If it has always been your desire to cross the finish line at 26 miles smiling, we have the program for you: two 30-minute runs during the week and a long run every Saturday. You'll be ready for the big race in six months, says Olympian Jeff Galloway, author of Galloway's Book on Running and designer of the following training plan. Ninety-eight percent of those who stick to this routine, most of them men aged 35 to 55, have been able to finish their first marathons. You can, too. Notice that the program that follows is defined primarily in terms of time spent exercising, not distance covered. The point of the weekday 30-minute exercise periods is to get you primed for endurance. If you haven't run before, walk two minutes after every one to two minutes of running during these timed workouts. Slowly increase the running periods and decrease the walking until you can run at an easy pace for 30 minutes straight. For the longer Saturday runs, walk one minute every three to five minutes, even when you're feeling fine.
| Tuesday | Thursday | Saturday | |
| Week 1: | 30 min. | 30 min. | 5 miles |
| Week 2: | 30 min. | 30 min. | 6 miles |
| Week 3: | 30 min. | 30 min. | 7 miles |
| Week 4:: | 30 min. | 30 min. | 8 miles |
| Week 5: | 30 min. | 30 min. | 9 miles |
| Week 6: | 30 min. | 30 min. | 10 miles |
| Week 7: | 30 min. | 30 min. | 6 miles |
| Week 8: | 30 min. | 30 min. | 12 miles |
| Week 9: | 30 min. | 30 min. | 6 miles |
| Week 10: | 30 min. | 30 min. | 14 miles |
| Week 11: | 30 min. | 30 min. | 7 miles |
| Week 12: | 30 min. | 30 min. | 16 miles |
| Week 13: | 30 min. | 30 min. | 7 miles |
| Week 14: | 30 min. | 30 min. | 18 miles |
| Week 15: | 30 min. | 30 min. | 8 miles |
| Week 16: | 30 min. | 30 min. | 20 miles |
| Week 17: | 30 min. | 30 min. | 8 miles |
| Week 18: | 30 min. | 30 min. | 10 miles |
| Week 19: | 30 min. | 30 min. | 23 miles |
| Week 20: | 30 min. | 30 min. | 8 miles |
| Week 21: | 30 min. | 30 min. | 10 miles |
| Week 22: | 30 min. | 30 min. | 24-26 miles |
| Week 23: | 30 min. | 30 min. | 8 miles |
| Week 24: | 30 min. | 30 min. | 10 miles |
| Week 25: | 30 min. | 30 min. | Marathon |
Two days before the race: Drink 4 to 6 ounce of water every hour you are awake. Juice is fine, too. Cut down on or eliminate caffeine, salt and alcohol, since they can contribute to dehydration.
One day before the race: Eat your last big meal at breakfast or lunch. Then start to snack on low-fat energy bars and other snacks your stomach tolerates well.
Morning of the race: Start to drink 4 to 6 ounces every 30 minutes beforehand, and each mile throughout the first half of the marathon. Early fluid replenishment is crucial. Eat a whole energy bar one hour before the marathon, then pieces of another one every 1.5 to 2 miles during the second half of the marathon. (Galloway advises that you implement this three-day eating plan before and during all long runs, not just competitions.)
During the race: Beginning runners should run for two to three minutes, then walk one to two minutes throughout the marathon. More experienced runners taking on their first marathon should start with a three-to five-minute walk. Then begin a pace that's 10 to 15 seconds per mile slower than you're used to running. If you feel fine, settle into your average pace at the fifth mile for 1 mile only. Walk or jog lightly for one minute after every mile. If everything is going well when your reach the 20-mile mark, you can run the rest of the way without breaks.
--David Zinczenko