This guide has great advice and insight into the physical and mental demands of endurance running. And the authors fully appreciate that there are real mental challenges -- inspiration, pride, and motivation are key elements of whether one can finish this race, rather than just footspeed.

Where the book is disappointing is in its dogmatic tone. It's a bit like listening to a high school gym instructor telling you "well do it my way or you are going to get an injury just you wait" over and over. One of the single most important skills in running is being in touch with the specific behavior of your body, and knowing when your legs are telling you that you need to adjust from a standardized training plan. I think this book is useful but would be helped by a more flexible point of view.

So I decided I wanted to run a marathon. Was it really that crazy of an idea? I had not run more than 3 miles since high school - 15 years earlier!! I bought this book, started the training and two days ago I finished my first marathon! It was such a great experience. While I don't think I'll ever run another, I'm so glad and proud to say I have done it once. This is really a great book and does produce the results it claims to.

A few days ago, I finished my first marathon. I went from a couch potato to running 26.2 miles using nothing but this book as a guide. I spent 10 weeks doing the recommended pre-training before starting the 16-week plan. I altered the plan a little due to some minor injuries and scheduling problems, but stuck to it for the most part. I think the best part of this training is in building your confidence and giving you the mental strength to get through adversity. When I hit mile 20, my legs were aching real bad and I needed to use some of the mental techniques described in the book to will myself to the finish line. It's only been a few days, but I'm already planning my next one! If you've never run a marathon before, I would definitely recommend this book to help you through your first one.

The book is entertaining and inspiring with good information too. But when I looked into new running shoes, I noticed that THERE WAS NO INDEX! And the table of contents was not very vague! The information is good, but where is it?

Prior to training, I had run ONE 5k race (mostly walked), and never actually ran for excercise for more than 3 miles. I began this training wanting to see how far I'd get and the next thing I know I was 15-20 pounds lighter and crossing the tape at that Dallas WhiteRock marathon in 2003 at 4:18:13.

Don't get me wrong, I was in pain. It wasn't easy.

But as they say, the pain is temporary... I'll have that accomplishment with me forever. If you are considering a training regimen, I cannot suggest this book enough to you. Easy to read - chapters are all short and in a very creepy way INCREDIBLY accurate as to which week you begin feeling what pains in your legs/feet and how to combat.

People always ask me "was running the marathon hard?". My typical response is: "Not really, actually. There were about 3 miles that were very difficult but overall it was pretty easy. The real hard part is all the training. It's getting your butt out in the rain on a sunday night and making yourself run 12 miles even though you have to get up for work the next day. It was an exercise in willpower that gets you through the training, when no one would know if you skipped a run here and there. No accountability like there is in the marathon. So once you get through that, you become almost like a robot, a machine. After about 2/3 through it nothing on earth will stop you from accomplishing your run. Darkness? Cold? Snow? Rain? None of it matters.".

Buy the book and run.

I am so glad I ordered this book. I have never ran nor did I like to run but way down deep inside I wanted to run a marathon. OK, I have had this book for two weeks and can not run four miles. That is four miles for someone who never ran anywhere. Great mental health.

I am so glad I ordered this book. I have never ran nor did I like to run but way down deep inside I wanted to run a marathon. OK, I have had this book for two weeks and can not run four miles. That is four miles for someone who never ran anywhere. Great mental health.

I loved this book. It took a very practical approach to training. The training focused not only the physical aspects but also the psychological training. I would recommend this book to anyone considering training for a marathon.

I've done a little running on and off for a while but never could seem to increase my level of fitness. I bought this book to challenge myself and to enjoy the running trails I have by my new house. This book is worth every penny! I am only a few weeks into the training, and I have increased my fitness level and increased my enjoyment of the experience. This book is based on a "marathon class" the professors taught that is a combination of sports psychology and fitness. It is great for beginners, and if you follow along and do exactly what the authors suggest I have no doubt you can finish a marathon. The stories from many of the students make it a well rounded experience, and I can relate to the doubts, thoughts and issues they experienced and its helpful to read how they dealt with them. I gave it a 4 out of 5 stars because this book has some typos and a few sections seem a bit repetative; However, I admire the student who wrote it as she also participated in the class and being a bit overweight like me I can relate to her experiences and appreciate that she did complete all 26.2 miles as well!

This book not only helped me complete my first marathon, (NYC '07), but also continues to help me overcome seemingly unsurmountable obstacles in life itself. Many extremely useful mental techniques to call upon when the miles start climbing above 20 or so, (you'll need them). Upon receiving I read from cover to cover. Then re-read each chapter weekly during my training completing all the journal entries. It worked for me and it worked very well. I followed this book nearly to the letter and ended up finishing the marathon in fine physical and mental shape grinning from ear to ear. I've run another marathon since but will never forget the mind-blowing thrill of crossing the finishing line for your very first time. Highly recommended.

I read this book back in 2002 and 2003 while I was training for my first marathon. I just pulled it out and started reading it again recently and it is such a great book. Full of information and motivation to help with marathon training. I wish I would have gone to a college that offered a marathon class!

This book has good information on training for marathons.
I am looking forward to mine in Dec.

I am a physical therapist who also enjoys (???) running. This past Fall, I finished my 2nd marathon in Appleton, WI. My first was Grandma's in Duluth, MN in 2002 (before children). This second marathon I used the same program but had to add the walk to run progarm in also as I had a one year old and a two year old at home now! I was not quite in the same shape I had been for the previous marathon. The program is wonderfully flexible with only 4 days of training a week. I printed the small schedule in the front chapter up and used to mark off my runs. Reading the chapters a second time still was important to train the mental endurance. As a therapist, I really love the stressing of completion and not speed. Reading each chapter a week helps to mentally prepare for the runs and stay focused on the weekly runs and the marathon itself. It is such an accomplishment to complete the race that setting time goals should only be broad- I'll finish in under 7 hours. I would be very interested in reading the women's book but would love them to write another book for 'subsequent' marathoners. The issues of mental endurance, life balance, and aging bodies would be good additional chapters to write about.
I have used the walk to run program for many of my patients who want to return to their prior level of running after injury with very good results. If you are even thinking of just getting into running this book is a great book and you may just decide 'why not try the marathon'.

I liked the book: it is well-written and has a lot of useful information on how to start running in general and how to train for marathon in particular.

Bought this book to start training for the Chicago Marathon. I am 50 years old and have never run a marathon. It is a week-by-week training guide that essentially guarantees that you will be able to finish the marathon if you follow their plan. The book is very easy reading. The chapters are written to read for each week of training. Works with your physical and psychological potential obstacles for completion of the marathon. So far, so good. I'll let you know whether it delivers after October 12, 2008!

I decided to run a marathon, but did not think I could do it. I am an avid amazon dreamer. My wish list is too long to mention! While searching for help I came across this book. I am so glad I did. This book gives you all the tools you need to complete a marathon and helps you built your self-esteem to let you know you can!
Go for it!

I bought this book accidentally... and I gave it to my husband. He said he likes the book so much. It gives him a lot of idea on how to run in a marathon! ;)

This is the ultimate marathon training book!!! And it's the 3rd one I've ordered. My friend swore by this book when she was training for the Tokyo Marathon such as I did when I trained for the Marine Corps Marathon. Amazon got the book here quick too!!

My sister-in-law and I are training to run a half marathon. This book is like our bible. We are following the training advice to a tee and really enjoying the workouts. I am highly recommending this book to anyone who isn't a runner and is training for a marathon. We both love this book and know that we will be successful when it comes time to run the marathon thanks to this book!

I just completed my first marathon (Rome 3-16-08).
This book gave me all I needed to train and
complete this marathon. I started from not being
able to run for 30 minutes straight to running
a marathon within 6 months. If you follow this
book you will be able to train for and run a marathon!

The writers are very motivational. There is a 16 week
program that guides you through your training
week by week. I cannot recommend this book enough
for anyone who has ever wanted to run a marathon!

Originally published in 1998, this book has been around awhile and stood the test of time. Who's it for? NORMAL people who have the desire to run and complete a marathon BUT also have other commitments that take up their time such as a family, job, etc. Don't have tons of time to train? This is your book. Need to get together a plan of attack? Keep reading.

The promise of the book is to that you'll be able to run 26.2 miles training just 4 days a week with no runs over 18 miles. It is based on a marathon class offered over the years at the University of Northern Iowa that touts a high success rate for 1st time marathoners. The book accomplishes this goal in sixteen chapters, one for every week of training.

Each chapter is cleanly divided up into 3 parts. Part one deals with the mental aspects of marathon training (which in my opinion is just as important as physical preparation when it comes to marathons), part two lays out the actual training program for the week, and the third part of each chapter contains advice and suggestions from people who have done the course and the program.

The book has a final 17th chapter which gives advice such as what to do after the marathon to make sure you recover well. Finally, the book ends with three appendices- one is a list of marathons to help you pick from, another on research that has been done on the program, and the last one a list of references and resources (always good to have those at hand).

All-in-all its a very COMPLETE book covering everything you can imagine about training for a marathon such as stretches, weight training exercises, nutritional advice, how to dress, and what shoes to wear.

Some practical bits: the 16 week training program does start you out running three miles, so in reality, you can tack on about another month or so of training to the 16 weeks in order to build up to the 3-mile starting point of the program. Along the same lines, pick a marathon that will be held no less than five months from the time you expect to start getting ready. And finally, runners suffering from plantar fasciitis might also want to check out The 5-Minute Plantar Fasciitis Solution. Good luck :)

Originally published in 1998, this book has been around awhile and stood the test of time. Who's it for? NORMAL people who have the desire to run and complete a marathon BUT also have other commitments that take up their time such as a family, job, etc. Don't have tons of time to train? This is your book. Need to get together a plan of attack? Keep reading.

The promise of the book is to that you'll be able to run 26.2 miles training just 4 days a week with no runs over 18 miles. It is based on a marathon class offered over the years at the University of Northern Iowa that touts a high success rate for 1st time marathoners. The book accomplishes this goal in sixteen chapters, one for every week of training.

Each chapter is cleanly divided up into 3 parts. Part one deals with the mental aspects of marathon training (which in my opinion is just as important as physical preparation when it comes to marathons), part two lays out the actual training program for the week, and the third part of each chapter contains advice and suggestions from people who have done the course and the program.

The book has a final 17th chapter which gives advice such as what to do after the marathon to make sure you recover well. Finally, the book ends with three appendices- one is a list of marathons to help you pick from, another on research that has been done on the program, and the last one a list of references and resources (always good to have those at hand).

All-in-all its a very COMPLETE book covering everything you can imagine about training for a marathon such as stretches, weight training exercises, nutritional advice, how to dress, and what shoes to wear.

Some practical bits: the 16 week training program does start you out running three miles, so in reality, you can tack on about another month or so of training to the 16 weeks in order to build up to the 3-mile starting point of the program. Along the same lines, pick a marathon that will be held no less than five months from the time you expect to start getting ready. Good luck :)

I am a non-runner and I had no idea what I was getting myself into? They break it down in the lamest terms so that ANYONE can do it! The only gripe I have about the book is that the authors really should have taken a little more time writing it in order of sequence. You tend to jump back and forth on chapters whereas the should have made it sequentially one chapter after the next in order for the reader to go with the flow of the book. But, overall- the information is very informative and most helpful!! This is truly the safest way to start your marathon training! Especially if you want to prevent having any sports injuries! Their techniques are honestly designed with the non-runner in mind and if you follow this book thoroughly without cutting corners or getting "cockey" you will achieve your goals!

Excellent Book- I highly recommend it!

I have been a consistent runner for ~15 years but never ran in any organized race longer than a 10K. It is hard for me to imagine that a non runner would decide to run a marathon because it was very difficult for me to take that mental leap. This book kept me focused on the fact that if you can control your mind by squelching fears and doubts, you can accomplish anything. The book taught me how to truly relax while running - trying harder only makes thing worse when it comes to distance running. I just completed my first marathon and I had a terrific time.

If you like to run, hate to run, or a little of both, this is a book you should own. It will inspire you to new heights, give you a new positive outlook and drive your motivation through the roof. With brilliant advice backed by tried and true studies, if you have even had a brief thought about running even a 10 or 15K, this is the book for you. I had run a 5K race in the past, about 7 years ago, but never thought I would desire a marathon. I'm now half way through training, alone, and can't wait for my marathon. One thing the book didn't suggest that I will is to run races in your area that coincide with your training schedule. Run a 15K on your 8 or 10 mile long runs, or a half marathon on your 12 or 14 mile week. This book has changed my attitude, self-esteem and helped me meet a goal few will quest after. A MUST purchase!

This book has a lot of valid information that is great for a beginner runner. It gives you information on how to train your body to run a marathon and motivates you along the way. "I love it!"

When I started this training program, I wasn't an avid runner at all, and never ran more than 5 miles at a single time in my life. I'm 31, and wanted to tackle the challenge of running a marathon. There are very good mental and physical approaches to running in this book. After 16 weeks or so of training, I was ready to go. I finished my first marathon successfully, actually running in the middle of the pack! This book isn't designed to get you to run your fastest marathon; the goal is to successfully FINISH your first marathon.

Don't buy this book alone as a guide to finishing a marathon. I've found most of the information helpful, but I am so frustrated by the poor editing. I wish I could get past it. It also seems to be written by someone who simply took this class, not an expert. It's heavy on the mental aspect, but allows negative words to show up which are contrary to the overall message.
Be sure to pick up John Bingham's books and the Dawn Dais Women's Guide. He offers good solid advice for beginners and she offers a great account of her own training for her first real physical endeavor - a marathon.

I used this book in 2004 to train for the Dallas White Rock Marathon. Having never been a runner and never run a marathon and with no outside help or coaching, I prepared in 16 weeks time using only the training techniques outlined in The Non-Runners Marathon Trainer. I had picked it up and read through it a few weeks before I began running, so I knew that the information was based on a college class taught by the authors and that in order to begin training they wanted you to be able to "run" for at least 30 minutes and to have told anyone and everyone that you were going to "run" a marathon. Then with 16 weeks to the targeted marathon date I religiously followed the program prescribed in the book, which was reasonable and fairly easy to follow. Run four times a week with the long run on the week end. Buy the right equipment. Build mental, emotional and physical endurance. The authors tell you how to do it. They tell you why it works. They give examples of people in their class who have extreme challenges that have followed the program and have finished 26.2 miles! ANYONE can finish a marathon. I did. You can. Read this book.

I bought this book not for training, but to help motivate me. I used to run every other day to stay in shape, but never really enjoyed it. I would get bored on long runs. This book has many tips and hints to help make running more enjoyable as well as its main purpose, train you for a marathon. It has many motivational stories from people that were beginners and never thought they could run a marathon, but after following the training program they did. Great book for beginners or the casual runner.

Grest book! Buy it! if younver run before, this book will give you the motivation to run the marathon...and you will do it!

I've just started my training program, and this book seems to provide a realistic and successful training program. My beef is with the organization of the material. It's divided into weekly training guides, with general training information book-ended by pep talks in each chapter. The problem is that the training info is not in any particular order. There is no index. The table of contents does not actually describe the contents of the chapters. For example, if you want to find nutrition information before week six you have to page through the whole book to find it. Like I said, no index and the table of contents for chapter six says only "Physical Preparation," just like every other chapter. It would be worth two more stars if the TOC could muster a simple "Physical Preparation: Nutrition."
Perhaps the book is meant to be read in full before the training program. In that case the pep talks and testimonials are voluminous and a bit mind numbing. It really makes more sense to read these to find support as you progress through the training.

I'm scheduled to run my first marathon in October. I've looked at various marathon training programs online and in other books, and so far I like this one the best. The training schedule is 4 days a week, and very manageable. I think it might even be a little easy, but that's a good thing for a beginner. It really is important to acclimate yourself to running to avoid injury. I've been running 5 days a week, and I'm finding problems with shin splints, so 5 days a week might be a bit much.

I love this book. I was not at all concerned about running a fantastic time but just wanted to finish the marathon and this book helped me do it! The chapters are written to make you feel as if you are conversing with the authors. The inspirational stories are written by those who have actually taken the class at UNI. I would recommend this to any beginning runner since most marathon plans start with runners that are comfortable running 3-4 miles but if you aren't up to that level yet there is no plan to get you there. This book provides you with a great way to get started even if you've been a lazy bum for awhile (which I was).

This book has helped me train for a marathon. It made the training much easier than I ever thought it would be. I never ran more than 3 miles straight in my life, and now I am able to run 14 miles and am still building up!

After reading the reviews of other people who have bought and used this book I took the plunge. I have read a majority of the book and so far it is great. One thing that I have really enjoyed about this book is the way that it motivates. I was running 3 miles every day and did so in reasonable fashion. After reading a few of the chapters my outlook and times have dramatically improved. If you are new to running and are looking for a great training manual, this is your book.

Watching the Columbus marathon in Oct. 2006 motivated me to start running. Using the training methods in this book for 6 months enabled me to finish the Toledo Glass City marathon in 4 hours and 4 minutes. Before training, I never ran more than 5 miles at a time, I was always a sprinter and soccer player. Now, I am hooked, and will continue to expand on my long distance training. This book is a great training tool for first time marathon runners. Anyone can do it!

This program takes you, a week at a time, through the steps you need to become a runner. There's also great motivational material for those who need an extra push.

Provides a nice step by step guide to training for a marathon. I will be a 1st timer.

Provides a nice step by step guide to training for a marathon. I will be a 1st timer.

I bought this book last summer in anticipation for running the Houston Marathon in January. Before this, the farthest I'd run was one 5K race. And at the time I started training, I wasn't even running 30 minutes straight. But the book is set up so perfectly that it will take you from a walker to a marathon runner (and everywhere in between). I love the way the book is set up, so you only take one week at a time. I followed the book's training schedule (for the most part), and in January ran and finished the Chevron Houston Marathon! It was a fabulous time! I highly recommend this book for anyone that has set her/his sights on running a marathon.

Very well done. Laid out nicely with good commentating done by the authors and the students who took the class.

Also, I love the size of the book...this size paperpack is used too rarely these days.

This book is so motivational, there are a lot of good life stories to get you motivated to get out there and run!!! I'm training to run the Marine Corp marathon in Oct. I was injured really badly a year and half ago and I was having a hard time getting motivated again. So I was looking for some kind of book to motivate me into running. I felt like I wasn't doing the right thing or I was missing something. I found this one on Amazon and it was the perfect piece to my puzzle.

I absolutely love this book! I have had it for one day and have been looking through it. It puts everything so simple and easy to do. I can't wait until I actually run a Marathon!

I bought this book for my husband and he finds it
to be very good and inspiring.

I was, of course, motivated prior to buying the book, but the program seems doable without tearing down the body through overtraining. I plan to run the Brandon (FL) marathon in Dec. my first since 1989.

I never write reviews for anything. But I feel so strongly about this book that I need to make an exception. I bought this book on August/2006 and I started training on September/2006. After following all the book instructions step by step, I am proud to announce I just finished my first marathon on Disney World this past January 7th (2007). I don't consider myself a pro-runner (I am big and slow) and before this I had only done a couple of 5k's. But because of this book and the great experience I had in the marathon, I am planning to continue running marathons in the near future. I highly recommend this book for anybody that has the goal of running a marathon and never has done it before. Enjoy!

I have not even completed the book yet but already it feels like I have my own personal coach. I love the way it lays out schedules for daily actions. I am a list person and love to be able to follow a plan.

I am excited to complete the book and my first marathon!

Having turned 50 recently I decided to do something memorable for myself. Since a new wife and a new sports car were too expensive (!), I decided to run a marathon after reading about a 79-year old tri-athelete. But how to do that without injury after running at most 3 miles a couple of times a week?

This book absolutely came to the rescue, both enabling me to believe I could do it and then showing me how. I followed the plan as faithfully as my schedule allowed, set a goal to run the 2006 Twin Cities marathon, and then proceeded to have the time of my life running 26.2 miles which I never would have believed possible before this book. Thanks to "The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer", I can now call myself a marathoner and am planning two in 2007. Good luck!

Life changing for me. I am slow, not a super runner, not in best of shape. With this book as my 'partner', I went beyond the imagineable.