How to Run a Faster Marathon

PodcastDopeyMarathonSpeed and PaceFaster
Written By Ali Marty

Season 2 of Running to the Castle Podcast w/ Dr. Ali Marty

Episode 171 How to Get Faster for the Marathon and Dopey 2026 runDisney Races

In this episode of Running to the Castle, Dr. Ali tackles how back-of-the-pack marathoners can get meaningfully faster before January races so they have a bigger buffer from the balloon ladies and time for character stops. 

She lays out a simple framework built on purposeful training instead of running the same pace every day. 

Long easy runs should be about two minutes per mile slower than goal race pace to preserve energy. 

Cross-training builds cardio without extra pounding. 

Mid-week speed sessions target fast-twitch fibers using four workouts 30-20-10 surges, progression runs, hills, and tempo to race pace with each session totaling 45 to 60 minutes including warm up and cool down. 

Dr. Ali warns against five-day-a-week same-pace routines that lead to burnout and slower times, and shares wins from her community including runners who gained 30 to 60 seconds per mile within a month and recent Wine and Dine PRs. 

She also mentions a pre-Thanksgiving workshop on getting faster. DM her on instagram at runDisneyDPT for more info.

run faster marathon slow run walkers
Ali Marty

Hi! I’m Ali. I’ve been in the health and wellness space since graduating with a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in 2012. I worked in the typical outpatient clinic with active men and women with orthopedic injuries (shin splints, Achilles tendonitis, muscle and ligament tears, knee pain, IT Band pain, plantar fasciitis, and hip and knee arthritis until 2018 at which point I started Mobile Physical Therapy in Las Vegas, Nevada. Over the past few years I’ve transitioned to helping women running runDisney races after they’ve had an injury and they want to finish strong and enjoy the rest of their runcation.

https://dralipt.com
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