How to Train for the Philadelphia Marathon: Nutrition, Long Runs, and Recovery
- Cory Smith
- Mar 17
- 5 min read
Philadelphia was my first marathon. I ran it in 2012, crossing the finish line in 2:47 — and despite having to walk up Kelly Drive near the Art Museum in those final miles, it remains one of my greatest running moments.
Back then, the sport looked a lot different. Fueling during a marathon wasn't talked about the way it is today. Carbon-plated super shoes didn't exist. And the science behind marathon training — while solid — wasn't nearly as advanced as it is now.
Since that race, I've coached hundreds of marathoners of all abilities, and what we've learned along the way has changed how I think about preparing for 26.2. Whether this is your first marathon or your fifth, here's what you need to know to train smarter and race better.
1. Nutrition has changed dramatically — and it matters more than ever.
When I ran Philadelphia in 2012, fueling wasn't really a thing. I took four gels totaling about 96 grams of carbs across the entire race. I finished in 2:47, but I had to walk the last half mile. Sound familiar?
The science has come a long way since then. For decades, sports nutrition advice capped carb intake at around 30–60 grams per hour, based on what the body's primary carbohydrate transporter could absorb. The game changed when researchers discovered that fructose uses a completely separate transporter — meaning that by combining glucose and fructose, athletes can absorb significantly more carbohydrate without overwhelming the system. That's why most modern gels and sports drinks now use a glucose-fructose blend.
Here's a practical framework for how much to take in:
Runs under 60–75 minutes: No fuel needed for most runners
Long easy runs: 40–60g of carbs per hour
Marathon race pace and key workouts: 60–90g of carbs per hour
Elite or highly trained runners: Up to 90–120g/hr — if the gut has been trained for it
The keyword there is trained. Your gut is a limiter, and it's trainable. Studies show that 30–90% of endurance athletes experience GI issues during competition — usually because they never practiced fueling at race effort. Start gut training 8–10 weeks out, begin at 30–40g per hour, and build gradually. Practice on long runs, not race day.
For a deeper dive, check out my full post on how many carbs per hour you need for a marathon.
2. The long run is still the most important run of the week — but how you do it matters.
The long run is the backbone of any marathon training plan, and that hasn't changed. But what has changed is our understanding of how to structure it. Simply going out and logging easy miles every weekend isn't enough. The runners who show up to the start line truly prepared are the ones who practice running at goal marathon pace during their long runs.
Here's something important to internalize first: marathon pace isn't fast. Whatever your goal time is — 3:00, 3:30, 4:00, 4:30 — odds are you can run that pace for 10 miles today without much trouble. The limiting factor isn't speed. It's your ability to sustain that pace for 26.2 miles. That's exactly what long run workouts are designed to build.
Before trying to run your intervals faster, focus on extending your time at a given pace. If your workout calls for six 800s and you nailed it, try eight or ten at the same pace. Volume at pace builds the capacity to sustain it — and that's what wins marathons.
Here are three long run workout structures I use with athletes of all abilities. Swap in your own goal marathon pace wherever you see a specific time listed:
Alternating Long Run — alternate miles between goal marathon pace and an easy pace 20–30 seconds slower. Start with 8 alternating miles tacked onto an easy warmup, and build the alternating section week over week up to 12 miles.
Descending Interval Long Run — after an easy warmup, run progressively shorter intervals at goal marathon pace with easy recovery between each (e.g., 4 miles, 3 miles, 2 miles, 1 mile at pace, with 1 mile easy between). Progress by adding a rep each cycle.
Straight Marathon Pace Blocks — after an easy warmup, run 2–3 long blocks at goal marathon pace with a few minutes of easy running between each (e.g., 3 x 3 miles, building to 3 x 5 miles over the training block).
The peak long run should reach 20–22 miles about three weeks before race day. As a general rule, schedule your long run on Saturday rather than Sunday — that way, if something comes up, you can push it to Sunday without losing it entirely.
For a deeper breakdown of these workouts, check out the full long run guide here.
3. Recovery is where the adaptation actually happens.
Marathon training breaks your body down. The long runs, the pounding, the accumulated fatigue — that's all stress on the system. But here's the thing most runners get wrong: the training itself doesn't make you fitter. Recovering from the training is what makes you fitter. If you're not recovering well, you're just accumulating fatigue.
Recovery isn't just foam rolling for five minutes after a run. A real recovery plan has three pillars:
Sleep. This is the most underrated training tool there is. Your body releases the majority of its growth hormone during deep sleep — that's when muscles repair, tissues rebuild, and your aerobic system adapts to the work you've put in. Aim for at least eight hours a night. During heavy training weeks, more is better. If you're cutting sleep to fit in an early run, you may be doing more harm than good.
Nutrition timing. What you eat after a run matters as much as what you eat before it. In the 30–60 minutes after a hard or long effort, your muscles are primed to absorb carbohydrates and protein for recovery. Aim for a meal or snack with both — something like a smoothie with fruit and protein, or rice with chicken. Skimping on post-run nutrition slows the recovery process and means you'll show up to your next run less ready.
Easy days done easy. One of the most common mistakes in marathon training is running easy days too hard. Easy runs should feel genuinely easy — conversational pace, low effort. They aren't junk miles; they're active recovery that promotes blood flow and keeps the body moving without adding meaningful stress. If your easy days are more like moderate days, you're leaving recovery on the table.
Foam rolling, dynamic stretching before runs, and mobility work after runs are all still worthwhile — think of them as the finishing touches on a solid recovery foundation, not the foundation itself.
Marathon training is a long journey. The race is the reward. Build in the recovery, and you'll arrive at the start line in Philadelphia healthy, confident, and ready to run the race of your life.
