First time marathoners and distance training.

A commonly held view in marathon training is that preparation should involve running exceptionally long distances each week. Training schedules often suggest distances of 50 to 60 miles per week for the last eight weeks prior to the race. Pollock (1977) indicates that some elite marathoners average over 100 miles per week in their build-up to a race, whilst Shelley and Donovan (1982) suggest an average of 44 miles per week for the novice marathoner in the 12 weeks preceaeding the race. Humphries and Holman (1983) indicate even higher mileages for the marathoner. One of the reasons for this is probably connected with what Young (1978) has coined 'the collapse point theory' which predicts a dramatic slow down in the latter part of a race if there has been insufficient distance training. Young hypothesises that a runner must cover at least 63 miles per week over the eight weeks prior to a race in order to avoid the collapse point. A runner who trains less than this, e.g. around 40 miles a week, should expect to be reduced to a 'shuffle' around 18 miles into the run. This view is further supported by Frederick (1978) quoted by Henderson who argues that a marathon should not be contemplated unless 40 miles per week have been covered for the previous eight weeks. Frederick concludes that the last 6-8 miles will be difficult but runners will probably battle through to the finish. Glover and Shepherd (1977) propose a similar training distance (40 to 45 miles per week) and add a cautionary note that this amount of training will still not help the