You Actually Don’t Have to Run a Marathon
IF YOU RECENTLY joined a run club or started running on your own, you’ve probably noticed a surge of sweaty selfies, self-congratulatory captions, and shiny medals flooding your feed around major marathon weekends. Marathon season has become as inevitable your post-gym selfie, with events like the Berlin Marathon and New York City Marathon setting participation records – over 56,000 runners started the latter – and the 2025 London Marathon drawing a record-breaking 840,318 applicants.
'Social media has normalised the marathon,' says Nick Klastava, a Maryland-based USATF Level 1- and RRCA Level 1-certified coach with Running Explained. 'I think people feel like "well, if I’m going to run, I might as well do the furthest distance – that will make me a real runner."' (That’s not to dismiss ultrarunning, which features races longer than 26.2 miles, he adds; that community just hasn’t seen quite the same growth as road running.)
'What’s impressive about the marathon is the distance covered,' explains Blake Dircksen, C.S.C.S., a running coach, physical therapist, and owner of Backroads Endurance Company. 'The fact that someone can run 26.2 miles, that’s the achievement.' Remember: The myth that inspired the race ends with the runner falling down dead (RIP, Pheidippides). Even non-runners can understand, regardless of finish time, how impressive it is to run so far – an all-out 5K, which may feel more intense, just doesn’t seem as challenging, because most people could easily walk that distance if needed.
'Social media has put the marathon on a pedestal, and other distances don’t carry the same amount of clout,' says Dircksen. The hype, excitement, and sheer amount of content around the biggest marathons can drown out other aspects of running, but you don't have to finish 26.2 to be considered a "real" runner. It’s okay to opt for shorter distances – and to even say no to racing at all.
Is Everyone Actually Running Marathons?
DESPITE WHAT SOCIAL media might have you believe, more people are actually running shorter distances than the marathon. On the fitness tracking app Strava – which has 135 million users – only five percent of runners ran a 26.2-mile race in 2023, according to its Year In Sport report; that number increased by nine percent in 2024.
Half marathons are runners’ favourite distance, a 2024 report from RunningUSA found. More runners participate in races from two miles to 13.1 miles than those who finish 26.2 miles, too. These shorter races are less time-consuming to train for while still offering a good challenge, survey respondents said.
And they’re right: Training for a marathon is a huge undertaking, and deciding to run one is a decision that shouldn’t be made just because everyone else seems to be doing it. While countless runners tout the marathon as the ultimate test of strength, endurance, and willpower, “every distance is fun and rewarding in its own way,” says Klastava. A 5K or 10K can be an excruciating challenge if you’re going all-out, as can the the sustained speed and mental toughness necessary for a half marathon. Training for a full marathon can be a five-month endeavour (or longer, if you don’t already have a consistent running routine), but “you can train for shorter distances without sacrificing your life,” says Klastava.
Some people even argue that marathon running actually isn’t great for your health – or at least constantly staying in a marathon training split with heavy mileage without a break from one race to the next isn’t healthy. 'I don’t think that marathon training is necessarily a healthy habit,' says Dircksen. 'It’s proven that doing what it takes to train for and finish a marathon has a pretty heavy impact on you, physiologically.'
The repetitive stress of marathon running has been associated with an increased risk of injury, according to a 2022 review published in Scientific Reports. Within a group of 245 recreational runners, those who ran half marathons were found to have 'a tendency towards better health status' compared to those who ran full and ultramarathons, who were more likely to experience the negative health outcomes related to training stress. That’s not meant to dissuade you from running, which is generally good for you, but it does indicate that going further isn’t required if you’re running for health.
'I just think you’re going to be so much healthier by focusing on good strength training, good nutrition, and occasionally prioritising intensity into your work, whether it’s sprints or power,' says Dircksen. 'Running can be more about bite-sized chunks of 20, 30, maybe 60 minutes to help maintain the aerobic system and lower your resting heart rate.'
Even if you are determined to race 26.2 miles, most newer runners would be so much better served by building a sustainable running routine by training for 5Ks and 10Ks, even a half, before jumping straight into a marathon. Starting with those shorter events will actually better prepare you for the distance. 'If you train to get fast in a 5K, you’re going to be faster in the marathon. It changes your overall fitness,' says Klastava.
'You can stack those wins on top of each other, and that creates a real momentum,' adds Dircksen.
Do You Really Even Have to Race?
DOES FINISHING A marathon make you a runner? The short answer: No – and let's expand that beyond 26.2. People enjoy running for all types of reasons, and there’s so much more to the sport than simply lining up for a race of any distance. You shouldn’t need permission, but “you can just enjoy running because it gives you time alone in your head, says Klastava. Running has been shown to boost your mood in small studies; in fact, one 2023 study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders found running and antidepressant medication to have similar effects on mental health. That's not to say that your workout should take the place of medical treatment, but it's a worth highlighting all of these potential benefits.
Or maybe it’s about connection for you. One of the main drivers behind running’s current boom is the sense of community it provides. Running is a fast-growing social sport – Strava saw a 59 percent increase in running clubs in 2024, according to its annual report, and an 18 percent increase in the number of runs uploaded with groups of 10 or more people. And, no, it’s not just people looking to hook up; 43 percent of people surveyed said they join group activities to improve their performance, while 34 percent said groups help them stay accountable to their training plans, and four times more people said they want to meet new people (not just romantically!) through a fitness group than at a bar.
Training, by the way, doesn’t always need an end goal. “Fitness is fitness,” says Klastava. 'It doesn’t need a clock, or to be represented by some number. You can just train and get fit and be proud of that.' Whether you do that on your own or with a group, varying your workouts, building volume, and just showing up consistently is an accomplishment in its own right. 'I’m always going to champion someone that is secure enough to take that kind of approach,' says Dircksen.
How You Can Be a "Real" Runner
If you're still looking for ways to quantify your identity as a runner, take one (or all three) of these approaches to make more out of your movement.
Start By Making Time
Take a note from Dircksen, who points out that running for time rather than distance can be an effective way to train. If you're starting from square one, aim for just five minutes to start, then spend longer periods on the road or treadmill as you gain fitness. Need more help? Try the run-walk method to get up to speed.
Join a Group
Run clubs have become a huge part of fitness culture, and as the Strava data cited above indicates, they're everywhere. Find your local group though friends, this national database, or even join a virtual org like Martinus Evans's Slow AF Run Club.
Set a Goal
You can run just because you feel like running, to quote Forrest Gump – but you might find that you're able to stick to a consistent routine better with a finish line in your sights. That could be at your local 5K race, but it doesn't have to be a literal one. Maybe you want to go for 20 minutes without stopping, or you want to be able to run to work or to your best friend's house. Your only limitation is whether or not you're willing to try.
A real runner is just someone who runs. It doesn’t matter how fast they do that, how far they go, or how many race medals they earn. The only reason you should be signing up for any race – marathon or otherwise – is because that’s the way you want the challenge yourself.
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