Can “anyone” really do a marathon?

When I started running I had no interest in entering any races, let alone a marathon, but have done all sorts of distances now including 2 marathons. Both took 16 weeks of training. The training took the fun out of running, knowing I had to run as it was part of a training plan.
I have entered the London marathon ballot again and it is the only one I would consider training again for I think... although Manchester does tempt me a bit too. I think anyone, with the right plan and enough time could train for and run a marathon. It is certainly an incredible experience (as is walking downstairs the next day 😂)

I did a handful of half marathons in my 20s and 30s when I was quite fit but even then, I never thought I'd be able to do a full marathon.

I would never class myself as a "runner" but I'm 42 now and kids a bit older so looking ahead I either see it as I get off my (size 16) arse and get fit, or look forward to a retirement of ill health and medical issues.

I've now run 3 half marathons in the last 18months, each one getting a bit quicker. My weight isn't down too much, but OMG I feel more energetic and alive in my day to day life.

You'll never know unless you try.

(Keep entering London to no avail, fingers crossed 2025 will be it!)

I hope so, I'm an overweight 49 year old menopausal woman and my current 5k time is about 38 minutes. My husband has signed me up for Brighton next year and I'm terrified!

Maybe, I used to do my long run on a Sunday morning before 9 so sometimes starting at 7, then take DS to football, come back and cook a roast dinner. I didn't find it wiped me out.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rar%C3%A1muri "With widely dispersed settlements, these people developed a tradition of long-distance running up to 200 miles (320 km) in one session, over a period of two days through their homeland of rough canyon country, for inter-village communication, transportation, and hunting."

A cautious yes. I did anyway 😂

There are plans that will get you to a marathon in 16-20 weeks from very little base. Clearly people take that approach and suceed, but the injury risk is relatively high from constantly pushing at boundaries. The post-marathon burn-out is quite high from that approach too.

My training of 9 years from C25k was a tad on the slow side 😂 I wanted to be comfortable with HMs first, and had got to the stage where I do 3 per year. Then I picked up an over-use injury and I blame race congestion of Covid and the spring/ autumn races bunching up. I thought I was doing brilliantly, even smashing pbs, but just over did it and ended up deferring the marathon place rather than having the strong base I'd hoped for. A few months later and back to C25k. However other than one niggle, I did have years of stamina, strength and experience of long runs under my belt which is different to C25k from scratch.

I jeffed my long runs and marathon and kept the pace right down. I'd aimed to do it anyway, and the gentle approach worked and I emerged injury free with a light recovery. I enjoyed the challenge of training and the finale of race day. The hardest part was the 4+ hour 20 mile run in relentless mist and drizzle, alone and aching having shifted the run forwards to the least-worst forecast. I kept the rest of my running load down with parkrun (run-all) and a couple of gentle short runs to feel as the rest of the running, and yoga/ weights/ swimming for general health and fitness.

My advice to a new or light runner would be to take the year at least. Get comfortable with 5k, 10k, HM first. Do a training block for each, then dial back and recover. Build that base up.

Psychologically all my marathon training was was a 14, 16, 18 and 20 mile run beyond my normal range because I was used to being halfway there. Cross train. Value general strength and flexibility. Respect the distance and ease off on the speed. Jeff (planed, short run/ walk intervals) if needed; there's no rule that you have to run the lot.

I am sure any healthy person could do it, with enough prep....but I dont think 'anybody' can do it.
Personally Im over 50 with an arthritic hip and dodgy knees....Id probably cripple myself if I tried it!!LOL😂
(I can run short distances though and Im C25King my way up to that).

100% if I could, anybody can seriously

Partly that could be about the speed you’re running. I generally find parkrun more gruelling than a long training run because I’m trying to hold a less comfortable pace. Particularly for a beginner, long runs should be comfortably slow - that doesn’t mean you don’t get to the end of a long run feeling fresh as a daisy by any means, but it’s a very different beast.

When I was a slightly more serious about running it was the speed work that I dreaded, whereas the long slow runs were generally pretty fun!

I do think people get wrapped up in the kudos of a marathon. Doing a well trained for half marathon to me is more impressive than rocking up badly trained and walking/injuring yourself on full marathon just to have ticked a box.

saying that, I trained for a half in my mid 20’s and loved it and wish I’d done a full marathon then as I get closer to 40 and face starting from 5k again!

It's definitely possible with the right training and time commitment. The harder part with London is actually getting a place 😂

sadly its simply not the case that ‘anyone’ who can do 10k or a half ‘could’ train for and complete a full marathon, without injury. Especially in older age groups.

Totally agree with this.

i’ve only trained for a half and that’s one very long run at the weekend for months…..then the rest of the day feeling wiped out and not able to do much! Hard if you have kids. Supportive partner is a must.

Sometimes on the 10K training runs I’m thinking “can I stop yet, am I done yet?” Which possibly doesn’t bode well

It doesn't bode well if you quit. But if you run through that, then you can do a marathon, because that's all you have to do: keep going even when your body tells you you're too tired.

Do you stop? Bet you don't.

I did one in my mid 40s (about 10 years ago). I went from non-runner to marathon in 18 months and crossed the finishing line in just over 3 hours 47 minutes.

There were a lot of physical factors involved: not being overweight at the start of the training, having been a "walker" my entire life and so having resilient joints and good "form" as a basis, training purposefully for the event (i.e. no junk miles), and plenty of cross training to save my joints and make me lighter on my feet.

Mentality was also a major factor: I found my 10km practice races to be sheer torture and one of my half marathons to be possibly the most painful event of my life (child birth included!), but distances over 30km sort of "clicked" with me. It was like being on a high: I could sustain a good pace but also disassociate myself from the pain, meaning that I didn't get overwhelmed by it, as in shorter distances. This made the running fun and, over time, I found that I would sometimes choose to run places simply as a mode of transport.

So I suppose I think that, disabilities and injuries aside, it is possible for anyone - but that some will have it easier than other, depending on whether that is "your" distance.

I'm actually just toying with trying to run another. But 10+ years later and with 15kg+ excess weight, it's hard to know if I even dare try 😂 and where exactly to start .

I could have in my youth but arthritis means that I would not be able to now even if I trained.

Everybody is different, but almost everyone (without disabilities, injuries etc) can do it if they train at a sensible pace.

DH is built for long distances, has done multiple ultras and regular marathons, thinks nothing of doing a half before work. It took him very little time to get to marathon distance and stay there.

I am not built for long distances. I can do a 5k in just shy of 30 mins on a good day, a 10 in about 1hr 5, and did a single half in 2:25. The extra distance took a loooong time to add on and I had to go really gently, adding on 10% in a long run every week, and even then failing a few long runs. Getting to marathon from a half would take me most of a year I think.

would I get round? Yes. Would it cause me harm if I trained sensibly? No. Am I going to, er, no. I don’t have that much time to spare!

Agree with this. Anyone who can run 10k can run a marathon, but it doesn't mean everyone should. I have a couple of friends who were very fit 10k-ish runners who reckon they took 2 years+ to recover from their marathons.

Yes I must say the relentlessness of pounding the pavement for 26 miles doesn’t massively appeal any more, especially now the days of PBs are behind me. I’d do it for London as it’s such a special marathon, but that’s about it.

It’s not just the challenge of going further that appeals with an ultra, it’s just a totally different experience.

I admire people for committing to and doing the training for a marathon. Anyone can do the training and get to standard. It takes discipline and dedication to do the training.

ps when I say determination I mean to do the necessary training.