Marathon Strength Training Simplified: How 30 Minutes a Week Can Shave Minutes Off Your PR

Marie Whitt
3 days ago
4 min read

Yeah, it really can be that simple.

I was on a summer cross country training trip with my team and it was all about running. And eating pasta.

We did 2-a-days: one run in the morning and usually another workout in the evening: biking, running, or...this one, evening we went over to a friend's house whose mom was a personal trainer.

She had everything laid out besides some neatly arranged yoga mats.

And look, I was jazzed.

I've always loved strength training.

I love the intensity of it, how my body feels, and how freaking strong it makes my runs feel.

I was...disappointed.

Because I wanted barbells.

And we got baby weights.

I wanted to "lift like a guy."

And we got "pilates, deep-core, girlie pop workout."

And yes, the running community has come a looong way since then. That common knowledge of "I should really buy some heavier and weights and get stronger" is out there.

But why I do still see things like this floating around then, masquerading as "strength for runners"?

75 bodyweight squats
50 bodyweight lunges each leg to be done immediately after your long run
monster booty-band side steps, front walks, and back walks, chasing that "burn" to know it's working
A 30-minute core circuit for "the intense marathoner who really wants it"

So as long as those myths are still running around rampant, I'm going to keep shouting the truth from the rooftops.

And trust me:

most runners are doing the wrong kind of strength work for marathon training.

Because they're making it harder than it needs to be.

But Hills Are Strength Training for Runners, Right?

When I first started running, I made the assumption (that a lot of other beginner runners make, too) that all the threshold workouts, hills repeats, and long runs that left my quads feeling like sandbags by the end of the workout meant my legs were "getting stronger".

That because I was doing all the “right” running workouts, there was no way my legs were somehow weak.

But injuries have a way of humbling you. (RIP right knee and left groin)

And showing you just how integral strength training actually is.

What Strength Training for Marathoners Isn’t

Let’s clear the air.

Strength training for runners, especially for marathoners, is not:

Endless circuits of 20+ exercises
Bodyweight-only workouts that have to “burn” in order to "work"
A 60-minute sessions you have squeeze into your already jam-packed life
that core workouts are enough because, yeah, hill repeats will take care of the rest

I believe people who design workouts like these heave the best intentions. I've even seen running coaches and other physical therapists do this. (yikes!)

And I get it: they're all trying to keep their athletes healthy with the knowledge that's been given them during their certification.

But as a physical therapist who spends her free time with her nose in every evidence-based running research paper she can find...

I need to tell you the truth.

Body weight strength circuits (even when complemented by hill repeats) are NOT going to give you the physiological stimuli to build stronger muscles that help you shave minutes off your PR.

Read that part again: they don’t translate to faster paces, stronger finishes, or 5+ minutes off your PR.

But you know what does?

What Marathon-Specific Strength Training Does Look Like

Another way we bamboolze ourselves as runners:

We think more is better.

More mileage is better.

Higher mileage is better.

More speed workouts is better.

ANYTHING BUT....more recovery.

You'd think we'd be consistent and rejoice at the thought of LESS strength training.

But noooooo.

Our brains, for some un-logical reason, think that if a strength workout is:

concise
specific,
and strategic

Meaning, NOT an hour, and NOT 15+ exercises, that it must NOT work.

Nope. Total lie.

What does work for marathoners looking to get stronger so they can run faster and take at least 5 minutes off their PR are:

running-specific strength workouts that maybe have
4-6 total exercises
that can get done in 30 minutes or less
that's are focused on the strength-needs a runner (glutes, quads, calves, and core)
That can easily be performed with 2 sets of weights and zero gym required

And the best part?

When these kinds of strength workouts for runners are designed right, your workout doesn't wreck your run the next day.

Instead, you feel strong and powerful.

Your legs have an extra drive on hills.

Your stride feels snappier during speed session.

And your legs can keep going like the energizer bunny on long runs.

Because here’s the truth:

Strength training for runners and marathons isn't about doing more. It’s about doing the right exercise in the right phase of your training.

Why Runners Struggle to Strength Train During Marathon Training

This is the part that confuses most runners because you’ve been told you need to strength train to get faster, prevent running injuries, all the things.

But no one ever explains HOW.

Especially not in minute detail when it comes to blending your strength training with your marathon training in a way that doesn't sabotaging your run the next day, leaving you with dead legs.

That’s why I created Project PR.

To finally answer questions like:

How do I strength train while marathon training?
What’s enough vs. what’s too much?
How do my workouts change from Week 1 to Peak Week?
When should I lift heavier, and when should I back off?

Enter PROJECT PR

Project PR is my FREE live virtual training for marathoners ready to bust pace plateaus and unlock the cutting edge strategy to run stronger, faster, and shave minutes off your PR every race.

Inside, you’ll get:

The “Project PR Plan”: marathon-specific plyometric and strength workouts designed for runners, not bodybuilders.
My “Power Up” Formula: how to always pick the right weight that makes you stronger (without wrecking your legs).
The R.E.P. Checklist: how your strength training should evolve from Week 1 to Peak Week.
Running-specific glute, quad, calf, and core work that dials in performance and keeps you injury-free.

Because your new PR isn’t hiding in another long run. It's waiting in the other side of your heaviest lift.

Ready to Train Smarter, Not Harder?

Stop guessing what “strength for runners” actually means.

Join Project PR and learn how to lift like a marathoner so you can run stronger, faster, and finally hit that PR you’ve been chasing.

Join Project PR Now!

I can't wait to see you on the inside!

Dare to Train Differently,

Mare Whitt, PT, DPT // @dr.whitt.fit