When I did my first marathon in 1976, the event was thought to be for experienced club runners aiming to break three hours. Thirty-six years on, well over a million people of all speeds, shapes and sizes have run a marathon, and the event has become
). This turns on its head the accepted system of starting a marathon build-up from a low mileage base and building up the long runs and total miles between Christmas and the race – usually about 12 to 16 weeks. This is fine for relative beginners
of fitness," says Susan Paul, programme director for Track Shack's Fitness Club in Orlando, US. "They help you assess your strengths and weaknesses so you can adjust your training appropriately." Here's how long it takes to work up to various race distances
are and therefore what to emphasise in your training. A good way to do this is to note your personal best times from 1500m to marathon and compare them with equivalent times for different races using this race time calculator. If your PBs are comparatively better
-strengthening exercises. This isn’t necessarily true. A specific weight programme targeting your legs could reap a huge race dividend, particularly over longer distances. If you run a marathon in 3:30, for example, at a rate of 180 steps a minute, during the entire race
