Mind Over Miles: Mental Preparation for the Marathon

You train your body for a marathon but the mental demands are just as real.

Mind Over Miles is a three-part webinar series designed to support runners through the psychological realities of marathon training, racing, and recovery.

Created and delivered by Dr Gareth Jowett, a sport psychologist who has worked with runners from first-time marathoners through to elite athletes competing at international and Olympic level, the series combines evidence-informed psychology with a grounded understanding of what marathon running actually feels like.

What is Mind Over Miles?

Marathon running places sustained demands on confidence, focus, motivation, and emotional resilience.

Across three sessions, Mind Over Miles aims to help runners to:

  • Prepare mentally alongside physical training

  • Cope more effectively when the marathon gets hard

  • Recover psychologically after race day

The series is suitable for runners of all levels and experience. The first webinar is free to all runners. No obligation booking is available to clubs and individuals for webinar 2, webinar 3 or both (at a discounted rate - see links to further information below).

Register for the free webinar

Preparing Your Mind for Marathon Training

An introduction to the mental side of marathon preparation, including managing doubt, anxiety, motivation, and maranoia during training.

Wednesday 11th February 2026

19:00 - 20:00

Free

Register for the Free Webinar

In-Race Psychology: Coping When the Marathon Gets Hard

Focused on race-day challenges such as pain, fatigue, focus, and responding when things don’t go to plan.

Wednesday 11th March 2026

19:00 - 20:00

Club & individual booking available

Find out more about Webinar 2

After the Finish Line: Post-Marathon Recovery & Reset

Addresses the psychological aftermath of the marathon, including emotional recovery, reflection, and resetting goals.

Wednesday 15th April 2026

19:00 - 20:00

Club & individual booking available

Find out more about Webinar 3

Presented by Dr Gareth Jowett

A sport psychologist working with athletes across participation and high-performance sport. He has supported runners from first-time marathoners through to elite marathon runners competing at international and Olympic level, and regularly works with athletes navigating pressure, pain, uncertainty, and performance demands. Gareth’s approach is evidence-informed, integrative, and human-centred, drawing on contemporary sport psychology and acceptance-based approaches to help athletes develop psychological flexibility, confidence, and resilience in real-world performance settings.

  • “Gareth has helped me approach my sport with greater confidence and focus. He creates a safe space to explore mental and emotional aspects of performance…” Baldvin Magnusson (Icelandic record holder 1500m–10,000m)