If I regularly run 10k, can I prepare for a marathon in 2 weeks?

[54321nought]

I've been offered a place in a marathon in 2 weeks time, which I want to take, but realistically, I am not sure I can finish it within the time limit ( 6 hours)

Any advice on diet and training to give myself the best shot?

@ReviewingTheSituation

I predict the post race report will be

'got round in 5 hours, felt totally fine, no real bother at all'

And should be taken with a big pinch of salt.

well, I do have high hopes about finishing - I am not sure if I will finish before the cut off, but I aim to try

The likelihood with reporting back to MN is that if I do succeed, I will just be called a liar.

But, I have promised I will report back, and I will, succeed or fail

I did a half marathon under the circumstances you described and managed, however I have 15yrs of running 40 mile a week in my legs and existing half marathon experience. ( for the last 10/12 yrs running on and off ending up doing what your doing now).
The result was yes I did it, yes I did well BUT I was ill at the end of it.
I had no where near the miles in my legs that I needed, the thought of turning around and doing it again would have put me in hospital for sure. The only thing that got me to the end was the years of previous running and that was just.
I certainly would not recommend anyone doing what you suggested. That is based on being a hardened runner and experience of trying something similar.

@Therehavetobeadjustments

Orange juice will not be anything like enough for 6 hours in amongst the craziness of your whole plan. You need gels and real food for that amount of time, don't try them for the first time on the day either.

What surface is it on? Trail or road?

What's the elevation? Very important

road, mostly flat, I will take jelly babies too

@grafittiartist

Could someone you know be at certain points with food/ orange juice? Save you carrying?

yes, I have got the charity supporters at 18 miles.

There will be water points too

road, mostly flat, I will take jelly babies too.

All that sugar, you will get awful digestive problems. Take some proper savoury food, I come at this from an ultra running POV, it's so much better for you, mini cheddars, salted potatoes, little ham sandwiches, you will be pushing it to make it inside the cut off so you need proper food not orange juice and jelly babies. Get yourself a proper running vest and practice with it, water with electrolytes in it. Might sound OTT for a marathon but you have to consider the hours you will be on your feet for, you will be at the outer limits. If you do a 10k in an hour you will be staggered at how different 6 hours will feel. Your feet will suffer, tape your toes and take blister plasters.

God I'm strangely invested in this, please do come back I won't call you a liar honestly!

When is it?

I just don't know why you'd risk your health like this. Just donate to the charity yourself with the money you'd have spent on orange juice, jelly babies, new running shoes and running vest etc. The heightened pressure to keep going from the charity may well mean you keep going when you shouldn't.

I went from 25k to a marathon but my pace 10k pace is slower than yours. I ran the first 30 minutes and then did 14 min run and 1 minute walking. During the minute walking I made sure I ate and drank. Never hit the wall and completed in 4hr 45 (with 5 loo stops!).

I tried to improve my time three months later and thought the better strategy was to run 25k and then start run/walk. This strategy was terrible! I was knackered and my nutrition and hydration went off piste big style. Only one loo stop and it took me ten minutes longer to finish. I was wrecked!

Good luck. I think you can do it.

@Therehavetobeadjustments

road, mostly flat, I will take jelly babies too.

All that sugar, you will get awful digestive problems. Take some proper savoury food, I come at this from an ultra running POV, it's so much better for you, mini cheddars, salted potatoes, little ham sandwiches, you will be pushing it to make it inside the cut off so you need proper food not orange juice and jelly babies. Get yourself a proper running vest and practice with it, water with electrolytes in it. Might sound OTT for a marathon but you have to consider the hours you will be on your feet for, you will be at the outer limits. If you do a 10k in an hour you will be staggered at how different 6 hours will feel. Your feet will suffer, tape your toes and take blister plasters.

Thank you. I am taking it all on board. I am intending to use my normal running top. Do you not recommend that?

@Therehavetobeadjustments

God I'm strangely invested in this, please do come back I won't call you a liar honestly!

When is it?

I wont say exactly when it is, because if I tell you my exact time, then you will be able to look up who I am! I promise I will report back though

@Wynturphelle

I went from 25k to a marathon but my pace 10k pace is slower than yours. I ran the first 30 minutes and then did 14 min run and 1 minute walking. During the minute walking I made sure I ate and drank. Never hit the wall and completed in 4hr 45 (with 5 loo stops!).

I tried to improve my time three months later and thought the better strategy was to run 25k and then start run/walk. This strategy was terrible! I was knackered and my nutrition and hydration went off piste big style. Only one loo stop and it took me ten minutes longer to finish. I was wrecked!

Good luck. I think you can do it.

very helpful, thank you

I've done similar before, with ultras when I didn't really have the required distance in my legs. It was fine, but you have to be clear about tactics to avoid injury - the goal is to get to the end uninjured and having enjoyed the race.

If you're not in optimum shape for the distance, then walk/run rather than trying to run it all. Set off at 5hr 30 or 5hr 45 pace - don't let yourself be tempted to try to go faster at the start. And don't even think about setting yourself an ambitious time goal.

The main danger isn't dropping out, but injuring yourself - better to drop out than end up injured and having to rest for weeks/months.

I agree with all the others saying not to attempt to improve your fitness btw - you cannot possibly make fitness gains in time, all you'll do is knacker yourself out.

I was ill 5 weeks before my only marathon. Didn't complete my training, had 3 weeks of antibiotics, steroids and recovery, ran it in just over 5 hours.
I would say you sound a lot more prepared than I was, so go for it.

This is absolute madness and I'm struggling to reconcile your apparent previous marathon experience with some of the stuff you are coming out with, OP

Good luck regardless, rather you than me!

Ah this happened to my MIL who at the time was in her late 50s and ran 10-15k a couple of times a week, she was signed up do a half marathon but with a couple of weeks to go she was offered to upgrade to the full thing. She finished fine and apparently in a pretty good time, but afterwards she said she wouldn't do it again!

You should be at tapering stage for a marathon. In all honesty, you risk bring a liability to the race organisers, and it's just not enough time to prepare. .

@BlueCherryBlossom

This is absolute madness and I'm struggling to reconcile your apparent previous marathon experience with some of the stuff you are coming out with, OP

Good luck regardless, rather you than me!

I second this. There seems to be a real gap in your running knowledge, OP.

the run itself will be run a minute/walk a minute

This is ridiculous. You'll be stop starting the whole time.

A mixture of running & walking for a longer distance would make more sense.

because I want to get a bit faster, is this a bad idea?

Yes. You've done no training. You can get around the course with some running & mostly walking. You can't train now - it will have no effect this close to the race.

I've no idea why you'd do this do. I run, I've done marathons (my time is about 4:10 so not fast). I'd absolutely hate to spend many hours walking / running with no preparation especially when you normally do run. It just sounds miserable.

the run itself will be run a minute/walk a minute

This is ridiculous. You'll be stop starting the whole time.

so do you think 2 mins run/ 2 mins walk is better? or run a mile, walk a mile?

@BlueCherryBlossom

This is absolute madness and I'm struggling to reconcile your apparent previous marathon experience with some of the stuff you are coming out with, OP

Good luck regardless, rather you than me!

Thank you for your good wishes!

Yes, I do have massive gaps in my running knowledge, hence the thread, I have always just mosied along at my own pace, I am not a serious runner. The difference is this one has a time limit.

I think I would class myself as a "casual" marathon runner, with normally no regard for the time.

Some of the poster on here are obviously far more serious, dedicated and knowledgeable

You're right in that some people are more knowledgeable than you, but yet you ask for advice from them and ignore it all!

At this point, no-one can tell you whether to run/walk for 2 mins or 15 mins or a mile or any other variable. As I said earlier, 'nothing new on race day' and that includes your pacing strategy. But it's too late to have a practised pace strategy, or fuelling/nutrition strategy now.

@ReviewingTheSituation

You're right in that some people are more knowledgeable than you, but yet you ask for advice from them and ignore it all!

At this point, no-one can tell you whether to run/walk for 2 mins or 15 mins or a mile or any other variable. As I said earlier, 'nothing new on race day' and that includes your pacing strategy. But it's too late to have a practised pace strategy, or fuelling/nutrition strategy now.

I am not ignoring advice, I am taking it all on board

run 1 minute/walk 1 minute is not a new strategy for me, I' ve done long distances like that before, but also with other intervals

orange juice cartons are not new for me either, they are normal for me when running, sometimes with jelly babies

[quote shrodingersbiscuit]**@54321nought* what was your time the last time you ran a marathon? Even if it was years ago - you should know the effort it takes and have some* knowledge of what sort of food you need etc. You should already know that you can’t run a marathon at your 10k pace and what pace is your personal marathon pace from last time?[/quote]
I'm not sure, because the last runs I did were ultra runs, but I think the marathon part s would have been under 6 hours.

The last actual marathon I did was 6 hours 45 mins, which was without much food or water, because the organisers ran out, it was a very hot day