Personalized Marathon Training Plan Guide

Preparing for a marathon requires a systematic training plan. RunBox AI coach creates a customized 16-20 week marathon training plan based on your fitness level, goal time, and available training time.

Why Choose an AI-Customized Marathon Training Plan?

1. Personalized Assessment: Based on your running experience and fitness condition
2. Smart Adjustments: Training intensity optimizes automatically with progress
3. Scientific Pacing: Based on your target finish time
4. Injury Prevention: Reasonable intensity progression to avoid injuries

witnessing the progress and development of chinese marathons in the best of times

Five or six years ago, running was not as popular as it is now. At that time, running alone on the road would even attract strange looks from passersby. Most people in China were immersed in the joys brought by sports like table tennis, basketball, badminton, and soccer. In the minds of most people, running was a repetitive and boring activity.

Back then, there were few people who ran, and even fewer who ran marathons. Many people even considered marathon enthusiasts to be 'crazy,' thinking that only 'crazy' people would run continuously for several hours and cover dozens of kilometers. In a vast country like China, there were only about 30 to 50 marathon events a year. Even the so-called 'Big Four Marathons in China'—Beijing Marathon, Shanghai Marathon, Xiamen Marathon, and Dalian Marathon—were first-come, first-served for many years.

Around 2015, running suddenly became popular in China. The streets, alleys, tracks, and parks in cities saw an increase in sweaty running enthusiasts wearing sportswear and running shoes. At the same time, marathons also became popular in China. In 2015, there were 134 marathon events throughout the year, more than doubling the 57 events in 2014. Many well-known events started using a lottery system that year, marking an unprecedented change in the Chinese marathon scene.

However, 2015 was just the beginning of the marathon boom in China. The number of events grew significantly each year thereafter, reaching an astonishing 1,581 events in 2018, more than ten times the number in 2015 and even more than the total in 2014. Along with the rapid increase in the number of marathon events, the scale of these events also expanded. Many events saw participation from tens of thousands of people, and the proportion of full marathons continued to rise. Even events like the Beijing Marathon, Shanghai Marathon, and Xiamen Marathon, which only offered full marathon categories, were still hard to get into.

The visible development is in the number and scale of marathon events in China, but the development of Chinese marathons is not just about growth in numbers and scale. The essence of Chinese marathons is also continuously evolving, providing better experiences for Chinese runners.

1. Marathon Expos Become Standard

Many years ago, most marathons did not have expos. Only a few events had them, and even then, they were very simple, usually just a tent set up next to the area where participants collected their race materials, displaying products and making some sales with no activities to participate in or freebies to collect.

Now, expos have become standard for major marathons. Many large marathon expos are very high-end and grand, moving from outdoor areas to exhibition centers or stadiums. Runners no longer have to endure the scorching sun or wind and rain to collect their materials. Major brands design their booths with great creativity to showcase their brand image to runners. Various activities are held, and there are plenty of freebies to collect. Many booths also sell products to satisfy runners' shopping desires and to help those lacking running gear to stock up.

——2018 Beijing Marathon Expo, From the Internet

Expos bring exposure to brands, benefits to runners, and add a lot of fun to the otherwise monotonous marathon. Now, many runners browse the expo after collecting their race materials, meet friends, collect freebies, and shop. The expo has turned the marathon into a grand event for runners, rather than just a running activity.

2. Eye-catching Race Apparel

In the early years, marathon race apparel was quite basic, with no design and usually just a single color. The material was not very good either, and many race shirts felt like they were clearing out old stock.

Now, many organizing committees put a lot of effort into the design of race apparel, incorporating elements of the event itself to fully showcase the city's characteristics and the essence of the marathon. The materials used are becoming more sophisticated, lighter, softer, and quick-drying. Many marathons highlight the race apparel during pre-race press conferences, explaining the thought and effort that went into the design.

——2019 Xiamen Marathon Race Apparel, From the Internet

Now, Chinese runners face a happy dilemma: there are too many race shirts to wear, and it feels wasteful to leave them unused. Perhaps in the future, our events could stop providing race shirts, and those who need them could pay extra to purchase them.

3. More Abundant Course Supplies

Before 2015, the supplies on the courses of most domestic marathons could only be described as 'minimalist,' with basically just water. There were no sports drinks or bananas, let alone the now-standard energy gels and salt tablets.

Now, the supplies on many marathon courses are so abundant that it leaves runners amazed. Many runners treat marathons as a 'banquet,' running for a while and then stopping to eat. The supplies are not only plentiful but also diverse, categorized into basic supplies like water and drinks, fruit supplies like bananas, cherry tomatoes, and watermelon, energy supplies like energy bars, gels, and salt tablets, and special supplies like local delicacies. Many runners don't lose weight despite running many marathons, possibly because they eat too much on the course.

——2018 Nanning Marathon Course Supplies

Many events operate on the philosophy of 'just bring yourself, and we'll take care of the rest.' Chinese runners are truly fortunate now, and many people say that organizing committees have 'spoiled' the runners.

4. More Exquisite Medals

In the early days, marathon medals were surprisingly uniform, mostly dark yellow and primarily round in shape, with some square ones that runners jokingly called 'bottle openers.' Some medals even rusted.

——2012 Shanghai Marathon Medal, From the Internet

In contrast, today's medals have long since moved beyond the round or square designs, incorporating various creative shapes like shells, gates, message bottles, city gates, ship wheels, and anchors.

——2019 Sanya Marathon Medal

The materials used for medals have also seen a huge leap. Most medals no longer rust, and the materials are no longer limited to metal. There are ceramic, purple clay, and wooden medals. Even more astonishing, the medals for the Beijing Marathon, Wuhan Marathon, and Guangzhou Marathon are inlaid with gold.

The colors of the medals have also become more diverse, no longer just dark yellow. There are gold, blue, red, purple, pink, and many medals are colorful and eye-catching.

Many runners participate in marathons just for a beautiful medal. Now, many Chinese marathon medals are exceptionally well-designed, prompting runners to participate in one race after another.

5. Improved Post-Race Services

In the past, marathons had little in the way of post-race services. Most runners would finish the race, collect their medals and finisher bags, do some stretching, and then leave. Many runners back then might not have even been aware of the importance of post-race stretching, rushing to catch a ride home after finishing.

Now, post-race services for Chinese marathons have extended to the 'last kilometer,' including but not limited to post-race supply areas, stretching areas, ice therapy areas, and photo areas.

——2018 Meizhou Marathon Post-Race Supplies, From the Internet

After finishing a marathon, runners can enjoy a round of services in the post-race area, eat something, get help with stretching from staff, soak their feet in the ice therapy area, and all the hunger, pain, and fatigue from the marathon will be swept away, leaving them feeling fully rejuvenated.

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Our generation of runners is fortunate. We are witnessing a great era of marathons, just as we have experienced the great era of China's reform and opening up over the past few decades. In the past five years, Chinese marathons have transitioned from being known to only a small group of people to becoming a popular mass fitness activity. The essence of Chinese marathons is evolving from simple and rough to complex and refined, moving towards comprehensive prosperity.

Currently, many Chinese marathons still have various issues, but we must understand that these issues are just minor interludes in the development process. We cannot completely deny an event because of some problems, nor should we blame Chinese marathons as a whole. These minor interludes on the path of development are being resolved one by one, and Chinese marathons are getting better and better.

In recent years, a large number of well-known marathons have sprung up across the country like mushrooms after rain, such as the Harbin Marathon in the Northeast, the Taiyuan Marathon in North China, the Wuxi Marathon and Nanjing Marathon in East China, the Lanzhou Marathon and Xi'an Marathon in Northwest China, the Chongqing Marathon, Liuzhou Marathon, and Chengdu Marathon in Southwest China, the Wuhan Marathon and Ganzhou Marathon in Central China, and the Shenzhen Marathon and Qingyuan Marathon in South China. Many years ago, the only well-known marathons were the Beijing Marathon, Shanghai Marathon, and Xiamen Marathon, which could be counted on one hand. We have achieved so many great marathons in just a few years, which is a remarkable achievement for Chinese marathons.

Our generation of runners are not only witnesses to the great development of Chinese marathons but also participants and even promoters. We must have confidence in our marathons, run every race well, and actively offer suggestions for improvement rather than mock and criticize. One day, we will have a large number of events comparable to the 'World Marathon Majors.'

We are running, and Chinese marathons are progressing and developing. Let's give each other more time and patience to become better and better together.

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