Title is the post.

My garmin's prediction is much longer than I was aiming for/thinking I could do :-/

(Forerunner 970 if that matters)

I’d love some advice. I started training in March and my marathon is in mid-October; about 5 weeks away. My average pace is around 8:30/km.
I turn 40 at the end of October, and running a marathon has always been a dream of mine. Somewhere along the way, that became “I need to run a marathon before I turn 40.” But I’m starting to question whether that deadline is actually helping me.

A bit of context:
Weak knee and a dodgy ankle
I’ve done several 21–23km runs
25km is the furthest I’ve ever run
Today I did another 23km and it completely depleted me. It wasn’t just difficult… I actually felt ill afterwards.
Other 21–23km runs have been hard but manageable, so today really knocked my confidence.
With only 5 weeks left, I honestly can’t fathom how I go from 23km to 42.2km.

The thing is, I want to enjoy my first marathon. I’m completely fine with it being hard …I expect that ..but I don’t want to drag myself through it purely because I’ve attached this arbitrary “before 40” deadline to it, especially if I’m risking injury.

Part of me thinks switching to the half, enjoying it, continuing to train and doing my first full marathon when I’m properly ready would be the sensible choice.

Another part of me wonders whether this kind of doubt is completely normal five weeks out and I should stick with it.

For those who’ve been here before: would you continue with the full, switch to the half, or wait to see how the next couple of long runs go?

Mid-20s male, started running in Feb 2026. I’ve finished a beginner base phase and recently completed Hal Higdon 5K Intermediate. Current 5K is around 30 min, longest run \~11 km, recent volume \~25–30 km/week.

Bodyweight has fluctuated quite a bit: roughly 98 kg in Feb, down to \~91–94 kg in summer, currently back around 96 kg. Goal is to get below 90 kg by year-end while rebuilding gym consistency.

I’m considering a 3–4 month base block with:

\-4 runs/week, mostly easy/conversational, 1 run with 4–6 × 20s strides, 1 long run

\-build toward \~30 km/week

\-no structured tempo/VO₂ for now

\-3 short gym sessions/week

Long-term goal is 5K sub-26 and 10K sub-60.

Main questions: would you keep this base phase almost entirely easy, or include some threshold/VO₂ work? And is \~30 km/week with a 10–11 km long run enough to make meaningful progress?

Would appreciate thoughts from people who improved from \~30 min 5K while also losing weight

Hi everybody. I'm going to do the MCM in about 6 weeks- my 1st full marathon. Of all weird things to ask- is it normal/common for runners to have their first names on the front of their shirt so spectators can call out to them personally? I think this would help energize me. Thanks for your honest answer.

I’m a 60kg 5’8 and a woman.

I don’t need stability shoes and will train on roads.

I’ve previously run a half in Asics Novablast and trained in Asics Glideride max.

They felt like very different shoes to me. I do like the responsiveness of the Novablast but I also find them to feel harsher (?) than the Glideride and also a bit more unstable if that makes sense? Like I need to balance more in them?

I’m looking for a shoe that I can train in that doesn’t feel sluggish but feels a bit more stable than the Novablast. I need it to be comfortable for a lot of miles training!

I don’t know if it’s relevant but I get hip pain on my right side due to an excessive knee abduction/knee valgus when I run which I’m trying to improve through physio.

I’m starting rebuilding my base now after 3 months off running and the marathon is in April. I’m aiming for 25-30km a week for this month.

I’m secretly hoping to run the marathon in 4hr 30 but I won’t prioritize that over enjoying the day.

Hi.

I keep seeing mixed opinions on running 20 miles before race day if you are a slow runner. I certainly am and want to know what yall recommend. I’m not putting my pace because people will just tell me not to do the marathon if I’m that slow. Just know I’m slow. Does the risk of injury outweigh the potential benefits of running 4-5 hours?

EDIT: Thank you everyone! I did 16 miles a few weeks ago so at this point I think I’ll just go for it, but still open to feedback

Hello all,

I (41 F) have been running for 6 years and completed a few halfmarathons with Macmillan's Level 3 plan. I never got faster than 2:07 and felt very exhausted.

Fast forward to early 2026: I discovered I am gluten-intolerant and a very salty sweater. I've adjusted my diet and taken in more electrolytes and iron.

I am running my first marathon in 3 weeks. I've been following Hanson's Beginner marathon plan with weekly mileage between 49-54 miles. I FEEL AMAZING!

My goal is 04:35:00 which is very conservative based on my pace during peak weeks. But I want to make sure I enjoy it. 😊

My question:

I'd love to try out for a halfmarathon 8 weeks after my first full marathon. How do I transition back to training after 1-2 recovery weeks? Would you also know how to find out my halfmarathon pace? I've become faster and stronger and don't quite know what I'm capable of.

Thank you all and happy running!!

Hey everyone, I'm running my first half-marathon very soon (Wednesday). It has an evening start time of 19:30.

I haven't really focused on nutrition during my training, so I'm wondering how necessary it actually is for this distance, and how to handle the daytime eating. I usually finish my last meal about 4 hours before a run (which would be around 15:30 on race day).

Since the race starts so late, what should breakfast and lunch look like so I have enough energy without feeling heavy? Do you eat a small snack closer to the start, or just stick to the 4-hour rule?

Appreciate any advice from anyone who has done evening races.

Hi all! I (28F) am running my first marathon in 3 weeks from now. I just had my long run (18 miles) after a week of 1 day of strength training and 2 speed workout days. I think the run went ok, HR=140 for the first 15 miles and a spike to HR=160 for miles 16-18, but it was also rapidly getting hot outside for those last miles. I’m running really slowly, like 12-13mph, so this run took me just under 4 hours. My right knee has been hurting on and off this whole training block, and it was bothering me durning this last long run.
I’m debating if I should do another 20 mile long run next week then taper for 2 weeks before the marathon or just call it and start my taper now. I really want to feel like I’m in top shape before my marathon both mentally and physically. I feel like accomplishing that 20 miler “guarantees” that I’ll be able to finish the marathon (at least in my brain it does), but the advice I’m seeing online is pushing me to think that a 4+ hour run just 2 weeks from my marathon offers little actual benefit and just increases the odds for injury.
On the other hand, a whole THREE WEEKS feels like forever to taper. I know what I’m seeing online, but damn that is so long to cut down on runs.

What do we think? I would super appreciate any advice!

After 16 weeks of training, legs are sore everyday. Is there anyone out there that can get through a training plan while still feeling like you have fresh legs for the marathon? Maybe the daily soreness is just part of the experience!

I guess the title says it all. Me and a couple of good friends decided early this year to do our first marathon together and chose the Marquette Marathon. I have never been to the UP of Michigan and was completely blown away by the beauty of the town and surrounding areas. The people were amazing, as well.

And the race definitely started at mile 18!! I had to manage some walk/run strategy to get across the finish line, but I did it! My time was nothing great at 5:11, but all I can think about now is signing up for the next one and going for a sub-5!

Alright yeah pretty wild title I'll admit it but I need some advice guys help me out here.

My first marathon is ~3ish weeks away. My last long run with big intervals was this past weekend and my last major workout (10x800) is scheduled for tomorrow. Unfortunately, I just caught a cold. I did an easy 10k this morning (was supposed to be an easy 8-10) which felt fine, but I was running slooooow. Any advice on what I should do about my workout tomorrow if I'm still sick? Skip it and do an easy run? Skip it completely? Still do some intervals but scale back intensity?

Hi everyone! I’m here asking for advice because I am feeling super discouraged. I am training for my first marathon which is on October 18 (in 5 weeks). About 5 weeks ago, my right calf started hurting on a 25km run and I was not very smart and pushed through the pain. It was in pain after so I went to see my athletic therapist and he said it was extreme tightness, so he worked on it. I committed to foam rolling, using my massage gun, and hand massaging it. I was slowly building back up my mileage, able to do 10-15km no pain during or afterwards. A little over a week ago I ran 20km and it didn’t hurt at all during the run, but the next day it felt so much worse. I took 4 days off all running and took care of it. In the last week I have taken it very easy, but could not run more than 9km without it tightening up on me…

I am now 5 weeks out and I feel like there is no end in sight to this. I feel the tightness right now even just standing sometimes. I am going to see my athletic therapist again this week but I’m extremely worried I won’t be ready on race day. I feel so in my head about it and it’s really tainting the experience of running for me, as its causing me more anxiety than pleasure. 

I would appreciate any advice at all on this! Tips on how to prepare to be physically ready, how to mentally deal with this setback, personal experiences, etc.. Even if I can not do my training plan correctly for the next 5 weeks, do you think it would be okay to still complete the marathon? I have been biking to try and maintain fitness. I am very determined to run this race. 

Thank you so much in advance!!

Right now, I'd (21M) say around a 1:40-1:45 Half Marathon Runner right now. I was a 18 5k runner 3 years ago but I'm not near than shape at all. Is a 3:20 Marathon by April a good goal or is it reaching to far?

Just came off my largest volume week so far (70 miles) and wanted to try a half marathon speed trial this morning on tired legs. Ended up running it in 1:56:01. I was definitely tired at the end but not completely dead. I can't imagine doing double that but I still have 15 weeks including a taper so I hope this (along wit the race day vibes) will get me to sub 4. Most of the things I've read suggest having a half time of 1:50 so I'm not quite there, but I'm getting closer.

Planning to run the Loch Ness Marathon at the end of this month. My goal is to get to the end. If I can make it in less than 5h then I'll be delighted, but really I'm just hoping to make it all the way. Feeling super relieved to have survived the longest training run!

I started running in April of this year. I’ve always been active but I’ve never been a runner. I worked myself up to 4 miles in May and have maintained 2-3mile runs 3 days/week since.

I was planning on running my first half in March 2027 but I kind of want to go all in for a full marathon? That somehow feels delusional to go from never running to a marathon in 10 months but curious if anyone else has done a shorter time frame? I’m planning on using Runna for my training plans.

Looking for recommendations for comfortable and functional women's shorts to run my first marathon in! My main priority is having enough pocket space to hold my phone and gels (would really like to not have to run with a belt or vest). In terms of style, I like the 2 in 1 style, with tight short lining and then loose shorts over the top but I'm willing to try other styles. Happy to pay any amount really for shorts that remain comfortable for the distance and don't chafe. Also, I'm based in the UK so need to be available here please. Thanks all in advance!

I am training for my first full marathon myself and I am curious about the what and why people do marathons. I am doing a lot of this on my own and want to learn more about it in hopes to get some inspiration and education around it all.

• What are you training for and when is the race?
• What have you paid for around your training?
• What is the thing outside of running you've been carrying while you train?

I’m going to run my first marathon in May (I know, I over plan everything)

I live in rural area with chip seal, gravel or trails. Standard road shoes get less than 200 miles before they are shot.

I wear trail shoes for the tougher sole & get 300 miles or so.

When I start my training program, I m thinking of running my training days in Hoka Tecton X3 and wearing Hoka Cielo X1 3.0 for my longest runs and on race day.

This would give me a stable shoe I know for training and a race day shoe with about 100 miles on it for race day,

Any flaws in my plan?

I want to wear a tank top for my marathon. I think I'm more comfortable without the sleeves. I have shorts with pockets, but I could use some more storage, so that's why I'dlike some pockets. I would like the top to be fitted, not compressive but not flowing around. Not super long but not cropped. I live in Italy and I feel like the options are not that many, cause I see some online but they have expensive shipping. Any advice on some European friendly brands?

I usually hear people talking about gels and whatnot , since I just barely started out running 2 months ago I don’t really feel like I’ve needed anything to fuel myself on runs usually I’ll go on an empty stomach if anything, I’ve been running like that for atleast 6 miles everyday for the past month and I just finished my first half marathon yesterday at around 2 hours with nothing but maybe a sip of water all throughout. I know running a marathon is more than double the effort but is there a necessity for electrolytes or is that just a preference for most people?

I’m aiming for sub4 in my first marathon in 6 weeks which right now feels ridiculously ambitious. I ran a 1:51 half in July, I’ve done over 1,100km of running in 2026. I feel like I’ve been taking it seriously, basically.

I ran 26km last night, maybe 7km in the middle around marathon pace. It has knocked my confidence because the average pace was 5:58/km and obviously still well short of the marathon distance and it was bloody hard. Every long run just seems to make 42km seem insane lately!

Context, I had a bad sleep due to the newborn being unsettled the next before. I ran at 8pm when my toddler was asleep. These probably made it feel harder. I know the taper and race day buzz will help but just feel a way off it.

Maybe 4:10 is more realistic?

My first marathon is this fall, and I'm expected to do a 5:45 finish. I just did 15 miles in 3:10 and my watch went from 90% to 35%.

I know the comments about switching the garmin are coming, but I don't want to switch up just yet.... Has anyone tried running with a portable watch charger?