Mind Over Miles: Why Mental Preparation Is Essential for the Marathon
Of course, the marathon is a huge physical challenge, but what’s less well understood is how mentally demanding it can be and how unprepared many runners are for that reality.
We often train our bodies meticulously: weekly mileage, long runs, pace sessions, fuelling strategies. Yet the psychological side of marathon running is often left to chance, reduced to vague ideas about toughness or resilience on race day.
The result is that many runners arrive at the start line physically ready, but psychologically exposed.
For some, the cost shows up during training. For others, it hits hard during the race. And for many, it only becomes apparent in the weeks after the marathon, when motivation collapses and mood unexpectedly dips.
Physically Prepared, Mentally Fragile
A few years ago, there was a runner who believed he was doing everything right.
He followed his training plan closely and took pride in his discipline. Sessions weren’t missed lightly. Long runs took precedence over social plans, rest, and recovery. However, any deviation from the plan (e.g., through illness, fatigue, a disrupted week) felt like failure rather than adjustment.
Psychologically, things became increasingly rigid. Minor aches were catastrophised and training data was over-analysed. As race day approached, a persistent sense that something was wrong crept in. Maranoia (i.e., the gnawing irrational worries that tend to become louder in the weeks and days pre-marathon) began to take hold.
By race week, he was mentally exhausted.
On race day, when conditions and pacing didn’t unfold as planned, his ability to adapt disappeared. Discomfort felt overwhelming rather than manageable, self-criticism took over, and instead of responding flexibly, he spiralled.
He finished the marathon, but the experience was deeply deflating.
The Aftermath: When the Marathon Ends, but the Impact Doesn’t
What followed was more unsettling.
In the weeks after the race, his mood dropped. Motivation evaporated. Sleep was disrupted. Alcohol intake increased. Food choices worsened. The structure that had governed daily life vanished overnight, along with a sense of purpose.
At the time, he didn’t recognise this as a common psychological response. Instead, he internalised it. He assumed it meant he hadn’t been mentally tough enough. That maybe he just wasn’t cut out for the marathon.
However, research from elite sport tells a different story.
Studies examining post-Olympic “blues” (e.g., Henriksen et al., 2020; Howells & Lucassen, 2018) highlight that significant mood disturbance after a major sporting event is not a sign of weakness or failure. Instead, it is a predictable psychological response to prolonged goal pursuit, intense identity investment, emotional arousal, and the sudden removal of structure, support, and meaning once the event ends.
While these studies focus on Olympic athletes, more recent research suggests the underlying mechanisms are not exclusive to elite sport (e.g., Augustsson et al., 2024). Club runners training for a marathon often experience:
Months of structured routine
High emotional investment
Identity tied to training and performance
A sharp “drop-off” once the goal is complete
The scale may differ, but the psychology shares some similarities.
Crucially, this research emphasises the need for post-event aftercare (e.g., psychological support, planned decompression, and structured re-engagement with life beyond the event). Without this, athletes are more vulnerable to low mood, identity disruption, and maladaptive coping behaviours.
Why This Matters: Owning the Marathon Experience
The runner in the story above was me back in 2010.
Since then, I’ve completed six more marathons. My physical training has evolved, my times have improved (a bit), but the biggest and most important change has been psychological.
Alongside my own running, my work as a psychologist with endurance athletes, including elite marathon runners competing at international and Olympic level, has deepened this understanding.
What stands out is that just like amateurs, elite runners experience doubts, worries and discomfort. What differentiates them mentally is that they often expect these experiences and better prepare for them psychologically, including what comes after the finish line.
The Psychology of the Marathon: Every Stage Matters
Marathon psychology runs through the entire experience, shaping how we train, approach race day, respond under pressure, and adjust once the race is over. The habits formed during preparation influence how pain, uncertainty, and disruption are handled on the day, while the psychological impact often continues well beyond the finish line. Developing awareness, flexibility, and values-led responses helps runners navigate each stage more skilfully, rather than leaving the mental side of the marathon to chance.
Bringing Psychology into Marathon Preparation
These principles and experiences underpin Mind Over Miles; a three-part webinar series focused on the psychological demands of marathon running.
The series explores:
Mental preparation during training and the pre-race period
In-race psychology and coping when things get hard
Post-marathon recovery, aftercare, and psychological reset
The first session is free and designed to help runners begin preparing their minds alongside their bodies, so that the marathon experience doesn’t end in unnecessary psychological fallout.
If you’re training for a marathon, or considering one, this is an invitation to broaden what preparation really means. The aim is to help you engage with the marathon more skilfully, protect your wellbeing, and finish the journey with clarity rather than depletion.
Learn more about the Mind Over Miles webinar series
Free first session • Open to all runners • Recording provided
References
Augustsson, S. R., Bergh, M., & Petersson, K. (2024). Post-race reactions: The emotional paradox of high performance and anxiety–a conventional content analysis. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, 16(1), 183.
Henriksen, K., Schinke, R., McCann, S., Durand-Bush, N., Moesch, K., Parham, W. D., ...& Hunziker, J. (2020). Athlete mental health in the Olympic/Paralympic quadrennium: a multi-societal consensus statement. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 18(3), 391-408. https://doi.org/10.1080/1612197X.2020.1746379
Howells, K., & Lucassen, M. (2018). ‘Post-Olympic blues’–The diminution of celebrity in Olympic athletes. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 37, 67-78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2018.04.008
