One of my best friends ran it yesterday and it was one of the most fun days I've had being in the city. She trained for a long time though, like 6-7 months at least. Her first marathon ever and she ran a 4:25:01.
Everyone probably feels this way after the marathon, but I feel like I could totally do it lol. I already run a decent amount and am in shape. I watched at mile 18 and then around mile 23 and some people looked amazing, and some people looked like they were really hurting.
I'd probably shoot for a 4:15:00. I think it would be a blast to do it next year - or am I delusional?
How could random people on the internet possibly tell you if you could run a marathon or not?
An example of a response could be something like:
"I felt the same way after watching my first marathon! The adrenaline of being there and seeing my friends crush their goal that they worked so hard for really inspired me to want to do it. I really had no prior long distance running experience, but I decided to find a solid training plan and I grinded for several months. It wasn't easy but I stayed determined and motivated and after months of hard work I did it and it was an incredible experience. I would definitely encourage you to do it because it is something I will never forget"
Something motivating like that would be nice.
That's how I would talk to a 12 year old.
If you want to run a marathon, go train for it and then just do it. Don't seek fake validation from online strangers.
my boy keeps it real
“Just do it”
Depends on where you're starting at and how long/how much you're able to dedicate to this. Two of my friends did the marathon this year in under 4 hours. They have been running pretty consistently for about 2 or three years now and get in about 25-30 miles a week, and they were pretty gassed by the end.
If you're starting from scratch like zero long distance running or not much running at all, it's going to take probably more than 11 months. You'll have to gradually build up to running marathon mileage in a week.
To get to marathon endurance it takes a bit of training, resting, and training, again. Plus you have to get your diet in check.
It's not impossible in under a year if you're willing to carve out the time, but that's easier said than done.
4:15 wont be impossible, but if you're looking to do NYC as your first marathon, I'd just focus on finishing it, no matter the time. It's a pretty difficult course especially once you get to the bridges.
Depends on if you are black
Simples. Use a bicycle. Nice 50k bike ride, but make sure you have a bell on your bike for the start
Doesn't seem like an impossible goal, especially if you're already somewhat fit and can dedicate 6-12 months to train. Another way to assess feasibility is the Yasso 800s test.
Essentially, you run 10-sets of 800m around a track with equal rest between each set. The average time of your 10 sets, in minutes and seconds, will be a rough predictor of your marathon time in hours and minutes. So if you average 4 minutes and 10 seconds across the 10 sets of 800m, you'll likely run a 4h10m marathon. It's far from perfect, but it gives you a sense of where you'll land.
If you're not obese, you can do it. Download a "Hal Higdon" plan and follow it. Marathon is all discipline and determination. I went from never running to running a marathon in six months. I started at BMI 25. I drank, smoke and ate whatever I wanted for the entirety of the training program. But when my miles were due, I did my fucking miles. I'm proud of my marathons (have run several more since). One of the biggest benefits is I have stayed in at least half-marathon shape since my first marathon because I regularly get the itch to cut off a 4 - 9 mile run. For me that's a 50 RHR and 45 VO2 max. Health dividends for the rest of your life if you build the cardio addiction.
Go do it!
"But when my miles were due, I did my fucking miles." This right here sums it up perfectly. I ran NYC in 2014.
I think anyone could train to go sub 4. Depending on how fat you are, it could take time to trim down. Get the right gear (Garmin watch) and Strava. Completing a marathon is all about staying disciplined. I've never actually run a race as short as 26.2, only longer races. I was supposed to run the Tobacco Road marathon in 2020, but it was cancelled the Thursday before the race (Covid) and I had already put in a full training regimen for it.
My goal for Tobacco Road was to get a 2:55. I trained in a somewhat unconventional way doing long cycle rides combined with fast tempo runs. The week before my taper week, I averaged 6:20 pace for 40 miles. My marathon pace goal was to start at about 6:45 pace and do a negative split. I prefer to run with a Camelbak which is unconventional and also like the 100mg gels to pump lots of caffeine in the system. I don't stop for bathroom breaks either and generally pee while running.
The real key to marathon or endurance training that people fail to realize is that you don't have to go out to train and run fast. Distance makes you fast. Run a nice and easy pace if that's your thing. Be consistent in training and you will meet your goals.
I have the Garmin Forerunner 55, which is a pretty basic one I got for around $150. I know you really like the one you have. do you think it's really worth the upgrade?
I have a 2018 Garmin Fenix and it still is going strong - I love it. I think you'll be fine with the Forerunner 55. One thing to consider is getting a HR chest strap. It will give you even more information about running feedback and HR measured is much more accurate than wrist.
Depending on your location, rain can happen as the poster below stated. I would advise to train in the rain. Get used to it. Wear some waterproof bone conduction headphones and have fun in the rain. If the weather causes you to have a bad day, you're not a true athlete. Find victory from within and cherish every moment.
For the marathon training I don't think Garmin upgrades are going to matter much.
But I always upgrade because of everything else the watch does for me . . alerts, controlling podcasts/music, alarm, sleep tracking . . it's on my wrist 24/7 so spending a few hundred bucks to have something slightly smoother every day (cleaner interface/software, better buttons etc) is always worth it because of the high amount of use.
Damn this is sick - what race was this brother?
You probably can. As others have noted it is about dedicating the mileage and not being obese. you dont need expensive watches, just good shoes, socks, and miles. If it's a year away, consider smaller races in the next couple months to see if you really want to commit to more mileage. See if you can commit to a 5k or 10k first. look into plans for the races you commit to: Couch to 5k -> marathon training plan, whatever plan works for you.
Personal opinions: you don't need pouches, snacks, camelbacks, etc for training (plan long runs along areas with consistent amenities like starbucks for a bathroom, parks for bathrooms & water fountains, etc). The race will provide you with relief stations if you need water. On race day & day before race day, don't eat or drink anything out of what you normally did during training (dont "carbo-load", drink 4 gatorades, etc)
There's no guarantee you will enjoy the race. Sometimes you just have a bad running day, bad weather, you're sick, nerves, etc. Be mentally prepared that there will be a lot of waiting on raceday and things wont be perfect. There is an uncomfortably large amount of time standing in a mass of people with little room to stretch/warm up. You will likely warm up too early or not enough. Good luck and try to enjoy the experience!
You can probably do it in 4-6 months of training depending on your current base. NYC is notoriously the hardest world major marathon, which is what makes the sub-4 hour marker a feat for many people.
Also for training regimen, I would recommend lots of flutter kicks. Point your toes, perfect form. You don't want your hip flexors going out during the race.
I am a young adult in good shape. I ran a marathon with zero training after two ish months of doing no cardio. Did it in 4:07. The nutrition provided during the marathon makes a big difference
Unless you're fat, running a marathon is not that hard. I would say most people under 40 with normal BMI should be able to get to sub 4 hours with 6 months training. Build up the volume and stay consistent with two intervals per week to increase V02. Your fitness level will increase a lot.
One of my siblings (who is a mediocre athlete) ran and completed the most recent NYC Marathon in roughly 4:30. They claimed they were injured / not at full strength when running it, hence the mediocre time of 4:30... but I think that's an excuse and they are simply just a mediocre athlete. If this person can run the NYC marathon, anyone can (obviously within reason, i.e. don't come at me about people with disabilities, etc.)
I would separate grueling and hard as two different things.
Is it grueling . . sure. You'll sacrifice huge amounts of time training for it. Other goals of yours will suffer and you want to take stock of what you're going to give up before you invest those months.
But hard? Absolutely not. Look at the hit rate of people setting out to do it, and ultimately completing it. Literally every person I have ever known who wanted to run a marathon, went ahead and did it within a year of wanting to do it. 100% hit rate in my experience, and I'm sure 90%+ for most everyone. Very few goals in life have such a high hit rate.
Yeah running a marathon is impressive. Qualifying for Boston proves you're somewhat good at it.
Agree with everything you are saying but even this I would water down – the level of training required is not that substantial. I always think if you can run a half you can definitely run a full. Obviously not talking about a couch to marathon type program.
Oh, I don't know about that. It takes a lot of commitment to train for a marathon, and the process itself leads to some selection bias - the people who trained and realized "shit, I simply cannot do it" just don't show up. And I'd argue exceptionally few people sign up to run a marathon without being fairly close to being able to do it in the first place.
I ran a half marathon at an 8 minute mile pace (not nearly as difficult as a full marathon obviously) but I don't think I'd even sign up to run a half in 2026 knowing I wouldn't get anywhere close to that time anymore.
The wall generally appears between mile 22 and 24.
Also it has been years since I have run a sub 7 min mile, but I can run almost indefinately at a 9 min pace.
It's like asking "How hard is it to play baseball?" Well, my 6 year old daughter can play baseball. She can throw and catch a ball. And she can hit one if I lob it to her from 10 feet away. Shohei Ohtani can also play baseball.
"Hard" is completely subjective in the case of a marathon. Running a marathon in under 3 hours is extremely hard and takes a ton of disciplined training. Finishing a marathon in 11 hours next to Grandma Ethel and representatives from the National Down Syndrome Alliance isn't very hard.
As long as you can make yourself available to turn some comments after you finish I guess you can step away from the desk for a few hours. Pls keep phone available in case of fire drill.
With a year of training and anything resembling halfway decent shape to start in, sure you can do it.
It is simply not possible to answer how difficult it is. Maybe you're already in okay shape and run 10 miles a week. Maybe you weigh 300 lbs and haven't seen the inside of a gym since grade school. How the fuck do we know which you are? The former could probably run a marathon no problem with several months of training. The latter probably couldn't even walk a marathon with a year's preparation.
NYC is objectively one of the harder major major marathons, simply from a finishing time standpoint (Sydney is harder). For someone who isn't a professional runner, it is probably immaterial whether the world record is 2:04 vs 2:06 in terms of how hard it would be for you, but at least that's actual data, over a sample size that runs in the millions.
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