24M

As the title states, I have lived with OCD all my life and 2 years ago I hit rock bottom and with my compulsions it would take me 3-4 hours if I ever wanted to leave the house. Everyday I contemplated ending my life to stop the loop in my head.

With support from my loved ones, I started to go to therapy and I decided to start caring for my physical and mental wellbeing. I started to train for a marathon 1.5 years ago. In January I set the goal of running a sub 3:15 and this past year I gathered everything I had in me to power through and give the training my all.

My garmin gave me a 3:25 prediction and I had so much doubt last night. The last 6 miles were brutal unlike anything I’ve ever endured but finishing this goal meant so much more to me than just the accomplishment itself.

When I crossed the finished line at 3:14 I don’t think I had an ounce of effort left inside of me, I left it all on that track. It felt so dramatic and I tried to hide it but I actually teared up after crossing the line.

I don’t have social media and I’m not the type of person to brag, but I needed to share this somewhere.

I've been training since the beginning of the year. I did two Pete's base aerobic plans going from 15 to 30 mpw and then from 30 to 45 mpw. After that I did the full 18/55 program missing only 3 runs early on. I've ran almost 1500 miles this year. Everything was great until the last week when I got a runny nose and a bit of a dry throat.

I thought it was mostly irritation from a cheap Chinese KN95 mask (which contributed to this). However, my symptoms were mild - no fever, no body aches, RHR normal. I did a 3.5 mile recover run the day before and I felt ready.

On the day of the marathon, I again felt pretty good. It was a cold 32F weather. I started running and I noticed my breathing felt a lot more labored than it should at that effort. I kept going. I tried reducing the speed. I took a break at 1.5 mile. I tried running again at a slower speed but I could tell that this was not sustainable and that something was off. At mile 2, I decided to quit and walk back. I noticed I had wheezing in my chest. It turned out I had a mild acute asthma attack because I had a mild cold and combined with the cold air trigger the asthma attack.

I felt fine the rest of the day and today. I plan on running another marathon in 3-weeks.

I just thought I share my story because there are a lot of stories about people running with an active cold. Not always a good idea. There is always another marathon.

EDIT: Thank you for all the support. I didn't expect this much support. This is one of the reasons I love dedicated running communities because people uinderstand what you are going through.

I had time to reflect on all of these:
I know quitting, especially, your first marathon can feel like the world is coming to an end but I accomplished a lot of great things this year that even if I don't end up running a full marathon matter a lot:

• My first 5k was last December, 2025 and it was 24:50
• My second 5k in March, 2026 increasing mileage to 30 mpw was 22:19.
• At the beginning of the year my longest run was 6 miles. Now, I've ran multiple 21-mile runs in the hot and humid Boston summer.
• I accomplished so many first like first time I hit 40mpw, first time I hit 50 mpw, first time I did 59mpw, etc. I cried so many times afterwards because I felt so proud. I never though any of this is possible. It felt like a dream.
• In addition, to running, I kept serious weight training, and usually did 3-4 double days per week and even increased my RDLs to 320-340lbs for multiple reps and I am 150lbs.
• I connected with many runners and fitness enthusiast and I started feeling like I am part of a community.
• My base aerobic pace improved to 9:00-9:30 min/mile. At the beginning of the year it was ~12 min/mile.
• I can keep going but this is enough. DNF does not mean the end of the world.

Ran the Atlantic City marathon this past weekend. ‘Twas my fourth marathon. I definitely skimped on some training: skipped some long runs because of life or illness but ALSO (fatally) skipped a lot of strength training days at the gym. This cycle of training was extremely begrudging for me, to say the least.

Didn’t have any specific time goals, just wanted to finish, but boy was it rough. Weather was cold and windy, which is a fatal weakness of mine. I started having GI issues and literally thought I was finally going shit my pants at one point. But then it went away, and I was able to keep going. Finished at an extremely HUMBLE and DEMURE 5:40, but finished.

I finished my first marathon (York) yesterday!

I had a lot of injuries in the last 2 months, meaning I only ran about 4 times in that space, so to still finish in 4:37 I'm pretty happy. I've certainly figured out what I need to work on (same as everyone else lol, strength and conditioning).

Quick question, I have agonizing blood blisters behind two of my toes. I know not to burst them or pop them, but does anyone have any hacks for reducing the pain slightly (or effective ways to bandage/cover)?

Big goal checked off today at the Mount Desert Island Marathon!

Came in with a rough follow of Pfitz 18/85, with a strong focus on listening to my body, taking rest days when needed, and accommodating an otherwise busy schedule. Peak week was 83 miles, with marquee workouts of a 22 miler @ 7:04, 22 miles w/ 14 @ 6:36 pace, and Yasso 800s averaging 2:52 per rep. Tried to train hills but couldn’t really find anything comparable to the elevation that MDI would give me.

Weather in race day was truly pristine - 33° and sunny with minimal wind at race start. First half went quite well, coming through at 1:29:30. Fueling strategy was 1 Gu every 4 miles, a swig of Powerade at each water station every 2 miles, and then a sip from my race bottle with 2 packs of Liquid IV every other mile. Felt strong through the first half and knew than sub-3 was possible, but far from secured.

The first cracks came around 17, when I became acutely aware of how sore my quads were. The whole course was rolling hills, so there was little rest for the wicked. I was still able to grind through until 21, where the last big set of hills came in. I knew at 21 that if I could average 7:00 for the rest of the race I would hit my goal.

Cramps took hold of my hamstrings first and my calves second up the final hills. Pace slowed and navigating the course and the half marathoners became more difficult. When I got to the top of the final hills at 25, I was aching for the sweet release of death. But I also knew that I needed to push it.

The last full mile was downhill, so I sent it with reckless abandon. I was completely cramping up the last .2 and had to stop twice in the last bit for a couple seconds to stop myself from completely tying up. But with a sprint finish and a collapse at the line, I came through with a 2:59:50 and a first class trip the medical tent.

Next step is to eat a whole bunch of pizza, and then start gearing towards a BQ in the spring, this time on a flat course!

I had Facebook remind me that 3 years ago I required the use of a powerchair full time, a day of uni could wipe me out for weeks.
And yesterday I completed my first marathon, as the only wheelchair user the race has had.
And now I’m about to go to uni for another 5 days of 9to5 immediately after😁

34M, ran the Toronto Waterfront Marathon yesterday, and surprised myself with a sub-3 result! Figured it was good to write a debrief just so I don't forget what happened lol.

Background

This was my second full marathon, my first being in May in Vancouver. I bonked hard that race at 35KM - partially due to it being 25 degrees, partially due to going out way too hot. My stomach was sloshing, I couldn't take a gel down, and my legs and mind just wouldn't let me keep going. I had to walk/run the last 5KM, and ended up finishing in 03:16:47. I was pretty happy with that as a debut all things considered.

I knew I wanted to do a fall race and ended up choosing Toronto due to the flat course, as well as my wife's family being out east and giving us an opportunity to go visit.

I did an 18 week training block that mostly went well, peaking at 83KM in a week. Due to real life circumstances (moving, some work stuff, etc) I had a few weeks where I didn't get close to enough mileage as I wanted. I also had a couple of very hungover long runs in there that probably didn't help either lol.

On one of my last long runs, I did 14 KM at MP (which was around 4:18-4:20) and was feeling comfortable with that. After a brief taper, I went into this race feeling 3:05 was in the cards, 3:00 as an ideal goal. Garmin gave me 3:02 as a prediction, and Strava was giving me 3:10.

My PB's before the race were a 1:28 half, 39:31 10k, and 19:35 5k. My fueling plan was 80g of carbs per hour with 2 SIS Beta gels.

Race Day

Fast forward to race day, the conditions were perfect. A little chilly at 5 degrees to start, but I warmed up quick. Started out conservatively at 4:25 for the first KM but ended up being closer to 4:10 until 10 KM, which also had me concerned. I was feeling pretty good so I kept it going, running on feeling.

Once I crossed halfway in 01:29:11, I was still feeling good. 30k was 02:06:33, and my legs were starting to feel it but my stomach felt good. I was optimistic that 3ish might be on the table, but I definitely had the anxiety of hitting that 35k wall again.

Once I hit 35km and STILL felt good, I made the decision to just send it and see what I could do. I ended up in no mans land at one point and had to either try and catch up to the pack ahead or try and tough it out alone. I dug deep and sprinted to catch up with them, and let the pack carry me to the end.

When I turned the last corner and saw 2:57 on the clock I legit couldn't believe it. Ran through in elation rather than pure pain like my first marathon, and celebrated with fam afterwards. PB'ing my half-marathon in the second half of the full was not in the game plan to say the least lol.

Major lesson for me that I would pass on is to trust your body, especially on race day. Whether that's to slow down or speed up, I think we rely on our watches/initial plans a little too much sometimes. Stoked to say the last!

It’s been a grueling year. After PRing back-to-back half marathons last fall in September (1:41:46) and October (1:41:31), I ramped up marathon training in preparation for LA 2026 in March. By January, my hips and left knee had started hurting. After completing a challenge race weekend (10K + half) on 1/31-2/1, I decided I needed to withdraw from LA and see an ortho. I was diagnosed with bi-lateral IT band syndrome and patellofemoral pain syndrome.

Took several weeks off from running, did 8 weeks of PT and had cortisone shots in both hips. Started back slowly in mid March and completed a 3-day race event in April (5K + 10K + 10 miler). Then I signed up for Long Beach Marathon, and restarted the training cycle. After a brutal summer with extreme humidity and heat, I’m very happy with how I finished. I may not be as fast as I was a year ago, but I’m much better at preparation and recovery than before.

After several Half Marathons and a 25k earlier this year, I was blessed to complete my first marathon under 4 hours.

I kept hearing about “the wall” and quotes like “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth”. I got rocked today, but boyyyyy did I punch back even harder. I’ve never ran this far before so the plan to stay under 4 hours felt challenging, yet easy because of the pace I can handle in smaller races. However, a marathon is a different beast.

The race was fairly flat and weather couldn’t have been better, but id like to know what I could do if I followed a proper training plan the way I’m supposed to next time. Does anyone have any recommendations on plans they’ve followed in the past to get under 3:30?

Congrats to all those that have completed their first marathon as well this fall! “Successfully” or not, you deserve a BIG pat on the back!

Ran the Columbus Marathon yesterday - 33 minute PR from Pittsburgh in May!! What a great course and an even better cause, can’t recommend this race enough!!! Feels so good to see the work pay off!!

Four years sober off all drugs and alcohol celebrated with a marathon had my family cheering me on at the finish. God can heal, restore anyone and any relationship.

Signed up for Steamtown in Scranton, PA after hearing about the smaller size and net downhill. I faced a lot of adversity and pivoting in my training block including a low-grade Achilles strain. On the day of the race it rained the entire time.

I have to say though, Scranton and its people did not disappoint. You start in a warm high school with access to tons of portajohns, aid stations were plenty and had plenty of water, Gatorade and Gu available, and a huge amount of food/drinks at the finish. From a staffing perspective they really have quite a showing. And while the race isn't easy to spectate I was really moved by the people who came out to cheer anyway.

As for me, I'm so pleased with my showing. I had put away hopes for 4:30, and didn't think I could PR with the injury, but held a confident and calm 10/min mile for the first 18 miles. I lost some pace because I hit a mile of mud at 19, then thought it best to protect my ankle which was starting to feel a little off around 23/24. Missed 4:30 but finished 10 minutes faster than my first marathon - I'll take it!

What started ultimately as giving up drinking, turned into this. 380 days later. Never ran farther then 10 miles as of last year and this year I started off training for a half marathon in June and killed it and with only 100 days I signed up for the Grand Rapids marathon and trained my ass off. Learned so much through the people of Reddit, there advice, seeing they’re failures and what they’d do different, recovery tips, eating habits, etc, like I had 0 clue what to do and solely this Reddit helped me become a marathoner. Proud of myself and how far I come within the last year. Not done yet it’s just my first and I got the itch. Just wish I could go back and redo it lol I see so many flaws but yet I am just so happy and so mf grateful and proud. I did it!

For runners with limited room, a home gym needs to justify the space it occupies.

I'm curious which strength equipment marathon runners actually keep using throughout a training cycle. Would you choose adjustable dumbbells, a bench, kettlebells, a compact rack, or a few simple accessories for single-leg work?

I'd also like to know what you deliberately leave out. A full setup might be nice, but if a smaller selection covers your needs, the extra space could be more useful for other things.

What would your practical, runner-focused home gym include?

I’ve been training for the NYC Marathon as a charity running for several months. I run to raise money for the pediatric palliative care team that I am apart of at a children’s hospital in NYC. A little more than a month ago after my 10 mile run, I had knee pain that was quite intense. It went away after some rest and was gearing up for a 13 mile run the next weekend but due to the pain decided I’d aim for 6. Well at mile 2 my knee was full of pain and called it quits. Went to an ortho, xray showed nothing, but the MRI came back with a tibial stress fracture right by the top of my tibia where it meets my femur. I told the ortho there was no chance of me not running and we took a “harm reduction” approach. So instead of telling me to sit it out and knowing damn well I wouldn’t listen, he told me to take two weeks off and then slowly start running again -slower pace, no hills, and LOW milage. I got a stationary bike for cardio, and kept strength training. Yesterday I went on a 3 mile run and at mile 2.5 my knee just felt funky. So funky, I couldn’t sleep throughout the night fearing what I knew the ultimate outcome world be. At today’s ortho visit it was finalized that I will not be running the NYC marathon. I am completely heartbroken. I know this is the best decision for my body but I’m just struggling processing it all.

29F, chip time 4:17!

My last half marathon was 2:07 so my goal was a sub 4:40 based on what this sub predicts. I woke up the day before with strep so I wasn’t even sure I’d run on race day, but got out there and had a beautiful day of running.

This is the first race I’ve ran where I didn’t take any walking breaks and that was what I was most proud of. Felt like I fueled properly (even though I could barely eat the day before due to the strep) and got into a good rhythm. Mile 8-20 was my best and fastest block. Everyone warned me mile 20 and up would be difficult but I actually felt great and very motivated to finish with a decent time.

I typically train for half marathons with the Hal Higdon method but it was a joy to train for a full and see what I was able to accomplish and really push myself this time! I prioritized my long runs for my training and typically got in at least one short run a week but wasn’t able to do the full program. Definitely missed some but did what I could and was so proud to finish with the time I did!

I had my fourth kiddo via c section less than a year ago and wanted to run a marathon before I turned 30 and am really glad I put in the time and effort to achieve the goal. It felt great!

Learned a lot from this sub, thanks everyone!

Race Information

Antwerp Marathon 18oct finish 3:13:xx

Goals
A Sub 3:10 No
B Sub 3:15 Yes
C PR Yes

Background

Started running 6 years ago, first time marathon in 2022 was 4:15h. I ran 3:16 1 year ago

Training

Followed a Trenara plan (Really happy with this app), mostly easy running with 1–2 quality sessions a week plus a long run. couple easy bike rides a week on top as cross-training. So about 7-8 workouts a week.
Peak block averaged 90ish with a couple of 100km+ weeks. Crushed my 10k record (41:20) on a warm evening at a local race.

Overall training went pretty good didn't skip any workouts. Stayed injury free until 2weeks before race (light knee pain) but it didn't get worse during running. Trenara predicted 3:07-3:08, garmin predicted 3:25.

Pre-race

I had a 10 day taper as I found out longer taper don't go well with me.
However 2 days before the race my resting heart rate went high up and my sleep score/body battery was getting really bad. On race day I woke up with headache and stuffed nose and didn't slept well. At that point I already let the sub 3:10 dream go. I had no fever so decided to race.

Race
Weather: Perfect for me. Around 11C, no sun, a bit windy but in the city its less of an issue. Rain the last 30mins which made the cobblestones a bit slippery

0-5 KM: It felt rough and I didn't felt great at all. I started slightly behind 3:15 pacers but had to let them go pretty much from the start. My heart rate was already really high (About 10 beats higher than on trainings for this pace). I was afraid of blowing up and after taking my first gel and a couple of water drinks I decided to race on heart rate.

5-10 KM: Decided to run a few seconds slower to keep my heart rate in check. I ended up in a small group with a few others aiming for 3:15. It was only then I realized the pacers were going way too fast. I decided to follow them, pace felt good but heart rate was still above normal and still felt pretty meh but better than the first 6km. By km 10 the pace group was about 250m in front us despite we being on 3:12 pace.

10-23 KM: Started to get more comfortable in our group. At this point the 3:15 pacers probably realized they were on a 3:10 pace and decided to let go of the gas. Our small group was catching them up slowly but surely. I started to feel a little better, made sure my fuel and drinking was done correctly. My heart rate and legs felt stable at this point. We passed the half mark at 1:36 about 20ish seconds behind the big group. 2KM later we finally caught up the tail of the group.

23-33 KM: With how I was feeling today I was pretty happy I was back in the group and decided to stay here and see how it goes the second half of the race and see around km 33. My heart rate was going down a few beats and legs were still doing OKish. Despite me feeling not so great I was glad I wasn't getting worse during the race.

33-Finish KM: I was considering around 33km to speed up a little, however moving up to the front of the group wasn't very easy. I was also losing a couple seconds during refreshment zones basically undo-ing the effort of my actions. I decided to be patient and around 37,5 I passed the pacers for the first time and decided to check what I still have left in the tank by speeding up a few seconds/km. Meanwhile it also started to rain. Somehow my heart rate was dropping even more at the lowest it has been the whole race (rain, cooler temperature due the rain?). However 40-42km I was alone wind ahead and my legs were giving in so I didn't up that much before the big group.

Course: Its a flat course mostly in the city so wind if less of an issue. However theres quite a lot of cobblestones, corners, tramway tracks. I was some peoples falling so keep your eyes on the road.

Split

Positive 1min split

Post-Race

As expected I got a cold and still feeling sick.

Despite not making my original 3:10 goal I am pretty happy with the result and new PB with how I felt.

Lessons:

• Be careful with following pacers they tend to 'bank' time often which is less ideal for someone who likes even pacing like I do.
• A bad feeling early doesn't mean a bad race just adjust your goal
• In the end (and previous marathon) it was my legs giving in and not my cardiovascular system. I probably should work on that with more/better strength training

Finished my first marathon in Chicago last week. I achieved my sub 4 goal and was super happy with my splits.

Honestly, everything about the race was incredible and will go down as one of the top experiences of my life.

I’ve lurked on this sub for a long time now, and I just wanted thank everyone that offers advice and encouragement here.

That’s all.

Check out these splits!

I ran it 11 years ago. I remembered how hard and hilly it was. Completed training block with no issues and had playlist ready to go. Love to listen to music when I run.

We took the light rail to the event and I had my headphones (just the beats ear buds not the case) in my bag. I was showing my bf my playlist when my headphones would not pair. I tried everything but without the case they wouldn’t connect. I ran the whole entire marathon with no music at all. It was windy. I heard myself breathe for 26.2 miles. I finished and was fine with my time but would not recommend.

Maybe this is a dumb question, but I keep seeing these influencers making crazy improvements with their running times. When you look back at their post and you see some of their first runs, the times are pretty average but then a year or 2 later their times are so much faster. I'm talking going from a 2:20 half marathon to a 1:30. Is this just due to really good coaching, natural abilities, no full time job lol? I'm just wondering how this is possible

4:42! (My watch says 4:39 for 26.2 but I digress..) A few things. Thank you to everyone who provided me support on my previous post(s). It really helped calm the race day nerves.
Overall, I felt good. It was never “easy” for me though. I was running about 3-4 times a week but only got up to 18. Peak week was 32 miles. Next time, I will be definitely adding more volume and speed to my training.
Part question/part reflection.
1.) why would a pacer run 30 seconds off the mile time?! I get it has to even out at the end (the course was long) but I was sooo bummed when I realized my race day strategy was off due to this!
2.) my fueling went very well so that was a plus but I still felt nauseous. I was having tailwind with me (handheld bottle and side pocket bottle) with water and Gatorade at stops (I did this while training too). Also salt stick pill and chew interchangeably. Same as training. Is there any way around this?! It was hard to take in fuel at the end but I did what I always do!

First marathon in the books: 3:09:2×!

This weekend, I ran my first marathon, and I enjoyed every single kilometer!

A little background: I'm 33M. I come from a football background and used to do strength training 2–3 times a week. I hung up my football boots in the summer of 2025.

A few friends had signed up for a 15K trail race in April 2026, and I joined them. In February, I went for my first run longer than 10K, and I was hooked almost instantly. After running a few races, I eventually signed up for the Amsterdam Marathon.

I initially let ChatGPT put together a training plan for me. Thanks to this sub, I quickly realized it was rubbish. Lesson learned! Read some literature and ended up running five times a week for at least 13 weeks, consistently clocking 60–75 km per week, followed by a three-week taper.

Race day!

Did a half marathon in 1.27.3× so i thought that 3.10 would be challenging but doable. I started with the 3:10 pacers. It was pretty crowded so I dropped back about 50 meters to find my own rhythm. Which was really hars the first 10k because of the amount of runners.

The race went surprisingly smoothly. I felt good for almost the entire distance, sticking to my fueling plan with a gel every 30 minutes and a few sips of water at the aid stations.

At 27K, I suddenly got a side stitch. For a moment, I thought, Oh no, is this where my race falls apart? Thankfully, it disappeared pretty quickly, and I was back on track.

As the kilometers ticked by, I realized my goal was within reach. At 40K, I caught up with and passed the 3:10 pacers. That gave me a huge boost heading into the final stretch.

I crossed the finish line in sub 3.10 and i dodged the man withthe hammer! I couldn't have asked for a better debut, and I've definitely caught the marathon bug.

A huge thanks to everyone in this sub. I've learned so much from the advice and race recaps shared here!

What's next?

For my next marathon I'd prefer a race with a smaller field to have a little more room to find my rhythm.

I'm planning to follow a Pfitzinger training plan, most likely the 12/55 or the 18/55. I should also bring back the strength training.

Hopefully, the next training block will give me the confidence to take a proper shot at breaking the three-hour barrier. After this weekend, I'm excited to see what's possible.

On to the next one!

I did it!! But boy was it rough!! I started running in January of this year. No previous running experience, just Pilates and strength training before that. I stopped training for 2 months due to a miscarriage.. Im kinda disappointed I didn’t meet my goal (I was trying to go for under 5 hours! But mile 22-26 really got to me. I’ll stick to half marathons from now on!!

Just finished my first marathon, the Toronto Waterfront Marathon, in 4:14!
I started running on May 18, 2026, and have logged 312.3 km total. My longest runs before the marathon were two unofficial half marathons.
My mileage:
Last month: 166.68 km (including the marathon)
Last 3 months: 238 km
Total since starting: 312.3 km
I’m attaching my marathon HR zones and my Strava running history leading up to race day.
My goal is to run summer/fall races next year and improve my PB from 4:14 to sub-4, or hopefully even faster.
I’d appreciate advice on:
How to train through an Ontario winter with snow and ice.
Whether I should prioritize building my aerobic base, increasing weekly mileage, or adding speedwork.
How to structure my training over the next several months to give myself the best chance of running a faster marathon next year.
I’m still a beginner, so I’d love advice from experienced runners on what to prioritize and what mistakes to avoid. Thanks!

Columbus marathon!