The Washington Post speaks to Jordan D. Metzl, MD, primary sports medicine physician at HSS about how to safely prepare for a marathon. 

“People get hurt training for a marathon, not doing a marathon,” said Dr. Metzl, who has completed 35 marathons. 

Dr. Metzl and his colleagues tracked the training of 735 runners registered for the 2019 New York City Marathon, collecting data from nearly 50,000 training runs. They found that 40 percent of the athletes got injured during training, compared to 16 percent who were injured during or right after the race. A rapid increase in weekly running mileage was associated with a higher likelihood of injury.

Marathon training plans can range from 16 to 24 weeks, but some coaches advise 20 to 24 week plans regardless of ability. An average week should include easy running, one long run, a speed or hill workout and strength training.

Beginners should start at least six months before the race. Look for a plan that includes regular runs and slowly increases weekly mileage. “People need a longer ramp up than they think,” Dr. Metzl said.

Read the full article at washingtonpost.com.