What do you think?
Rate this book
Hansons First Marathon: Step Up to 26.2 the Hansons Way
"Whether you're new to running or experienced in shorter distances, you'll learn how to break down 26.2 miles into achievable daily workouts for a well-executed, life-changing first marathon. Follow training plans specific to your level of experience, plan for race day, and support your running with instruction on nutrition and supplemental training" --
- GenresSportsNonfiction
322 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 12, 2018
43 people are currently reading
74 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 21, 2024
0 star for writing
1 star for research quality
1 star for premise
1 star for impact
1 star for personal taste: Going to follow this plan...from what I can see, any failures will be mine :)
1 star for research quality
1 star for premise
1 star for impact
1 star for personal taste: Going to follow this plan...from what I can see, any failures will be mine :)
December 9, 2022
I used this book to train for my first marathon. I do not recommend that you do the same.
The positive reviewers mostly comment on the readability, and the way the Hansons clearly explain the theory of long, aerobic training. I agree with that praise. They also include excellent chapters on the day-of the marathon and the weeks-after the marathon.
However, I wonder if some of these reviewers actually completed any of the plans, as written. The plans are quite bad and wholly inappropriate for a first-time marathoner.
Mostly the problem is the rate at which volume increases. I am in excellent shape and have raced many half-marathon and half-Ironman races, and I did not dare attempt the rate of volume increase that the "From Scratch" plan (designed for complete beginners) prescribes.
Perhaps, you think, I am just a wuss. That's fair, so decide for yourself:
For beginners that have ZERO running experience or fitness, the Hansons propose that you first execute a provided "0 to 5k plan" that lasts 8 weeks. By hypothesis, at the end of this week you will run 3.1 miles for the first time ever in your life. So far this is reasonable.
The total volume for this 8th week would be about 12 miles of running. After this plan, the Hansons suggest that you are ideally trained to jump into the 18-week "From Scratch" plan for a marathon. The weekly volumes for the first month of that plan are as follows:
1: 17 miles
2. 22 miles
3. 26 miles
4. 31.5 miles
So, one month after your first 5k ever, the Hansons suggest you should be running TEN TIMES that volume per week. I actually did this initial ramp-up almost as written, but if a beginner could even achieve this without injury, it would be disastrous over-training. I honestly do not understand how the Hansons could be professional coaches and make this recommendation to beginners.
My second objection to this book concerns their treatment of your pace goal. As before, the background information on pace selection based on previous race results is really nice and all very academic. However, when it comes to the training plan, the Hansons insist that your marathon pace will be the pace at which you do your tempo runs, rather than the pace at which you did your long runs.
For my whole training plan, I believed this. My tempo runs maxed out at 10 miles, and some of them felt really strong. However, my long runs (which max out at 16 miles in the plans) were quite a bit slower. The Hansons reassure you not to worry, because "these 16 miles will feel like the last 16 miles of a marathon, not the first 16" due to overall training load, and you will be able to achieve your target pace on race day.
It should have occurred to me that this is fundamentally flawed logic. Even if the 16 mile long run were exactly equivalent to the last 16 miles of your race, you should then expect to run the last 16 miles of the race at more or less your long run pace. Even if you manage to run the first 10 miles at your tempo pace, your overall pace would be close to your long run pace.
And of course that's exactly what happened to me. I ran my first 10 miles at close to my tempo pace, rapidly realized it was too fast, slowed for the last 16, and ended up running a marathon at basically my long run pace.
In retrospect... of course! Why would you suddenly be able to sustain your tempo pace for 2.62 times longer than you had ever run that pace before?
Expect to run your first marathon at something close to your long run pace. And don't use this book to train for your first marathon.
The positive reviewers mostly comment on the readability, and the way the Hansons clearly explain the theory of long, aerobic training. I agree with that praise. They also include excellent chapters on the day-of the marathon and the weeks-after the marathon.
However, I wonder if some of these reviewers actually completed any of the plans, as written. The plans are quite bad and wholly inappropriate for a first-time marathoner.
Mostly the problem is the rate at which volume increases. I am in excellent shape and have raced many half-marathon and half-Ironman races, and I did not dare attempt the rate of volume increase that the "From Scratch" plan (designed for complete beginners) prescribes.
Perhaps, you think, I am just a wuss. That's fair, so decide for yourself:
For beginners that have ZERO running experience or fitness, the Hansons propose that you first execute a provided "0 to 5k plan" that lasts 8 weeks. By hypothesis, at the end of this week you will run 3.1 miles for the first time ever in your life. So far this is reasonable.
The total volume for this 8th week would be about 12 miles of running. After this plan, the Hansons suggest that you are ideally trained to jump into the 18-week "From Scratch" plan for a marathon. The weekly volumes for the first month of that plan are as follows:
1: 17 miles
2. 22 miles
3. 26 miles
4. 31.5 miles
So, one month after your first 5k ever, the Hansons suggest you should be running TEN TIMES that volume per week. I actually did this initial ramp-up almost as written, but if a beginner could even achieve this without injury, it would be disastrous over-training. I honestly do not understand how the Hansons could be professional coaches and make this recommendation to beginners.
My second objection to this book concerns their treatment of your pace goal. As before, the background information on pace selection based on previous race results is really nice and all very academic. However, when it comes to the training plan, the Hansons insist that your marathon pace will be the pace at which you do your tempo runs, rather than the pace at which you did your long runs.
For my whole training plan, I believed this. My tempo runs maxed out at 10 miles, and some of them felt really strong. However, my long runs (which max out at 16 miles in the plans) were quite a bit slower. The Hansons reassure you not to worry, because "these 16 miles will feel like the last 16 miles of a marathon, not the first 16" due to overall training load, and you will be able to achieve your target pace on race day.
It should have occurred to me that this is fundamentally flawed logic. Even if the 16 mile long run were exactly equivalent to the last 16 miles of your race, you should then expect to run the last 16 miles of the race at more or less your long run pace. Even if you manage to run the first 10 miles at your tempo pace, your overall pace would be close to your long run pace.
And of course that's exactly what happened to me. I ran my first 10 miles at close to my tempo pace, rapidly realized it was too fast, slowed for the last 16, and ended up running a marathon at basically my long run pace.
In retrospect... of course! Why would you suddenly be able to sustain your tempo pace for 2.62 times longer than you had ever run that pace before?
Expect to run your first marathon at something close to your long run pace. And don't use this book to train for your first marathon.
January 29, 2019
This year I decided to run my first marathon. I’ve been running regularly for a couple years now and have run two half marathons. Still, to prepare I went out and picked up this book. My wife teased me that only I would get a book to learn to run.
I chose this one because it gave a range of plans, along with the rational behind how it works. Additionally, the way the plan is arranged the longest training run is 16 miles. As a parent and full time employee it helps to have some time boxes.
This book armed me with knowledge and I plan on referring to it as I train. It also scared me into acknowledging how much time and work will go into this effort. I’ll try to come back to the review to update my experience.
I chose this one because it gave a range of plans, along with the rational behind how it works. Additionally, the way the plan is arranged the longest training run is 16 miles. As a parent and full time employee it helps to have some time boxes.
This book armed me with knowledge and I plan on referring to it as I train. It also scared me into acknowledging how much time and work will go into this effort. I’ll try to come back to the review to update my experience.
January 11, 2019
Using it to train for Houston marathon in 10 days. I actually finished it weeks ago, and forgot to remove it from currently reading
Read
July 7, 2025Should probably wait to rate this one
October 14, 2025
I read this book in 2024 while dreaming about running my first marathon and gave it 5 stars because it is full of practical, science-backed information. Everything from running mechanics and nutrition to race preparation and structured training plans. I learned a lot from the explanations and couldn’t wait to put it all into practice.
Later that year, I was accepted into the 2025 Chicago Marathon and followed the From Scratch program exactly as written, not missing a single workout. I'm a normal casual runner, by no means athletic and I was looking forward to run under 5 hours.
I’m happy to say I successfully ran my first marathon this year, injury-free, following all the advice from this book, and I can truly vouch for its effectiveness. If I could I would give it more than 5 stars. I'm just back here writing this review to say the book works. The training was tough, but it prepared me incredibly well for race day. It is true that for absolute beginners the plan will likely look extremely intimidating and personally I opted to do a 2 month base training before starting the plan just to be prepared for the intense milage on it.
I’ll also admit, I had my doubts at times. Especially when the longest run in the plan was just 16 miles (around 26 km), while other programs go up to 19 or 20 miles. But this plan really left me more than ready to take on the full distance.
I’d wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone training for their first marathon. It’s well-researched, trustworthy, and—if you follow it faithfully—highly effective.
Later that year, I was accepted into the 2025 Chicago Marathon and followed the From Scratch program exactly as written, not missing a single workout. I'm a normal casual runner, by no means athletic and I was looking forward to run under 5 hours.
I’m happy to say I successfully ran my first marathon this year, injury-free, following all the advice from this book, and I can truly vouch for its effectiveness. If I could I would give it more than 5 stars. I'm just back here writing this review to say the book works. The training was tough, but it prepared me incredibly well for race day. It is true that for absolute beginners the plan will likely look extremely intimidating and personally I opted to do a 2 month base training before starting the plan just to be prepared for the intense milage on it.
I’ll also admit, I had my doubts at times. Especially when the longest run in the plan was just 16 miles (around 26 km), while other programs go up to 19 or 20 miles. But this plan really left me more than ready to take on the full distance.
I’d wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone training for their first marathon. It’s well-researched, trustworthy, and—if you follow it faithfully—highly effective.
October 16, 2022
I seriously wish I had of started reading this before I started training instead of whilst I was injured due to training incorrectly. The book is great for beginners and doesn't just give you the how's but the whys that go with them which makes alot of sense. Would definitely recommend to someone starting out. Wether it works I'll post an update after my marathon.
April 5, 2019
He is a good story teller. His explanation is easy to grasp and enjoyable.
He explained the science behind every move and program, still practical for someone as clueless as I.
He explained the science behind every move and program, still practical for someone as clueless as I.
October 16, 2024
***.5
The Hansons approach is notorious for its high mileage and few days off. Although generally best for competitive athletes, many normal people have also found success with their programs. As indicated by the title, this book is meant for people of all abilities who are training for their first marathon. This runs the gamut from a Couch-to-Marathon plan for beginners who are just starting running, to experienced runners at shorter distances looking to step up to the longer distance.
Probably the biggest departure from most programs is the cap of 16 miles for the longest run. But don't be fooled into thinking that you're getting off easy, as the weekly mileage is high and the long run is done on tired legs. Throughout the week there are various types of high intensity workouts, including a 10-mile run at goal marathon pace.
As with the previous book of theirs, they aren't big fans of using heart rate zones, and rely instead on pace based training targets. While this is certainly appropriate for competitive athletes trying to improve their PR time, for a book aimed at first time marathoners without a time to beat, I remain skeptical.
The training plans are 18 weeks long, which is on the short side for marathon training. They say that it's enough to be running 3-4 days for 10-15 miles per week before starting, but things escalate quickly, and within a few weeks they have you running 50 miles over 5-6 days per week with a 15 mile long run! Therefore, I would consider it essential to add a 6-8 week pre-plan buildup to 5 days and at least 20 miles per week before starting the actual plan. The most they suggest is an 8-week Couch-To-5k plan that culminates in a 30 minute jog, which in their view is plenty of time to complete a 5k. For many new runners, this is incredibly ambitious, and it can take several months to build up to that level of speed. So even though they are writing for first time marathoners, the target audience is still quite fit, able to finish the marathon in under 4 hrs after the 18 weeks. Which is out of reach for many people, especially beginners.
On the positive side, there's a lot of good no-nonsense information regarding all aspects of training, nutrition, hydration, recovery, etc. For instance, many books end with the big race, this one includes a whole chapter to answer the "and then?" questions that everyone has but are usually overlooked. Therefore, I would recommend this book to anyone contemplating their first marathon, even if they don't intend to follow the Hansons training plans.
The Hansons approach is notorious for its high mileage and few days off. Although generally best for competitive athletes, many normal people have also found success with their programs. As indicated by the title, this book is meant for people of all abilities who are training for their first marathon. This runs the gamut from a Couch-to-Marathon plan for beginners who are just starting running, to experienced runners at shorter distances looking to step up to the longer distance.
Probably the biggest departure from most programs is the cap of 16 miles for the longest run. But don't be fooled into thinking that you're getting off easy, as the weekly mileage is high and the long run is done on tired legs. Throughout the week there are various types of high intensity workouts, including a 10-mile run at goal marathon pace.
As with the previous book of theirs, they aren't big fans of using heart rate zones, and rely instead on pace based training targets. While this is certainly appropriate for competitive athletes trying to improve their PR time, for a book aimed at first time marathoners without a time to beat, I remain skeptical.
The training plans are 18 weeks long, which is on the short side for marathon training. They say that it's enough to be running 3-4 days for 10-15 miles per week before starting, but things escalate quickly, and within a few weeks they have you running 50 miles over 5-6 days per week with a 15 mile long run! Therefore, I would consider it essential to add a 6-8 week pre-plan buildup to 5 days and at least 20 miles per week before starting the actual plan. The most they suggest is an 8-week Couch-To-5k plan that culminates in a 30 minute jog, which in their view is plenty of time to complete a 5k. For many new runners, this is incredibly ambitious, and it can take several months to build up to that level of speed. So even though they are writing for first time marathoners, the target audience is still quite fit, able to finish the marathon in under 4 hrs after the 18 weeks. Which is out of reach for many people, especially beginners.
On the positive side, there's a lot of good no-nonsense information regarding all aspects of training, nutrition, hydration, recovery, etc. For instance, many books end with the big race, this one includes a whole chapter to answer the "and then?" questions that everyone has but are usually overlooked. Therefore, I would recommend this book to anyone contemplating their first marathon, even if they don't intend to follow the Hansons training plans.
April 16, 2020
Excellent rundown (lol) on completing your first Marathon. I have been doing short distance running for a while and decided to up the ante but not without proper education to train efficiently and avoid injury. This book explains physiology of the muscles and lungs and how training, resting, nutrition, and other factors affect them. There are a few different training plans as well to give you an option that's right for you. There is also a detailed index at the end for quick reference, which is nice after having finished reading in entirety.
January 10, 2019
This is a very comprehensive book about all the aspects of running a marathon. There is plenty of information regarding the level of training you should undertake. But it also gets you to think about your own physiology and running experience/fitness levels, as these will determine which running plan you undertake. I found it very easy to read and look forward to using it to train for a marathon.
May 10, 2021
Quick comprehensive overview on approaching marathon training. Really helpful for a beginner and most likely for seasoned runners looking to refresh themselves on higher level data and research on endurance run training.
November 23, 2020
I really should have finished this faster. Especially the part about how to handle workouts days and weeks post marathon. This very usual resource will be my go-to for all future long-distance races.
September 28, 2018
If you have never run a marathon this book may still be a challenge for you, but it is doable. There is a nice couch to 5K plan in there that starts with walking/running intervals. The marathon training plans are solid and seem a lot like original plans. Looks like only one rest day and that may not be enough for some people that work full time jobs and have families. That said, it is just what your priority lies. Do you want to "just finish" or do you want to finish with a decent time after a solid training session. Nice pace equivalency charts and a nice section about stretching, exercises and nutrition. This is not a "idiots guide to your first marathon" I've done nearly 100 marathons, I wanted to read this book to see if I could learn anything new. The book is filled with good advice, a lot that I already knew. It would be a nice book for that first time marathoner or someone that has done some but wants to improve their times. I'd like to try their training plan and see the results.
October 10, 2019
I am feeling ready to do my first Marathon in 10 days this book has been my Marathon training bible. I have personally met Keith and Kevin Hanson many times they both are very supportive of new and old runners..
October 1, 2019
The perfect book if you are running a full marathon for the first time. Includes everything you need to know from determining an appropriate goal pace to fueling to gear.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews