OPEN FOR ENROLMENT
Run Your First Marathon
Stop dreaming about running your first marathon and make it happen!
Run Your First Marathon is an online digital course training programme designed to help you establish proven training techniques and build the mental strength required to achieve your goal.
If you’re ready to learn how to implement training you’ll actually use, feel good while you're doing it and achieve something that once seemed impossible - we’re ready to give you all you need to get to the finish!
All for less than the price of a new pair of trainers!
SAY NO MORE, I’M IN!
If You Ever Thought...
- I’m not getting any younger and I want to run a marathon before I turn the big 4-0 (or 50 or 60).
- Now that I’m working from home I have more time to fit the training in.
- I see people of all shapes and sizes running marathons and I think, if they can do it, so can I!
- Time to tick this one off the bucket-list.
- My dad died of cancer last year and I'd like to do something to honour him, and raise money for cancer research.
- I tried 2 years ago, but got injured and had to pull out. It's time to set my eyes on that prize again, but train smarter and reach that finish line.
- I have trouble staying consistent and don’t know where to start.
But thinking can’t replace action and the best time to take action is NOW!
I'M READY TO TAKE ACTIONCALLING ALL RUNNERS
Ready to Run Your First Marathon?
A supportive, high-energy, online digital training programme to get you to the start line of your first marathon, feeling confident, fully prepared and ready to do something that once seemed impossible.
Each week we’ll deliver four emails straight to your inbox designed with first-time marathon runners in mind. Videos, downloads, and prompts that will give you a clear path to the finish line of your first marathon.
Hey there, I'm Jonathan.
Would you believe me if I told you that less than 13 years ago I was mid-forties and in the worst shape of my life. I had recently acquired the label “separated dad,” I was suffering from seeing my kids only every second weekend. I needed every moment with my kids to count. I wanted to run around with them, not watch them from the window. Knowing it was one thing, rectifying it was another.
I chose running because it didn't give me room for excuses. No club to join, no fancy equipment and I could do it by just walking out my front door. At the time I couldn't run around the block. I sweated and huffed and puffed. Walking and running was the only way I could manage. Slowly, I started to reduce the walking time.
After running my first marathon in 2010, I discovered that there is a freedom and honesty that comes with running a marathon. It is purely personal and the level of satisfaction involved in setting such a ridiculously tough goal & achieving it, is immense.
All the information and experience that I could have used before my first marathon, but was unable to find, is in this digital course. Along with the support and backup that has proved so vital to every runner that I have coached since.
I hope you will join us, put in the work and take joy from what you can accomplish in the life-changing experience that is running a marathon.
WHAT'S INSIDE
By the End of This Program, You'll Have Mastered
WEEK 1
- The Nike Step - Just Run
- Choose Your Training Plan
- Know Your Why
- Discipline + Consistency = Fun
WEEK 2
- Where Focus Goes, Energy Flows
- Join Jonathan On A Run
- Running Tips
- Everyone Has To Start Somewhere
WEEK 3
- Why Stretch
- Your Mobility Test
- Stretches For Runners
- Marathon Story From Jonathan
WEEK 4
- Nutrition Basics
- Trust The Programme
- Celebrate The Wins
- The Long Run
WEEK 5
- Recipes For Runners #1
- The Hill Run
- Visualisation
- Introduction to Cross Training
WEEK 6
- Recipes For Runners #2
- The Fartlek or Interval Run
- Self-Talk
- Building Mental Strength
WEEK 7
- Core Circuit 1
- Core Circuit 2
- Activating Your Glutes
- Mental Resilience
WEEK 8
- Recipes For Runners #3
- The Regular Run
- Running Gear
- Running And Your Menstrual Cycle
WEEK 9
- Back To Basics
- The Rest Day
- The Importance Of Having Fun
- Half Way - Time To Take Stock
WEEK 10
- What To Eat - Before, During & After
- The Recovery Run
- Educate Yourself
- Cross Training - Cycling
WEEK 11
- Hydration
- Pace, How Fast Should I Run?
- What To Do When Things Don’t Go To Plan
- What To Do If You’re Injured
WEEK 12
- Recipes For Runners #4
- Keeping Your Training Fresh
- Watch It All Come Together
- Marathon Story From Jonathan
WEEK 13
- Support Supplements For Runners
- Treadmills and Training
- What Do You Listen To While You Run?
- Breathing
WEEK 14
- Recipes For Runners #5
- Run On Your Race Route
- Preparations For Race Day
- Running And The Menopause
WEEK 15
- Fuel For Your Run
- Starting Slow And Race Focus
- Training For a Target Time
- Cross Training - Swimming
WEEK 16
- Recipes For Runners #6
- Join Jonathan On His Favourite Run
- The Taper
- Sleep
WEEK 17
- Recipes For Runners #7
- Laughter, The Best Medicine
- Visualisation Meditation
- Prepare For Race Week
WEEK 18
- Your Last Supper
- Self-Talk Reminders
- Don’t Panic
- Congratulations! You Just Ran Your First Marathon!
Catherine Curtin
I had always wanted to run a marathon. Always said it was on my bucket-list but just never believed I'd be able to do it.
I knew nothing about long-distance running. One of the girls at work said that she was going to do next year's marathon with Jonathan's training programme and asked if I would tag along. I said
'Yeah, sure why not. Give it a whirl!'
I still can't believe we did it. It took a few months of good preparation. We had an amazing day. It's still one of my best achievements. I highly recommend Jonathan's training programme. It was absolutely brilliant.
To this day I still run. On my days off, to clear my head, I still do the running. It's great!
Our Run Your First Marathon digital course holds the key to your success and is now OPEN for enrollment
What's Included?
- An 18-week training programme designed to help you establish proven training techniques and build mental resilience to achieve your goal.
- Over 70 prompts (emails, videos, tips, guides, downloads and exercises) to take you from day one to the finish line of your first marathon.
- Four reminders each week designed to keep you on-track with your training.
Guides & Plans
- Marathon training plans to suit novice, intermediate and improver runners you can download and print.
- Injury Prevention, Mobility and Strength Training guides you can download and print.
- Weekly mental focus tools relevant to the week you’re in and building on what you’ve learnt before.
Extra Support
- Monthly live Q&A sessions with Jonathan and Fiona to answer any questions you have about your training.
- Email support from the JC Runs team whenever you need it.
- A private online community of runners with the shared goal of training for their first marathon.
- Lifetime access that you can revisit every time you prepare for a marathon.
My promise to you? NO quibbles!
Your decision is backed by a 30-day “try it, test it, apply it” money back guarantee.
If you’re on the fence, or if other trainings have left you skeptical, then I want to give you EVERY opportunity to put your Run Your First Marathon course into action and experience how enjoyable marathon training can be when you have the right training partner.
That’s why I’m happy to give you a full month to go through the training, keep up with the lessons, implement the systems, and press GO on your marathon success.
I’m confident that if you implement what you learn inside of the Run Your First Marathon programme you'll put yourself on the road to success. You have nothing to lose.
When you purchase Run Your First Marathon, you have LIFETIME ACCESS. (Because running never goes out of style!)
If you find that you are not ready for this undertaking or feel that you have bitten off more than you can chew, don't worry, you have lifetime access and can follow the course at any time. Likewise, if you get injured during the training you can pause your training until you feel ready to start again.
Our aim is to help you complete a marathon, not to help you find a way out of it.
GIVE ME LIFETIME ACCESS
'The Key To Success, Is To Start Before You Are Ready'
Marie Forleo
Gillian Archbold
After I ran my first half-marathon with Jonathan he convinced me to try for the full marathon. I thought I've gone this far so I might as well keep pushing on, see how it goes.
We signed up for the 18 week programme. We were in the group and it was fantastic. They were really supportive. Everyone was able to pick each other up when morale was down. If you weren't feeling confident everyone was boosting each other up, so that was really helpful.
I ran my first marathon and pretty much straight-away signed up to do a second one. It was such a thrill. I was delighted. I couldn't believe I could push myself that far.
If running a marathon is something that's on your bucket-list, I would definitely recommend Jonathan's 18 week online training programme to get you over the finish line!
I designed this course for Fiona
I designed this course with my wife Fiona in mind. Fiona says she has run her 'first' marathon twice already and is about to do it for the first time again next April! The reason she feels that way? Because she starts from scratch again each time leaving years pass between periods of running. An on again, off again, love-hate relationship with running.
Fiona ran her first 'first' marathon alongside me in Rome in 2010. Having missed even more training runs than I did, she struggled for most of it. Plodding around the streets but determined to finish.
Her second 'first' marathon happened seven years later in Moscow. The excitement of visiting Russia and the painful memories from Rome got her through a beginner's running training plan and she crossed the finish line with a smile (which is more than I did that day).
Fiona's nothing if not determined. Having grown up the only girl alongside four brothers, she has spent her life in an unwinnable competition against a version of herself that has never felt good enough. This year, she made a decision to break free from these vicious thoughts. She wondered "what if I am good enough, what might be possible then?" That thought scared her almost as much as the not good enough thoughts, but it excited her too. So armed with a new resolve (and a new pair of Saucony kicks) she booked Paris 2023.
This course is for her, and for all those like her that are ready to run their 'first' marathon.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I start?
How do I prevent injury?
Is it okay that I am a slow runner?
Can a beginner run a marathon?
Will I lose weight?
What is a good time of the year to run a marathon?
I have sore muscles after only two runs each week, is this normal?
What is cross training?
Is there a return policy if I change my mind?
I’m afraid that I won’t have the time needed to complete the training.
Can I train for a marathon by myself?
How much time will this course take?
Do I have to change my diet to run a marathon?
Do I have a limited amount of time to access this program?
Marathon Inspiration
We love to travel for marathons. Here's some marathon inspiration to get you thinking about what's possible...
Barcelona, Bergen, Bonn, Boston, Connemarathon, Dublin, Hamburg, Limerick, Liverpool, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Manchester, New York, Paris, Rome, Valencia, Vienna or Zürich
Ashling Donohoe
I never thought I would be a runner. I wanted to set myself a big challenge before I turned 30.
One day after a long run I got a really, really, bad migraine and ended up lying on the floor, in pain. Only through talking to Jonathan, and taking a closer look at nutrition and my diet, we figured out the problem and the source of my migraines and managed to work through it.
I went from thinking I would never be able to run 10k, to being able to run a marathon!
What They're Saying About Jonathan's Book From Marathon To Ultra
Jonathan is best-selling author of The Plant-Based Runner and he recently published his second book From Marathon to Ultra.
Adharanand Finn
Author of Running With The Kenyans,
The Rise Of The Ultra Runner, The Way Of The Runner
Matt Fitzgerald
Author of 80/20 Running, Iron War, Racing Weight,
How Bad Do You Want It?, The Endurance Diet
