You Can Run a Marathon Without Training

Question

Running a marathon is an incredible feat, and one that many of us will likely never do because of the strain and the months of training required. However, this claim introduces the idea of skipping all that hard work and hoping right into the race. While it is possible to run a marathon without training, the real question is whether you should. And according to professionals, the answer is a strong absolutely not.

In an article from the Marathon Handbook, Running Coach Amber Sayer references concerning videos about running a marathon with no training and the interest that has sprouted from them. She explains how challenging a marathon can be without the recommended several months of raining, and the greater issues. She claims novice runners can put stress on their kidneys, provoke muscle tissue, and are at risk of running-induced injuries (knee pain and stress fractures).

Sayer recommends beginners run for 6 months to a year before even starting marathon training. She also invites runners to do a half-marathon before starting to train for the full thing. While it’s possible to run a marathon without any training, it’s not recommended. If you really want to run a marathon, it seems best thing to do is throw those running shorts on and turn on the treadmill.

Answer 1

The claim "You can run a marathon without training" implies running a marathon is an east feet that will be successful without proper training. This could be true, a person without or with very little running experience could "complete" a marathon but it is extremely misleading. Through research I have found that training for a marathon is very important to prevent injury, create a successful experience, and all together build your strength and character. 
An article from the Orange County Marathon Running Festival addresses the risks of running a marathon without training, including muscle strain, dehydration, exhaustion and injury. Meanwhile the benefits of training include improving endurance, strength, and fitness. By pointing this out, they acknowledge that many people's reasons for running a marathon expand past just "running a marathon". This proves to be a credible article because they benefit from people running there marathon. Therefore, they could just state anyone can run one to draw attraction and gain customers. But they are committed to creating a good race environment and therefore don't recommend running a marathon without proper preparation.
Another article from Race ID further discusses the risks running a marathon without training. They acknowledge that running a marathon is a challenge. Not only is it challenging on your body and can cause physical injuries such as Musculoskeletal injuries and Tendinitis and Bursitis, it can also create heart problems or delayed recovery after the race. There are a lot of mental challenges that come with running a marathon so without proper training a runner could face metal fatigue or physiological stress. This article is credible because it comes from a source focused on the success of runners. The article is in support of running marathons but warns against running them without proper preparation. 

To conclude, the claim is very misleading because it is not outright false. One untrained person could very well start and finish a marathon, however the claim makes it sound easy. If someone sees this claim and does not do further research, they could build confidence they can run a marathon without proper training and soon find it is not as easy as the claim implies. There is a thrill behind the idea of running a marathon but it is also acknowledged by many as being very hard. Therefore the claim "you can run a marathon without training" begs the question if you can does that necessarily mean you should? At the risk of injury, many professionals conclude you should not. 
 

Answer 2

This claim is technically true but is very confusing. Yes someone who is generally healthy and active can go run a marathon without training but its strongly unrecommended by many professional running coaches and doctors. In the marathon handbook written by  professional running coach Amber Sayers, she stresses how important it is to train before attempting to run a marathon. Not only does Sayers go into detail about all the health issues that can come up while and after running a marathon without training she also mentions how it turns into a stressful experience and stops many people from ever running another marathon. Sayers even makes it a point to bring up how social media platforms like Tik Tok have created a false narrative of 'zero training' and that not only is this not okay but no one should think that running marathon takes zero training before hand. Overall this claim is misleading and although people have done it, it has only negative outcomes.

Answer 3

Although the claim is theoretically true it is actually very misleading and could be dangerous. A marathon is a 26.2 miles and your body needs time to adapt to that kind of stress load. Without training, finishing itself would be very challenging and risk of injury, dehydration, and joint issues would be much more prevalent. Research backs this up like the American College of Sports Medicine which emphasizes the importance of training. Training articles such as https://marathonhandbook.com/running-a-marathon-without-training/ basically explains that doing it unprepared is risky and only works for a very small number of people who might be naturally fit or just get lucky, and that most runners should train to avoid serious problems like exhaustion, injury, or heat illness. So while someone could run a marathon without training, they probably should not.