All Smash Running Training Plans assume that you have a base level of general fitness, you might not be a seasoned runner (and that’s okay), but we recommend that you are generally fit and healthy, either through running, other sports or natural ability.

At a minimum, you need to be able to comfortably run Week 1 of any program. If Week 1 looks achievable, then we’d love to have you on board. If Week 1 looks too hard, you may want to consider a different goal time, a different distance (e.g. marathon, half marathon or a beginner program — coming soon, sign up to our newsletter to be notified).

If you feel comfortable with Week 1, use this guide to estimate your current potential marathon time from your recent 5k time to help select the right Smash Running Training Plan for you.

You know you best, we hope to be part of your running journey. Let’s go!

Our marathon programs are 16-weeks long and designed for a marathon race of 42.195 km (26.2 mi).

Our half marathon programs are 12-weeks long and designed for a half marathon race of 21.0975km km (13.1 mi).

We also have beginner programs coming soon, which will help you get from couch to 5k (sign up to our newsletter to be notified).

The time it takes to train for a marathon depends on your level of fitness when you start and how much running you already do, but it can also depend on other factors such as your natural ability and body type, the climate and terrain where you train, your lifestyle and other factors. Generally we recommend a 16 week training plan to get you ready to run a marathon and 12 weeks if you’re training for a half marathon.

Marathon training is not an easy task. That’s why less than 2 in every 1000 people globally have run a marathon. If you can do it you’re in elite company. Marathon training depends on your fitness level when you start, but generally takes 16 weeks and involves lots of easy running, running workouts, long runs and is best achieved by following a carefully curated training plan from companies like Smash Running. You can train for Gold Coast Marathon by following any of our Gold Coast Marathon training plans, tailored to goal finish times with clear pace guides, glossary of terms, week-by-week training, tips and resources.

A Smash Running Training Plan is the best way to train for Gold Coast Marathon.

If you purchase a Smash Running Training Plan early, before the scheduled start date (e.g. 2 weeks prior to the 16-week start date for the marathon program), we will provide recommendations on what to do before the program starts, including how you can get ready for Week 1 to hit the ground running.

Yes you can, but it depends on your starting fitness and experience. Some athletes, depending on their existing fitness level and running ability, can still achieve their goals starting later. Generally we recommend a marathon training block of 12 weeks or more and a half marathon training block of 8 weeks or more. If you plan on starting any of our programs late, that’s okay but please be mindful that you may need to be an experienced runner to be able to complete the rest of the plan without the lead-up training.

If you choose a race specific plan, please check the date of purchase against the race date to ensure you have enough time to train. If you purchase a general plan, these are designed with no particular race in mind. You can purchase these year-round and can choose a start date for whichever race you like, whether that’s a local race, a race with friends or a virtual marathon.

At Smash Running we take payments and your personal information security seriously. Our site is SSL secured and we use best-in-class ecommerce software. We process payments using the Stripe payments gateway, a global leader in security and payments processing.

To safeguard your credit card purchases, you will always be asked to enter your CVV code at checkout.

Our payments gateway partner may carry out anti-fraud checks before approving a transaction and for greater protection, and they may contact you through your card issuer if required before confirming an order as necessary. All standard practice.

We accept all major credit cards (Mastercard, Visa and American Express), we also accept Google Pay and Apple Pay, and also have an option to pay with Klarna if you prefer to make stage payments (interest free).

The 2024 Gold Coast Marathon is scheduled to start on Sunday, 7 July 2024.

The half marathon is the day before on Saturday, 6 July 2024.

The 2024 Gold Coast Marathon starts at Broadwater Parklands on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The marathon course heads south to Burleigh Heads, before going back past Broadwater Parklands up to Runaway Bay and back to Broadwater Parklands.

The half marathon course starts in the same spot, but goes north to Runaway Bay and Paradise Point before coming back to finish at Broadwater Parklands.

Gold Coast Marathon 2024 tickets/entries go on sale in December 2023, around 8 months before the start and sell out quickly.

You can register for the Gold Coast Marathon to buy tickets/race entries on the official website at: goldcoastmarathon.com.au