For runners who want to run a marathon but aren’t sure where to start.
When the Marathon Feels Too Big to Start
As a run coach for first-time marathoners, I’ve noticed that runners wanting to go from running 10Ks and half marathons to running their first marathon often struggle with the same thing.
A marathon feels so big and so far away from what they can do now that they don’t know where to start.
And when you don’t know where to start, it’s easy to put it off altogether.
When I work with runners who know they want to run a marathon but keep putting it off because it feels like such a big leap to take, I help them break it down into smaller steps.
Here are three small steps you can take toward running your first marathon:
1. Run 3 Days a Week for the Next Month
A marathon is really just a lot of weeks of running strung together. Before you worry about how many miles you’ll eventually need to run or how long your longest long run should be, focus on running three days a week for the next month. How much you run on each of those days is less important than establishing consistency. Consistency has a way of making big goals feel a lot more achievable, and will be the foundation your marathon is built on.
2. Put One Longer Run on Your Calendar Each Week
You don’t need to run 20 miles to start training like a marathoner. You just need to get in the habit of setting aside time for a longer run each week. Whether that’s five miles, seven miles, or nine miles matters a lot less than showing yourself that you can make time for it weekly.
3. Do One Thing That Makes You Feel Like a Marathoner
One of the reasons big goals feel so intimidating is that they often live entirely in our heads. Signing up for the race, joining a running group, reaching out to a coach, telling a friend about your marathon goal, or buying the new shoes can make it feel a little more tangible. You don’t need to commit to everything today. Just take one action that moves the marathon from something you’re thinking about to something you’re actively pursuing.
You Don’t Have to See the Entire Path
Running a marathon doesn’t happen all at once. It happens one run, one week, and one step at a time. You don’t have to see the entire path to the finish line. You just have to keep taking the next step that’s in front of you.
What First-Time Marathon Coaching Actually Looks Like
If you’re reading this and thinking “okay, but what happens after the first month?” — that’s exactly where coaching comes in.
When I work with first-time marathoners, I don’t hand you a 16-week plan and send you on your way. I build your training around your life — your schedule, your starting fitness, your goal race — and I adjust it week by week based on how you’re actually feeling, not how the plan assumed you’d feel.
We talk weekly. You text me when something feels off. And by the time race day comes, you’ll have a pacing strategy, a fueling plan, and the confidence that comes from knowing you didn’t just follow a plan — you trained with someone who knows your running inside and out.
Ready to Take Step One?
If a marathon has been living in the back of your mind and you’re ready to start making it real, book a free consultation call and let’s talk about what it would look like to get you to that starting line.
About Coach Abby
Abby Heffern is the founder of Wild Dog Athletics and an online running coach for marathoners, ultrarunners, and trail runners. A 14x ultramarathoner, Abby combines personalized run programming with integrated strength training and the kind of daily, adaptive coaching that meets runners where they are. Learn more about coaching with Abby.
