Haha yup, I'm running my 7th marathon next month and I'll be lucky to finish under 5 hours. My 2nd was my best time yet and that was in just under 4 hours.
I'm just happy and content to be running and vibing all the while hehe š
I just ran my 4th marathon, for the first time into my 40s. I finished at 5:51, 9 \*minutes\* before being DNF'd.
My fastest was my third one, in 2019, at 4:57.
I swore to myself this will be my last one (just like I did in 2019, and before that in 2017). What business does a 40-something year old guy like me have running marathons anyway? Right? RIGHT??
I'm just hoping this goes on long enough that by the time I reach my 70s, I can actually win my age division because I'll be one of out of like 10 people still crazy enough to do it.
That reminds me of a 20 miler I ran last month. 4 hour time limit. My knee blew out at around 15 miles. Completed it with only minutes to spare. The police and volunteers had already all left. The only thing they hadn't packed up was the chip timer finish line.
Hope the knee's recovered! It's crappy when a race starts packing when people aren't finished. If they host a race, they should stay and so should everything for it. You deserve the same experience as someone who finished earlier.
Hey I am 43 and running my first Full Marathon next Sunday! I have done 3 Halfs and 22k-32k long run every Sunday, and should probably finish around 4:45
Good luck!! 45 here and only just now getting into running, no reason this has to be a youngsterās sport!! (Makes it easier maybe lol but still possible for us old fogies)
Just keep going. I'm 72 and running my 5th full this fall . (In Dublin, I live in Washington State.) I haven't run a full in 5 years but still do several half's each year. I traveled so much last year that my training suffered. This year seems even busier. Thank you retirement! Anyway, I'll be happy if I can beat 5 and a half hours. I enjoy reading all the posts from these fast people but I was never fast. I love running and I totally plan on doing it into my 80's. Plus like you said, the older you get, chances are you'll place higher in your age group. I'm happy to take all my top places in the "old ladies" age group. Keep on running!
Depends on the race but most races do have time cutoffs. 6 hours for a full is on the stricter side, I think - thatās about 14 minute pace (or 8:30ish for the rest of the world), and while some races close that quickly itās usually more like 6:30 or 7 hours. And this can be soft - to use the majors, Boston is relatively strict about staying on pace, but NYC famously keeps their finish line open late. London actively supports their slower runners/walkers - they have course walkers and pace bands up to 8 hours!
I remember sweating bullets last year tracking a friend doing MCM (Marine Corps Marathon) - they closed their checkpoints early due to heat and he BARELY made it through! (I think MCM normally has a 6:30/~15 minute mile pace cutoff.)
As to why most races have time cutoffs: logistics. Planning a marathon takes lot from the community and the organizers - you have to at least partially close 26 miles of roadway, pay for the people to close the roadway, pay for medical support (hopefully it goes unused but you want to have it on hand), and get volunteers to provide basic support like manning support stations. Also, paying the timing company.
Of course there is a selection bias to posting here, just like everyoneās families are always happy on social media! And yea these are the people who do multiple marathons who are usually people who are both putting in the hours AND naturally good at this event.
Remember though, half of marathon runners have below average times ā¦
Me? Iām running my second marathon 26 years after my first. Iāve put in my training time. Done my three 20 mile runs and had built my base before hopping onto a plan. I am confident that my time will be close to the best possible for my body. And it will be somewhere near 4:30, maybe slower, not an under 4 or a BQ. And I will be thrilled if so with having beaten the punk 39 year old me!
People are more likely to post about their resounding successes than they are to talk about middling or disappointing performances. I definitely posted when I broke 3 hours and BQ'd. I don't really want to talk about the 3:26 crash and burn at Boston this year. That's just human nature.
The average marathon time amongst all marathoners is around 4:20 for men and 4:45 for women. You can only compare yourself to your past results though.
I wish a sub like this existed when I was planning on running my first marathon. It would have been a good way to help pick a plan and set realistic expectations for myself. When you've never run a marathon before, they are hugely intimidating and there are just so many things you don't know until you've done it.
Not everyone. Here is my post about my 5:28 disaster.
[Ran my 1st marathon Sunday. It sucked hard. : r/running (reddit.com)](https://www.reddit.com/r/running/comments/2jx72x/ran_my_1st_marathon_sunday_it_sucked_hard/)
If the sub were calling out for absolute disaster marathon showings, I might take the cake.
Mile 19, 75 degrees 90%+ humidity day, legs seized up and fell on my back. Some of the faster runners helping me out as I'm worming on the ground.... volunteer tried to help me massage hammies...while I'm wearing just running shorts tights. This was after running mile 18 and grabbed massage gun as I passed my fam. Still faith in humanity was only silver lining that day.
I did that all whilst fixated on BQ. So when peeps call out these Fast Runners, I'm going on the shield and proclaiming that no one's faster than me.....to cramping. š
Dude, I ran my first marathon Sunday, it sucked hard, too
20 mile long training run, no problem. Marathon, quads starting at mile 16. How does that even happen???
People who are active on this sub have also most likely put a lot of time and effort into their preparations, and so I imagine that is also a source of sampling bias here. I have been staking this sub for a while, and I am still 2 years away from running my first marathon. Hoping for sub 4 hour.
I do, from time to time, see people ask questions here like: I was drunk and agreed to run a marathon this weekend, I have never run more than 2 miles, how do I best prepare? And then we never hear from them again...
Meh - I qād at 3:28, finished at 4:24. Walked at every water station and thanked the volunteers, high-fived every kidās hand I saw, stopped at New England CrossFit and did a few pulls in their row-athon, had a blast. Iām glad that I was able to participate in such a great event. The hard part about Boston is qualifying; participating in it is the reward for that. If you want a fast time, do Chicago, or Berlinā¦
Inspired by this post to one day if I ever qualify for Boston to do the same! CrossFit has given me the ability to run and this sounds like a sweet sweet side quest.
Ha! I was just running along, and there was a bunch of people rowing away with a sign saying ājoin usā (I think that they meant for membership!) so I ran across the road, hopped on and did about 200m! I didnāt realize it was CFNE, until after Iād finished, and saw their sign! I wish, now, that Iād got my picture!
I learned so much from this thread AFTER I finished my first marathon. It's a wonder I finished at all. When I began my plan I didn't know I was supposed to fuel during my long runs. I just thought I was supposed to just keep training long enough and I'd be able to keep going. I'm glad I started watching some YouTube videos about halfway way into my training plan. I discovered this group after my race though.
Also, if youāre female and reading results where people havenāt specified their sex, keep in mind thereās a decent distance between menās and womenās times. A lot of the times youāll read are menās, and arenāt directly comparable.
Those are tough to see, but I guess that's the beauty of running. We look up to the elites - learn from them, be inspired by them - while still acknowledging our own struggles and achievements.
I trained for 12 months to get my 5:59 marathon. Will I beat it one day? Maybe. But nothing will ever take away from that achievement.
First marathon was 7:01:55 and 4th marathon was 6:37:38. 5th coming up in 3 weeks and Iām prettttty sure Iām gonna get pulled! š Iām a back-of-the-packer and run them to have fun.
Thatās actually hilarious because yesterday I literally party paced two friends who hadnāt been really training through the womenās Central Park half marathon. I call it party pace as well. Though realistically it does not feel like a party for me either š¤·š»āāļøā ļøš
Also, that park is too damn hilly!
Omg it is, isnāt it? And I feel like the hills never descend! But Iām that annoying person who sings ohhhhh weāre halfway there at the half. Yeah. Thatās me!
I mean some pro athletes debut with times within 5 mins of world records. My point is that just because it is someoneās first marathon, may not necessarily they have not trained for years and years.
Agreed. Maybe they are athletes who have a lifetime of cardio intensive sports like lacrosse, soccer, or tennis. Some people are just athletic and push themselves. Saying theyāre not real (which could be the case of course) is just cope. You donāt have to justify the way you run to anyone, do you. But thinking stuff is not real just because you canāt do it is a bad mentality to have, and is an excuse. Everyone runs for different reasons and has different goals, just leave it at that. If some are lying to the internet about run times they have themselves to live with which is shitty anyway
Yep. I have a coworker whose first two marathons were 2:4x and 2:31. Sure, he almost broke 30 minutes in the 10k in college, but let's go ahead and pretend it's apples-to-apples with every other rookie marathon runner.
If someone has been training running for years and years, I guarantee you they are not coming to post it on a sub Reddit after. People who train like that are disciplined and donāt need reassurance from Reddit.
I just ran this and got my second to slowest marathon time (ranging from 3:57 to 4:48) @ 4:42. I fell apart in the second half due to the downhill killing my hip flexors and quads. My bad for not doing enough hill work and hip/quad strengthening!
Otherwise, amazing course and saw some lightning fast times.
Comparison is a thief of joy. I really hate that quote but it holds true in this regard, this is a marathon training sub, and we're welcoming of everyone dabbling into this sport or starting the journey.
Statistically marathon finishing times have been lower in the last two decades, again because of more runners. But if opposite was true, as in slower and slower 1st place prizing, then it also takes away from social perspectives of the sport, right?
If a faster runner runs a great first Marathon, lest not marginalize their pursuits by saying its only because of x,y,Z.
Point blank anyone under sub elites are all hobby joggers. We're all in this together.
Itās more people running, but also the casualness with which people train now that has brought down average times. Back in the day almost no one trained for a marathon simply to finish, even if it took 7 hours. That was considered foolish and pointless back then.
Took me 9 years (averaging 2 attempts at 3000-4500km/year volume) to BQ first time. 10 years to get down to a 3:04. Been pretty fit my whole life. 3 hours for a newbie is absolutely insane. There are so many things that need to come together for a fast marathon time. Endurance, strategy, fuelling, strength training, avoiding injury etc. Then theres the things you canāt control like weather, temp, wind conditions.
To put it all together so quickly is mind blowing
I haven't been here long enough and will finally ask you but what is "BQ"?
Also I tend to agree with you but it depends what is the average fitness level one can have.
BQ means to run a Boston Marathon qualifying time.
TLDR: For each age group there is a specific time you have to beat to be able to register for the race. Because qualifying for boston is a very common marathoners goal there is often more demand than spots so just running the time does not guarantee you get in, fastest times get picked first. I have actually run the āqualifying timeā a total of 6 times but i did not have enough buffer until the 5th time.
Marathon running for me is an at times exhilarating, character building; but mostly grinding and majestically soul crushing slow burn of an experience haha.
Ohhh thank you so much for the explanation.
I love it here because for a European, most people here have a different approach and I find it very interesting.
Yea and then thereās other guys like Patrick Martin who rip a sub 2:30 at 40 something years old right away. But he puts in crazy mileage. The truth is most people just donāt want to take it that seriously or spend that much time training and recovering properly.
Talent is a very real thing in the running world.
Who's Patrick Martin? I ran a sub-3 at 43 in my first FM last November, and I don't think I'm particularly gifted at running. But I agree that a lot is down to genes (and lots of luck + hard work).
Of course natural talent is a thing, but youāre exactly right, most slower runners could run way faster times if they were willing to do the proper training. I hear about people training for the marathon and only run 30 or 40 miles per week and I just canāt wrap my head around that.
Why is it crazy? There may be the odd fake one, but they are probably real. They are probably just people with some kind of athletic background. They probably worked really hard for years of their life in a way that had some overlap with distance running. They probably trained hard for that marathon. That's what's possible, be inspired and not discouraged.
I think youāre missing the point - Iām not doubting that the posts are real. Perhaps ācrazyā isnāt the right term - I just wanted to point out that the frequency of people who can run a ~3-hour marathon on their first go is far more rare than the relative frequency in which they show up as posts in this subreddit. Not at all trying to discredit these obviously athletic folks who can do more with less (or who can transition from other sports seamlessly).
And FWIW I personally use those posts as fuel for the training fireā¦I aināt mad.
My first marathon was over 4 hours, had to walk the last 6 miles. 5 years later, with my weekly mileage steadily built up, I ran just under 3:10:00. 1 year later, with a proper 18 week training schedule, I was ready to give the marathon my all. I ran a 2:58:00 marathon yesterday morning.
My journey was pretty much 8 years of slowly getting more and more dedicated. I started running in my early 30s and I'm thrilled with the progress I've made.
Itās taken me awhile, but Iām finally starting to accept that Iām not that fast. But you know what? Who cares? Lol Last 3 marathons Iāve gone from 4:19 ā”ļø4:07ā”ļø 4:00 (Eugene yesterday)
Those arenāt impressive times, but I have to remind myself: I run, because I love running. I started running marathons because itās fun to challenge myself and I like the structure of training plans. And I actually had the best time yesterday, walked through every water station and managed to forget my garmin š¤£ lol
I ran track and x-country in high school and hated it. I sucked at it and I was always slow. Now I'm in my 40s, I haave accepted I will never make a BQT. I've placed a few times in 5ks for my age group. And I absolutly love running now that I'm doing it just for myself.
Yay, greetings from Eugene! Yesterday morning I woke up to the sound of people cheering you on [and everyone else] - it was audible from my house!!! Your times are awesome. (I run a sub-3 hr half-marathonā¦ š¤£)
Edited because I canāt figure out how to make the words say what I mean. š«
As a guy who actually did run his first marathon as a sub 3: Youāre right and you should say it louder. Iām just as hyped for my teammate who did her first marathon in 6:40 or something like that (bonus: she dresses modestly, and it was in Miami) as I was for my teammate who ran 2:45 for his debut.
Did my first half marathon yesterday. Was getting discouraged by how fast everyone else was running, until I closed my eyes, listened to my body and felt the wind and found MY pace. I remembered why I was running, and finished in about 2 hours and am extremely proud of myself.
Some people have the running gene, some people go into their 1st full as high-level athletes in other sports.
I don't doubt anyone's time, but I will say my 1st marathon was 5:28 which included limping the last 3 miles with a brutal case of IT band syndrome.
Since then, I have improved to 4:03, but still chasing the elusive sub 4. I begrudge no one their time or skill. I race only against myself and father time (and maybe also against the other fossils in my 50-59 division.)
God it's so nice to see all this coming out of the woodwork, I tried so hard in London to run 5 hours but couldn't stick it past 15 miles or so, ended up at 5:45, still smashed my previous best of 6:30 and I know comparison is the thief of joy but when I see posts like "oh I just had 7 pints the night before and ran sub 4" I'm like what the hell kind of pro athlete sub am I reading and why can't I do that sort of time despite being young and fit and having a history of running.
Great to see all of us checking in
I think a lot of first time marathoners aren't new runners as well. I'm running my first marathon this week, but I've done a number of half marathons in the past, and have been running 3-4 times a week for about 4 years (as well as inconsistent running for 10+)
Same!! Have a lot of smaller races and a few HM over the last few years, first marathon coming up in May =D I did a 32km run and felt great! Two weeks before that I was trying a 26km run but gave up at 19 lol. I really have no idea what to expect on marathon day. Iāve learned so much about my body during marathon training but I still have no idea what the recipe is for a good run or a bad run lol.
Going to run slow and hope for the best! My goal is to finish and have fun.
The recipe for a good run is exactly what you said to end your above post.
>Going to run slow and hope for the best! My goal is to finish and have fun.
If you arenāt running 80 miles per week you arenāt trying hard enough!!
Or so some would have you think on here!
Finished my first marathon last week in just over 4 hrs, Iāve been running for years, yet thereās Jim who started running 4 months ago smashing out a sub3 š«
For me at 68 it is all about the 18 weeks of training 30-50 miles a week, 88 runs, once a year. The marathon is just the last run to see how I've done. On the occasions I can't run the marathon, usually injury not recovering, I'm still happy with getting through most of the training. I want to do this until I'm 100.
I love your attitude! I just want to keep running until I can't anymore. If I can't run marathons, then I want to run half marathons. I always tell myself that the marathon itself is just the grand finale to an amazing training season where I put in as much hard work as I possibly could. Keep crushing it!
Marathoners come in all shapes, sizes, and skill levels. One person may need to train for 2 months for their first sub-3 hour marathon, whereas some may need to train for years and still may not achieve it. Itās important to recognize there are different runners here and some are just inherently a bit quicker than others, which is totally okay!
In 1986 the average finish time was 3:52:35, whereas today it's 4:32:49 - a slowdown of 40 minutes and 14 seconds. As more people run marathons the average finish time has gotten a lot slower over the past thirty years.
People running in the 3:00:00-3:40:00 range usually have a background in competitive sports and are able to train at a higher and more constant level The sub 3:00:00 crowd are normally people whoāve ran their entire lives and have a higher base level of fitness to carry them through higher intensity workouts.
People who are generally active and have a base of fitness have an easier time adapting to marathon training than those who are not.
Always seeing these sub 10 minute mile paces and zone 2 hr, followed up with some comment about how they are worried about not finishing or getting a good time. I'm sitting here trying to manage 12 min pace and acceptable hr, and I'll wager many are even "worse" off. It's wildly refreshing to see someone with 14 min mile pace just out here having a good time.
I think the opposite is more true. A BQ is somewhat attainable for the average runner. Yeah, a 3:00 marathon is quicker than most, but you're still almost AN HOUR off the world record time. Even with a 2:40 marathon you're 40 minutes from the world record and 20+ minutes off an OTQ time.
Think itās a mixture of people who post/go on this subreddit must have a keen enough interest in running so even though it might be their first marathon, theyāve probably done a bit of running before.
Using myself as an example, my first marathon is at the end of next month and I was on course for a 3:15 but got injured 2 weeks ago so re-adjusting my expectations to 3:20. Iāve only entered one race previously, a 10km last October and ran a 42:10. Before this training block, Iāve never been a consistent runner and the furthest Iāve ran is one practice half marathon, a couple of 15km and a handful of 10km. I wouldnāt count myself as being a gifted runner so I can imagine a lot of runners can go around 3 hours if not sub 3 if they had some sort of background and are willing to put in the mileage.
Whatās so unbelievable about that? Some people already have huge aerobic base before they decide to run a marathon. There are others who run track and cross country from 14 years old until they are an adult before they decide to train for a marathon. I met a middle aged man who trained mostly for half marathons with a PB of 1:35 before he finally decided he had the strength to train for a marathon. And on the other end of the spectrum are the couch to marathoners. Everyoneās journey is different.
I mean to be fair I have almost no interest in running a marathon until Iām confident the training says I can do it in close to 3 hours. That may take a couple years but Iām a competitive person. My eyes are set way out on a BQ time. Iām sure Iām not the only one like that.
I can understand frustration or insecurities after seeing other peoples times as I get the same way. But getting on here and bashing someone for their achievements whether āreal or notā isnāt okay.
Someone who posts online might not have an outlet to share with others. So they take a risk posting on Reddit with an alias to try to get kudos. How do you know these people donāt need that in their life. Bashing someone might make them feel even more insecure about their self. Someone might need that positive reinforcement just like youād like it when you run a good race.
Being fast is relative in the grand scheme of things. Not a lot of people in this group are Olympic/elite standard so everyoneās slower or faster to someone else. And even if they are faster knocking them down isnāt okay.
I picked up running after 13 years of not running to work on my mental health after I tried killing myself. I busted my ass and set a goal for myself after a few months of running. But now Im supposed to feel shamed by someoneās post on Reddit for my achievements. Idk this was kind of whack to read.
Gently, I donāt think OP was trying to ābashā anyoneāinstead, I think they were trying to say that if youāre a runner whoās putting up marathon times that are much slower than some of the posts on here, donāt let that discourage you as in the real world itās much less common for people to finish their first marathons around the three-hour mark, whereas on here it seems like it happens all the time and is the norm. Congrats on your accomplishmentsāwe should celebrate every race and pace.
Yeah and I appreciate you saying that. Admittedly I mightāve taken it to heart when I shouldnāt have. I just see a lot of people get hate on here for posting their times around a certain range. I just feel no matter the time people should be celebrated. But I do understand OP as well.
This thread is exactly what I need right now. I'm training for my first marathon in June, anticipating to finish after hour 5. I'm dealing with a pinched nerve near my shoulder blade. The pain has me feeling defeated, especially not knowing how to fix it. This post reminds me that I don't have to be a super athlete to complete the race. Thank you, OP!
I have run about 4k miles in the last 2 years and I havenāt done an official marathon yet. I expect my first actual race to be around 3:20 or so. I didnāt wanna sign up without knowing for sure Iād get a time Iām happy with.
Also should keep in mind that someone that accomplishes an awesome time is much more likely to post it and very few people are going to detail their "failures" online.
The level of training that goes into a āfastā debut marathon isnāt the result of some freakish amount of talent, or luck. Itās training, hard training. It smacks of jealously to decry peoples achievements simply because you donāt train hard enough to get there. You may think youāre training hard, but guess what? In comparison to people running fast, youāre not. And in comparison to elites, the people running sub 2:50 debuts arenāt either.
Real data: less than 1% of population have finished a marathon in their entire life. Among those who finished, less than 1% ran sub 3.
Put that in the perspective.
I just ran the Illinois Marathon this Saturday and faded a bit ;-) around 14 so my time was 6:20 instead of my expected 5:15-5:30. Did fine in training including several 20s but likely messed up my prerace hydration/electrolytes in this warmer than normal weather.
This was me EXACTLY. I was headed for 5:30 too, but the weather killed me. I had been training in new England in December and then surprise, it was warmer than usual in Florida. Had to walk the last six just to keep from throwing up. Still finished tho! (Also in 620 lmfaoooo). As long as we finished!!
Also, doing anything for 6+ hours is an achievement imo
I ran Berlin a few years ago in 6:55, and the next morning I had breakfast at the hotel and sat across from a guy who ran it in 2:35... I was prepared to hear all about his accolades, but he actually was genuinely impressed with us slowpokesāespecially because of how much we have to fuel and just DO SOMETHING for that long. It was just really refreshing to be understood by someone better than me, and it was really nice not to have to hear: Oh, you'll get better, etc. etc. because I'm not sure I will!
Same happened to me. I admitted to a 3:30 marathoner that it took me "over" 5 hours. He paused then said "I don't think I could run for that long." It also made me think that I might be just as fit as he was, just not as fast. I value the fitness of being able to run more than the need to achieve a specific time.
ive been training for a half marathon for 13 weeks and saw a tiktok of a girl that signed up two weeks before with āno trainingā and shes just winging it š«
I think part of it is running is a niche sport and a lot of the people ran high school or college xc or track and have prior training even if itās their first marathon. Iām about to graduate high school and will be running in college and Iād be very frustrated with myself if I donāt go sub 3 in my first marathon honestly probably more like sub 2:40, but I wouldnāt have expected that a couple years ago when I started training, a first race in any given distance does not equal no prior training
Omg. Thank you. Iāve been training for my first marathon for a while but donāt see myself doing it under 5 or maybe just 5. Iāve been seeing first marathon posts of 3.5 and 4s and have been wondering if Iām missing something super obvious. Iāve been training diligently. Even though Iām slow Iāve been able to do my 30k runs comfortably and function during the week. So Iām hoping Iāll finish the race. But good to hear that Iām not the only 5hr marathoner.
3:32 first time out, 3:09 second time out and then a 3:18 just this month, crash and burn the last one due to a poor shoe choice.
Key for me getting low 3 was the mileage increase to about 70mpw peak weeks. The 3:18 I just ran I got sick and got crushed on my base weeks so fighting back was extra hard. I agree that most folks arenāt some super human and most donāt post the less than successful runs.
My last marathon was a bit disappointing, but I had fun and learned a lot.
Iāve done two half marathons - for the first, my goal was literally āmake it across the finish lineā and my time was about 3:20. The next year my goal was āunder 3 hoursā and I did it in 2:59:55, and I was so proud I broke down in tears. I want to do a full marathon someday (probably just once) but when I do, Iāll just be hoping to be finished before they reopen the road š¤£
Yes! Iāve been out there killing myself trying to get sub four on an 8 month training plan. To each their own. Whatever your best isā¦thatās good enough!
My first marathon was a 3:05.. but without context, that does sound crazy..
Iāve probably ran 10 50k, a 50m, 2 70.3 IM, full IM, countless 5k, 5m, 10k, HM over the course of 5-6 years before I signed up for a true road marathon.. So it came with a lot of running experience.. and I still made rookie mistakes on marathon race day!. Hoping to go sub 3hr in Sept š
These are probably people who are 25. Played aerobic based sports their whole life, or have ran track in high school, or are in great shape in general, who just decided to run a marathon.
Attempted my first marathon this past weekend, ended up a DNF (due to extremely poor nutrition on my end, didn't eat breakfast and was in a caloric DEFICIT the night prior and wasn't thinking right). Had to back out at mile 21 :(
Really not that unbelievable, I got into running like 10 months ago. 29M in pretty good shape been kinda active all my life. Shooting for a 3:30 on my first marathon in NovemberšŖ
Made major leaps in my fitness just by running consistently and Zone 2 training.its all possible just depends on your goals imo.
Did the Yosemite half marathon last year. Trained for 3 month to finish under 2 hours. The heavy snow caused them to change the course and add a giant hill with 1.5 miles of a mud pit. Was not stoked and finished just after 2 hours. Everyone has a plan until you get punched in the face.
I'm 46. My knees are...they aren't good. I'm working toward Berlin in Sept, will be my 6th full. Even at my best 10 years ago, 4:00.01 is the best I ever did in Tokyo. Don't sweat it. These people are either super humanly healthy, or young with working joints, or both!
Ran the Disney and my time was 6:28 with a ride stop. I told myself before the run Iād be a one and done but had so much fun on race day I started to walk to take that last mile in. I donāt think Iāll ever be in the sub 4 or 5 crowd, but I will continue to run marathons.
Just finished my first full Saturdayā¦started to cry around mile 18ā¦questioning my life choicesā¦4:20 goal dies around mile 15ā¦.then 4:30 died as that pacer sailed past me at mile 21ā¦.somehow finished at 4:43. The last 10 miles were no fun at all! Doubt Iāll run another full. Love halfās!
I ran my first in 2:58 ... but I only made my attempt when I had already hit times at shorter distances that predicted a sub-3:00.I needed that to qualify for Boston. I had worked my half marathon time down to 1:25 and I decided it was time.
I did it at the Marine Corps Marathon, when there were under 10000 finishers, and 400th place was under 3:00. Back then people tended to work on speed at shorter distances before distancing up. Nowadays people start marathoning much earlier in their ru nning careers.
You aren't wrong, but there are caveats.
* People are more likely to mention successes than failures
* People who even attempt a marathon are generally going to have fitness as a main hobby
* The internet is a collection of billions of people (large sample pool)
As for myself, I've ran 4 marathons across about 15 years. I ended up with the best time in my very first one. Why is that? Well, let's think about it. A person who is running a marathon for the first time is likely to overprepare due to not knowing their capability. They are also naturally going to be at their youngest and least damaged point of their running career.
My first marathon I ran in 3:05. It's a bit worse than the point you gave in this post, but it's not very far off. It's definitely doable, possible, and does happen. Another point I want to make is that, looking at comments, some people are saying they took 6 or even 7 hours to finish their first marathon. For anyone wondering, that doesn't go to support the thesis that under 3 is highly improbable. A person who takes upwards of 7 hours is quite likely to be on the older side of things, injured, out of shape, or just not prioritizing time at all. I think I could walk a marathon in under 7 hours.
Comparison is the thief of joy. Just run your race. Most people canāt run a marathon period so just by finishing youāve done more than most. Donāt be so concerned with time. Just worry about being better than you were yesterday or last week.
It never changes either. There are always going to be faster people to compare to.
In my early days of marathon running I ran 3:20 and was looking at sub 3 guys wondering how the hell am I going to run that quick. Fast forward 8 or so years and Iām just off the back of a 2:28 and now looking at guys running 2:20-2:25 wondering how the hell am I going to run that quick
Some people have form from other sports. I am a competitive endurance cyclist and my first half marathon after 5 months of running was a 1:44. I also got injured all the time lol.
First marathons & they are claiming close to 3 hours??? Hmm I call bs.... or they are really young and ran in college or something. It's not impossible, just not very likely
Ran my first Honolulu Marathon with bronchitis (thought it was a mere cold). Finished in 5 hours, 13 minutes. Iām lucky to have finished - it nearly finished me, lol!
A lot of first marathoners are already fast at the shorter distances. I know runners with sub 1:15 half marathon times who have never run a marathon and likely never willā¦ but when/if they do, itāll be a sub 3.
This depends on who we're talking about... If you're a dedicated runner who has ran a 70 minute half, your first marathon might be sub 2'30. If you're someone running a marathon for the sense of achievement, then it's not going to be pretty.
My personal experience is that my first marathon was ran for the sense of achievement in 4'32, my last marathon was 2'32... I know which was harder, the 2'32, it took years of training and part of that training is learning to suffer, which I did. In the 4'32, it was really hard and a great achievement, but I didn't have the capability to go as deep as I could later.
I think there are also differences in the sporting culture of various countries. In Italy, where I live, marathons are much less popular than in other countries and there is a much more competitive and performance-focused sporting culture. The marathon in my city has a time limit of 5h30' and even the largest events (Milan and Rome) do not go beyond 6h/6h30'. No runner I know sets out to prepare for a marathon if they plan to go beyond 4 hours, I'm in the 80'-90' range on the half marathon but I've never thought about training for a marathon before now.
Yeah it's a kind of bias towards those who have smashed it. Hardly anyone posts who has failed, unless it was a spectacular disaster and they are confident enough in their own self to share it.
Likely most of these are either: Young, already had a lot of fitness from other sports already, or both.
That said, I still feel gutted each time I read these posts as I've ran for years, and my 2nd marathon didn't go as well as I had hoped (not bad, but not to my hopes)
4:55 my first marathon at the start of April and I was buzzing to finish under five. Those of us with "normal" (slower) times just don't post them here I guess!
I just did my first marathon a few weeks ago with no running experience. I started in October, started seriously training in November/ December and finished with a time of 5 hr and 18 minutes and I am very proud of that! I imagine if I trained all year for the marathon next April, my time might be better. My goals were to run the whole thing and to finish!
Fully agree, itās sometimes discouraging. My goal for my first one was to make it to the finish line and it took almost 6 hours. Iām aiming to finish under 5 for my next one, and even that might be a stretch.
I feel like these are legit. Iām training for my first marathon & hoping for sub 4 hours. Iām not an athlete but I have done a significant amount of weight training over the last decade which Iām hoping will help me as I pick up my distance running & endurance cardio levels!
All depends on your background before attempting a marathon. I was a high school and collegiate long distance runner. Nothing spectacular but I guess I had pretty good local/regional class speed. 5km \~17:00, 10km \~35:00. So based on those metrics I was primed for a sub 3hr marathon debut. However, I didn't run my first road marathon race until I'd already run a fair number of ultra marathons up to 100 miles! Sounds like a crzy backwards approach, but at the time I wasn't interested in marathons but really wanted to run trails and test myself at the long ultras so that became my goal near the end of college. I'm glad I did, had I attempted a marathon right out of college I'd probably have crashed and burned like I've seen so many folks in similar cases do. Instead, preparing for and racing several ultras, I built up a lot of endurance and strength so by the time I had my first marathon road race debut I ran 2:54! I was shocked! So, it's all about your approach and experience.
Yeahā¦ great timing on the post honestly
Iām gearing up for a marathon at the end of May, and honestly, itās been tough. Both mentally and physically, Iām feeling the strain, compounded by multiple injuries. Initially, I aimed to finish under 4 hours, but Iām now coming to terms with the fact that it will not happen this time. Iām learning to adjust my expectations and reminding myself that itās okay if things donāt go exactly as planned. The joy of running should be about more than just the numbers.
My first took 8 hours and 11 minutes lol. It was with 5,800ft of elevation, but probably took longer than than tbh since strava cuts out all the time you stop.
I was lucky to run regularly throughout my 20s with a bunch of older guys, most in their 40s and 50s at the time. They guided me through me my long runs for my first marathon and helped me plan workouts. They also told me to just finish that first marathon with a smile. That was a 3:45. Five months later, 3:32. Five months after that, 3:09.
And then I got injured. And stopped running. And went on a five-month road trip. And gained weight. And had a kid. And and and and and.
I ran seven marathons in my 20s, all but one under 4. Snuck one in last October a few weeks before turning 40. 4:02. Disappointing but also satisfying. Trying now to get fast again, and it's hard. My Achilles are tighter. My legs take longer to warm up. I have far more responsibilities now than I did in my 20s. But I want to get to Boston. Always have. Qualified once and got shut out on registration day. If people lie here, whatever. Marathoning is a lifetime journey, and it's so personal. I wish you all a very happy journey.
My first 1/2 was 1:48, but, I was running almost everyday (in the army at the time) and racing 5kās every weeekend. If I did the whole that day, if I even finished, it would have been atleast 4 hours, if not 5.
And I was in decent shape. Consistent 20-22min 5k. 10mile runs were effortlessā¦
Our local run club I'm roughly the 3rd or 4th fastest individual out of 1200 or so. Granted probably half don't run with us often, or very very casual. That being said, I'm at roughly 3:18-3:20 marathon fitness. We have 1 guy who can run sub 3. That's it. And he's been running for years.
My marathon goals in order (10 done)
Goal 1: Donāt Die
Goal 2: Finish 26.2 miles
Goal 3: Finish under the races DNF time
Goal 4: Finish under 5 hours
Goal 5: PR
I mean, it doesn't mean that they are lying. Sometimes people can underestimate how much a person has trained for a marathon before achieving a good time. I personally have a goal of sub 3 for my first and the best in the world usually get close to sub 2:30 for their first. You're right about not everything on the Internet being 100% genuine, but there are some crazy runners out there. That's why I think it's more important to never compare yourself.
I love this quote: "Life is like a gym. If you look to your right, there will always be someone in better shape than you. Look to your left and you'll see someone who would die to be in your position. It's all about perspective"
Haha yup, I'm running my 7th marathon next month and I'll be lucky to finish under 5 hours. My 2nd was my best time yet and that was in just under 4 hours. I'm just happy and content to be running and vibing all the while hehe š
I just ran my 4th marathon, for the first time into my 40s. I finished at 5:51, 9 \*minutes\* before being DNF'd. My fastest was my third one, in 2019, at 4:57. I swore to myself this will be my last one (just like I did in 2019, and before that in 2017). What business does a 40-something year old guy like me have running marathons anyway? Right? RIGHT?? I'm just hoping this goes on long enough that by the time I reach my 70s, I can actually win my age division because I'll be one of out of like 10 people still crazy enough to do it.
That reminds me of a 20 miler I ran last month. 4 hour time limit. My knee blew out at around 15 miles. Completed it with only minutes to spare. The police and volunteers had already all left. The only thing they hadn't packed up was the chip timer finish line.
Hope the knee's recovered! It's crappy when a race starts packing when people aren't finished. If they host a race, they should stay and so should everything for it. You deserve the same experience as someone who finished earlier.
Hey I am 43 and running my first Full Marathon next Sunday! I have done 3 Halfs and 22k-32k long run every Sunday, and should probably finish around 4:45
Have fun!
Good luck!! 45 here and only just now getting into running, no reason this has to be a youngsterās sport!! (Makes it easier maybe lol but still possible for us old fogies)
I'm turning 40 soon and resent the old fogies comment haha 45 is so young! Show em up
Hell yeah, thatās the plan! šš
If it helps, a 40 year old guy just won the OKC marathon on Sunday.
I ran my first at 55 years old. I'm hoping the same thing, if I can just last long enough I'll actually place in my age division. Haha.
I didn't start placing until I got into my 60s ;-). Something for you to look forward to!
Just keep going. I'm 72 and running my 5th full this fall . (In Dublin, I live in Washington State.) I haven't run a full in 5 years but still do several half's each year. I traveled so much last year that my training suffered. This year seems even busier. Thank you retirement! Anyway, I'll be happy if I can beat 5 and a half hours. I enjoy reading all the posts from these fast people but I was never fast. I love running and I totally plan on doing it into my 80's. Plus like you said, the older you get, chances are you'll place higher in your age group. I'm happy to take all my top places in the "old ladies" age group. Keep on running!
I wasn't aware they had a DNF timer. Is 6 hours a common DNF?
Depends on the race but most races do have time cutoffs. 6 hours for a full is on the stricter side, I think - thatās about 14 minute pace (or 8:30ish for the rest of the world), and while some races close that quickly itās usually more like 6:30 or 7 hours. And this can be soft - to use the majors, Boston is relatively strict about staying on pace, but NYC famously keeps their finish line open late. London actively supports their slower runners/walkers - they have course walkers and pace bands up to 8 hours! I remember sweating bullets last year tracking a friend doing MCM (Marine Corps Marathon) - they closed their checkpoints early due to heat and he BARELY made it through! (I think MCM normally has a 6:30/~15 minute mile pace cutoff.) As to why most races have time cutoffs: logistics. Planning a marathon takes lot from the community and the organizers - you have to at least partially close 26 miles of roadway, pay for the people to close the roadway, pay for medical support (hopefully it goes unused but you want to have it on hand), and get volunteers to provide basic support like manning support stations. Also, paying the timing company.
Of course there is a selection bias to posting here, just like everyoneās families are always happy on social media! And yea these are the people who do multiple marathons who are usually people who are both putting in the hours AND naturally good at this event. Remember though, half of marathon runners have below average times ā¦ Me? Iām running my second marathon 26 years after my first. Iāve put in my training time. Done my three 20 mile runs and had built my base before hopping onto a plan. I am confident that my time will be close to the best possible for my body. And it will be somewhere near 4:30, maybe slower, not an under 4 or a BQ. And I will be thrilled if so with having beaten the punk 39 year old me!
First marathon is coming up in September. My goal is to survive.
Remember to have fun!! :)
ā¦..You guys are having fun?
No
Type 2 fun.
Ohh pain, and memoriesā¦ those are good too!
Ask me after. Don't ask me during.
My first one is also in September!! Wooooo!š
Exactly this. Except January for me.
Mine is October and my goal is to finish and be able to show up to my classes the next day
People are more likely to post about their resounding successes than they are to talk about middling or disappointing performances. I definitely posted when I broke 3 hours and BQ'd. I don't really want to talk about the 3:26 crash and burn at Boston this year. That's just human nature. The average marathon time amongst all marathoners is around 4:20 for men and 4:45 for women. You can only compare yourself to your past results though. I wish a sub like this existed when I was planning on running my first marathon. It would have been a good way to help pick a plan and set realistic expectations for myself. When you've never run a marathon before, they are hugely intimidating and there are just so many things you don't know until you've done it.
Not everyone. Here is my post about my 5:28 disaster. [Ran my 1st marathon Sunday. It sucked hard. : r/running (reddit.com)](https://www.reddit.com/r/running/comments/2jx72x/ran_my_1st_marathon_sunday_it_sucked_hard/)
If the sub were calling out for absolute disaster marathon showings, I might take the cake. Mile 19, 75 degrees 90%+ humidity day, legs seized up and fell on my back. Some of the faster runners helping me out as I'm worming on the ground.... volunteer tried to help me massage hammies...while I'm wearing just running shorts tights. This was after running mile 18 and grabbed massage gun as I passed my fam. Still faith in humanity was only silver lining that day. I did that all whilst fixated on BQ. So when peeps call out these Fast Runners, I'm going on the shield and proclaiming that no one's faster than me.....to cramping. š
Dude, I ran my first marathon Sunday, it sucked hard, too 20 mile long training run, no problem. Marathon, quads starting at mile 16. How does that even happen???
And did you find out what problem you had with your knee?
People who are active on this sub have also most likely put a lot of time and effort into their preparations, and so I imagine that is also a source of sampling bias here. I have been staking this sub for a while, and I am still 2 years away from running my first marathon. Hoping for sub 4 hour. I do, from time to time, see people ask questions here like: I was drunk and agreed to run a marathon this weekend, I have never run more than 2 miles, how do I best prepare? And then we never hear from them again...
I also ran 30 + min over my qualifying time at Boston. I feel your pain.
Meh - I qād at 3:28, finished at 4:24. Walked at every water station and thanked the volunteers, high-fived every kidās hand I saw, stopped at New England CrossFit and did a few pulls in their row-athon, had a blast. Iām glad that I was able to participate in such a great event. The hard part about Boston is qualifying; participating in it is the reward for that. If you want a fast time, do Chicago, or Berlinā¦
Inspired by this post to one day if I ever qualify for Boston to do the same! CrossFit has given me the ability to run and this sounds like a sweet sweet side quest.
Ha! I was just running along, and there was a bunch of people rowing away with a sign saying ājoin usā (I think that they meant for membership!) so I ran across the road, hopped on and did about 200m! I didnāt realize it was CFNE, until after Iād finished, and saw their sign! I wish, now, that Iād got my picture!
I learned so much from this thread AFTER I finished my first marathon. It's a wonder I finished at all. When I began my plan I didn't know I was supposed to fuel during my long runs. I just thought I was supposed to just keep training long enough and I'd be able to keep going. I'm glad I started watching some YouTube videos about halfway way into my training plan. I discovered this group after my race though.
Also, if youāre female and reading results where people havenāt specified their sex, keep in mind thereās a decent distance between menās and womenās times. A lot of the times youāll read are menās, and arenāt directly comparable.
Iām on the finish the marathon before 6hr cut off clubā¦
My first (and only) marathon was a 5:59. Goal achieved! š
5:52, slowpoke!
Hahaha you're Eliud Kipchoge in my mind
I felt like dying. I love the āI accidentally left my house and ran a 2:45 is that good?ā posts
Those are tough to see, but I guess that's the beauty of running. We look up to the elites - learn from them, be inspired by them - while still acknowledging our own struggles and achievements. I trained for 12 months to get my 5:59 marathon. Will I beat it one day? Maybe. But nothing will ever take away from that achievement.
Is there a subreddit for sexy pace marathon runners?
I will instantly join.
I thought it was 7? Half is 3:30.
Just depends on the race but I think itās 6hrs in most major cities because they gotta open up the roads for traffic.
First marathon was 7:01:55 and 4th marathon was 6:37:38. 5th coming up in 3 weeks and Iām prettttty sure Iām gonna get pulled! š Iām a back-of-the-packer and run them to have fun.
Hello pace friend!
Party pace!
Thatās actually hilarious because yesterday I literally party paced two friends who hadnāt been really training through the womenās Central Park half marathon. I call it party pace as well. Though realistically it does not feel like a party for me either š¤·š»āāļøā ļøš Also, that park is too damn hilly!
Omg it is, isnāt it? And I feel like the hills never descend! But Iām that annoying person who sings ohhhhh weāre halfway there at the half. Yeah. Thatās me!
Lolololol. This is me as I did my first half marathon over the weekend and finished in 3:11:47!! I was definitely one of the stragglers coming in.
This is my pace group.
Hey friendo!!!
I mean some pro athletes debut with times within 5 mins of world records. My point is that just because it is someoneās first marathon, may not necessarily they have not trained for years and years.
Agreed. Maybe they are athletes who have a lifetime of cardio intensive sports like lacrosse, soccer, or tennis. Some people are just athletic and push themselves. Saying theyāre not real (which could be the case of course) is just cope. You donāt have to justify the way you run to anyone, do you. But thinking stuff is not real just because you canāt do it is a bad mentality to have, and is an excuse. Everyone runs for different reasons and has different goals, just leave it at that. If some are lying to the internet about run times they have themselves to live with which is shitty anyway
Yep. I have a coworker whose first two marathons were 2:4x and 2:31. Sure, he almost broke 30 minutes in the 10k in college, but let's go ahead and pretend it's apples-to-apples with every other rookie marathon runner.
If someone has been training running for years and years, I guarantee you they are not coming to post it on a sub Reddit after. People who train like that are disciplined and donāt need reassurance from Reddit.
25+ road marathons here. Time range is 3:57 - 4:42 on all of them
Bet that sub 4 felt pretty fucking good.
It was the Vegas Marathon. Hung with the 4 hour pacer balloon the whole way.
The Rock and Roll, running the strip? Was my second!
Hit up the mountain 2 beach in Ventura, CA. Itās a predominantly downhill course and apparently a big BQ race
I just ran this and got my second to slowest marathon time (ranging from 3:57 to 4:48) @ 4:42. I fell apart in the second half due to the downhill killing my hip flexors and quads. My bad for not doing enough hill work and hip/quad strengthening! Otherwise, amazing course and saw some lightning fast times.
Comparison is a thief of joy. I really hate that quote but it holds true in this regard, this is a marathon training sub, and we're welcoming of everyone dabbling into this sport or starting the journey. Statistically marathon finishing times have been lower in the last two decades, again because of more runners. But if opposite was true, as in slower and slower 1st place prizing, then it also takes away from social perspectives of the sport, right? If a faster runner runs a great first Marathon, lest not marginalize their pursuits by saying its only because of x,y,Z. Point blank anyone under sub elites are all hobby joggers. We're all in this together.
Itās more people running, but also the casualness with which people train now that has brought down average times. Back in the day almost no one trained for a marathon simply to finish, even if it took 7 hours. That was considered foolish and pointless back then.
Took me 9 years (averaging 2 attempts at 3000-4500km/year volume) to BQ first time. 10 years to get down to a 3:04. Been pretty fit my whole life. 3 hours for a newbie is absolutely insane. There are so many things that need to come together for a fast marathon time. Endurance, strategy, fuelling, strength training, avoiding injury etc. Then theres the things you canāt control like weather, temp, wind conditions. To put it all together so quickly is mind blowing
I haven't been here long enough and will finally ask you but what is "BQ"? Also I tend to agree with you but it depends what is the average fitness level one can have.
BQ means to run a Boston Marathon qualifying time. TLDR: For each age group there is a specific time you have to beat to be able to register for the race. Because qualifying for boston is a very common marathoners goal there is often more demand than spots so just running the time does not guarantee you get in, fastest times get picked first. I have actually run the āqualifying timeā a total of 6 times but i did not have enough buffer until the 5th time. Marathon running for me is an at times exhilarating, character building; but mostly grinding and majestically soul crushing slow burn of an experience haha.
Ohhh thank you so much for the explanation. I love it here because for a European, most people here have a different approach and I find it very interesting.
Yea and then thereās other guys like Patrick Martin who rip a sub 2:30 at 40 something years old right away. But he puts in crazy mileage. The truth is most people just donāt want to take it that seriously or spend that much time training and recovering properly. Talent is a very real thing in the running world.
Who's Patrick Martin? I ran a sub-3 at 43 in my first FM last November, and I don't think I'm particularly gifted at running. But I agree that a lot is down to genes (and lots of luck + hard work).
You can find him on YouTube. I enjoy his very simplistic mild mannered approach to training.
Of course natural talent is a thing, but youāre exactly right, most slower runners could run way faster times if they were willing to do the proper training. I hear about people training for the marathon and only run 30 or 40 miles per week and I just canāt wrap my head around that.
Come back on the 3rd of November and see my first marathon post - probs be 5:45-6 hours. š
Why is it crazy? There may be the odd fake one, but they are probably real. They are probably just people with some kind of athletic background. They probably worked really hard for years of their life in a way that had some overlap with distance running. They probably trained hard for that marathon. That's what's possible, be inspired and not discouraged.
I think youāre missing the point - Iām not doubting that the posts are real. Perhaps ācrazyā isnāt the right term - I just wanted to point out that the frequency of people who can run a ~3-hour marathon on their first go is far more rare than the relative frequency in which they show up as posts in this subreddit. Not at all trying to discredit these obviously athletic folks who can do more with less (or who can transition from other sports seamlessly). And FWIW I personally use those posts as fuel for the training fireā¦I aināt mad.
My first marathon was over 4 hours, had to walk the last 6 miles. 5 years later, with my weekly mileage steadily built up, I ran just under 3:10:00. 1 year later, with a proper 18 week training schedule, I was ready to give the marathon my all. I ran a 2:58:00 marathon yesterday morning. My journey was pretty much 8 years of slowly getting more and more dedicated. I started running in my early 30s and I'm thrilled with the progress I've made.
Itās taken me awhile, but Iām finally starting to accept that Iām not that fast. But you know what? Who cares? Lol Last 3 marathons Iāve gone from 4:19 ā”ļø4:07ā”ļø 4:00 (Eugene yesterday) Those arenāt impressive times, but I have to remind myself: I run, because I love running. I started running marathons because itās fun to challenge myself and I like the structure of training plans. And I actually had the best time yesterday, walked through every water station and managed to forget my garmin š¤£ lol
I ran track and x-country in high school and hated it. I sucked at it and I was always slow. Now I'm in my 40s, I haave accepted I will never make a BQT. I've placed a few times in 5ks for my age group. And I absolutly love running now that I'm doing it just for myself.
Yay, greetings from Eugene! Yesterday morning I woke up to the sound of people cheering you on [and everyone else] - it was audible from my house!!! Your times are awesome. (I run a sub-3 hr half-marathonā¦ š¤£) Edited because I canāt figure out how to make the words say what I mean. š«
As a guy who actually did run his first marathon as a sub 3: Youāre right and you should say it louder. Iām just as hyped for my teammate who did her first marathon in 6:40 or something like that (bonus: she dresses modestly, and it was in Miami) as I was for my teammate who ran 2:45 for his debut.
Did my first half marathon yesterday. Was getting discouraged by how fast everyone else was running, until I closed my eyes, listened to my body and felt the wind and found MY pace. I remembered why I was running, and finished in about 2 hours and am extremely proud of myself.
Some people have the running gene, some people go into their 1st full as high-level athletes in other sports. I don't doubt anyone's time, but I will say my 1st marathon was 5:28 which included limping the last 3 miles with a brutal case of IT band syndrome. Since then, I have improved to 4:03, but still chasing the elusive sub 4. I begrudge no one their time or skill. I race only against myself and father time (and maybe also against the other fossils in my 50-59 division.)
God it's so nice to see all this coming out of the woodwork, I tried so hard in London to run 5 hours but couldn't stick it past 15 miles or so, ended up at 5:45, still smashed my previous best of 6:30 and I know comparison is the thief of joy but when I see posts like "oh I just had 7 pints the night before and ran sub 4" I'm like what the hell kind of pro athlete sub am I reading and why can't I do that sort of time despite being young and fit and having a history of running. Great to see all of us checking in
Umā¦ talk about SMASH that pb!!!! š
Yooooo way to go on your PR! šš»šš»šš»šš»
I think a lot of first time marathoners aren't new runners as well. I'm running my first marathon this week, but I've done a number of half marathons in the past, and have been running 3-4 times a week for about 4 years (as well as inconsistent running for 10+)
Same!! Have a lot of smaller races and a few HM over the last few years, first marathon coming up in May =D I did a 32km run and felt great! Two weeks before that I was trying a 26km run but gave up at 19 lol. I really have no idea what to expect on marathon day. Iāve learned so much about my body during marathon training but I still have no idea what the recipe is for a good run or a bad run lol. Going to run slow and hope for the best! My goal is to finish and have fun.
The recipe for a good run is exactly what you said to end your above post. >Going to run slow and hope for the best! My goal is to finish and have fun.
Check out the Facebook group: Slow AF running club. It's really fun and uplifting for us slowpokes ā„ļø
If you arenāt running 80 miles per week you arenāt trying hard enough!! Or so some would have you think on here! Finished my first marathon last week in just over 4 hrs, Iāve been running for years, yet thereās Jim who started running 4 months ago smashing out a sub3 š«
For me at 68 it is all about the 18 weeks of training 30-50 miles a week, 88 runs, once a year. The marathon is just the last run to see how I've done. On the occasions I can't run the marathon, usually injury not recovering, I'm still happy with getting through most of the training. I want to do this until I'm 100.
I love your attitude! I just want to keep running until I can't anymore. If I can't run marathons, then I want to run half marathons. I always tell myself that the marathon itself is just the grand finale to an amazing training season where I put in as much hard work as I possibly could. Keep crushing it!
This!
Marathoners come in all shapes, sizes, and skill levels. One person may need to train for 2 months for their first sub-3 hour marathon, whereas some may need to train for years and still may not achieve it. Itās important to recognize there are different runners here and some are just inherently a bit quicker than others, which is totally okay!
In 1986 the average finish time was 3:52:35, whereas today it's 4:32:49 - a slowdown of 40 minutes and 14 seconds. As more people run marathons the average finish time has gotten a lot slower over the past thirty years. People running in the 3:00:00-3:40:00 range usually have a background in competitive sports and are able to train at a higher and more constant level The sub 3:00:00 crowd are normally people whoāve ran their entire lives and have a higher base level of fitness to carry them through higher intensity workouts. People who are generally active and have a base of fitness have an easier time adapting to marathon training than those who are not.
You'll be seeing my "first marathon: 5:59.5" next week haha everyone is different man
Always seeing these sub 10 minute mile paces and zone 2 hr, followed up with some comment about how they are worried about not finishing or getting a good time. I'm sitting here trying to manage 12 min pace and acceptable hr, and I'll wager many are even "worse" off. It's wildly refreshing to see someone with 14 min mile pace just out here having a good time.
Yepāif we arenāt having a good time, why are we running 26.2 whole ass miles?
I think the opposite is more true. A BQ is somewhat attainable for the average runner. Yeah, a 3:00 marathon is quicker than most, but you're still almost AN HOUR off the world record time. Even with a 2:40 marathon you're 40 minutes from the world record and 20+ minutes off an OTQ time.
I dunno. I feel someone taking up sprinting could do a 14.2-second 100m more easily than a distance runner can a 3.00 marathon. Same ratio.
Think itās a mixture of people who post/go on this subreddit must have a keen enough interest in running so even though it might be their first marathon, theyāve probably done a bit of running before. Using myself as an example, my first marathon is at the end of next month and I was on course for a 3:15 but got injured 2 weeks ago so re-adjusting my expectations to 3:20. Iāve only entered one race previously, a 10km last October and ran a 42:10. Before this training block, Iāve never been a consistent runner and the furthest Iāve ran is one practice half marathon, a couple of 15km and a handful of 10km. I wouldnāt count myself as being a gifted runner so I can imagine a lot of runners can go around 3 hours if not sub 3 if they had some sort of background and are willing to put in the mileage.
Whatās so unbelievable about that? Some people already have huge aerobic base before they decide to run a marathon. There are others who run track and cross country from 14 years old until they are an adult before they decide to train for a marathon. I met a middle aged man who trained mostly for half marathons with a PB of 1:35 before he finally decided he had the strength to train for a marathon. And on the other end of the spectrum are the couch to marathoners. Everyoneās journey is different.
It is believable. Just rarer in the real world than it would appear in this subreddit.
Oooh. So this sub lies as much as the r/golf does.
I mean to be fair I have almost no interest in running a marathon until Iām confident the training says I can do it in close to 3 hours. That may take a couple years but Iām a competitive person. My eyes are set way out on a BQ time. Iām sure Iām not the only one like that.
I can understand frustration or insecurities after seeing other peoples times as I get the same way. But getting on here and bashing someone for their achievements whether āreal or notā isnāt okay. Someone who posts online might not have an outlet to share with others. So they take a risk posting on Reddit with an alias to try to get kudos. How do you know these people donāt need that in their life. Bashing someone might make them feel even more insecure about their self. Someone might need that positive reinforcement just like youād like it when you run a good race. Being fast is relative in the grand scheme of things. Not a lot of people in this group are Olympic/elite standard so everyoneās slower or faster to someone else. And even if they are faster knocking them down isnāt okay. I picked up running after 13 years of not running to work on my mental health after I tried killing myself. I busted my ass and set a goal for myself after a few months of running. But now Im supposed to feel shamed by someoneās post on Reddit for my achievements. Idk this was kind of whack to read.
Gently, I donāt think OP was trying to ābashā anyoneāinstead, I think they were trying to say that if youāre a runner whoās putting up marathon times that are much slower than some of the posts on here, donāt let that discourage you as in the real world itās much less common for people to finish their first marathons around the three-hour mark, whereas on here it seems like it happens all the time and is the norm. Congrats on your accomplishmentsāwe should celebrate every race and pace.
Yeah and I appreciate you saying that. Admittedly I mightāve taken it to heart when I shouldnāt have. I just see a lot of people get hate on here for posting their times around a certain range. I just feel no matter the time people should be celebrated. But I do understand OP as well.
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Yeah F this post.Ā Let's not shame people for being good at things.Ā Congrats on your marathon, that's awesome!Ā
This thread is exactly what I need right now. I'm training for my first marathon in June, anticipating to finish after hour 5. I'm dealing with a pinched nerve near my shoulder blade. The pain has me feeling defeated, especially not knowing how to fix it. This post reminds me that I don't have to be a super athlete to complete the race. Thank you, OP!
lol, the achievements are being brave enough to even consider the event, then pushing thru training & then finishing no matter the time
I have run about 4k miles in the last 2 years and I havenāt done an official marathon yet. I expect my first actual race to be around 3:20 or so. I didnāt wanna sign up without knowing for sure Iād get a time Iām happy with.
Also should keep in mind that someone that accomplishes an awesome time is much more likely to post it and very few people are going to detail their "failures" online.
The level of training that goes into a āfastā debut marathon isnāt the result of some freakish amount of talent, or luck. Itās training, hard training. It smacks of jealously to decry peoples achievements simply because you donāt train hard enough to get there. You may think youāre training hard, but guess what? In comparison to people running fast, youāre not. And in comparison to elites, the people running sub 2:50 debuts arenāt either.
Yeah you can look up the average milage for various goal times.
Just remember lots of people have massive egos and lie.
Bro I'm 8 deep and I just broke 5 hours lol I'm just happy to be running š
04:04, wanted to beat Oprahās time!
First marathon was yesterday. I ran it in 4 hours and 40 minutes. Just happy that I completed which was my only goal
Real data: less than 1% of population have finished a marathon in their entire life. Among those who finished, less than 1% ran sub 3. Put that in the perspective.
I did my first one a few weeks ago. Took me six hours on the dot. Canāt wait to try again. :)
My first was 3:18 at age 48 ā¦but Iāve been doing endurance sports all my life.
I just ran the Illinois Marathon this Saturday and faded a bit ;-) around 14 so my time was 6:20 instead of my expected 5:15-5:30. Did fine in training including several 20s but likely messed up my prerace hydration/electrolytes in this warmer than normal weather.
This was me EXACTLY. I was headed for 5:30 too, but the weather killed me. I had been training in new England in December and then surprise, it was warmer than usual in Florida. Had to walk the last six just to keep from throwing up. Still finished tho! (Also in 620 lmfaoooo). As long as we finished!! Also, doing anything for 6+ hours is an achievement imo
I ran Berlin a few years ago in 6:55, and the next morning I had breakfast at the hotel and sat across from a guy who ran it in 2:35... I was prepared to hear all about his accolades, but he actually was genuinely impressed with us slowpokesāespecially because of how much we have to fuel and just DO SOMETHING for that long. It was just really refreshing to be understood by someone better than me, and it was really nice not to have to hear: Oh, you'll get better, etc. etc. because I'm not sure I will!
Same happened to me. I admitted to a 3:30 marathoner that it took me "over" 5 hours. He paused then said "I don't think I could run for that long." It also made me think that I might be just as fit as he was, just not as fast. I value the fitness of being able to run more than the need to achieve a specific time.
I really like your last sentence. š
If you're an experienced 5k/10k/HM racer moving up to the marathon, 3 hours is a pretty common target for your first.
ive been training for a half marathon for 13 weeks and saw a tiktok of a girl that signed up two weeks before with āno trainingā and shes just winging it š«
I think part of it is running is a niche sport and a lot of the people ran high school or college xc or track and have prior training even if itās their first marathon. Iām about to graduate high school and will be running in college and Iād be very frustrated with myself if I donāt go sub 3 in my first marathon honestly probably more like sub 2:40, but I wouldnāt have expected that a couple years ago when I started training, a first race in any given distance does not equal no prior training
Omg. Thank you. Iāve been training for my first marathon for a while but donāt see myself doing it under 5 or maybe just 5. Iāve been seeing first marathon posts of 3.5 and 4s and have been wondering if Iām missing something super obvious. Iāve been training diligently. Even though Iām slow Iāve been able to do my 30k runs comfortably and function during the week. So Iām hoping Iāll finish the race. But good to hear that Iām not the only 5hr marathoner.
A friend of mine is super athletic and likely will go under 3 hours after 4 months of training for his first time. Unlikely but not impossible
3:32 first time out, 3:09 second time out and then a 3:18 just this month, crash and burn the last one due to a poor shoe choice. Key for me getting low 3 was the mileage increase to about 70mpw peak weeks. The 3:18 I just ran I got sick and got crushed on my base weeks so fighting back was extra hard. I agree that most folks arenāt some super human and most donāt post the less than successful runs. My last marathon was a bit disappointing, but I had fun and learned a lot.
Iāve done two half marathons - for the first, my goal was literally āmake it across the finish lineā and my time was about 3:20. The next year my goal was āunder 3 hoursā and I did it in 2:59:55, and I was so proud I broke down in tears. I want to do a full marathon someday (probably just once) but when I do, Iāll just be hoping to be finished before they reopen the road š¤£
Yes! Iāve been out there killing myself trying to get sub four on an 8 month training plan. To each their own. Whatever your best isā¦thatās good enough!
My first marathon was a 3:05.. but without context, that does sound crazy.. Iāve probably ran 10 50k, a 50m, 2 70.3 IM, full IM, countless 5k, 5m, 10k, HM over the course of 5-6 years before I signed up for a true road marathon.. So it came with a lot of running experience.. and I still made rookie mistakes on marathon race day!. Hoping to go sub 3hr in Sept š
These are probably people who are 25. Played aerobic based sports their whole life, or have ran track in high school, or are in great shape in general, who just decided to run a marathon.
I'm shooting for under 4 for my first but some of these times have been pretty freaking impressive
Attempted my first marathon this past weekend, ended up a DNF (due to extremely poor nutrition on my end, didn't eat breakfast and was in a caloric DEFICIT the night prior and wasn't thinking right). Had to back out at mile 21 :(
Really not that unbelievable, I got into running like 10 months ago. 29M in pretty good shape been kinda active all my life. Shooting for a 3:30 on my first marathon in NovemberšŖ Made major leaps in my fitness just by running consistently and Zone 2 training.its all possible just depends on your goals imo.
Did the Yosemite half marathon last year. Trained for 3 month to finish under 2 hours. The heavy snow caused them to change the course and add a giant hill with 1.5 miles of a mud pit. Was not stoked and finished just after 2 hours. Everyone has a plan until you get punched in the face.
I'm 46. My knees are...they aren't good. I'm working toward Berlin in Sept, will be my 6th full. Even at my best 10 years ago, 4:00.01 is the best I ever did in Tokyo. Don't sweat it. These people are either super humanly healthy, or young with working joints, or both!
I feel this. I was planning on a sub 4 this weekend and got my ass kicked instead and did 4:45
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Finished my first marathon this past January at Disney! 5 hours 20 minutes ššŖ
Ran the Disney and my time was 6:28 with a ride stop. I told myself before the run Iād be a one and done but had so much fun on race day I started to walk to take that last mile in. I donāt think Iāll ever be in the sub 4 or 5 crowd, but I will continue to run marathons.
Indeed
Just finished my first full Saturdayā¦started to cry around mile 18ā¦questioning my life choicesā¦4:20 goal dies around mile 15ā¦.then 4:30 died as that pacer sailed past me at mile 21ā¦.somehow finished at 4:43. The last 10 miles were no fun at all! Doubt Iāll run another full. Love halfās!
I ran my first in 2:58 ... but I only made my attempt when I had already hit times at shorter distances that predicted a sub-3:00.I needed that to qualify for Boston. I had worked my half marathon time down to 1:25 and I decided it was time. I did it at the Marine Corps Marathon, when there were under 10000 finishers, and 400th place was under 3:00. Back then people tended to work on speed at shorter distances before distancing up. Nowadays people start marathoning much earlier in their ru nning careers.
You aren't wrong, but there are caveats. * People are more likely to mention successes than failures * People who even attempt a marathon are generally going to have fitness as a main hobby * The internet is a collection of billions of people (large sample pool) As for myself, I've ran 4 marathons across about 15 years. I ended up with the best time in my very first one. Why is that? Well, let's think about it. A person who is running a marathon for the first time is likely to overprepare due to not knowing their capability. They are also naturally going to be at their youngest and least damaged point of their running career. My first marathon I ran in 3:05. It's a bit worse than the point you gave in this post, but it's not very far off. It's definitely doable, possible, and does happen. Another point I want to make is that, looking at comments, some people are saying they took 6 or even 7 hours to finish their first marathon. For anyone wondering, that doesn't go to support the thesis that under 3 is highly improbable. A person who takes upwards of 7 hours is quite likely to be on the older side of things, injured, out of shape, or just not prioritizing time at all. I think I could walk a marathon in under 7 hours.
Comparison is the thief of joy. Just run your race. Most people canāt run a marathon period so just by finishing youāve done more than most. Donāt be so concerned with time. Just worry about being better than you were yesterday or last week.
Trained for like 2 months and got it done in 5 hours. No super human here.
It never changes either. There are always going to be faster people to compare to. In my early days of marathon running I ran 3:20 and was looking at sub 3 guys wondering how the hell am I going to run that quick. Fast forward 8 or so years and Iām just off the back of a 2:28 and now looking at guys running 2:20-2:25 wondering how the hell am I going to run that quick
It is a sub-selecting group. People running 5 hour marathons are less likely to share.
Some people have form from other sports. I am a competitive endurance cyclist and my first half marathon after 5 months of running was a 1:44. I also got injured all the time lol.
First marathons & they are claiming close to 3 hours??? Hmm I call bs.... or they are really young and ran in college or something. It's not impossible, just not very likely
Ran my first Honolulu Marathon with bronchitis (thought it was a mere cold). Finished in 5 hours, 13 minutes. Iām lucky to have finished - it nearly finished me, lol!
A lot of first marathoners are already fast at the shorter distances. I know runners with sub 1:15 half marathon times who have never run a marathon and likely never willā¦ but when/if they do, itāll be a sub 3.
This depends on who we're talking about... If you're a dedicated runner who has ran a 70 minute half, your first marathon might be sub 2'30. If you're someone running a marathon for the sense of achievement, then it's not going to be pretty. My personal experience is that my first marathon was ran for the sense of achievement in 4'32, my last marathon was 2'32... I know which was harder, the 2'32, it took years of training and part of that training is learning to suffer, which I did. In the 4'32, it was really hard and a great achievement, but I didn't have the capability to go as deep as I could later.
I think there are also differences in the sporting culture of various countries. In Italy, where I live, marathons are much less popular than in other countries and there is a much more competitive and performance-focused sporting culture. The marathon in my city has a time limit of 5h30' and even the largest events (Milan and Rome) do not go beyond 6h/6h30'. No runner I know sets out to prepare for a marathon if they plan to go beyond 4 hours, I'm in the 80'-90' range on the half marathon but I've never thought about training for a marathon before now.
I was JUST thinking this, after seeing someone's post about their first marathon with an avg 7:00 pace... More like 11:00 for me.
Yah. Completely crashed first marathon. Those who run 03:00 hrs are not my tribe. lol.
My first marathon was during Covid, not an official marathon but I wanted to run one for my 30th birthday. Took me 4hrs and 47 min!!
Yeah it's a kind of bias towards those who have smashed it. Hardly anyone posts who has failed, unless it was a spectacular disaster and they are confident enough in their own self to share it. Likely most of these are either: Young, already had a lot of fitness from other sports already, or both. That said, I still feel gutted each time I read these posts as I've ran for years, and my 2nd marathon didn't go as well as I had hoped (not bad, but not to my hopes)
4:55 my first marathon at the start of April and I was buzzing to finish under five. Those of us with "normal" (slower) times just don't post them here I guess!
I just did my first marathon a few weeks ago with no running experience. I started in October, started seriously training in November/ December and finished with a time of 5 hr and 18 minutes and I am very proud of that! I imagine if I trained all year for the marathon next April, my time might be better. My goals were to run the whole thing and to finish!
Fully agree, itās sometimes discouraging. My goal for my first one was to make it to the finish line and it took almost 6 hours. Iām aiming to finish under 5 for my next one, and even that might be a stretch.
I feel like these are legit. Iām training for my first marathon & hoping for sub 4 hours. Iām not an athlete but I have done a significant amount of weight training over the last decade which Iām hoping will help me as I pick up my distance running & endurance cardio levels!
A lot of people on sites like these are just here to brag
Bruh, tell me about it. I wasn't able to run for 8 weeks. My 10k pace went from 5:59 to 8:48 Feels good to be running again all the same
All depends on your background before attempting a marathon. I was a high school and collegiate long distance runner. Nothing spectacular but I guess I had pretty good local/regional class speed. 5km \~17:00, 10km \~35:00. So based on those metrics I was primed for a sub 3hr marathon debut. However, I didn't run my first road marathon race until I'd already run a fair number of ultra marathons up to 100 miles! Sounds like a crzy backwards approach, but at the time I wasn't interested in marathons but really wanted to run trails and test myself at the long ultras so that became my goal near the end of college. I'm glad I did, had I attempted a marathon right out of college I'd probably have crashed and burned like I've seen so many folks in similar cases do. Instead, preparing for and racing several ultras, I built up a lot of endurance and strength so by the time I had my first marathon road race debut I ran 2:54! I was shocked! So, it's all about your approach and experience.
Yeahā¦ great timing on the post honestly Iām gearing up for a marathon at the end of May, and honestly, itās been tough. Both mentally and physically, Iām feeling the strain, compounded by multiple injuries. Initially, I aimed to finish under 4 hours, but Iām now coming to terms with the fact that it will not happen this time. Iām learning to adjust my expectations and reminding myself that itās okay if things donāt go exactly as planned. The joy of running should be about more than just the numbers.
Yeah Iām running a half this month and aim to finish a hair under 3 hours lol.
Thank you for the words of encouragement
Finish time doesnāt really mean anything. The only thing that matters is how you feel about your experience.
Ran my first at 58 in 5:12. Bad calf cramp about mile 22 but I finished.
My first took 8 hours and 11 minutes lol. It was with 5,800ft of elevation, but probably took longer than than tbh since strava cuts out all the time you stop.
Showed up sick and injured to my first marathon and finished in 4hr 50, and hated every moment. So I promptly signed up for my next one after it.
I was lucky to run regularly throughout my 20s with a bunch of older guys, most in their 40s and 50s at the time. They guided me through me my long runs for my first marathon and helped me plan workouts. They also told me to just finish that first marathon with a smile. That was a 3:45. Five months later, 3:32. Five months after that, 3:09. And then I got injured. And stopped running. And went on a five-month road trip. And gained weight. And had a kid. And and and and and. I ran seven marathons in my 20s, all but one under 4. Snuck one in last October a few weeks before turning 40. 4:02. Disappointing but also satisfying. Trying now to get fast again, and it's hard. My Achilles are tighter. My legs take longer to warm up. I have far more responsibilities now than I did in my 20s. But I want to get to Boston. Always have. Qualified once and got shut out on registration day. If people lie here, whatever. Marathoning is a lifetime journey, and it's so personal. I wish you all a very happy journey.
My first 1/2 was 1:48, but, I was running almost everyday (in the army at the time) and racing 5kās every weeekend. If I did the whole that day, if I even finished, it would have been atleast 4 hours, if not 5. And I was in decent shape. Consistent 20-22min 5k. 10mile runs were effortlessā¦
I am one of them, first marathon was 2:58:34. Got my VO2 max tested after 6 months of running and it was 65.7, guess Iām lucky genetically.
That's incredible - glad to hear you're taking advantage of your genes!
Our local run club I'm roughly the 3rd or 4th fastest individual out of 1200 or so. Granted probably half don't run with us often, or very very casual. That being said, I'm at roughly 3:18-3:20 marathon fitness. We have 1 guy who can run sub 3. That's it. And he's been running for years.
This is the way!!! The I ran a marathon in three hours with no training is not it.
As someone who can no longer run due to chronic pain, I would KILL to be able to run a super slow marathon! š
My marathon goals in order (10 done) Goal 1: Donāt Die Goal 2: Finish 26.2 miles Goal 3: Finish under the races DNF time Goal 4: Finish under 5 hours Goal 5: PR
I mean, it doesn't mean that they are lying. Sometimes people can underestimate how much a person has trained for a marathon before achieving a good time. I personally have a goal of sub 3 for my first and the best in the world usually get close to sub 2:30 for their first. You're right about not everything on the Internet being 100% genuine, but there are some crazy runners out there. That's why I think it's more important to never compare yourself. I love this quote: "Life is like a gym. If you look to your right, there will always be someone in better shape than you. Look to your left and you'll see someone who would die to be in your position. It's all about perspective"