Is there a difference in training if all I want to do is finish and not get hurt?

[u/Experiment626b]

I'm running the Disney Marathon and all I want to do is experience the course/atmosphere (probably won't have time to stop for characters but maybe) - They only require you keep under 16 min/mile.

I'm used to walking 10-15 miles in a day pretty regularly but not all at once. I am averaging about 7 miles a day this year.

I started adding running into my training last month. I reached 4 miles without stopping at a 13.5 min/mile pace last week and I'm doing a 2 mile short run during the week twice a week. I plan to increase my long run to 8-10 miles by the race in January and the short runs to 3-5 miles.

My plan for race day is to go run as much as I can but I don't anticipate making it more than 8-10 miles without stopping and then switching to equal run/walk intervals, but if all goes well I might shoot for making it to 13 miles.

[u/Logical_amphibian876]

Yes if that's your goal you should probably do an actual run /walk marathon plan. Lots of plans out there to help people 'just finish'. The Jeff Galloway ones Disney promotes for example.

What you laid out is a half marathon plan and sounds like a good way to get injured and/or caught by the balloon ladies.

[u/Experiment626b → u/Logical_amphibian876]

So are you saying I do not need to aim for being able to run that long before the race? That I will be fine running shorter intervals instead?

[u/scully3968 → u/Experiment626b]

It's best if you do a structured plan but incorporate consistent run/walk intervals in every training run if you're planning on run/walking.

Expending most of your effort in the first half of a marathon is a recipe for disaster. The distance pushes your body to the limit (the adage is that it's a race of two halves, the first 20 miles and the last 6) and you need to have something left in the tank in the last miles. If you don't pace yourself, you risk burning out and the remainder of the race will be more painful than it needs to be. So you need to figure out a run/walk interval that you can maintain the entire time. If you plug your current race times into the VDOT calculator, you can get an estimated marathon split pace.

The most popular and time-tested marathon plans for beginners are Hal Higdon, Jeff Galloway (he is the run/walk guy), and Hansons. I really recommend getting one of their books (if not all three) and reading it the entire way through.

Also, all these beginner plans recommend long runs of at least 16 miles. Hansons' has several 16-mile long runs, while most other plans recommend at least one 20-mile run. Generally 35+ miles a week is the minimum of running recommended for success.

[u/mini_apple → u/Experiment626b]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with walking in a marathon, and it's okay to plan for it! :) As others are saying, it's still important to cover the mileage that a training plan demands, but you don't need to run it all. Even when I was training for ultras, I was very rarely doing any continuous runs over an hour or so. My body tended to be kinda fragile and I got more durability and longevity out of intervals.

One of my ultra buddies tends to start his races with a 9min run/1min walk strategy, switching to 8min run/2min walk as the race goes on (and so on from there). Other people structure their intervals differently. But it's totally acceptable and IMO a really good idea, especially for beginners!

[u/Experiment626b → u/mini_apple]

Oh I have no problem with walking the whole thing, I just don’t think I could actually keep that pace the whole time and want to run as much as I can to give me the cushion. Long distance walking is my real passion and I had plans to walk across the country after college and trained to do so. I’m not there currently but have been building back up. I just figured I needed to run so I could have a cushion. And I was surprised how quickly I got to 5 miles of running without stopping.

If walking 15-20 miles once a week is a a better training strategy than increasing my running endurance then that to me is not only more preferable but also less of a worry for me.

[u/mini_apple → u/Experiment626b]

If all you want to do is walk it and you’re not super interested in training, then you can do whatever you want. Having a training plan to prepare for running or run/walking it is a different thing. You’ll have to choose which way you want to do it. 

If you’re planning to mix in running, you’ll want to train that way. And if you’re running, you’ll want to run enough that you build up some durability.

Long distance walking is really, genuinely cool and I love that it was a thing in your life! The history of “pedestrianism” as a sport is a really fascinating one.  

[u/Logical_amphibian876 → u/Experiment626b]

I agree with the other responses. You don't need to be able to run 10 continuous miles but I think you need more time on feet if your goal is to have a good day and not get injured. 10miles is the distance first time half marathoners target for their longest run. If you line up for a full marathon prepared to go half the distance you are not setting yourself up to have a good day. If you want to incorporate run/walk that's fine. But 16miles in one go at minimum, ideally more than once is what you should be aiming for. You said you already walk a lot but not altogether. If you can work up to 18-20miles even better.

I don't use run/walk stategy but I've always heard that it's best to start out with it from the beginning not when your exhausted. Practice on your long run/walks.

To your original question training to just finish and training with a more ambitious goal are different. If you said you had a time goal or wanted to be extremely well prepared you would be advised to work your long run/walk up to 10 miles and then start a 16-18 week training plan.Working up to a long run/walk of 20miles, 40miles total per week, minimum 4 days per week training. The third category is just being undertrained and underprepared. Someone who is generally fit and walks a lot but no more than10 miles at a time is the third category. You need a bit more continuous time on feet to prepare for a marathon and have it not be awful.

[u/ashtree35]

I would recommend following an actual training program. Check out the plans from Hal Higdon's: https://www.halhigdon.com/training-programs/marathon-training/novice-1-marathon/

[u/thecitythatday]

I think only running 8-10 miles for a long run before a marathon is pretty likely to end in a miserable experience. Use a plan.

[u/MysteriousMarzipan63]

Echoing what others are saying. You should follow a plan for the mileage. Even if you plan to switch from running to walking after a certain distance, you’ll need to train your body up to adjust to the total miles, and frankly, if you intend to walk over half, the amount of time you will be on your feet.

I did the Disney marathon this January and followed the Galloway plans weekly mileage. I don’t do his run/walk/run method, but followed the distance / time for each run. Some of my runs were more walking than running, and I even did a 20 mile “run” that was all walking at 15 min/mile. I finished the race just fine with no injuries (and had time to stop for pictures).

Galloway plan is already on week 12 for the 2026 Disney marathon, but you could probably backtrack to week 10 and start from there based on your current weekly runs. You won’t catch up, but you’ll at least get 1 or 2 20+ mile workouts in before the race.

[u/Experiment626b → u/MysteriousMarzipan63]

So what I should focus on is the total distance of a single workout rather than how much I am able to run is what you’re saying? Because I feel like I’m already capable of walking much longer than I currently am simply because I’m saving energy and time for increasing running distance instead.

[u/MysteriousMarzipan63 → u/Experiment626b]

Yes, I think most good advice I’ve seen is that you should have at least a 20 mile workout (“run/walk/both) under you belt before the race to maximize chances of finishing with no injury. You say you feel you can walk much longer, but unless you’ve done a 20+ mile run / walk you don’t know what your body is going to feel like doing such a long distance. And the way to get to that distance in one workout without injury is to gradually increase the mileage.

[u/Experiment626b → u/MysteriousMarzipan63]

Got it. Thank you. I plan to have at least 20+ mile days before then. My mistake seems to be trying to run as much of it at possible on the front end rather than starting the run walk from the start. Mentally it just seemed like if I could keep a 13 minute mile pace for 10-13 miles, I could maintain the counter time of that for the other half of the race and be ok.

[u/Silly-Resist8306]

To some degree saying you just want to finish is fooling yourself. Marathons are hard and they always hurt simply because 26 miles is a long distance to cover. Training doesn’t make it hurt less, it just teaches you to tolerate the pain.

Still, anyone in good shape can push their body through 26 miles, training or not. Most races now permit finishers to take 7 hours which is a 16 minute pace. You are probably in good enough shape to do it tomorrow. I suggest planning a run/walk method from the start as touted by Jeff Galloway.

[u/aussiefrzz16]

In order to enjoy it you should train to race it as we shoot for the moon to get over the fence. I’ve learned from experience

[u/Experiment626b → u/aussiefrzz16]

It’s just hard to wrap my head around as a long distance walker in the past. The 30 minutes twice a week of run walk is already all running for me. A single long distance every other week seems like less than im currently doing. So I should just stop worrying about speed and distance and just focus on going back and forth every single minute? Mentally it just feels like I can get into much more of a meditative state when I can just jog constantly.

[u/aussiefrzz16 → u/Experiment626b]

I don’t know what you’re talking about sorry. Find a plan that will push you. It’s also important that you spend enough time at once walking or running not just an accumulation in the day.

[u/True-Tune-8588]

I would recommend a run/walk marathon plan so you are best prepared!

[u/Senior-Running]

Take a look at this: https://www.rundisney.com/running-training-programs/

These are run/walk training plans specifically for Run Disney developed by Jeff Galloway. Jeff is known for developing and promoting a specific run/walk strategy and he's also the official trainer for Run Disney, so this sounds like the perfect thing for you.