What is Your Marathon Goal? The Importance of Choosing the Right Marathon Goal

By Rick Morris

One of the most important questions you should ask yourself before beginning your marathon training is - what is your marathon goal? You absolutely must set and work towards a marathon goal. I cannot emphasize that point enough. It can and probably will make the difference between the success and failure of your marathon training.

 
Imagine leaving on a cross country road trip without a clear destination. You could have the best map on the market and a top notch automobile to travel in. If you don’t know where you are going you are never going to get there. You will just wander aimlessly around the country and won’t make progress towards any specific destination. Marathon running is the same situation. You could have the best training program ever written. You might have a body that is a finely tuned running machine. If you have not clearly defined your running goal you will have a hard time getting there. You may put in a lot of training miles but, just as in the road trip metaphor, you will be wandering aimlessly, wasting time and effort.

With a solid goal in mind, every workout you do will have a specific reason. You will know how to train and why your are training. And just as importantly you will be able to judge your progress. You will be able to see your fitness level improving and monitor your progress towards your marathon goal. Again, imagine you are on a cross country trip with no goal in mind. You can keep track of the number of miles you are driving, but you can’t tell if you are progressing towards any accomplishments because you have no goal.
Your marathon training is very similar. You can keep track of your daily mileage in a running log, but without goals you have no way judge your progress. With a clear goal in mind you will always know where your fitness currently is in relation to your marathon goal. You will know your progress and be able to adjust your training to keep you on track to meet your goal.

There are an almost unlimited number of possible marathon goals, but there are four primary goals that will affect the design of your training program. It is very important for you to decide which goal meets your needs but also one that is realistic and appropriate for your experience level. I firmly believe that you can accomplish nearly any goal that you set your mind and heart to meet. But, at the same time you must be realistic. For example, I would love to set a personal goal of winning the New York Marathon. But I know that no matter how hard or smart I train, I would not be able to accomplish that.

I have always been an above average runner and am able to do well by working hard and using a well thought out training plan. But I was not born with the natural running ability of world class competitive runners. I am also past my prime running years. So, no matter how hard or smart I train, I will not be able to meet a goal of that type. If I used that as my marathon goal I would be setting myself up for failure. Instead I set a goal of winning my age group or meeting a specific goal finishing time that is challenging but within my abilities. That type of goal gives me something to work towards that is difficult but possible. Accomplishing that goal will give me a great sense of victory. I will be encouraged to continue to set and accomplish more goals. If you set a goal that is challenging but realistic you will also gain a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. It will give you the feeling that you can do anything that you dedicate your heart and soul to accomplish.

There are four primary marathon running goals that you can choose from. The most appropriate goal for you depends upon your running experience, fitness level, availability of training time, how much time and effort you are willing to put into your training, and of course, personal preferences. The four primary marathon running goals are: finish the race using a run/walk combination, finish the race without walking, finish the race in a specific time or at a specific pace, or compete for top overall or age group positions. Just to keep things simple and avoid cumbersome titles, I will refer to members of the four goal groups as walk/run finishers, run finishers, pacers and racers.

Walk/Run Finisher

A very popular marathon running technique incorporates planned walking intervals or “breaks” into both your training and the actual race. This technique is used by many running coaches and writers. It was popularized and gained many followers through the writings and teachings of Jeff Galloway, a running coach and author of several fine running books. Many beginning marathon runners have found great success using this type of training system. It is a good starting point for new runners because it allows them to more gradually expose their muscles to the new and substantial stresses of marathon training. The walking breaks allow your muscles to partially recover during your long training runs and make finishing your long runs a bit easier. The walking breaks can also help you avoid some running injuries. This goal is a good choice for a beginning runner or a marathon rookie.

Run Finisher

Many marathon runners want to run the entire race distance without extensive walking breaks. Keep in mind that nearly every marathon runner walks at some point in the race. Some walk through each hydration station. Others may take a few walking strides during the race to allow some muscle recovery. It is an admirable goal to run the entire distance, but do not feel that you have not completed your goal just because you take a few short walking strides at some point in the race.

If you choose this goal I believe that it is very important to avoid extensive walking breaks during training. One of the most important rules of training is the rule of specificity. This rule means that you should train very specifically for your goal. If your goal is to run the entire race, you should train the same way. Again, it is fine to take a few short walking strides when you hydrate or to shake loose some tight muscles, but don’t incorporate planned walking breaks in your training if your goal is to run the entire distance. This is a very good goal for a recreational runner. It is also a possible goal for an ambitious beginning runner.

Pacer

The typical progression of marathon goals is to set a target of simply finishing your first marathon as a beginner. After you gain the experience of your first marathon or advance to a competitive runner you may want to set a goal of finishing in a specific time or pace. You may want to set a new PR (personal record) or even qualify for the Boston Marathon. If this is your goal you will need to pick a specific finishing time or pace. Your training paces and workouts will need to be designed around your goal finishing time. This type of goal also requires more of a commitment of time and effort. This is a very common goal for a competitive runners, but is also a possible goal for a recreational runner.

Racer

Many runners race for the thrill of competition. They do not run just to finish because at their level that is no longer a challenge. They know they can finish the distance. They have done it many times. This type of runner knows what pace they can run. If you are a racer you are running for either top overall positions or top age group positions. Because of the required commitments of time, physical effort and mental effort involved in this marathon training goal it is usually only appropriate for competitive and elite runners. If you are a highly experienced recreational runner you could possibly use this as your training goal, but I highly recommend participating in several marathons with a goal of pacer before you try to truly race this event.

Choosing Your Goal

Choosing your proper marathon running goal is one of the most important parts of your marathon training plan. If you choose a goal that is not realistic you are, in the worst case, setting yourself up for failure and in the best case, making things hard on yourself and potentially making your marathon experience a miserable one. If you pick a goal that is not challenging enough you will not walk (or run) away from the marathon experience with the sense of accomplishment that you should. You are also not growing as a runner if you don’t consistently challenge yourself to higher accomplishments.

Use the following tables to help you pick a goal that is both ambitious and demanding but also realistic and within your abilities. Find the table that most accurately reflects the type of marathon runner you are. Within each table I have listed current experience and fitness levels. For each level I have given you my recommendations for your most appropriate marathon goal.

High Recommendation - This goal is the most appropriate for your level. It is a challenging but realistic goal. You should have no problem meeting this goal with proper training.

Moderate Recommendation - This is a good but highly challenging goal for you. It is a goal you can meet but it will require a high amount of both physical and mental dedication and training.

Low Recommendation - This goal is probably a bit too advanced at your current level. You could still achieve this goal but it would be difficult and would require a very high amount of dedication and training. Injuries and over training syndrome could become a problem.

Not Recommended - While no goal is impossible you would probably be biting off more than you can chew with this goal. I would never discourage a runner from challenging themselves but this goal at your level would be very difficult to achieve. Injuries and over training syndrome are a high probability.

Not Enough Challenge - You could easily achieve this goal but it may not be challenging enough for you.
 

Beginning Runner

Recreational Level Runner

Competitive Level Runner

Elite Level Runner

This article is adapted from "Marathon Countdown - Your Complete Marathon Planning, Training and Racing Guide".  Go here to read more.