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Is It Dangerous To Run A Marathon Without Training?

13th Mar, 2020

 

If you are reading this article, then you have either registered for a marathon and then life got the best of you, or you are actually aiming to finish a marathon but don’t want to deal with the training related to it. The short answer to the question asked in the title is yes. If you don’t want to be a DNF or in days or even weeks of unbearable aches then you should probably consider training – at least a bit. 

There Is A Big Difference Between Not Training And Not Training As Much As You Wanted To

The bare minimum when it comes to training for a marathon is 6-8 weeks with running at least 2 or 3 times a week. You should do aim for a combination of recovery and long-distance runs with at least 2 hours of running straight. When you get closer to the marathon you should be able to run 3 hours straight in training without feeling sore for days after your training run. That’s the bare minimum and is considered as “training not as much as you wanted to”. It will probably get you to finish the marathon but trust us, the last few kilometres won’t be fun. And the time after the marathon will be filled with pain.  

But what if you actually don’t train at all?

Chances are very high you will end up in the very bottom of the results list and a big DNF next to your name. You can most probably fake a half marathon without training at all, but faking a marathon without any training is near impossible unless you know how to push your mind and body to do the impossible. 

If you don’t have any strategy or training, you are risking completely overworking your body and suffering from circulatory problems, stomach pain and just general misery while you are running, or attempting to run. If you keep pushing, this could even lead to serious health complications. 

If by some miracle you manage to finish that marathon without having done any training before, then the aftermath definitely won’t be fun. You will need days, probably weeks to recover your body. 

Consider Rescheduling your Marathon

If you haven’t been able to find motivation for training or just simply didn’t have time to train, you should probably consider rescheduling or cancelling your marathon plans. It’s best to not risk your health or an injury that will keep you from running in the future or possibly even keep you from any activity in the future. It’s simply not worth it. Many marathons allow you to transfer your registration to the following year, or to a different person.

To sum this up, don’t risk an unnecessary injury and simply transfer your registration to someone else or to next year’s edition of the race. Your body will thank you and it will save you from a lot of pain. 

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