Walking Marathon Training (with Training Tips)

Training for a marathon takes persistence and commitment, whether you're planning on running or walking you'll need a good training plan. There's no shortage of people who want to walk a marathon, and it's not as easy as you may think. People complete walking marathons all over the world, so if that's your goal, you'll be among good company.

Your walking marathon training will help you prepare for a successful marathon experience and this article will show you how.

The goal to any walking marathon training program is to increase your long-distance mileage in a slow, but steady manner. Initially, you'll want to build your base mileage to 8-miles, and then for three days a week, walk 4-miles.

This type of training provides a number of different advantages:

1. You'll build your endurance by focusing on increasing your weekly longest-distance walk
2. You'll build more lean muscle fiber
3. You'll prepare your feet for long distances which will also help you prevent blisters
4. You'll have the opportunity to experiment with hydration and snacking to prepare you for the race
5. You'll have the opportunity to try different clothing and gear

Training Days

Everybody has different work schedules and commitments that need to be worked around for training. The important part of setting up your training schedule is to find something you can stick to while balancing your optimal training performance.

As a general rule, you should take a rest day after each walk. So, if you walk 4-miles on Monday, you'll want to make Tuesday a rest day before walking again on Wednesday. This allows your body a chance to recover. Although, keep in mind, you can do other activities on your rest days, such as yoga, swimming, or bike riding. A rest day simply means it's not a training day.

An example of a weekly schedule would be:

Long Walk - Saturday

Rest Day - Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday

Short Walk - Monday, Wednesday, Friday

This training schedule will have you ready to walk your marathon in 19-weeks. 

Example: Week Eleven  

Saturday: Long Walk 12-miles and rest on Sunday

Monday: Short Walk 4-miles and rest on Tuesday

Wednesday: Short Walk 8-miles and rest on Thursday

Friday: Short Walk 4-miles  

Total Weekly Distance: 28-miles

Training Tips 

• Before starting this training program, you should be able to walk at least 8-miles. 
• Ensure your schedule allows you to complete one long walk each week. The long walk must be completed in one session, you can not break it up into smaller distances.
• Rest days can include other activities such as biking, swimming, and even dancing. But if you choose to walk, it should be a low-key leisure walk, not a training walk.
• Mix up your short walk training. There's nothing wrong with going for a 4-mile walk, but you might want to add in some interval training or even threshold workouts where you focus on your heart rate. 
• Have fun. Training for a marathon is hard work and takes sacrifice and commitment, but it should also be something you look forward to doing. Catch up on your favorite podcasts or audio books, or enjoy some music, take different routes to change the scenery. By making your workouts fun, you'll be more committed to the process.

Your long walk will help you build endurance and prepare your body for long distances, but your short walks is where you can really gain some ground. There's quite a few different types of training you can build into your short walks, and we encourage you to explore and try them out, but we really like interval training and threshold training.

Interval Training

Interval training has been around for years and can be built into nearly any workout, and it fits in nicely with your short walk days. There are several types of interval training, and each will help build your fitness level, improve your pace, improve speed-endurance, and burn more calories.

Fartlek training is an excellent type of interval training that can be done with your short walks. In a nut shell, you alternate between different speeds during your walk, pushing yourself hard at some points and going slower at other, but never stopping.

Most of the information you'll find on Fartlek training in reference to running, but the same concepts can be applied to walking.

Watch the Video

This video gives you three different Fartlek training techniques that can be modified for walking.

Threshold Training

Threshold training is excellent for improving your VO2 Max, endurance, and reducing your fatigue. It'll also help you increase your lactate threshold.

But as you might expect by its benefits, threshold training (also called T-training) is more technical than interval training. Most of the information you'll find is directed towards runners, but it also converts nicely for walkers.

You'll need to understand heart rating training, but basically you'll be training at your highest tolerated level of intensity over a set period of time.

Your body will fatigue when it accumulates more lactic acid than it's capable of eliminating. This is called your lactate threshold, and you'll start to fatigue quickly and may notice your legs feeling heavy, achy or even sore.

As your fitness improves your lactate threshold increases. Threshold training is simply a way of speeding things along.

Watch the Video

This video explains how to find your running threshold, but keep in mind, you can do the same thing for walking.

Rest days are a critical part of your walking marathon training.

And although, we recommend doing other activities on your rest days, it's generally a best practice to take one day off each week to give your body a chance to recover. Keep in mind, you'll want to listen to your body and if you're feeling particularly fatigued, it won't hurt you to take additional days off.

You absolutely don't want to get injured, and pushing yourself too hard will not only put you at risk of an injury, but it'll also slow down your training results.

Active Recovery

As a general rule, you should think of your rest days as a way to help your body heal and recover. This is called active recovery and it's a way to give your muscles some rest while you're still being active and maintaining your fitness.

Rest day workouts help your body recover after a hard training day, or even training week. Your muscles will not only have a chance to recover, but they'll grow back stronger.

As we've mentioned earlier, there are many excellent rest day activities you can do. A few you may want to consider are swimming, biking, yoga, pilates, dancing, tennis, or even weight lifting!

Strength Training

Strength training is beneficial for marathon walkers as you'll be on your legs for a very long time. The stronger your legs, the easier your walks will become.

You'll feel more powerful and confident when you begin strength training and you'll begin to see your walking progress improve.

To prevent an injury it's a good idea to start with bodyweight or lightweight exercises. Just be careful not to go too heavy too quickly if you've never lifted weights before.

Performing a variety of leg, arm, and core exercises will help improve your fitness and strength.

Watch the Video

This video gives you a number of excellent strength training exercises to help you improve your walking performance.

Here are some frequently asked questions if you're considering walking a marathon.

Is Walking a Marathon Easier?

In some ways walking a marathon is easier than running, but it's also harder. Running is a high-intensity activity, so the intensity level required to run a marathon is significantly higher than walking. In addition, the training distance required for walking is slightly lower.

However, if you're planning on walking a marathon, you'll be moving for a longer period of time than runners. This means your feet and body need to be prepared for the distance.

A good training program can help get your body ready, but don't think you can show up without preparation. 26.2 miles is a long way, whether your running or walking!

Can Anyone Walk a Marathon?

We've all seen the stereotypical runner whose tall and lean with long legs that can cover plenty of distance with each stride. Fortunately, this isn't a required physique and regardless if your running or walking you'll encounter a variety of different shapes and sizes on the course.

Some participants use their training as a means to lose weight, others are trying to improve their endurance and fitness level. Individuals with health concerns such as diabetes or asthma are also avid marathoners, although, we recommend seeking medical advice prior to starting to train.

You'll find younger and older participants, thin and overweight, and everything in between. One of the reasons people are drawn to walking a marathon is the health benefits. It's a great end goal to month's of training. 

As we established, walking isn't necessarily easier than running, but many people find it more enjoyable.

Who Shouldn't Participate in a Walking Marathon?

Before starting any exercise program, it's important to seek the advice of your doctor. Whether you're preparing for a half or full-marathon you'll be actively training and making changes to your diet.

With that said, there are some individuals who shouldn't do a marathon.

Children should not participate in marathons. Since they're still growing, the training can be too much for their bodies and minds. In addition, following a training diet may not be best for their growth and health.

Pregnant women should use caution before starting a marathon training program. Regardless if you were previously training prior to becoming pregnant, it's always best to check with your doctor.

What Footwear Should You Wear?

When you're training for a walking marathon, running shoes are your best bet. They'll allow you to be comfortable during the walk and offer you plenty of support.

You'll want to make sure the shoes are of high quality to ensure they keep you comfortable and fit your foot properly.

If you wear uncomfortable shoes you'll find it hard to focus on anything other than your feet. You'll also be prone to blisters, which can be very painful and difficult to treat.

Running shoes are beneficial to walkers since they allow walkers to feel supported during long distances. They're not just made for running, and they're the ideal choice for marathon walkers to wear.

On the day of your event, you'll want to wear a newer pair of running shoes, but they should not be brand new. Each shoe is a little different, even though it's the same brand and model, so you'll want to wear it for a few training walks to make sure it's broken in and fits properly.