FitnessWorkouts

How To Set a Marathon Goal That’s Actually Realistic

Training for your next marathon? Here's exactly how to set a realistic marathon goal for yourself, according to experts.

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Photo: Getty Images / DaniloAndjus
Published Jan 12, 2024

Written by 

Lauren Wingenroth

I don’t remember how or why I decided I was going to break four hours in my first marathon. Maybe I’d heard about a friend who did it and it sounded impressive while also somewhat attainable. Maybe I thought because I’d run just under two hours in a half marathon, I could maintain that same pace for twice the distance.

Experts in This Article

Elizabeth Corkum

top running coach and personal trainer in New York City

Emily Saul

Boston-based sports psychology coach, licensed mental health counselor, and founder of E Saul Movement

Kaitlin Gregg Goodman

professional runner and running coach

Spoiler alert: I couldn’t—and I didn’t. The effort of running faster than I should have for as long as I could meant the end of my race was pretty miserable and involved a lot of walking.

Setting a time goal for your first marathon can be so fraught that many people suggest not even doing it—just aim to finish the race. But even multi-time marathoners can struggle to choose a marathon goal that strikes the right balance of doable-but-challenging without the help of an experienced coach.

Time goals aren’t the only kinds of goals runners should be thinking about, though, and they certainly shouldn’t come out of thin air like mine did. Here’s how experts recommend you approach setting marathon goals—yes, plural—for your next 26.2.

The purpose of a marathon goal

The marathon is a daunting endeavor and an enormous commitment. Having a goal “is a way of focusing in order to organize ourselves around what’s really important to us,” says sports psychologist and avid marathoner Emily Saul, LMHC, founder of E Saul Movement.

For instance: Though our goal may be to set a personal record of 3:40, what that goal really represents is our desire to make progress in our running.

“Often, the time you pick is not significant, other than it’s something you’re stretching toward,” Saul says. “Goals help us to be more purposeful and create accountability and motivation.”

How to approach setting a time goal

Certain time goals loom large in the running world: The Boston Qualifier, the sub-4, the sub-3. But, “picking your goal based on what you’ve heard is important in the world, or simply a standard that exists, without a real sense of whether that is a reasonable physical goal for you, is not a good reason to pick that goal,” Saul says.

Instead, your time goal should line up with your current fitness and how much you predict that fitness may be able to grow over the next 16 to 20 weeks. (And if that happens to align with one of those big milestones, great!)

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If you’ve run a marathon relatively recently, that’s often the easiest way to set a goal for your next one. But don’t just arbitrarily subtract a few minutes from your last time: You’ll want to consider factors like how that race felt, what the course and conditions were like, and how much time you’ll have to train for your next race.

The math gets trickier if it’s your first time tackling 26.2.

“The marathon is very much a learned distance—you don’t fully understand it until you’ve done it,” says Elizabeth Corkum, a New York City-based running coach, personal trainer, and founder of Coach Corky Runs.

Corkum suggests running a half marathon first to get some information about your current fitness. Just don’t make the mistake of doubling your time and making that your marathon goal. (Multiplying it by 2.2, or doubling it and adding 10 minutes, are usually more accurate predictors.)

It’s not uncommon to hear you shouldn’t even be thinking about a time goal for your first marathon; that it should be “just for fun,” or just to finish. Coach and professional runner Kaitlin Gregg Goodman, MPH, disagrees, saying running for fun and running for time are not mutually exclusive.

“[Time] is much harder to predict for a first-time marathoner, and you should have a healthy respect for the distance, and a healthy respect for the unknown. But it’s absolutely appropriate to have a time goal you want to target—and a goal that you want to enjoy [your race].”

You may even want to set three different time goals, Goodman suggests. A “C” goal that feels very attainable but still something you’d feel proud of, a “B” goal that’s a bit more of a stretch, and an “A” goal, for “if all the stars align, it’s amazing weather, you get a tailwind the whole way,” she says.

“Dream big—see what’s possible, because sometimes, if that day presents itself and you haven’t allowed yourself to visualize it, it catches you by surprise. Be open to the possibility of being faster than you ever dreamed.”

“When you think about your goal, it should energize you.” —Emily Saul, LMHC, sports psychologist and avid marathoner

Be flexible

Setting a time goal isn’t an exact science, and it may be what felt like the right amount of challenging at the beginning of your training cycle was a bit of an overreach.

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If you’re consistently not hitting splits in your workouts—Goodman says the workouts four to six weeks out from the race are key—or if your goal marathon pace still feels difficult to maintain for longer stretches, that may be a sign that your goal could use an adjustment.

And while marathon training is almost always going to feel hard, you shouldn’t feel like you’re constantly depleted or needing multiple days to recover from runs.

Know that outcome-based goals aren’t everything

The numbers on the clock when you cross the finish line are just one metric to measure success in a marathon. But the problem with only setting outcome-based goals is “you can’t know that you’re successful until the end,” Saul says. “And there’s so many opportunities to get in your head or get caught up in the pressure of performing when it comes to focusing only on that outcome-based goal.”

That’s why Saul recommends runners set both process-based and experiential goals in addition to (or instead of) an outcome-based time goal. A process goal can be anything related to your training—maybe you want to work on running your easy runs easier or getting consistent sleep during your build-up.

“If I work on a process goal, I’m going to get to the starting line of the marathon and still have no guarantee what the outcome time is going to be,” Saul says. “But I’m going to be able to look back at my training cycle and go, I’m already successful because I worked on that and I got so much better at that.”

Experiential goals are about the experience of running the race and how you want it to feel. Maybe you commit to using positive self-talk or to making sure you stay fueled and hydrated through your race.

“Whereas you don’t have control over lots of factors that influence your outcome time, you have almost complete control over those experiential factors that are based on what’s going on inside you,” Saul says. “In my experience, the runners who feel in charge of what’s happening to them and are successful along the way end up running the best they can. Those experiential goals are the pathway to helping an outcome-based time goal happen, but it doesn’t work the other way around—if I just focus on my time goal, that usually creates more mental and emotional barriers.”

It’s okay to not have a time goal at all

If you’re searching for a training plan online, you may notice most are organized around what pace you expect to run. It’s easy to assume that if you’re training for a marathon, you’re supposed to have a time goal.

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But having a ballpark idea of how fast you’re going to run isn’t the same thing as having a time goal, Saul says. And if running for time isn’t meaningful to you or feels stressful rather than motivating, there’s no need to do it.

Running sans time goal may just make sense based on life circumstances, Corkum says. For instance, maybe you signed up for a race but then had an unexpected family situation and weren’t able to train as much as you’d hoped.

“Instead of throwing in the towel and not doing the marathon, sometimes the balance is, ‘Okay, this is still really meaningful to me, but I also recognize that I can’t be killing it in the way I thought I could.’”

It’s also totally possible to have outcome goals that aren’t tied to the time on the clock. Maybe you want to finish the race feeling like you’ve “emptied the tank” or with a smile on your face. Or perhaps you want to be an amazing pacer for a friend running their first marathon and have a time goal in service of someone else.

Just don’t lie to yourself and pretend you don’t have a time goal when there’s actually a number in your head.

“That’s a backdoor attempt at tricking yourself into feeling less pressure,” Saul says. “But I don’t think that’s an effective way of actually addressing the anxiety or worry.”

How the right goal should feel

Whether or not you’re hitting your splits in your workouts is one clue as to if you’ve chosen the right goal. But what might be even more telling is how your goal makes you feel.

“When you have a goal that makes you anxious or decreases your energy or gives you a sense of dread, that’s an indicator that your goal is not a helpful goal,” Saul says. “It’s creating a defensive or protective response rather than an excited response. When you think about your goal, it should energize you.”

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FitnessWorkouts

Adult Ballet is on the Rise—And Yes, You Should Totally Try it

Here's what to know before your first class.

Published Feb 26, 2025

Written by 

Lauren Wingenroth

Maybe it's the reemergence of balletcore, or maybe we're all just trying to discover our inner child, but ballet classes for adults are majorly on the rise. 

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Former Miami City Ballet dancer Miriam Landis has seen the adult ballet boom firsthand in her adult beginner classes at the Pacific Northwest Ballet School in Seattle. “My classes have grown up to the point where I’ll have 50 people in one class,” she says. “Especially since COVID, people really have this need for connection and shared sense of purpose. It’s really different from going to an exercise class—it’s a little bit of a meditation.” 

While many adults are finding community, creativity and purpose in ballet classes, there can also be an intimidation factor. After all, it’s an art form often depicted as elite and exclusive. But Landis says the vibe of most adult classes couldn’t be further from the cutthroat worlds of Center Stage or Black Swan. 

“People do feel like it has an exclusive aura,” she says. “But we’re really trying to include rather than exclude. I’ve had students say they were always too scared to come, but they were so glad they did. When people discover it, it really becomes something meaningful in their life.”

Inspired to hit the ballet barre? Here’s what veteran teachers and adult ballet regulars think you should know before you go, plus the benefits you can expect to get out of ballet as an adult. 

What to know before your first adult ballet class

“Beginner” doesn’t always mean beginner.

Confusingly, just because a class is labeled “beginner” doesn’t mean it’s appropriate for first timers, says Landis. Instead, look for classes called “absolute beginner” or “fundamentals” to learn the basics. “It’s like a language,” says Landis. “It’s not like a yoga class where you can go in and follow along.” 

If you aren’t sure, call the studio to ask if a class is intended for first timers. Or, some studios will even let you observe a class before you try it, says Dawn Hillen, who teaches absolute beginner ballet at The Ailey Extension in New York City. “Go see the teacher, and watch how they interact with the students,” she says. “That’s the single best way to know if it’s a good fit for you.”

It isn’t a fitness class.

Yes, ballet is a form of exercise. But a ballet class is not a fitness class. Plenty of first timers come in with that mindset, only to have their understanding deepen over time, says Landis. “There’s a real artistic aspect to it that doesn’t exist in an exercise class,” she says. “You’re going to be thinking about every part of your body, not just executing a step, but how you execute the step; the quality of it.” (FYI: Though barre classes often claim to be ballet-inspired, real ballet classes are actually very different.) 

Expect your ballet teacher to speak in metaphors and imagery more than you may be used to. (For instance, Landis might tell students to hold their hand as if they have “a million diamonds on their fingers.”) There’s also the focus on moving to the music, and on performing for an imagined audience. “Everything is taught based on how your audience is going to receive it,” Landis says. “How are you going to offer your cheek to the person sitting in the third ring so that what you’re projecting reaches them?” 

Though you’ll likely gain strength, coordination and flexibility from a ballet practice, ultimately ballet is about learning a craft, says Landis. 

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You don’t have to splurge on leotards—unless you want to.

If your adult ballet dreams involve a leotard, pink tights and a ballet skirt, that’s great. Hillen says for some students, feeling like they look the part enhances their experience. But if you don’t feel comfortable in traditional ballet attire—or you don’t want to spend money for an activity you aren’t sure you’ll stick with—she says anything you can move in is fine to wear. Form-fitting activewear is ideal, she says, so that teachers can see the alignment of your body, but she understands that some beginners might feel better in looser clothes. 

Shoes are a different story. Street shoes are typically not allowed in dance studios, so you’ll either want to invest in ballet shoes (jazz shoes are also fine, says Hillen) or wear socks. But be aware that socks can be slippery, says Landis, who often sends new dancers to the school’s lost and found to try and find a pair that’ll work for them.

Be respectful, but don’t worry too much about “ballet etiquette.” 

If you’ve watched enough ballet movies, you may be familiar with the concept that ballet culture contains countless unspoken rules and etiquette norms. While there’s some truth to that, in the low-stakes world of an adult ballet class, you don’t need to worry about much that isn’t common sense or similar to what you’d encounter in a fitness class.

For instance, you’ll be in close proximity to others, so be mindful about personal hygiene and not wearing heavy perfumes, suggests Landis. Arrive early, try to avoid having to leave and reenter the class, and keep your phone in your bag and on silent. 

Spatial awareness is key: Avoid standing too close to anyone else, or standing directly in front of anyone while working in the center of the room. Landis says that it’s common for regulars to use the same barre spot during every class, so it’s a nice courtesy to ask someone if a spot is available before parking yourself there. And when you’re doing steps that travel across the floor, “maintain the traffic pattern, even if you mess up the steps,” says Hillen. “If you come to a dead stop and people are traveling behind you, people can get injured.”

It’s customary to thank your teacher (and pianist, if there is one) at the end of class, but Hillen recommends also saying hello before class begins, to introduce yourself, explain that you’re new, and flag any injuries you may have. 

Embrace the corrections. 

Unlike in a yoga class, where you may get one or two hands-on adjustments, or a fitness class, where the coach may give some general form suggestions, in ballet, teachers give individualized corrections near-constantly. 

When a teacher gives you a correction, rather than dwelling on the fact that you’re doing something wrong, try to see it as an opportunity to learn and grow, says Hillen. Often, she says, teachers give corrections because they see potential and they want to help you reach it. “If a teacher turns their eye to you, it’s a gift,” she says. That said, if you feel the environment of the class is such that corrections aren’t well-intended or are making you uncomfortable, you may want to find a teacher who is a better fit for you.

“I always tell students that they can mess up in front of me; that this is a safe space and I’m here to support their journey,” says Landis. “Even if teachers aren’t skilled at communicating that, their role is to help you learn the skill you’re there to learn.” 

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The benefits of adult ballet classes 

Practicing ballet as an adult has myriad benefits, depending on what you’re hoping to get out of it. First, there’s the physical: A ballet class is a form of anaerobic exercise, says Hillen, meaning there will be short bursts of movement that get you huffing and puffing, followed by rest as you learn the next combination. She says ballet also develops strength, flexibility, mobility, coordination, balance and good posture. 

There are also the mental benefits, she says, like greater spatial and body awareness. “You’re constantly being asked to remember new things,” Hillen says. “So you’re making a healthier brain by learning something quickly and producing it physically.”

For Beverly Lippman, a regular at Hillen’s class, ballet helps her “focus on the moment,” she says. “Everything else goes away. It’s a very restorative space.” Landis agrees. “The ability to slow down, listen to music, be in your body and be present is incredibly valuable,” she says. “That is so missing from our general lifestyle.” 

Often, adult ballet classes are highly social, welcoming spaces, says Adrienne Chan, who takes Landis’ class at Pacific Northwest Ballet School. “I’ve made a lot of friends—it’s been wonderful,” she says. “Everyone cheers each other on.”

For Melissa Castañeda, who teachers adult beginner ballet at the Ballet Hispánico School of Dance in New York City, there’s power in learning that you are capable of something new as an adult. “It’s always a joy to see students discovering something they didn’t know about themselves,” she says. “It’s common for people to discover that their bodies are able to move in ways they never thought they could move. Your confidence will increase if you’re training with a good instructor who allows you to discover that in yourself.”

“They’re just immeasurable,” says Hillen on the benefits of ballet. “It expands your life.”

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