Every year, millions of people watch the London Marathon and feel the same thing — a mix of inspiration, admiration, and a quiet voice saying “I should do something about my fitness.”
If that’s you this year — good. That feeling is worth acting on. Not necessarily to run a marathon. But to get fit, feel better, and build a level of health and fitness that makes you proud of what your body can do.
This guide is for anyone who watched the London Marathon and wants to turn that inspiration into action. Whether you’ve never trained before, you used to be fit and want to get back there, or you’re somewhere in between — here’s exactly how to get started.
Already thinking about a structured fat loss plan alongside your fitness goals?
Why the London Marathon Is the Best Motivation to Get Fit
There’s something about watching 50,000 people run 26.2 miles through London that puts things into perspective.
Most of those runners are not professional athletes. They’re teachers, accountants, parents, and office workers — people with full-time jobs and busy lives — who decided to train for something and followed through. That’s what makes the London Marathon such a powerful motivator. It proves that ordinary people can do extraordinary things when they commit to a plan.
You don’t need to run a marathon to get fit. But the marathon is a useful reminder that fitness is achievable for anyone — regardless of age, starting point, or how long it’s been since you last exercised.
Is It Too Late to Get Fit After Watching the London Marathon?
It is never too late to get fit. The research on this is unambiguous — regular exercise improves health markers, body composition, energy levels, and mental wellbeing at every age and at every starting fitness level.
The best time to start was a year ago. The second best time is now — while the motivation from watching the marathon is still fresh.
Step 1: Decide What Getting Fit Actually Means for You
Before you sign up for anything, lace up any trainers, or download any apps — be honest with yourself about what you actually want.
Getting fit means different things to different people. For some it means running a 5K. For others it means losing weight, building strength, having more energy, or simply feeling comfortable in their body again.
The mistake most people make after watching the London Marathon is deciding they want to run — because running is what they just watched. But running may not be the right starting point for your body, your goals, or your fitness level.
Should I Start Running After Watching the London Marathon?
Running is a fantastic form of exercise — but it is not the right starting point for everyone.
If you’re carrying excess weight, have joint issues, or haven’t exercised in a long time, jumping straight into a running programme is one of the fastest routes to injury. The impact forces involved in running are significant — roughly two to three times your bodyweight with every stride.
A smarter approach for most people is to build a foundation of strength first. Four to six weeks of strength training — building the leg strength, core stability, and movement quality that running demands — dramatically reduces injury risk and makes the running itself more effective when you start.
At Tempo Performance PT in Fitzrovia, Julian Ernst regularly works with clients who come in after the London Marathon inspired to get fit. The starting point is almost never “let’s start running.” It’s “let’s build the foundation that makes everything else sustainable.”
Step 2: Start With Strength, Add Running Later
This is the piece of advice most people don’t expect — but it’s the one that makes the biggest difference.
Strength training should come before running — not instead of it, but before it. Here’s why.
Running is a high-impact activity that loads the same joints repeatedly — knees, hips, ankles, and lower back. Without adequate strength in the muscles that support those joints, injury is a matter of when, not if.
Squats build the quad and glute strength that protects the knees. Romanian deadlifts build the hamstring strength that protects the lower back. Single-leg exercises build the stability that prevents ankle rolls and hip drop. Four to six weeks of strength training before starting a running programme means your body is actually prepared for the demands running places on it.
What Is the Best Way to Get Fit for a Complete Beginner?
For a complete beginner, the most effective way to get fit is a combination of strength training three times per week and walking daily.
Strength training builds the muscle that raises your resting metabolic rate, improves posture, and creates the physical foundation for any other fitness goal. Walking is the most underrated fat loss and fitness tool available — 8,000–10,000 steps per day burns 300–500 additional calories without the recovery demands of running.
This combination — three strength sessions per week plus consistent daily walking — produces more results for most beginners than any running plan. It’s lower impact, more sustainable, and builds a physical base that makes everything else easier.=
Step 3: The 8-Week Plan to Get Fit After the London Marathon
Here is an eight-week plan designed for someone who watched the London Marathon and wants to take action — regardless of current fitness level.
Weeks 1–2: Build the Base
Training: Three strength sessions per week. Focus on fundamental movement patterns — squat, hinge, push, pull. Keep weights manageable and focus on learning correct technique.
Walking: 7,000–8,000 steps per day. Walk to work, walk at lunch, walk after dinner.
Nutrition: Start with protein at every meal. Aim for 1.6g of protein per kg of bodyweight per day. Don’t change everything at once — protein first, everything else follows.
Goal: Establish the habit. Three sessions done is a successful week — regardless of how they felt.
Weeks 3–4: Build the Habit
Training: Three strength sessions per week with progressive overload — slightly more weight or more reps than the previous week on each exercise.
Walking: 8,000–10,000 steps per day. The habit should feel normal by now.
Cardio: Optional 20-minute walk at a brisk pace twice per week if you want to add it. Not running yet.
Goal: The routine feels natural. Sessions are no longer optional — they’re just part of the week.
Weeks 5–6: Add Running
Training: Two strength sessions per week. One is dropped to make room for running.
Running: Two run-walk sessions per week. Alternate 2 minutes of jogging with 2 minutes of walking for 20–25 minutes. This is the foundation of Couch to 5K and it works — because it builds running fitness without overwhelming the body.
Walking: 10,000 steps per day maintained.
Goal: First run completed. It doesn’t matter how slow — it matters that it happened.
Weeks 7–8: Build Running Fitness
Training: Two strength sessions per week maintained.
Running: Two to three run-walk sessions per week. Extend the running intervals — 3 minutes running, 1 minute walking. By the end of week eight most people can run for 15–20 minutes continuously.
Goal: A 5K run completed — walk breaks allowed, pace irrelevant. You started watching a marathon and eight weeks later you’re running. That’s the goal.
How to Run a 5K After Watching the London Marathon
A 5K is 3.1 miles. It takes most beginners 30–40 minutes to complete at a comfortable pace. That’s the target — not speed, not time, just completion.
The Couch to 5K programme — developed by the NHS and available as a free app — is the most widely used and most effective beginner running programme in the UK. It runs for nine weeks and has helped millions of people go from never running to completing a 5K.
The key modification we’d make to the standard Couch to 5K plan is to add two strength sessions per week alongside it. The NHS programme covers the running — the strength training builds the physical resilience that prevents injury and makes the running itself more effective.
How Long Does It Take to Get Fit After Watching the London Marathon?
Eight to twelve weeks of consistent training will produce noticeable, measurable improvements in fitness for most people starting from a low base.
By week four you’ll feel stronger and have more energy. By week eight you’ll be running, lifting meaningfully heavier than you started, and seeing visible changes in body composition. By week twelve you’ll have a level of fitness that feels sustainable rather than temporary.
The caveat is consistency. Eight weeks of training done three times per week beats eight weeks of perfect training done sporadically every time.
Running Near Fitzrovia and Marylebone — Where to Train
If you live or work near Fitzrovia, Marylebone, or Great Portland Street — you have some of Central London’s best running routes on your doorstep.
Regent’s Park is five minutes from the Tempo Performance studio on Hallam Street. The outer circle of Regent’s Park is 4.3km — just under a 5K — making it a perfect training loop. The park is relatively flat, well-lit, and busy enough to feel safe at any time of day.
Hyde Park is accessible by tube from Great Portland Street and offers a range of running distances from 2km to 10km depending on the route you choose.
The Marylebone streets — Marylebone High Street, Paddington Street, and the surrounding residential roads — are excellent for early morning run-walks where quiet, flat streets are all you need.
Why a Personal Trainer in London Makes Getting Fit Easier
Inspiration from the London Marathon fades. It always does. The difference between the people who are still training in September and the people who quit in May is not motivation — it’s structure and accountability.
A personal trainer in London provides both.
At Tempo Performance PT in Fitzrovia, Julian Ernst works with clients who are at exactly the starting point you’re at right now — inspired, motivated, and not quite sure where to begin. The free consultation is the starting point. From there, Julian builds a programme specifically for your fitness level, your goals, and your schedule.
The studio is three minutes from Great Portland Street station and eight minutes from Marylebone High Street — making it one of the most conveniently located private training studios in Central London for anyone living or working in W1.
FAQ — Getting Fit After the London Marathon
Q: Do I need to run a marathon to get fit? A: Absolutely not. A marathon is one goal among many. Getting fit means building a level of health and physical capability that improves your daily life — that could be a 5K, a strength goal, a weight loss target, or simply feeling better than you do now.
Q: How do I start running if I’ve never run before? A: Start with walking. Build to 10,000 steps per day before you start running. Then follow a run-walk programme — alternating short running intervals with walking recovery. The NHS Couch to 5K app is free and effective. Add two strength sessions per week alongside it for best results.
Q: Is it normal to feel out of breath when starting to run? A: Yes — completely normal. Running fitness develops quickly. Most people who struggle to run for two minutes in week one can run for 20 minutes continuously by week six if they follow a progressive plan.
Q: Can I lose weight and get running fit at the same time? A: Yes. A combination of strength training, running, walking, and a moderate calorie deficit will produce simultaneous fat loss and improved running fitness. Read our 12-week fat loss plan for a framework that covers both.
Q: What if I have knee pain when I try to run? A: Stop running and address the cause before continuing. Knee pain during running is almost always a strength issue — weak quads, glutes, or hip stabilisers putting excessive load on the knee joint. Four to six weeks of targeted strength training resolves the majority of running-related knee pain. Julian Ernst at Tempo Performance PT in Fitzrovia works regularly with clients dealing with exactly this issue.
Q: How do I stay motivated after the initial inspiration fades? A: Build a routine before the motivation fades. The first two weeks after the marathon are the most important — get three sessions done in those two weeks and the habit starts to form. After four weeks of consistent training, the routine itself provides more motivation than the initial inspiration.
Q: How do I get started with Tempo Performance PT in Fitzrovia? A: Book a free consultation at the studio on Hallam Street. Three minutes from Great Portland Street station. No obligation, no pressure — just an honest conversation and a clear plan.