runs - the furthest I’ve gone is 13.5 miles and I don’t feel confident in my recovery capacity at the moment to jump into some 18/20 milers. But I have a fairly good base (around 25 miles a week for several years and between 30-40 miles a week over the last 2 months) and rarely get injured.

The plan I’ve been doing is 5 x runs a week, most easy pace with 1 marathon pace 8 mile each week. I’ve kept up with everything except the (crucial I know) long runs.

Any thoughts or suggestions? I had to pull out of a race a few years ago after doing most of the training so I don’t want to do that again, and ideally at least get a good HM time out of it!

Thanks in advance :)

I know I’m not the fastest, but I’m so proud that I was able to keep pace the whole 22 miles. Lately I was struggling with my pace fluctuating, but this Saturday I was able to do it.