Hi - I just want to thank Art for his great book. I picked up running again four years ago, started participating in races two years ago and went through 10Ks, half marathons, and on April 15 the Paris Marathon, my first. The schedule and advice worked great. I dragged Art's book long most everywhere, and it now looks pretty used, but it is my favorite.

Karel C
Chicago, IL
Veneux, France

What a great program! I followed the training schedule in preparation for my first marathon, the 2007 New Jersey Marathon, and it worked great. Due to my fatigue at the end of my 22-mile run in week 14, I must confess I had some slight doubts I would be prepared. But, I shattered my goal of 3:50 and came in under 3:30. Thank You!

Jim B.
Clay, NY

I experienced a huge thrill and sense of personal achievement on Saturday. My first marathon! A tough one to pick first up, the Rotorua Marathon is a lap of a beautiful lake, although the early torrential rain made it a little less scenic than usual. I followed your initial training schedule, beginning as a very infrequent runner in July last year. 18 weeks ago I stepped up to the marathon training program and followed it almost completely, missing only two shorter runs. I thoroughly enjoyed the variety of distance and found it was reasonably easy to manage around my other commitments. A couple of the longer runs had a 5.15am start to accommodate my schedule, but not too much hardship. In NZ we run in KMs, so I rounded each run up to the next KM to make sure I was putting in enough work. I was lucky enough to be injury free through my training...at least until my very last run. An easy 7km run and I went and slightly strained a groin muscle. The physio assured me it was minor and 'should probably' be okay. It didn't stop me running but every step of the first 30kms was quite painful, especially going downhill. The pain disappeared after 30km, although returned with interest post-race. Most of my training, except for the 30km+ runs was at about 5 minute per KM pace (8 minute miles), which was exactly the pace I achieved in the marathon. I finished in 3.31.07. I was still smiling through the pain at the end, and did the second half about three minutes slower than the first half. My goal (apart from finishing) was do beat four hours so I was thrilled with the run. I highly recommend your program and approach. It certainly worked for me, and I'm already looking forward to my next marathon challenge in October. Best Regards

Steve M.
Auckland, New Zealand

Thank you for providing such an excellent training resource. I have been a short distance runner for 22 years. When my sister asked me to come to Carlsbad to do a marathon, I was hesitant. It had never been a personal goal for me. Responding to the expectations of my big sister, I signed up in July for the January marathon. A fellow runner suggested I "download a training program and stick to it." I did! I finished my first marathon in Carlsbad, CA in 3:40:35. I felt a great sense of relief when I finished, but felt most proud of sticking to the training program without fail. Thank you for all the information and excellent preparation program.

Mary G.
Winston Salem, NC

With Art's guidance and support, I went from a novice runner to finishing my first Marathon ( London) in just a few months. I had a great experience, while others were dropping like flies. Two days later, and I feel great, ready to run again. Thanks!

Eric W.
London, Great Britain

I first found this website about 18 months ago after finishing (miserably) my first half marathon. I had been running for 25 years but never progressed past the 10K point. But at 50 I suppose I was having a midlife crisis. But after the miserable experience I started looking for some training directions and found marathontraining.com. I had another half marathon coming so I started the training schedule. Three months later I finished the half with a smile on my face and 15 minutes faster. Following the schedule I trained and completed my first marathon last fall with my husband and 23 year old son looking on. My son and I ran the Mardi Gras Marathon in February together and next weekend my husband and I will run his first marathon together. It is a wonderful program and is very flexible. One last word…Get your family out with you. It is amazing just how close you can become doing all those long runs together. Thanks Art!

Lu C.
North Potomac, MD

In July of 2006 I got the "brilliant" idea of wanting to see how fast I could run 1 mile. Before this, I had never run. Matter-of-fact, I had always hated running. I had never been an athletic person by any means so for me to want to run, seemed pretty crazy. But, I went out and ran one mile and my time was 10:15. I waited a couple days and ran again. My time was the same. After a few attempts, I realized I needed to be doing something different if I wanted a different result. My mom saw my new found interest and bought me your book, “The Everything Running Book". I was excited to find the beginner schedule included inside. For me, this was a "no-brainer". I just follow the schedule. And that is exactly what I did. It was awesome to come home and check off another day knowing that I was exercising and getting better. By the time I finished the beginner schedule, I no longer cared about my one-mile time. I now wanted to run a marathon. So I moved from the beginner schedule to the mileage buildup schedule and then on to the 1/2 marathon schedule. On April 14, 2007 I ran my very first 1/2 marathon. IT WAS AWESOME! I ran it in 2:05:13. That equaled a 9:33 pace! I couldn't believe it! When I finished, one of the first things I thought was - BRING ON THE MARATHON! I am now beginning the marathon training schedule and preparing to run my first full marathon on September 15, 2007. Thank you for all the information that you have provided. I have managed to stay injury free and loving running every day! My life is completely changed! Between changing my eating habits and running - I have lost over 85 lbs in one year. I am a completely different person than I was before I received your book. THANK YOU!

Michelle K.
Hilliard, OH

I finished my first marathon in Phoenix in January. I felt well prepared physically and mentally and ran a 3:05:19. I owe a lot of credit to the training schedule found in this website. I began training last May and fell in love with running the further in the schedule I got. It built my mileage up slowly, keeping me free from injury. I did make some modifications to the second half of the training (adding more 20+ runs), but I kept with the three on, one off philosophy of the schedule. Thank you for this website as the information was invaluable. My next goal is a sub-35 minute Bolder-Boulder and then a sub-three hour Honolulu Marathon. Thanks again!

Tim L.
Denver, CO

I'm an occasional runner who decided to run my first marathon a few years ago, and picked up a bad case of shin splints during training. I ran the marathon anyway (Blue Angel Marathon in Pensacola, FL) and finished in just under 4 hours. The second time around, I used the Schedule 1/Schedule 2 approach on this website, followed it faithfully, and finished in 3:14:53 (Bay State Marathon in Lowell, MA). Thanks so much! I'm using it for my next marathon too - Athens, Greece in 2007.

Mike N.
Annapolis, MD

After watching the Chicago marathon in 2005, I really wanted to run a marathon. I came across your website, and started the build-up schedule in January 2006. I then moved onto schedule II early in the summer. It was a tough training schedule, but it REALLY paid off! Several of my friends have suffered through their first marathon and ended up walking around mile-20. On the other hand, I completed the 2006 Chicago Marathon, without even thinking about walking, in 3:55 (my goal was four hours). THANK YOU! You have helped to create a runner for life - I'm planning two marathons in 2007!!

Marc Y.
Liberbyville, IL

I just finished the Dallas White Rock Marathon. This was my first marathon in 23 years and 10th of my career. I found Marathontraining.com a great source of information for me. Not actively running for over 20 years and having nine other marathons under my belt might give the feeling that one already knew everything about running… Not so! When I started looking into this great website, I found that it taught me so much of what I needed to know about "today’s" running requirements and what a runner might need to know, 23 years later. Being much older at 53, your sub-topical pages on tapering, packing, injury prevention and treatment as well and the marathon training schedule helped me tremendously. Just having a site to make you feel better about a situation you are experiencing or how to avoid big mistakes, made all the difference in the world for me to be able to finish the marathon. Thanks for this great site and I will surely share with others...Thanks!

Gary C.
Lafayette, LA

Last year I ran my first marathon in Myrtle Beach, SC at age 49. I have been running about two years. My goal was 3:15. I came close finishing in 3:19:23. I went through the 1st half in 1:30 but at 22 miles became dehydrated and dizzy and had to start walking. I attribute part of my problem to only having 12 weeks to train with your program and not getting in enough long runs. This year will be different! I am following your program pretty closely and have already done my first longer run (16 miles) at a nice 7:30 pace and felt like I could have gone even further. My goal this year is 3:05 and I believe if I can adhere to your program I will attain it. Thank you for making it available to all of us.

Pat W.
Raleigh, NC

Wendy M.
Conyers, GA

Richie D.
Ireland

Montpellier, France
Francois G.

Jarlath
Dublin, Ireland

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Starting from nothing and diligently following your training schedules I recently completed the New York City Marathon in 4:08:19. Having your website as a resource makes me feel like I have a competitive advantage over anyone who doesn't. There isn't a point or bit of advice missed, and the accuracy is unbelievable... You have me hooked! Thanks again.

Brian M.
Livingston, NJ

Ramesh K
Fairfax, VA

Michael D.
Rollinsville, CO

Sadie C.
Portland, OR

Gerdette A.
Belfast, N. Ireland

John D.
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Ann Marie C.
Chicago, IL

Tara
Los Angeles, CA

Lori M.
Sammamish, WA

At the beginning of this year I decided I wanted to run a marathon, this from a girl who was only running three miles a week. I followed your mileage buildup schedule throughout the month of January and then moved on to the marathon training schedule (Schedule II) in February. I'm happy to say I completed my first marathon on June 11, 2006 – The North Olympic Discovery. At week 14 of the training program I was cursing you for the 23 mile long run… On marathon day, I was thanking you!

Lori M.
Sammamish, WA

Jennifer R.
Omaha, NE

I followed your program at the advice of a friend and had great success. I took it fairly slow following the mileage buildup schedule which prepared me for the marathon training program. I just finished my first marathon in Cleveland, in 4:29:08. My goal was under 4:30. I think the program helped me to be totally prepared for the marathon, and was injury free throughout the whole preparation. The mixing up of the long and shorter runs helps, and the scheduled featuring easy/hard weeks keeps things relatively fresh. I’d recommend your program to anyone who is interested in training for a marathon. I went from running an occasional 5K to completing a marathon in under a year, and without injury… Thanks!

Tom H.
Beaver Creek, OH

Last year, I ran my first marathon, which I thought I was well-prepared for. I finished right at four hours, but the last six miles were torture! I found your website this January, and followed the advice from it very closely. This past May, I ran the Mad City Marathon (Madison, WI), and the difference was tremendous. I knew I was ready, but the temperature was almost 80 degrees at the starting line. I was shooting for 3:20 but adjusted my goals due to the heat and humidity (the course was actually closed at 5 hours, 15 minutes due to these conditions). I finished in a time of 3:43, placing 81st out of 1200 registered runners, about 400 of whom did not complete the course. The last six miles were actually enjoyable this year, as I passed all those who were struggling to finish. I’ll make a Boston qualifying time this year, thank you!

Lawrence R
Madison, WI

I am half way through Schedule I towards running the New York Marathon in November. I am a total beginner. I recently completed the Long Island Half Marathon today in 2 hours and 10 minutes. I think your workouts and website are top notch. Thank you.

Bryan M.
Essex County, NJ

I just completed my first marathon in Boston on April 17th. Though I have been an avid runner for years, I have never gone the extra step to train for a marathon. With family commitments (4 kids) and a full time job, it seemed an impossible feat. In retrospect as I evaluate my reasons for the run, the time investment and $$ that goes along with shoes, clothing, etc. I realize this was one of the most groundbreaking personal experiences of my 40 years of life. The fortitude needed, self-discipline/motivation absolutely mandatory, boosted my belief in myself and my personal limitations (or lack thereof). The payoff was rich as my self esteem soared and pride overfloweth. I will certainly continue this training to challenge myself once again this fall....and beyond!

Trish F.
Boston, MA

I was a 400-meter hurdler in college, oh, ten years ago, and I never ran longer than a five-mile run… ever. I used your website to run my first (and probably only) marathon last year. I did your mileage buildup and the training schedule. I didn't follow it exactly, as I get stress fractures running a lot and I just didn't particularly enjoy long distance (although that seems to have changed a bit)! So I would take a step class and spinning class in lieu of running two days during the week. I always, without fail, did the entire long run each and every week. It was difficult because I trained and completed the marathon on my own. But your schedule and site got me through it!! I ran it in 4 hours, 18 minutes… Thanks so much!!!

C.C.
Scarsdale, NY

March 18th, I completed the half marathon in Moab, UT and I lived! It took me 2:25 and the last three miles were not the best. I thought perhaps I would have a small blister on my little left toe, but when I removed my shoes, four of my toes were black on the ends! Perhaps my shoes were too small?! I didn't have much help in training. Okay, my help consisted of my husband telling me how fast other people were completing half-marathons! Which, as you might have guessed was more of a let down than a help. Finally a friend gave me your website, which after reading some of it, I decided to print out the whole thing for a complete study. I am hoping to run a marathon before I turn 40 (which will be this December) but I would like to be more prepared. So, I am going to try out your schedule...Thanks!

Sarah M.
Smithfield, UT

I've always wanted to run a marathon and decided to do it before my 40th birthday (take that, mother-nature)! I just finished your build-up schedule and my wife and friends are amazed at my progress. I'm running nine-minute splits on my regular runs and am up to 12.5 miles for my long runs. I owe a lot of this to the sage advice and guidance of this site. What a fantastic service… Thank you, thank you, thank you! Keep up the good work.

Jeremy K.
Santa Cruz, CA

After less than one-year's training, I have fulfilled my dream in finishing my first marathon in 4:16 at 41 years old! I trained and tried to follow the schedule from your website as much as possible. Marathon is a distance that demands to be respected and there is no short cut in training for one. The rewards of training for a marathon are a healthy diet and a healthy body. I have never felt fitter in my whole life. Your site is very informative and proven... Thanks!

Ian C.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

A great website... Cheers for the good work!

Jennifer
US

I never thought I could be a runner but I started taking jogs seven months ago. During this time I made some new friends and decided to go watch one of them run the Twin Cities Marathon in October 2005. Inspired by what I saw: the passion, dedication, and camaraderie of the runners, I located this website and started to read. Something was sparked in me that day, and I decided to train for a marathon. I will begin the nine months of training in January with the 2006 Twin Cities Marathon as my goal. In the meantime I have been devouring the information on this site and steadily increasing my running consistency, endurance and speed. Thank you for all the valuable information and the inspiration to continue running with a high and plausible goal in front of me.

Anna M.
Moorhead, MN

Dave P.
Chicago, IL

This past December 11th, I Ran the Rock (Dallas, Texas’s White Rock Marathon)! I started visiting this website about two months before race day, following the charts almost to the letter. My goal was a four-hour marathon and was on pace the first half (1:59:08). Then at about the 35K-mark, I hit the "WALL", finishing in 4:22:45. In February 2006, I may run the Cowtown Marathon. I think I know what to do to get past the "WALL". This website was invaluable. I would not have been able to do this run without it. Again thank you so much for this wonderful experience.

Tim K.
Burleson, TX

Dan C.
South San Francisco, CA

Zachary S.
Brighton, England

Alex H.
Brooklyn, NY

John C.
Dublin, Ireland

Lauren Muney, CPFT and CHC
www.physicalmind.com
Laurel, MD

Margie H.
Madrid, NY

Kim O.
Washington, DC

Bonnie R.
Chicago, IL

Ronald M.
Makati City, Philippines

Randy T.
Columbia, SC

Robert H.
Glasgow, Scotland

Gigi
Boston, MA

Dave Y.
Wallsend, UK

Kristen E.
Great Falls, MT

Joe P.
Kansas City, MO

David R.
Manitowoc, WI

Andrew C.
England

Ethan S.
Ottawa, KS

Sarah T. (along with Whitney, Kim, and Blanca)
Scottsdale, AZ

Mike H.
Dayton, OH

Eva B-M
Houston, TX

Max
Singapore

Kevin J.
Petawawa, Ontario, Canada

I really came to your site Art looking for marathon advice but must comment on your fabulous and thoughtfully composed photographs. Thanks for sharing them! You'll need to come across and get a new view here in Scotland!

Lorraine H.
Glasgow, Scotland

Yolanda
Ecuador and IN

I want to express my appreciation for all the assistance I’ve received through this helpful website. I plan to run the first marathon in Las Lagas (also first of mine) and will use the information from your site to accomplish my goal. Thank you again!

Lauro U.
Las Vegas, NV

Amy L.
Atlanta, GA

I'm planning to run my first marathon this November. This site has been very helpful so far!

Christy K.
Fort Worth, TX

I just wanted to express my appreciation for your site and the wonderful advice and guidance it provides. I have completed schedule 1 and feel better than any time in my life. I will run my first marathon in Richmond. Thanks!

Kirk B.
Raleigh, NC

I am the coach of a small running group in Bowmanville called the Running Maniacs! I have used your website to guide my team through marathon races. The information contained within your site has provided the answers to many of our questions and we thank you!

Heather P.
Bowmanville, Canada

A really interesting experience to visit your website.

G.S.M.
Poland

Very nice site… It will definitely come in handy for my running schedule.

Ben
Israel

Thank you for you time.Your site will be very helpful to me and my family.

James C.
Michigan

I've used your training schedule to prepare for the last two races I've run. Put simply - no other training regimen has improved my time by so much! I wouldn't have imagined I would be looking at these numbers.

Mark T.
Baltimore, MD

Autumn

Steve H.
Doylestown, PA

Howard K.
London, Ontario - Canada

Jeffrey G.
Nashville, TN

Scott M.
Rocklin, CA

I just wish to thank you for having made available your insights and wisdom! I have been running all my life (almost 40 years), but never done a marathon before. It feels great to have accomplished the International Trinidad and Tobago marathon in the time I had aimed for. My original goal was to do it in less then four hours but actually completed it in 3:45:10 (which I think is a good time considering the Caribbean sun that hit us all hard). I will continue to follow your advice… Thanks again!

Karoline
Germany

On February 27th, 2005, my husband and I recently completed our first marathons here in Okinawa (where we are stationed with the U.S. Navy) in times of 3:54 and 3:57. Your training program is outstanding! We began training in August, experienced zero injuries, and felt thoroughly prepared for this hilly course. This was my 30th birthday present to myself, and what a great feeling it is! Thank you so much.

Erin (and Keith) M.
Okinawa, Japan

I found your site several months ago and it provided the last piece of motivation required to take up running again. After over a five-year break, I am now training for my 4th marathon using your schedules. Many thanks again for the "missing link", and keep up the good work

Martyn B.
Cologne, Germany

I didn't start running until July 2003. My height is 5’10 and at that time weighed 217 pounds. Starting running for me felt very difficult because I was so heavy and unconditioned. I began by running four miles every other day on a treadmill because I was so self conscious of how I looked. During the winter 2003, I lost a total of 67 pounds and the following spring, I broke from my shell. It was so much easier to run outside; I hated running on the treadmill. Today I weigh 150 pounds. To this day, I don't remember what it was that made me become a runner. I’d always thought it was too difficult and never imagined running in a marathon. I met some really nice people from MNDRA (Minnesota Distance Running Association) and began going on long runs with them. During fall 2004 at age 32, I ran the Twin Cities Marathon, finishing it in 3:34. I can't believe how much running the marathon changed my life forever. It will be something I will always look back on as being one of the most positive (but difficult) experiences of my life. The preparation for the marathon was wonderful. There are so many talented runners and so many nice people. Hope to see you on the road sometime! Your fellow runner…

Rob H.
MN

I am 47 years old and have never been a runner. Using the training schedules posted on your site and without a coach or any outside help, I went from zero miles to completing my first marathon, the California International in 4:38:20. This was 20 minutes faster than my goal-time! I'm proud of the fact that I ran the second half of the marathon much stronger than the first. What great training schedules and information you provide... I was never injured and always was ready for the long runs when they came. Thank you so much!

Marley K.
Los Angeles, CA.

This website was a very valuable resource to me during my training for my first marathon. I went from not running at all to completing the Seattle Marathon in 13 months.

Steve H.
Seattle, WA

This is a brief story about the Chicago Marathon - I finally got to run it! The previous year I had a stress fracture one week before the race and was unable to go, probably due to the incorrect training. Thanks to Art, who helped me thru the whole summer, the marathon was a huge thrill for me. I ran the Milwaukee Marathon three years ago but had to stop and start and managed to make it in 5 hours, 14 minutes. This year, with Art's help, I did Chicago in 4 hours, 50 minutes and really thought I could have gone faster. But the great thing was I didn't stop at all! As a result of my training, I knew how my body would react at the end of long training runs as well as in the last miles of the marathon. I am looking forward to working with Art next year and targeting a four-hour marathon. Thank you Art, for a thrill of a lifetime!

Paul R.
Milwaukee WI

I just completed my first marathon in Lausanne in 3 hours, 56 minutes. I followed the training schedule on this site and found all the other information available extremely useful. Thanks very much!

John
Berne, Switzerland

I wanted to thank you for your site as I have trained for, and completed my first marathon October 17th in Toronto. It was one of my life goals to finish a marathon and I very excited to have completed it. I used to hate running and I never ran more than five miles in my life. Even when I started this year on January 1st, I couldn’t even run three miles non-stop. Rather, I had to walk and jog. Nonetheless, I followed your schedule along with all the tips and techniques provided on your site. I would have been quite happy to finish at all, however my goal was with a time of 5 to 5 1/2 hours. Despite 6 degree Celsius temps, rain and 30km winds, I amazed myself and completed the event in 4 hours, 45 minutes. For me, as a first timer and with no running background, I am very happy with this accomplishment. I have to say that your website was extremely helpful for me successfully complete. Thank You!!

Jason
Alameda, CA

I just completed my first marathon, Chicago, in 4:08. I had a 4:15 goal (4:00 stretch goal), and am delighted with that achievement. Plus, I was very relaxed and supple after the race and also felt strong and relaxed on day two of my recovery. Thanks to “State of the Art Marathon Training”, I was really well prepared and able to enjoy the race the whole way through. Those drizzly Sunday-morning runs through the streets of East London really paid off! I've recommended this site to several of my running buddies. All my friends (runners included) commented on how by rights, I should have felt sore in the days immediately after the marathon. I think my experience is a testament to how well prepared you will be for a marathon if you follow this programme. Thanks!

Tara C
London, UK

I trained for five months on my own slowly building my weekly mileage as well as the times per week I was running. With 3-1/2 months to go before the Twin Cities Marathon, I found your schedule on-line. I counted back from the marathon date, October 3rd until the last week in June and picked up Schedule II from there. I was surprised to find that I was right on track. I completed every mile of training from that point up to the marathon and finished the Twin Cites marathon in 3:24:38. I am 34 years old and this was my first marathon. I didn't qualify for Boston but am very happy with my results and will continue to use this website for all my training and tips for next year. I have spoken with many other marathon runners and they all agreed that I was on a very good schedule. Thanks for the knowledge.

Mike P.
Minneapolis, MN

I used this program to train for my first marathon and would now recommend it to anyone. I feel great. I'm happy with my time and am looking forward to my next marathon.

Erin W.
Oregon City, OR

I'll start by tooting my own horn! I've completed four marathons while improving my time by about 10 minutes for each. I'm nearing 40 years of age, and finally have a Boston Marathon qualifying time! This site has provided a quality-training program for each and every one of my races. I can't thank you enough. May there be many more successes to follow!

Leontine S.
Santa Paula, CA

I'm a 36-year old male and never considered myself to be much of a distance runner. The longest distance I ever ran had been six miles. Likewise, I'm not what one would picture as having an "ideal" body type for long distance running. I'm 6'2" and was a little over 210lbs when I started your program. I'm proud to say that after 36 weeks of training and dropping down to 188 pounds, I successfully finished the US Air Force Marathon on September 18th with an overall chip time of 4:46:21. Not exactly breaking any records but it exceeded my goal of finishing a marathon under five hours. I stayed injury free throughout my training with the exception of a bruising left big toe while running on an uneven sidewalk. Yes, I was running in the road against traffic but had to retreat to the sidewalk due to an inattentive driver! I’m considering running the US Navy Blue Angel Marathon this February. Thanks for the great resources you've provided!

Todd B.
Lynn Haven, FL

I found “State of the Art Marathon Training” while on the US Air Force Marathon's website. All the training information is very clear for both the novice as well as the experienced runner. I deployed to Qatar during my training phase. I didn't get all of the long runs in due to my duty schedule and the intense weather! However, I still completed the marathon with only the usual assortment of aches and pains. I have recommended Art's site to several people and will continue to use it myself. Thanks Art!!

Dave Y.
Spokane, WA

I just completed my first marathon, the Edmonton Centennial in 3:33;01, following the marathon training schedule on your site. I also prepared and game-planned using your suggestions. On race day it was raining and about 30 degrees Fahrenheit colder than the temperatures in which I trained. I put the weather out of my mind and stuck with my race strategy. After the 16K mark, nobody passed me. I ended up finishing the marathon just three minutes slower than my goal time. Thanks for the helpful information contained on your site! I was a total marathon novice-starting out but can't wait to use my new found knowledge to try and better my results.

Bob B.
St Albert - Alberta, Canada

Congratulations and thank you for a very informative and well presented website. I’ve previously run New Zealand’s Rotorua Marathon three times but have never prepared properly; I’ve made myself sick as a consequence! With the assistance of your site, I look forward to a very rewarding Auckland marathon. Thank you - Your website is outstanding.

Ant C.
Auckland, New Zealand

Ed
Los Angeles, CA

Great website! I used much of the marathon training information to guide me through my first marathon and even qualified for Boston! I found the advice on preparing for the long run, tapering, and marathon strategy very helpful. Thanks, and keep up the good work!

Jeremy L.
Mississauga, Ontario - Canada

I just wanted to say thank you for all of your wonderful resources on marathon training. It’s not that often that I have come across a site that provides such in depth knowledge. I will continue to visit your site and tell others about it. I’ve just begun marathon training and recently finished my first 3k-race, placing 1st! I was really happy about it and must say that I have the “marathon bug” running through my veins. My mom was a very talented runner, so I guess I was lucky enough to get her genes. Thanks again and please keep up the great work!

Nicole

“State of the Art Marathon Training” along with many books about marathoning have really helped me prepare for my runs physically and mentally! Thanks for this great site!

Laurie
Savannah, MO

I'm running my first marathon in January. Your site has been really helpful with my training. Thanks!

Angie G.
Sugar Land, TX

I am training for my first marathon, Boulder Backroads, which is in September. Thank goodness I came upon this web site in a timely manner. It is a great relief to know I have four months to complete Schedule II. I was thinking of backing out or waiting another year to complete a marathon. I promised myself I would do this before I am 20 and feel confident that I can now do this! I will be sure to let you know how it goes. Until then, thank you so much for posting this site!

Alison
Gunnison, CO

I have learned a great deal from this site. I am currently preparing for my first marathon. I plan on referring this website to others that will be running with me.

Kenneth N.
Vancleave, MS

I will be running the Vermont City Marathon on May 30, 2004. I have been following your instructions and so far, so good, as I ran 21 miles on Saturday and am feeling great. I am really looking forward to the actual marathon, and I thank you for making the information available online!

Marthann H.
Newport, RI

Thank you so much for all the excellent information you have made available on your marathontraining.com website. I began running last year to lose weight and get into shape and then found I was enjoying it so much I wanted to do a marathon. I used the workout schedules and advice you provided and in late February, I ran my first marathon, The Okinawa Marathon, finishing in 4:40. I've lost 40 pounds (and still need to lose about 30-35 to be at a "normal" BMI) and have discovered a great, great hobby. I enjoy running so much I have a really hard time keeping myself from running too much! Thank you again for putting such great information out there allowing people like me to actually finish a marathon! Grace and Peace.

Tracy B.

After reading the book "The first Marathon" written by Dimas Mas, I made the decision to consult your web site as I was seeking advice to be able to improve my marathon time. In that book, I enjoyed reading about your first marathon experience. I’ve run four marathons along with many half-marathons. The advice you provided in your site was very helpful. I look forward to safely train for many more marathons and improve my performance. Thanks for providing all this information on your site!

David P
Barcelona, Spain

Thank you! Your site really did the job for me. The information you provided about shoes, stretching, pace, tapering, etc. was very helpful to me. I laughed and cried tears of joy during my long runs. I could not believe I was running 8, 10, 16 and even 20 miles on a Sunday morning. More importantly, I was not falling apart when I completed my runs. The schedule really made it possible to increase the distance each week while avoiding injury. I'll be running a half-marathon in October. From there, I’m going to again train for the 2005 Los Angeles Marathon. Thanks again!

Oscar N.
Los Angeles, CA

This is a very helpful web site for someone wanting to know what it takes to run a marathon as basic questions are answered.

Mischka
Bastrop, TX

Back in November, you created a training schedule to prepare me for the Shamrock marathon. I ran it yesterday and I just wanted to let you know that I finished in 4:29:47, which is a PR for me (my last marathon was 4:46:34). My goal was to finish in 4:22:00 which is what my predicted time was according to the pace chart. During my training leading up to the marathon, I ran several races and set PR's for a 5K at 24:49, 8K 41:15, 10K 52:35 and half marathon 2:00:05. Thanks for your help and look forward to working with you again in the future.

Glenda O.
Talbott, TN

I trained and followed your base and marathon schedules for nine months. I just recently ran my first marathon and finished feeling okay. Thank you for a great program!!

Nila E.
Duncan, SC

Just wanted to say thanks for your help with my training. I ran the Massachusetts Law Enforcements Memorial Foundation Half Marathon. I am both happy and surprised with my performance: gun time 1:54:21 and net time 1:53:10. I placed 97th out of 263 in my division and my overall place was 743rd out of 1487. I'll take it! Thanks again and take care.

Carla U.
Middleton, MA

Neither of us are runners, but we enjoyed the challenge each workout posed. Since we trained separately and alone, having a well-defined program was extremely useful, and your recommendation to use the FitSense FS-1 provided each of us with a brutally honest training tool. It was horribly hot when we ran the race, but we both finished and even made it to work the next day! We're looking forward to running again next year, and as many as eight of us at work will be using your program to train. Thanks again!

Kenn F.
Los Angeles CA

I just ran my first marathon, the Blue Angel (held at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola FL), finishing in 4:32. I followed your training program and found that it increased my endurance at a very workable rate. I am 47 years old and although I didn't break any records, I'm happy with my performance. Thank you for the great tips.

Walt S.
Pace, FL

I found your site five months ago when I decided to run the Motorola Marathon in Austin. I followed the mileage buildup schedule and ran my first marathon this past weekend. Prior to training for this event, I had never run more than five miles. However, with this program and some determination, my finish time was 3:24! This site is great; thanks for everything.

Dale B.
Austin, TX

My thanks to your web site for guiding me through four months of training leading up to my first marathon. I just completed the 2004 Houston marathon in a time of 4:19:52, which was 10 minutes better than the 4:30 goal I had set out to achieve. Although I adjusted the training schedule to fit my timetable and comfort level, it was very helpful every step of the way. It was most vital to me in the last week leading up to the race as it had me prepared for just about anything I wouldn't have imagined happening. Thank you for sharing your knowledge of marathon training with the world and here's to another marathon in the not-too distant future.

Bryan K
Austin, TX

First, a brief background - I am a 54-year-old male who has been running for many years. When in my late thirties into my early forties, I was into 10K racing and could consistently run under 40 minutes, with a personal best of 37:15, but had never really contemplated running a marathon due to the time commitment for training. For the past twelve years or so, I had just been running for personal fitness and enjoyment. In the last couple years, I entered a couple local 5K and 10K races and placed well in my age group, and got a little excited about running again.

To get to the point, I decided in early December to enter the inaugural PF Chang's Rock n' Roll marathon in Phoenix. Knowing I only had about five weeks to prepare, I started searching for training advice and came across your website. Fortunately, I had a pretty good base of about 25-30 miles a week with 5 to 7.5 mile jaunts at about a 7:15 pace or so. I used your training schedule (considerably compressed!), completing progressively longer runs each Sunday, with my longest a 20 miler two weeks out from the race. I mainly focused on getting the "feel" of the longer distance and adjusting my pace. I used your tapering, nutrition and psychological advice and really spent the last two weeks getting prepared. I had set a goal of running the entire race and finishing under 4 hours with a stretch goal of under 3:45. I finished in 3:40:19, and other than really sore quads the last three miles or so, enjoyed the race and had no major discomfort. I paid the price for not having enough distance-work in, but I feel the tapering schedule really helped. I was able to control my pace such that I ran the back half of the marathon 10 minutes faster than the first and still felt really fresh at the midway point. I hadn't looked past this race, but now I look back and see where I could have made up another five minutes or so, and am excited about doing another. I am confident that with more distance training, I can run around 3:25 or so. I am planning on running the San Diego Rock n’ Roll Marathon in June, and will follow your training schedule more closely. Thanks for the great help!

Dave D.
Glendale, AZ

Looking to do my 1st Marathon. Your site is clear and concise, a real find.

Jim W.
Boston, MA

Very nice reference! I went through the marathon training section before I tried my first half- marathon last Sunday. And I did it without difficulty and injury. I'm looking forward to finish a marathon next year. Cheers!

Joyce
Hong Kong

Great Web site! I am training for my first half marathon in February. As stated by others, thanks for providing lots of valuable information for us first timers without charging lots of money for books or personalized virtual training! 2003 has been the year I lost 40 pounds through diet and exercise. 2004 will be the year to finally maintain and to run my first half marathon as a work towards the full McCoy!

Philip A.
Austin, TX

This is a very good and well put together site.

Rick B.
Myrtle Beach, SC

I trained and followed your base and marathon schedules for nine months. I just recently ran my first marathon and finished feeling okay. Thank you for a great program!

Nila E.
Duncan, SC

I followed this training plan for my first marathon last year. I felt little pain the day after the marathon and was pleased with my performance during the actual race. I look forward to training again next year with this schedule!

Raquel
Louisville, KY

This is the first marathon web site that offers useful information to the first time runner who would like to enter marathons with out having to pay for books and videos. Thanks for an informative, easy to navigate site.

Donovan
South Africa

This is an unbelievable website! I have used it throughout my training program and will continue to use it until the race. Very thorough and realistic!

Rachel
Austin, TX

I used the information from State of the Art Marathon Training for the most part to train for my first marathon. The schedules were very easy to understand and worked with how many days I wanted to run per week. I had a sore knee at one point but that was due to running on a day when the roads were icy and my feet were slipping all over the road. I took a couple of weeks off to recover and get back on track. I'm happy to report that the schedules worked and I was able to complete my first marathon. I've run three marathons since, some faster and some slower. The last one I ran, I was on schedule to run under 3:30 during my last marathon. However, by mile-23, I was disappointed that my calves gave out. Although I finished, I suspect I didn't train as properly as I should have.

I can say that by sticking to the schedules from this site, you help assure yourself that you won't increase mileage too quickly and you'll prepare your body more slowly and efficiently than any other method. Use this method and I feel confident that you'll be happy with the results. In fact, I'm training for another marathon and I've returned to this site to prepare myself properly. The nice part about this program is that you can jump in wherever you are at and continue from there. I'm confident that through using this system, my next marathon will be my best ever. You'll never forget your first marathon!

Todd G.
Springville, UT

Very informative site. Love it, will share it with my friends.

Rick D.
Kansas City, MO

Wow, I really did it! I ran my first marathon, The Dallas White Rock on December 14th in 4:01:53. Your web site and particularly the testimonials encouraged me to "try". I plugged myself into the buildup schedule in June and followed it until I entered the 18-week marathon training schedule.

When I first started I couldn't imagine running training runs of 20, 21, and 22 miles. But I just kept doing the "next" run on the schedule. I gained confidence with every run although I must admit that I wondered how I was going to be able to "pick up the pace" and run faster in the actual marathon. I finally decided that if everyone said it, then it must be true! I completed all of the long runs and almost all of the other runs. I admit that I ran two of my three long runs at too fast a pace and had to take a few extra days off to recover. I should have listened! While I wanted finish in under four hours, I was pleased with my first effort. Thank you for all the training information; I could have never done it without the sound advice provided on your site.

Steve H.
Sherman, TX

Thanks for the "clear-cut" schedules and advice from your site. I ran my first marathon on October 5th with a time of 3:28. I followed your program as closely as my schedule would allow and I finished the marathon injury free and within my time goal. Thanks again.

Kyle J.
Lewiston, Maine

Love your site and expert advice. Due to your site I ran my first marathon successfully and completed it in my goal time.

Robyn
San Diego, DA

I had been running for a couple of years without training or supervision. I had wanted to do a marathon but didn't know if I had it in me. I stumbled on this site, bookmarked it, and came back again and again to read the information. Last year I completed my first marathon in Connemara, Ireland! I didn't break any records, but I felt great afterwards and I hope it will be my first of many!

Michael H.
Ireland

I truly want to thank you for the coaching you provided me the past five months. Without your guidance, there is no way I could have run a 3:33 marathon at Chicago which is a 22 minute improvement from my time last year. Your coaching helped me realize my potential and I'm very grateful. I would never have pushed myself as hard as I did both in training and during the marathon. I know I can improve upon my time and with continued training, run a sub 3:30 marathon. Thanks again for everything!

H.F.M.
New Albany, MS

I only began running one year ago, after a 15-year period of relative inactivity. This is also when I stopped smoking! After building my running base over the course of a few months, I followed your marathon training program. I particularly liked the commentary and advice regarding long run training and nutrition and found this website to be very comprehensive, in general. So last week, at age 39, I completed my first marathon in 3:55:20 with no injuries! I am extremely happy with this result and would highly recommend your web site.

James S.
Ridgewood, NJ

I was always a sprinter and never had been strong enough to run distances, but I wanted to run at least one marathon in my life. I am very grateful that I found State of the Art Marathon Training out of pure luck browsing through the Net. I was training alone and received all of my insight, information, and education on how to train for and run a marathon from this site. Thanks to you, I finished my first marathon and I am looking forward to beginning my training for the next one. Your help made it an uplifting and even a pleasurable experience.

Joel M.
River Forest, IL

I was a weight lifter, smoked, and weighed 225lbs. I decided to change my lifestyle, stop smoking, and run a marathon. I never ran a race of any kind before. In September 2002, I started with the kilometer build up schedule from this site and moved on to the marathon schedule. I am proud to say that on September 28, 2003 I ran the Toronto Scotia Bank Waterfront Marathon in 3 hours, 26 minutes. I was amazed at my time considering the fact that I was hoping to just break four hours! I now weigh 190lbs and continue to be a non-smoker. This site helped a lot as I trained alone. Thanks Art!

Shawn C.
Peterborough, Ontario - Canada

Yesterday, I completed The Cardiff Marathon, my first, in 3:41. My aim was to finish in less than four hours. I found the mileage buildup and marathon training schedules excellent. At the time they seemed little arduous, but in retrospect, they were great in helping me prepare for this event. I completed the marathon with no real difficulties and felt in much better shape than quite a few of the runners our there looked! I've got no problems beyond a little muscle stiffness and a slight twinge in my one knee. This is certainly better than I was expecting to feel 24 hours after the race!

Matthew H.
Cardiff, United Kingdom

I was the kind of person that loves to play sports, but when it came to running, I didn't want to do it. I just hated running until I started training for the Houston Half-Marathon in January 2003. Granted, for a couple of months, I trained very little because of my job. I just started running again and I can now say I am a runner, and love running. I plan to run again the 13.1 in January 2004. Thanks for the inspiration and encouragement that I needed to know… Running isn't a bad thing but rather something awesome.

Dru T.
Houston, TX

I'm really glad I found this site to train for the San Francisco Chronicle Half Marathon. To prepare for this event, I entered the mileage buildup schedule at week number five and worked my way through the novice half-marathon training schedule. People were telling me that this schedule was too "conservative" and that I needed to do more miles. I thought this schedule was perfect for me.

I thought the schedules on this site would best prepare me for a Sunday race, and it worked! I'm 42 and never was any good at endurance sports. I followed the schedules consistently (I didn't miss a run!) and was aiming to break two hours for the 13.1-mile race through the hills of San Francisco. My finish time was 1:49.10 and was passing people left and right at the end. I felt strong and had more fun than I could ever imagine! Now I'm moving on to the marathon training schedule from this site to prepare for Sacramento's California International Marathon. I'm also going to include some cross training. The highest weekly mileage total on Schedule II is 46-47 miles 4 weeks before the race. While I've seen other marathon training programs out there with 60-70 mile weeks, I've got faith in State of the Art Marathon Training as I proved to myself that it works for me. I just want to say thanks, and I'll see you at the finish line!

Jeff S.
Santa Cruz, CA

In October 2000, I walked my first marathon (Marine Corps) with the help of the training schedule on this web site. Crossing that finish line stands as one of the most exciting moments of my life. Next year I'll train again and State of the Art Marathon Training will be my first stop on that journey. It was an invaluable resource last time and I know it will be this time.

Amy F.
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

My best friend and I had played soccer together throughout high school and as college sophomores we decided to take on the Music City Marathon. We both followed the training program religiously and am happy to say that it went great. We both finished right around four hours. Take the advice from this site by trying out different things before the marathon (power bars, sports drinks, etc.). Also, for all first time marathoners like me, pay attention to the elevation of the course that you are planning to run. I didn't and ended up running one of the hilliest marathon courses!

Kate
Memphis TN

An excellent site. Outstanding information. Well done!

Wayne G.
Australia