About the Author

HAL HIGDON is among the most respected and widely read writers in the world of running. A senior writer for Runner's World magazine, he also writes the "Ask the Expert" column on the magazine's Web site. He is the author of 31 books, including Run Fast and Master's Running, and a four-time gold medalist at the World Masters Championships. He currently splits his time between Long Beach, Indiana, and Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

Reviews

"Will get any runner across the finish line of a marathon. I highly recommend it," said Olympic-marathon gold medalist Frank Shorter.

"There's plenty of sound training advice here for runners of all levels," said Ken Sparks, PhD, who achieved a marathon personal record of 2:28 at age 46.
"According to "Runner's World" magazine, a first-time marathoner should train at least five days a week, posting weekly mileage of up to 42 miles. Hal Higdon, an 82-year-old fitness guru-he finished fifth in the 1964 Boston Marathon - says it's all about finding the right program. Twenty years ago, he designed one for his son, Kevin, an accountant at Peat Marwick International (now KPMG) who wanted to train 'while working for a demanding firm.' Higdon's corporate-worker-friendly program became a best-selling book, Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide. It's still used by many professionals, including Illinois Bank of America President Tim Maloney, who Higdon says followed the program while training for this year's race in Chicago. The guide schedules every mile, right down to the walking breaks, without much wiggle room. 'I've had people ask, 'Can I do 5 miles in the morning and 5 during lunch?' Higdon says. 'My response is always, 'well sure, if you can find a marathon that lets you run 13 miles in the morning and 13 in the afternoon.'" - BUSINESSWEEK