If you’ve ever watched in awe as thousands of people take to the streets to run a marathon, you may have wondered how you’d approach the challenge yourself.

Runna has helped hundreds of thousands of runners take on this most famous of racing distances. As well as training plans for the 26.2-mile marathon, the app has plans covering 5K, 10K, half marathons and ultra marathons. For a lot of people, though, the marathon is the big one, with televised events that close down roads across cities worldwide, giving everyone the chance to share the spotlight with professional athletes.

Some of the biggest marathons are so popular that entry is controlled via a randomised ballot. Entries for the following year’s London Marathon, for example, tend to open around the time of the marathon weekend in April, while Berlin Marathon’s ballot opens to applicants for the following year around October.

So what does it actually take to train for a marathon? We spoke to Runna coach Anya Culling, who has represented England at the Copenhagen Marathon, to get the, ahem, rundown on Runna’s marathon training plans.

Training for a marathon requires time and consistency as you build up the volume and intensity of runs over a period of weeks. As an experienced runner, Culling prefers a 12-week plan for her own training, but says Runna’s 16-week plans can be a more balanced option, while 20- or 26-week plans can offer a more gradual training approach.

Culling recommends targeting a minimum of three runs per week, progressing to four if it fits with your body and lifestyle. Setting aside enough time for rest is important, too. “You only really benefit from the training you recover from,” she says.

It’s important to be honest when you’re setting up your plan, Culling advises. Enter the average number of miles you run per week truthfully, and don’t be tempted to inflate your recent PBs. Runna can then give you pace targets that are challenging whilst still being achievable. You can always manually adjust your training plan if your circumstances change, and Runna’s Pace Insight Recommendations will continually assess your performance and suggest adjustments to future training.

Marathon prep involves more than just running as far as you can each week. A typical three-run training week, for example, might include shorter, faster runs (such as interval or tempo runs) that are designed to increase the pace your body is capable of, as well as short, slower runs for helping your body to recover. Naturally, there are also those all-important long runs for building up your endurance.

That’s the theory, anyway, but as anyone who’s tried to stick to any kind of fitness regimen will tell you, life has a habit of getting in the way. That’s why Runna’s plans are designed with flexibility in mind, allowing you to drag and drop training runs between days to make each week work for you. The app’s “Not feeling 100%” and Holiday Mode features, meanwhile, let you temporarily scale back your training if you're dealing with aches, pains or general illness, or enjoying a well-deserved break.

To complement your runs, the app offers a variety of other workouts – from strength training to Pilates. ”There aren’t many sports other than running that are that intense on your joints and on your muscles,” Culling says. Strength training, for example, can bolster your muscles to handle the kind of load placed on them by running, while also benefitting your form in the process. Culling recommends completing at least one strength session a week as part of your marathon training.

Mobility work, such as yoga, is also important. If strength training exists to build up your muscles, mobility is important to make sure they’re not so tight that you end up pulling something, Culling says.

Finally, don’t underestimate the importance of fuelling your body. Whether you’re sipping energy gels on a long run or loading up on carbs the day before, your body needs enough energy to perform at its best. Runna is packed with helpful articles to help you find a fuelling strategy that works for you, and its support team is always on hand for any questions that might come up during training.