Should You Run a Marathon?

Running is one of the simplest, cheapest and most effective forms of exercise. Countless studies prove its health benefits. In fact, in 2015, the largest ever review of running research linked the sport to lower risk of obesity, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, stroke, certain cancers, early death and—perhaps surprisingly—osteoarthritis. One of the biggest surprises from this data: you can reap all of these benefits from running just 6 miles (roughly 52 minutes) per week.

Millions of runners across the nation hoof it for miles and miles, day after day, to stay in shape, enjoy nature, savor solo time or simply have fun. But maybe you feel ready to push yourself to go longer or harder or to achieve a personal goal you never thought possible. That feeling may explain why more than half a million runners finished a U.S. marathon in 2015, according to the Running USA Annual Marathon Report.

Is 26.2 for You?

Chances are, you know someone who’s finished a marathon and found it a fulfilling, even life-changing feat. And if you’re already a runner who has logged countless miles over the years, you may have toyed with the idea of “just doing it.”

Still, “running a marathon isn’t for everyone,” says Amol Saxena, DPM, a podiatrist who specializes in sports medicine and surgery at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. He’s also a marathon runner and the doctor of several world-renowned marathoners, including three Olympic gold medalists.

It’s totally an individual choice, akin to deciding how much money you want to spend on a new car,” he says. “Really ask yourself why you want to run a marathon. Are you trying to prove something to yourself or to someone else?” If you’re OK with your motivation—and it’s a healthy one—go for it.

One reminder: “There has never been a study to show any health benefits to running marathons,” Dr. Saxena says. “Running a few times a week is enough to gain running’s health benefits. View marathons more as a goal you want to achieve or something you want to do for fun.”

How to Succeed

To enjoy it, perform your best and not get injured, you need to be goal oriented, patient, resilient and willing to put in the training time. “You absolutely must be properly trained,” Dr. Saxena says. “I’d say you should be regularly running 40 miles per week, although some people go into marathons with less weekly mileage.” Most training programs suggest 12 to 20 weeks, but your current fitness level and running ability will dictate how much and what kinds of workouts to do.

If you enter a marathon without proper training, you’re asking for trouble. Even well-prepared marathoners get injured or encounter other physical troubles that keep them from finishing. Dr. Saxena says the most common training injuries are stress fractures, knee pain, plantar fasciitis and tendonitis. “During races most people either aggravate old injuries or get a stress fracture, and they usually get blisters,” he adds. “If you already have a nagging or lingering injury, you definitely don’t want to try a full marathon.”

For your first marathon, Dr. Saxena suggests working with a coach. Joining a running group can be helpful, too, but be careful. “Sometimes these groups introduce peer pressure,” he says. “Or the group is running to raise money for a cause, which is great, but when that’s the main motivation, it could lead to improper training.”

Notes for Newbies

“If you’ve never really run before and are starting from zero, you’ll need a lot of time to work up to a marathon,” Dr. Saxena says. Unless you’re a high-level athlete already, “in most cases, you’ll need more than a year of running under your belt before you’re ready to begin training.”

Running requires very little gear and most race entry fees aren’t high. But pony up for top-quality, properly fitting shoes. “Shoes are the most important thing for running, so don’t cut corners there,” Dr. Saxena says.

You’ll need to replace even high-quality shoes after ample use. “Running shoes typically wear out after 200 to 400 miles, depending on your bodyweight, the running surface and the brand and model of shoe,” he adds. “If you get any soreness on your feet that you hadn’t experienced before, that means you need new shoes.”