To paraphrase the ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius, “A journey of 26.2 miles begins with a single step.” From the time the ancient Greek runner Pheidippides ran from Marathon to Athens in 490 B.C. to announce the Greeks’ victory in the Battle of Marathon, humans have had a compelling interest in taking that single step, and many more after that. Running a Marathon For Dummies shows you how to take 26.2 miles’ worth of steps to run a marathon, whether it’s your first one or fastest one. This CEC course covers everything all runners need to know about the marathon, including shoe selection, ten things you must do on marathon race day, secrets of the long run, and how to avoid injuries. It even offers 20-week training programs for beginner, intermediate, and advanced runners and provides information on top destination marathons around the world.