Marathon Training for College Credit

If you think marathon training is grueling, try being graded on it. University of Minnesota is one of a handful of colleges that offers students a formal course in marathon training. Now in its second year, PE 1262 Marathon Training at the U of M will help a group of undergraduates, graduate students and even some staffers of all different running levels complete the daunting distance this May -- earning class credit in the process.

The marathon class, which consists mostly of novice runners, is led by instructor Chris Lundstrom, an elite runner who has competed twice in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. Lundstrom was working on his master's degree in kinesiology at the university when he was approached about teaching the inaugural class last year. "The marathon is my favorite distance so it made sense," he said. Lundstrom coached 45 runners across the finish line (two students were unable to compete due to injuries) and is looking to help a similar size group accomplish the same this semester.

The class is held three times a week: On Mondays, students gather in the classroom and cover "a range of topics pertinent to marathon training including nutrition, running form and injury prevention," said Lundstrom. On Wednesdays, the class does a workout, like a tempo run or hill repeats, and every Sunday at 7:30 am, participants are up early for their weekly long run.

While the main goal of the class is to prepare students to run the marathon, participants are also essentially study subjects, keeping logs that provide a wealth of data that might help researchers understand the effects of long-distance running on the body as well as predictors of running success. "We do exercise testing for different physiological markers and have them keep a training log so we can track sleep, rate of perceived exertion and mileage to see what happens over time and how training differences affect performance in the marathon and other outcomes," Lundstrom said.

One surprising bit of information gleaned from the previous year's data was that the biggest predictor of marathon time was the students' two-mile time. "I would have thought weekly mileage was the best predictor," Lundstrom said.

But for Lundstrom, the most impressive finding is that "anyone can train themselves to run a marathon. The number one factor is how determined they are," he said. "We've had people sign up who aren't fully committed to the training, but when they are, no matter what experience they have, they'll find a way to do it."

As for assignments and grading, students must design a fuel plan detailing what they will eat and drink, along with a mental plan that explains the "techniques and tools they'll use to get through the tough parts of the marathon." They will take a few quizzes and also be graded on attendance, but 40 percent of the grade rests on completing the Eau Claire Marathon in Wisconsin on May 2.

Lundstrom, who will be running the Boston Marathon a few weeks earlier on April 19, will be on the sidelines for the Wisconsin race. "I'll be out on the course cheering and jogging along with people for a mile or two during those really tough points," he said.

Beyond the accomplishment of running, Lundstrom thinks classes like his are a tremendous benefit to students. "It makes sense for universities and colleges to tap into it. Training for a marathon is a great educational opportunity. What better setting than a university."

Training for a marathon? Work on your core.