Complete Guide to Strength Training for Marathon Training

When I was training for my first marathon, I thought all I needed to do was run miles and didn’t realize the importance of strength training for marathon training. Strength training felt optional and something I’d do “if I had time” which to be honest, I never seemed to get around to doing. Sound familiar? 

Now strength training for marathon training is non-negotiable for me and my performance has improved because of it. I also program strength workouts for all of my runners. 

If you’re serious about strength training for marathon training, it’s not about doing random workouts each week, it’s about covering the right movements, being consistent with workouts and progressing over time. This is how you build a stronger, more resilient body that can safely handle all the miles you ask it to run! 

This guide is for:

• First time marathoners who’ve never strength trained
  
• Experienced runners who want to reduce injury risk
  
• Runners stuck in the cycle of recurring aches and injuries
  
• Masters runners wanting to protect muscle and bone mass

Today, we’re covering strength training for marathon training, the key exercises and strategies to help you run stronger, reduce injury and finish your runs feeling your best!

Why Strength Training for Marathon Training Matters

Strength training plays a critical role not only for our running performance but for our long-term health.

Health Benefits: Muscle and Bone Strength

Our muscles are living, adaptable tissues. They’re constantly going through a cycle of being broken down and being rebuilt which is called muscle protein turnover. When we strength train (and fuel well), we help that muscle rebuild stronger than before.

Research shows that starting around age 30, muscle mass naturally declines by about 3-8% per decade, and that rate speeds up after age 60. 

Strength training, when combined with adequate nutrition and eating enough protein, stimulates muscle protein synthesis and helps combat those age-related declines. 

Muscles aren’t the only tissues that benefit. Our bones are also constantly breaking down and rebuilding in a process called remodeling. According to The National Council on Aging, after age 50, bone breakdown starts to outpace bone formation.

For women especially, the years following menopause can have a significant impact on bone health. Bone density can decline by up to 20% within 5-7 years, increasing the risk of osteopenia, osteoporosis and fractures.

Strength training helps maintain bone and build bone density. When paired with proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle, it’s one of the most effective ways to support long-term bone health.

Running Benefits: Stronger Bodies Perform Better

Incorporating strength training for marathon training can:

• Improve running power
  
• Improve running economy
  
• Support better posture and form
  
• Decrease injury risk
  
• Increase your chances of actually making it to the start line healthy
  

Marathon training puts a lot of stress on the body. Mileage alone doesn’t make you more resilient and durable. Strength training builds a stronger runner body that is able to handle the training load.

The 7 Essential Strength Exercises for Marathon Training

These 7 movements will help you build full body strength, targeting your upper body, lower body and core, so you can run stronger, longer and more efficiently!

A strong upper body improves running posture and helps you stay tall and relaxed especially late in a run or race when fatigue sets in. A strong lower body increases power, improves running economy and helps protect against common lower body injuries. A strong core stabilizes your body while helping you maintain good form.

For each exercise, aim for 3 sets of 8-10 reps. The goal is to lift heavy enough that the last 2 reps feel very challenging. When you finish your set, you should feel like you can’t crank out more reps. If you can easily crank out 15-20 reps, your weight is too light. If you can only manage 4-5 reps, your weight is too heavy.

Always prioritize proper form and never sacrifice form for a heavier weight.

1. Upper Body Push

Examples: bench press, push ups, shoulder press 

2. Upper Body Pull

Examples: bent over rows, renegade rows, pull ups

3. Lower Body Push

Examples: squats, lunges, hip thrusts

4. Lower Body Pull

Examples: deadlifts, romanian deadlifts, single leg deadlifts 

5. Calf

Examples: front foot elevated calf raises, double leg calf raises, seated calf raises

6. Core

Examples: planks, side planks, bear hold, dead bug, bird dog

7. Carry

Examples: farmers carry, goblet carry, suitcase carry

I also recommend adding hip strengthening exercises as your first superset of your strength plan, not only to help you strengthen your hips but to also serve as a warm up before you pick up your heavy weights.

Also aim to include at least one plyometric exercise in each strength workout. These are explosive hopping or jumping-type movements. These are all key components of strength training for marathon training.

How to Structure This During Marathon Training

I recommend doing 2 full body strength days per week, hitting all 7 exercises in each workout. That can look like 2 longer workouts per week, or you can break it up into 3-4 shorter sessions if that fits your schedule and recovery better.

During a marathon training cycle, I generally recommend running first, then lifting.

You may have heard the phrase “keep your hard days hard,” pairing hard runs with strength on the same day. This approach works well for some runners, but it’s not one-size-fits-all. I have plenty of runners who do best with designated strength days where all they’re doing is their strength workouts on those days.

Pay attention to your recovery and how your body feels then choose a training structure that allows you to stay consistent.

What This Could Look Like in a Week

Example schedule:

• Monday: Strength (full body)
• Tuesday: Easy run
• Wednesday: Speed workout
• Thursday: Easy run
• Friday: Strength (full body)
• Saturday: Long run
• Sunday: Rest

You can do your strength workouts at home or in the gym. Home workouts don’t require much equipment. I typically recommend: a few sets of dumbbells, mini loop bands, long loop bands, sliders, a bench and flat, hard-soled shoes (avoid lifting in cushioned running shoes). If it’s safe for you, barefoot lifting is also an option.

Follow the same strength plan for 4 weeks before changing it up. Each plan, progress your exercises slightly to make them more advanced. For example, progressing from a deadlift to a single leg deadlift, or from double leg calf raises to front foot elevated calf raises.

Each week, assess whether you’re ready to increase your weight. Maybe you start a new plan using 8 lb dumbbells for bicep curls and progress slowly up to 12 lb by the end of your 4-week plan. You can also progress movements by increasing hold times (like planks).

If you’re new to strength training, it’s completely okay to start with bodyweight exercises if you need to, then gradually add load with weight as you get stronger.

Ideally, begin strength training consistently before your marathon training cycle starts so you have a solid base going into it. However, you can absolutely start at the beginning of your training block, but jumping in halfway through a cycle, when mileage and fatigue are already high, is usually not the best time to introduce something new.

Recovery Tips

Remember that training for a marathon takes a significant toll on your body and because of this your body has high recovery needs. Prioritize these steps to support your body’s recovery:

• Fuel your body: Eat enough daily calories, carbohydrates, protein, healthy fats and micronutrients to support mileage and recovery. Underfueling can lead to fatigue, poor recovery and increased injury risk. Be smart about the timing of your nutrition around your workouts. Fuel and hydrate before workouts, during long workouts and after. 
• Prioritize sleep: Prioritize 7-9 hours per night, athletes often need 8+ hours.
• Do regular check-ins with your body: Pay attention to how your body feels and adjust your training and nutrition as needed. Sometimes our bodies just need an extra rest day and sometimes our bodies need extra food, and both are ok!

Check out my blog post on Marathon Fueling: 5 Things to Practice Before Race Day!

​​Common Mistakes Marathoners Make

1. Thinking running is enough to build leg strength 

Running builds endurance, not strength. If you want stronger muscles, bones and tendons, you need progressive resistance training. Strength training challenges your body in ways running doesn’t, helping correct imbalances, strengthen weaker muscle groups, improve running economy and reduce injury risk.

2. Stopping strength training because of soreness 

It’s normal to feel sore when you first start strength training, especially if it’s new to your body. But that soreness won’t be so intense as your body adapts. Don’t let those first few weeks of soreness discourage you. Stay consistent, focus on recovery and your body will adjust! 

3. Holding your breath during reps

Breathing matters a lot when it comes to strength training! It helps you stay stable and lift more efficiently. Exhale during the effort (the pull or push) and inhale during the lowering phase. For example, during a squat, breathe in as you lower down and exhale as you drive back up to standing position. 

4. Sticking with bodyweight exercises forever 

Bodyweight training is a great starting point and it may feel challenging enough at first. But long term strength gains require progressive overload. That means gradually increasing the load over time. If you never move beyond bodyweight, you’ll eventually plateau. Don’t be afraid to pick up heavier weights as you get stronger, that’s where true strength gains happen!

Marathon Taper: Tapering Your Strength Training 

If strength training has been a consistent part of your marathon training cycle, your taper should apply here too.

Early in your taper, make it a goal to maintain your weights. Then as race week approaches, scale things back. That might mean lighter weights, fewer sets or even skipping strength sessions altogether. The priority is showing up to the start line feeling fresh, not sore from strength training.

With my 1:1 run and strength clients, we always individualize this. Some runners keep one short, lighter strength session early in race week. Others feel best pulling back more. There isn’t one universal approach, the key is adjusting based on your training history, recovery and how your body responds!

If you haven’t been strength training consistently, race week is not the time to suddenly add it in. You won’t be reaping any benefits on race day. Instead, focus on it in the post-race off-season.

Summary

Marathon training puts a lot of stress on your body, and running alone isn’t enough to make you stronger or more resilient. 

Strength training for marathon training is not optional and it shouldn’t be an afterthought. It’s an essential part of training and should be incorporated intentionally. 

By consistently incorporating the right movements, progressing over time and prioritizing recovery, you can build a stronger body that handles the mileage, reduces your risk of injury and helps you show up to the start line feeling healthy and confident.

Marathon training isn’t just about running faster, it’s about running smarter, staying healthy and giving yourself the best chance to reach your goals.

Looking for support? I help runners train smarter with personalized run, strength and fueling support. Learn how we can work 1:1 together here!