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Marathon Library
Straight answers to the questions marathoners actually ask.
Training, fuelling, recovery and race-week guidance in one place. Each answer combines the available evidence with established coaching practice and the Clinic's practical judgement.
Search questions across every guide.
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12 parts of marathon preparation, organised by the question you need answered.
Starting marathon training
How many days a week to run, how long before race day to start, and how to know you are ready. The honest basics for your first marathon build.
5 answersMarathon training and workouts
What actually makes you faster over 42 km: endurance, marathon-pace volume and the right intensity. Easy runs, threshold work, heart rate, and how much is too much.
7 answersThe marathon long run
How long your longest run should be, how fast to run it, and why marathon-pace work in the back half is the most specific training you can do.
5 answersMarathon fuelling and nutrition
How many carbs per hour to take, how to train your gut, what to eat before a race, and how to carb-load. Fuelling trained as seriously as the running.
6 answersInjuries, niggles and recovery
How to respond to a niggle without guessing, when to stop and seek assessment, why sleep matters, and how to come back from a layoff.
7 answersStrength and cross-training for runners
Why runners lift, what kind, when to fit it in, and how cycling and swimming add endurance without the pounding.
4 answersThe marathon taper and race week
How long to taper and how much to cut, why you feel sluggish, what to do in race week, and how to reach the start line fresh.
4 answersRunning in heat and tough conditions
How much heat slows you down, how to adjust your pace, whether you need heat training, and how to race well when it is hot and humid.
4 answersGear, tech and training trends
Super shoes, watches and wearables, the Norwegian method, Zone 2 and lactate testing. What is worth it, and what is chasing marginal gains.
5 answersConsistency and the long game
What to do when you stop improving, how to stay consistent when life gets busy, recovering after a marathon, and keeping running something you enjoy for years.
5 answersMarathon training for female runners
Energy availability and RED-S, the iron and carbohydrate link, bone health, the menstrual cycle and menopause. The female-specific things a generic plan misses.
7 answersTraining through different life stages
How training shifts with age, around shift work and disrupted sleep, and through pregnancy and postpartum. Coaching judgment with clear referral lanes.
3 answers
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A specialist marathon plan, built on the same thinking, in under a minute. Free.