It doesn’t matter if you’re a running easy, 26.2 miles is 26.2 miles and your body endures tremendous physical duress. Muscles, tendons, ligaments, and almost every physiological system is challenged when running a marathon. Don’t take my word for it though, here is some of the science behind why you should avoid running a marathon as a long run or fun race: Marathons are tough on the body In addition to offering very little training benefit, the 26-mile distance is difficult to recover from (yes, even if you run easy) and can derail you from your optimal training routine for 10-14 days. Unfortunately, if you want to maximize your chances of a PR at your next goal race, I don’t recommend running a marathon in training – either as a course-supported long run or for the atmosphere and camaraderie. I can understand the sentiment behind the question the atmosphere at a marathon is electric and with all the likeminded runners around you, the miles can fly by.

If you read the article, you may have noticed that I made no mention of how to integrate marathons into your schedule – should you be thinking of including an easy marathon as either a long run or a fun run.īelieve it or not, it’s a question I receive often: “Would it be a good idea for me to run a marathon as a long run or ok to run for fun with my friends?”

In one of my previous articles, I outlined how you can incorporate shorter, more “fun-oriented” races into your schedule while still keeping the integrity of your training plan intact.

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