Completing a marathon sits at the top of many runners’ bucket lists, whether it’s a World Marathon Major with thousands of fellow competitors or a small hometown race. It’s a goal that requires plenty of dedication and consistency—along with hundreds of training miles and regular strength workouts—no matter where you are in your running journey. But you can make the 26.2-mile distance more manageable with a smarter training and racing strategy: adding short walk breaks into your runs.
Runner’s World’s guide, How to Master the Run/Walk Method, shows you how to successfully navigate marathon training and race day with intentional walk intervals. With the run/walk strategy, you can build your endurance for the marathon distance—while still prioritizing recovery and smarter training. In Runner’s World’s How to Master the Run/Walk Method: Train for a Marathon, we’ll teach you: Adding walk breaks into your training isn’t reserved for marathon newcomers, nor does it mean you’ll perform slower on race day.
It’s a smart strategy runners of all levels can use—and it might even help you go faster than when you’ve previously run a full marathon without stopping. Using walk intervals as a marathoner could help you: Boston Marathon on your bucket list? Many run/walkers have earned a coveted Boston qualifying time using strategic walk breaks.
And in some cases, that meant earning a BQ.” The faster you aim to go in your marathon, the shorter your walk breaks and the quicker your run pace. You’ll set your training and race paces using your Magic Mile, multiplying your timed mile by 1.3. Use one of Runner’s World’s three run/walk plans—beginner, intermediate, and advanced—to tackle the 26.2-mile distance.
Across either 20 or 26 weeks, you’ll incorporate run/walk workouts, easy walks, long runs, speed sessions, race pace work, and optional cross-training into your build to prepare your body for the demands of the marathon. Ideal for: Runners who already do walks or short run/walk workouts and want time to build up their time on feet and endurance for 26.2 miles. With the beginner plan, you’ll complete two 30-to-45-minute run/walk workouts, an easy walk of 20 to 45 minutes, two optional cross-training days, and a rest day each week.
Long runs start at two miles and work up to 26 miles in week 23. Running close to the 26.2-mile distance in training will help your body build endurance and prepare for the demands of the distance ahead of race day. For your long runs, keep your pace 90 seconds to two minutes slower than your predicted marathon pace.
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