Marathon Training Hasn’t Gone To Plan. Now What?

You’re a few weeks away from your marathon, but your training hasn’t quite gone to plan. Now what?

Perhaps you picked up an illness or injury, or you’ve missed a few long runs? Perhaps you just aren’t sure if you’re ready to run a marathon? Looking at posts in The Running Channel Club, it seems to be something that many runners are dealing with ahead of their races. 

Hopefully we can help and we’re going to cover a few possibilities: 

• Am I ready to run a marathon? 
• My marathon training has had some setbacks
• I’ve missed a few long runs in my training. Can I still do it?
• I’m ill or injured before my race
• I’ve missed a peak week of training
• I’ve missed a lot of my marathon training
• Knowing when to skip a race
• What to do if you can’t start a marathon

Just one warning: we’re runners sharing our own experiences with marathon training. If you’re concerned about an injury or illness then always speak with a medical professional. 

AM I READY TO RUN A MARATHON?

We all face doubts ahead of a marathon. Even if we have a perfect training block there are still things which may worry us. 

Just getting through a training block is a success for most runners. Four months of training is tough on the body and the mind, and it’s very common to deal with issues throughout the process. If you manage to complete around 75% of your training then you can consider that pretty good going. 

Looking back over your training is the best way to know whether you’re ready. If you’ve been consistent in your running and you’ve been able to make progress in your long runs, and your body and mind is feeling OK, then you’re ready to go (if you’re feeling apprehensive because of your training, then carry on reading).

You’ve done the hard work, now focus on getting ready for the race. The taper will leave you feeling better physically, and now is a chance to work on your mental strength ahead of the race. Here’s what to do in the week before your marathon.

MY MARATHON TRAINING HAS HAD SOME SETBACKS

Don’t worry if you haven’t had the perfect build up to a race – that very rarely happens. It’s common to miss sessions throughout training, and it’s normal to feel some aches and niggles, but they can feel like setbacks to us.

Focus on what you have done, not what you haven’t done. Look back over your training to see the good sessions and the long runs and use that, plus the way you feel ahead of the race, to set goals for yourself. Be honest and realistic in these goals, and perhaps set three goals: A, B and C.

If you’ve still got some training to do, then focus on the long runs and completing them. These are the most important runs to know what the marathon might feel like, but don’t try to cram in extra distance late in training or that could lead to excess tiredness or even injury. From the final three weeks you want to think about reducing volume into your taper, and not adding volume.

If you haven’t done the running you hoped then the final three isn’t the time to try to add it. Adjust your goals instead.

I’M ILL OR INJURED BEFORE MY RACE

Always speak with your GP or a medical professional if you are ill or injured ahead of a race and don’t know what to do. They will be able to provide you with the best advice for your longer-term health. 

It’s not good advice to run a marathon with any illness as the stress of the distance may leave you feeling even worse, or it may lead to more serious health issues. 

Likewise, it’s unlikely that running a marathon will heal an injury. It’s a long way to struggle through discomfort and may lead to a long-term issue.

You may also be feeling a sense of burnout or mental fatigue accumulated through training alongside a busy life. If it feels like it’s too challenging, and that doing the race will put too much extra stress on you, then you should consider your mental well-being when deciding what to do, but a taper and focusing on your mental health for a week could leave you feeling more able to run.

I’VE MISSED A PEAK WEEK OF TRAINING

Injuries, illness and life events happen to all of us and they can often mean we need to take a week or two completely off from running (and other exercise). If that happens over the peak weeks of training then it can feel like you’ve been unable to do the most important part of your training plan. 

But if you can safely return to running then you can rely on having done some good training before the break, and try to get in some quality running before the marathon. You may need to adjust your goals and slow down, but hopefully you can still make the start line – and get to the finish line. 

If you’re unable to run because of an injury, but can do other cardio exercise pain-free, then it can be a good idea to do low-impact cardio like cycling or the elliptical to maintain fitness, but always seek medical advice with any injuries. 

I’VE MISSED A FEW LONG RUNS IN MY MARATHON TRAINING. CAN I STILL DO IT?

The long run is the most important run of the week in marathon training. Over 12-16+ weeks, we gradually build up these runs and they help us feel ready for the marathon distance. Missing one or two long runs isn’t ideal, but it doesn’t necessarily mean the end of your training block. 

In the final few weeks, focus on completing whatever long runs feel realistic to you, but don’t make big jumps in distance. If you’ve managed a 14-mile / 23k run then don’t suddenly try to do a 20-mile / 32k run as that could lead to injury. 

If you’ve missed a ew long runs, then you may want to plan for a run-walk approach in your marathon. This could be a simple as walking through each water stations, which can be a good way to psychologically break up the race into smaller sections.  

I’VE MISSED A LOT OF MY MARATHON TRAINING

This all depends on how much ‘a lot’ is and what your goals are. 

We won’t lie and tell you that you can run a marathon without doing much training. That’s bad advice and could lead to injury. 

There is no minimum amount of training that you need to do to complete a marathon, but you need to know that running 26.2 miles is a long way and it’s a big physical stress on the body. We recommend running at least three times per week for 12-16 weeks as part of marathon training. Only go into the race if you’re aware that you may need to run-walk sections of it. 

If you struggled to get through the first half of your training then it’s going to be a big challenge to actually complete a marathon. Consider skipping the race or plan a run-walk approach.

If you missed most of the second half of your training then you’ve missed out on the peak weeks with the longest runs. You may still be able to get through a marathon, but perhaps it’s a better decision to aim for another race in the future or use a run-walk approach.

RUNNING A PLAN B MARATHON

For whatever reasons, you’ve missed your Plan A of being fit and ready for your race but you still feel able to take part in your marathon. Now you need to work on Plan B. 

• Start out slow and take it very easy. If you feel good near the end then you can speed up a bit. 
• You’ll be out there longer than originally planned, so how can you make the most of that? First you need to adjust your psychological approach: what will ‘success’ look like in your race? Could it be to enjoy it as much as possible? High-five as many people as you can? Could you take a camera or phone and try to capture the day from the streets? Can it be a sight-seeing tour for you? 
• Can you find a buddy to run with? Running with someone else can be a great way to make the time pass quicker for you. Many runners are very friendly and there will be others who are also hoping to meet others on the course. 

KNOWING WHEN TO SKIP THE RACE

This can be a hard decision for runners, especially after months or even years of build up to a race, but we always need to think about our health and making the right choice.

Often we know the best decision but we’re in denial because we don’t want to admit failure, but choosing to skip a race is the smartest thing to do. A DNS is smarter than a DNF. 

• If you are currently injured and unable to walk or run pain-free, then don’t do your race. If you run on an injury you risk making it much worse.
• If you have a niggle or injury that means you run with a different stride pattern then it’s not advisable to run or you risk further injury.
• If you’re ill around race day then it may be best to DNS, especially if the issue affects your lungs. Don’t run if you have a fever. 
• If you missed more than 50% of your training then it’s going to be harder than usual to run a marathon. 
• If you’re psychologically in a bad place with stress or burnout then deciding not to do the race could feel like a burden is lifted.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU CAN’T START YOUR MARATHON?

If you’re ill, injured or unable to take part in your race for whatever reason, then here are your options.

First, you should check the official race website for full details on what to do if you can no longer race. 

If you are more than three weeks out from your race then you should inform the race organisers that you’re unable to take part. This is especially important in smaller races which may mail out a bib to you. 

Some races have a deferral policy meaning you can defer entry to the next year. You often need to make this decision three or four weeks before the race date. 

Some races will have a refund policy in place if you cannot run. These are often only available if you selected registration protection upon signing up to the race, and then it’s typically only valid with certain reasons which you may need proof to claim (e.g. pregnancy, injury, etc, which require a note from a medical professional).

Other races have no deferral policy and no refund policy. 

Some races allow you to transfer your entry to another runner (often with an admin fee). 

And think about a different challenge. Is there a 10k or half marathon you could do a few weeks after your planned marathon? Is there a marathon in a few months time that you can work towards? 

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Here’s Sarah with seven top tips on taking on your first marathon.