Your ultimate guide to prepping for the Windermere Marathon

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Top tip #1: Tackling the hills (even if you live somewhere flat) 

The Windermere Marathon features some pretty serious inclines (around +600m, to be specific). But don't let that intimidate.  
 

• Live near hills? Incorporate a hilly session every week. Sprint up for 30–60 seconds, jog back down and repeat according to your training plan. Mix in long runs - again, the distance determined by where you are in your training plan - where you learn to pace yourself over ups and downs. Remember: hill training, whether sprints or longer runs, builds power, technique and mental fortitude. 
   

• No hills nearby? No problem - you can still tick the hill training box. 
   

• Treadmill incline runs. Crank up the gradient and build uphill stamina while strengthening those glutes. 
   

• Strength training. Squats, lunges, step-ups and lifting weights once or twice a week will help legs power up on the inclines and stay strong on the downhill. 
   

• Stairs = hills. Get creative. Whether it’s pounding up and down stadium steps or office stairwells, stair running makes a killer substitute for real-life hills.  

 

• Don’t forget the downhills. Running downhill works different muscles harder, especially quadriceps and calves.  

 

Top tip #2: Build strength and speed 

Speed and strength still matter in hilly events. Here's how to train smarter, not just harder. 
 

• Try out tempo runs. Tempo runs help you run faster for longer. Once a week, aim for 20–40 minutes at a comfortably hard pace, i.e. where you can’t quite sustain a conversation. 
   

• Interval training and fartlek – Intervals involve shorter bursts of speed followed by some recovery time on repeat. Done right, you’ll find interval training sharpens your form, boosts cardiovascular fitness and builds stamina.  
   

• Strength work makes the dream work. Strong runners are successful runners. Try exercises to engage your core and using weights to cut your injury risk and help you cruise those hills. 
   

Top tip #3: Marathon mindset matters 

A marathon isn’t just a physical challenge. It’s also a mental game, especially on a course as demanding as Windermere’s. Here’s how to train your brain for victory.  
 

• If you can see it… Picture yourself conquering the course. Visualise the hills, the pain, the crowds, and the finish line joy. Hey presto - you’ve rewired your brain to expect success. 
   

• Break 26.2 miles down. Instead of one never-ending race, see a marathon as a series of smaller efforts. Telling yourself that it’s only 5k to the first hill or another 10k to Bowness makes an impossible-seeming distance feel mentally manageable. 
   

• Mantras help. Short, positive phrases like ‘I’ve trained for this’ or ‘one hill at a time’ can carry you through the toughest stretches. 
   

• Practising discomfort. Your long runs are more than physical preparation: they teach your brain to handle exhaustion, boredom and the inevitable ‘Why am I doing this?!’ moments. Make sure you don’t skip them.  
   

Windermere Marathon must-dos 

Here are our five most important short and snappy tips to get you on the road to that marathon finish-line feeling.

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Respect the long run. It’s your weekly dress rehearsal for race day. Go steady, build distance gradually and never, ever cut corners.

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Fuel your training. Make sure your training diet is up to scratch and practise eating and drinking on your long runs. You’ll need that energy to match Windermere’s ups and downs.

 

Train on the right terrain. Seek out hills and trails - even if you have to travel or use a treadmill - to know what to expect from Windermere’s rolling profile.

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Rest matters. Quality sleep, rest days and tapering weeks are where the magic (and recovery) really happens.

 

Enjoy the journey. A marathon might seem like a very specific physical challenge, but it’s also about exploring personal limits and uncovering mental strength you never knew you had. Enjoy every minute of levelling up.  

 

Windermere is more than just a marathon: it’s an experience, it’s a chance to get closer to nature and say goodbye to self doubt

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