By Adam & Rhi Bowden
Are you training for a spring marathon or half?
London, Newport, Manchester – whichever start line you’re aiming for, there’s one truth that most runners overlook:
The next six weeks are absolutely crucial.
While most people begin to wind down for Christmas, the smart runners use this window to build the strength, stability, and movement foundations that make January training feel easier, lighter, and far more injury-proof.
Between us, we have over 30 years of running experience, from elite racing to coaching and physiotherapy. We’ve seen what works, what doesn’t, and most importantly – we’ve seen exactly why runners get injured during marathon training.
And it’s rarely bad luck.
It’s often because the foundations weren’t built early enough.
These next six weeks can be the difference between a confident, strong January…or startingy our plan feeling stiff, slow, and vulnerable to injury.
Here’s how to get it right.
Nov/Dec: Build Your Base (Your Injury-Prevention Window)
Most runners stop here – but this is such a crucial phase.
This phase is all about preparing your body so it can handle the training load that’s coming. Think of it as your marathon insurance policy.
Focus on:
- Strength training 2-3x per week – Legs, glutes, core, single-leg work. Nothing fancy – just consistent, quality strength.
- Mobility & flexibility – Hips, ankles, knees and spine – get everything moving.
- Activation work – particularly core & Glutes. Wake up the muscles that matter.
- Technique & drills – A-skips, B-skips, posture drills, fast feet – small tweaks that change everything.
- Optional easy running – If you want to keep running, keep it easy. There’s no pressure here.
- Consistency over intensity – You’re laying foundations, not chasing fitness.
This is the month that dramatically reduces the chance of an injury in February or March.
January: Start Building the Engine
This is when official marathon training kicks off.
After the Christmas break, the goal is simple: Feel strong – not overwhelmed.
Focus on:
- Gradually increasing your weekly mileage
- 1 long run + 1 quality session (intervals or tempo)
- Easy miles around these key days
- Keeping strength training in your plan (don’t drop it!)
- Re-establishing good sleep and routine
- Post-run mobility to stay loose and balanced
Good habits now will carry you through the next two months.
February & March: Build the Miles (Smartly)
This is where the magic happens – or where runners break down.
These are the highest-risk months for injury.
Not because runners are doing anything “wrong,” but because:
- Mileage increases
- Fatigue accumulates
- Life gets busy
- Recovery gets forgotten
Here’s what matters most:
- Progress your long run gradually
- Work on pacing and test all your fueling early
- Keep one strength session per week
- Prioritise recovery just as much as training
- Keep improving technique: posture, cadence, arm drive
- Train YOUR body – not someone else’s pace or mileage
If you’re disciplined here, you’ll arrive at race day feeling powerful, not broken.
A Final Word From Us
If there’s one message we want runners to take away:
Don’t neglect the work now.
The next few weeks matter more than most people realise.
You don’t need to be running big miles, but you do need to build strength, improve technique, restore/maintain mobility, activate the right muscles and recover properly
This is how you set yourself up for injury-free marathon training so you can have your strongest ever race day.
Start now, build your foundations, and January training will feel completely different.
You’ve got this!
Adam & Rhi