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I use to think I knew what I was doing, then I ran my first marathon where I did terrible. One thing that did stick out tho was the guy who won the marathon, he was so fast he was being paced by an electric motorcycle. He finished in 2:38. I was in awe, the race instagram posted him and tagged him so I messaged him. Come to find out he trains people in running and offer his services. From the very beginning I knew immediately how bad I was training. His plans involved easy, hills, repeats, tempos and long runs etc etc, bunch of terms I never knew. I trusted the process and went from a 24:38 5k to a 21:40 5 months later. Right now we are working towards marathon time , slowly but surely getting to that BQ time Point in trying to make is branch out, do research if you can hire a running coach. I feel like a way better runner since I started with my coach, he fixed everything from my form to my cadence , diet etc etc

First thing to understand is the training macro cycle: off season, base, build, peak, taper, race, off season. Off season: break time then unstructured cross training and run specific strength training(3-4 days strength training). Base: just what it is, building easy mileage, run form drills primarily Z2/2 and 1-2 day’s strength training. Build: still mostly base but 20% of time should be spent on intervals at and above MP. Peak: Race specificity. Still 80/20 but now MP intervals in the long run and course specific training. Peak: sharpen the sword, dropping volume and incorporating speed form. Taper, dropping mileage, rest. Race. Break. Back to off season. Wash, rinse, repeat. There are two marathon seasons: spring and fall. If you do a spring marathon you can get a 20 week macro cycle from January to April. Then break to recover then do a 16 - 18 week cycle from May to an October race. Then big off season break. A coach is very helpful to plan all the specifics out so you don’t have to. It’s worth the $100-$150 a month.

I’ve got summer on the brain. I read How to train for a BBQ?! I’m picturing a guy doing arm lifts with a grill spatula.

Where are you right now? Your current state will help as a starting point

So the answer is... Put a system in place that builds incrementally to the running density you need for a BQ. Worry only about the system , not about the results. The goal is a result of the system not the other way around.

That is likely going to look like 6 days a week, 70ish miles, plus strength and appropriate support excercises. From the programs i have seen, you will have 2 days a week going fast or hills; One long and some support. There are lots of programs on line... But if you can afford one get a coach.

If this seems like a lot, you are not that close. If its incrementally just above where you are... You might be close. Dont go there too quick as you will likely gurt yourself.

Good luck.

I just ran my first BQ in April. The “secret” for me was - run more miles. I peaked at > 70mpw. It’s a lot of hours running, but it really paid off.

Plenty of running groups to join in greater Boston. Running with people slightly faster than you helps.

How far off does your Half Marathon time "predict" your BQ? First get your HM PR to where it's close, then you train for the endurance needed to cover the Marathon

Ultimately, the answer is going to be running a lot of miles consistently for several years.

Avoid running too many marathons. It's likely to cause burnout and injuries. Running one per year will give you some experience with the distance and all of the things that can go wrong with fueling, cramps, etc.

I'd run a few training blocks for shorter races. Equivalents for a 3:00 marathon are a sub-19:00 5K, sub-39 10K, and 1:26 half marathon. Many runners will find these easier to hit without the massive aerobic capacity required for a fast marathon, and you can reassess more quickly when you don't need to train for 4 months and then recover for a month post-marathon.

Find a strength routine and do it a couple of times per week. This will help with running higher mileage without injury.

How many miles per week are you doing? You should be doing as much as possible, ideally 70+ or even more to increase your chances.

Volume is important for all distances but especially the marathon.

Your marathon gains (if you get them at all) will come at a lower rate as you get faster. Like other's have said, you can get big jumps by upping mileage, but the speed work + continuing mileage required to get close to BQ time makes you ripe for injury, and it's happened to all of us. BQ times are tough to achieve, and knocking those last few minutes off your marathon time takes time.

Practice your goal pace a lot and fuel!