When getting ready for a marathon, your weekly mileage and the length of your longest run aren’t the only things that matter—but they are among the most important. Still, many runners begin training just 3–5 months before race day, often from a mileage base far below their marathon goals. That means most of their training time is spent cautiously increasing volume to avoid injury. Speed work and quality sessions usually take a back seat in favor of simply staying healthy and managing weekly mileage increases.
But if you’re serious about your marathon and can commit 6–8 months in advance, try approaching it like a pro:
- Reach your peak weekly mileage about 12 weeks before the race (and maintain something close to it for several weeks).
- Gradually increase your longest long run so it tops out around 6–8 weeks before race day.
- Complete a 12-mile marathon pace workout 12 weeks out.
By locking in these marathon-specific endurance gains early in your training, you’ll free up the final weeks to focus on sharpening your speed, dialing in lactate threshold work, and allowing for a proper, restful taper.
