10 Lessons from 10 Marathons: What I’ve learned as a Runner & Physio

My first marathon was supposed to be a bucket list ‘one and done’. I entered the 40th London Marathon as part of my challenge to do 40 sports events in my 40th birthday year. 

When I entered my first marathon, I had no idea how much those 26.2 miles (and hundreds of training miles) would teach me. Not just about running, but about my body, my mindset, and even my life outside of running.

My first marathon was the virtual London Marathon due to covid. I pounded the local streets in pouring rain dressed as sunflower in memory or my daughter's friend who had died from leukaemia.

As a physiotherapist and run coach, I spend my days helping runners avoid injury and train smarter. As a runner myself, I’ve learned many of these lessons the hard way - through blisters, tears, finish-line triumphs, and the occasional “why on earth do I do this to myself?” moments.

Here are the 10 biggest lessons I’ve learned from running 10 marathons and how they can help you run stronger, recover better, and enjoy the process more. I promise they’re more useful than the “just don’t start too fast” advice. 

1. A marathon doesn’t start at the start line

It starts months before. Ideally the sooner the better. Most marathon training plans are 16-20 weeks long. That doesn’t mean you should sit on your backside eating cakes waiting to start, Running consistently 3 times a week prior to starting your formalised training plan will lay a solid foundation to build upon. Your success on race day is built during the dark winter runs, the early mornings, and the mid week interval sessions.

2. You don’t have to run 5-6 times a week

More mileage doesn’t necessarily lead to success. Lots of generic training plans online recommend you run 5, or even 6 times a week! Not only is that time consuming, but you ’ll end up overtraining, increase your risk of injury or burnout. Think quality over quantity. 3 quality runs per week with 1-2 strength training sessions will yield better results and reduce your risk of injury. 

3. Rest days are part of the plan

The adaptations and progress is made during the recovery time, not during the training session. Rest days used to feel lazy. Now I see them as essential. Elite athletes have rest days, if it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for you. Your body needs time to recover and adapt. If you’re on a run streak, it’s time to ditch it and have a day off. Ignore recovery, and your body will force it on you (usually via injury).

4. Strength training is non-negotiable

Strength training is the key to injury prevention as well as running faster and further. If you’re short on time, drop a run in favour of a strength session, or do a strength session on the same day as a short easy run. Focus on your glutes, hamstrings, quads, calves and core. Not having access to a gym shouldn’t be a barrier. There are lots of great exercises you can do at home such as calf raises, squats, step ups, lunges, bridging and planks. 

5. Fuel like it matters - because it does!

What you eat and drink can make or break you on race day. My worst marathons? The ones where I “winged” it with whatever was available on the course. And the races where I lost track of time and forgot to fuel, or decided not to eat a gel as I felt too nauseous. My best? The ones when I practised fueling in training, understood my carb needs, and hydrated properly. Marathon running is as much an eating and drinking competition as it is a running one.

And it’s not just during the race. What you eat before, during and after training are also important to reap the rewards of your training and prevent injury. 

6. Listening to your body is key

Those niggles you're ignoring? Those are the early warning signs of a potentially bigger impending injury. I see so many runners in my clinic with significant injuries such as stress fractures because they trained through the niggles. If something doesn’t settle within a couple of weeks of rest and activity modification you need to seek advice from a physiotherapist that specialises in 

7. Marathons are more mental than physical

When the legs get heavy and the finish feels impossibly far, it’s your mind that gets you through. Your mind will always want to give up long before the body has had enough. It’s an in-built survival mechanism to allow us to conserve energy to run away from a sabre-thoothed tiger. Positive self-talk, mantras, visualising the finish line - they really do work. Running has taught me resilience I use in every area of life (including motherhood, business, and managing multiple sclerosis). 

8. Community is everything!

Running can feel solitary, but the marathon taught me the power of support. I do a lot of my training alone to fit around work and family commitments. But I found my people through my charity entries and online running groups. Complete strangers on the internet will become your biggest cheerleaders. These people are going through what you are. They understand the challenges, the highs and the lows more than your non-running friends and family. They will be the ones who will pick up when things get tough and celebrate your wins.  

9. You can’t out-train poor recovery

Sleep, nutrition, hydration, mobility work - these are what keep you running strong. Ignore them, and your body will force recovery on you via fatigue, injury or burnout.

Prioritise recovery as much as mileage. It’s the secret sauce of marathon training.

10. Every marathon is different

Despite running 10 marathons, no two have ever been the same. Weather, training, hormones, life stress, injury, even gut health - they all play a part. The biggest lesson? Be adaptable. Let go of perfection. Celebrate showing up and don’t forget to practice your finish line pose! 

The medal isn’t the only reward

Yes, I love the shiny hardware. I am a medal junkie. But the real value of 10 marathons? The lessons in patience, resilience, body wisdom, and self-belief. 

Running has given me more than finish lines and medals. It’s taught me how to thrive as a physio, a coach, a mum, and a woman.

If you’re training for your first marathon, or your tenth, remember: it’s not about doing more. It’s about doing what matters. Train smart, respect recovery, fuel properly, and above all, trust yourself.

Because if there’s one thing 10 marathons have taught me, it’s this: you are always stronger than you think.

Ready to run smarter, not harder?

Join The Physio Run Club

If you’re training for your first marathon, or your tenth, you don’t have to do it alone. Inside The Physio Run Club you’ll get:

✅ Monthly expert masterclasses on training, fueling, and injury prevention

✅ 2 x month live Q&A coaching calls with me

✅ A library of resources on training, injury prevention & rehab, kit reviews & advice, female-specific training, and race prep

✅ A supportive community of runners who “get it”

✅ Organised meet ups with me and other members at Park Run and other events

👉 Join The Physio Run Club today and train the way your body deserves.

Because if there’s one thing 10 marathons have taught me, it’s this: you are always stronger than you think.