Inspired by the Gold Coast Marathon? Don’t Forget Strength Training

by Osteopath adam thomas

After the buzz of the Gold Coast Marathon weekend, it is easy to feel inspired.

Maybe you ran. Maybe you cheered from the sidelines. Maybe you watched thousands of people running along the coast and thought, “I could do that next year.”

If that is you, the obvious next step is usually to start running more.

That makes sense. To become a better runner, you need to run.

But there is another piece of the puzzle that many recreational runners miss:

Strength training.

Not bodybuilding. Not powerlifting. Not trying to become the strongest person in the gym.

Just enough strength to make your body more resilient, more efficient, and better prepared for the repeated load of running.

Why strength matters for runners

Running looks simple, but it asks a lot from the body.

Every step involves your calves, Achilles tendons, hamstrings, glutes, hips, knees, feet, trunk and upper body working together. Over a 5 km run, that may be thousands of steps. Over a marathon, it can be tens of thousands.

When your muscles and tendons have better strength and control, each step may cost your body a little less effort.

That is the idea behind strength training for runners. We are not trying to turn a runner into a weightlifter. We are trying to give the runner more “strength reserve”.

In simple terms:

If your legs are stronger, each stride uses a smaller percentage of your available strength.

That may help with running economy, hill tolerance, fatigue resistance, posture, and injury resilience.

Is there an ideal strength level for marathon runners?

This is where we need to be careful.

There is no perfect scientific table that says, “Every marathon runner must squat this much, deadlift this much, and calf raise this much.”

The research does not give us a neat universal answer like that.

What we can do is create an evidence-informed coaching synthesis.

That means combining:

• what the research says about strength training and running economy

• what we know about tendon and muscle load in running

• what experienced coaches commonly use in the real world

• what makes sense for recreational runners who still need to recover and keep running

  
  

The goal is not maximum strength at all costs.

The goal is enough strength to support your running without stealing too much time, energy or recovery from your running.

Practical strength targets for recreational marathon runners

These are not rules. These are approximate relative -strength guideposts. Individual goals vary according to age, training history, and gender.

For a healthy adult runner, a good long-term strength profile might look something like this:

Exercise	Useful Runner’s Target
Back squat	Around 1.25–1.5 × bodyweight
Deadlift or trap-bar deadlift	Around 1.5 × bodyweight
Romanian deadlift	Around 1.0–1.25 × bodyweight
Single-leg calf raise	25–30 controlled reps each side
Nordic hamstring curl	3–5 controlled reps
Bench press	Around 0.75–1.0 × bodyweight
Overhead press	Around 0.45–0.6 × bodyweight
Lat pulldown or pull-up strength	Close to bodyweight control

For example, if someone weighs 80 kg, a strong but realistic runner’s target might eventually be:

• squat around 100–120 kg

• deadlift around 120 kg

• Romanian deadlift around 80–100 kg

• 25–30 good single-leg calf raises each side

  
  

That does not mean every runner needs to hit those numbers before entering a race.

It simply gives us a rough picture of what “strong enough” might look like for a durable, well-prepared endurance runner.

These benchmarks are based on current research, coaching practice, and clinical experience. They should be viewed as helpful long-term goals rather than evidence-based minimum requirements for marathon runners.

The most important areas for runners

If you only remember three things, remember these:

1. Calves and Achilles strength matter

Your calf complex, especially the soleus muscle, does a huge amount of work when you run.

This is why calf raises, bent-knee calf raises, skipping, hopping, and progressive tendon loading can be so useful for runners.

A basic goal is to be able to perform 25–30 slow, controlled single-leg calf raises on each side without bouncing, twisting or collapsing through the foot.

2. Hips and hamstrings help protect your stride

The hamstrings and glutes help control your leg as it swings through and lands.

Romanian deadlifts, bridges, step-ups, split squats and carefully introduced Nordic hamstring curls can all help build the back-of-leg strength that runners often lack.

3. Strength should support running, not replace it

More is not always better.

A runner does not need to train like a powerlifter. Very heavy lifting, too often, can leave you sore, flat and less able to complete your key running sessions.

For most recreational runners, one to two strength sessions per week is enough.

During a marathon build, strength training should usually be kept simple, consistent and recoverable.

What about upper body strength?

Upper body strength is not the main limiter for most distance runners, but it still matters.

Your arms, shoulders, upper back and trunk help maintain posture, especially when fatigue sets in late in a run.

You do not need to chase a huge bench press. But having enough strength through the upper back, shoulders and trunk can help you stay tall, relaxed and efficient.

Simple exercises such as rows, lat pulldowns, push-ups, overhead presses and carries can be enough.

A simple weekly approach

For many runners, a good week might include:

Two runs that build fitness

For example, an interval session, tempo run or long run.

One or two easy runs

These build aerobic capacity without overloading the system.

One to two strength sessions

Mostly lower body, calf/soleus, hip, hamstring and trunk work.

One proper rest or recovery day

Because adaptation happens when you recover, not just when you train.

A simple strength session might include:

• squat or split squat

• deadlift or Romanian deadlift

• calf raise

• hamstring exercise

• row or lat pulldown

• trunk exercise

  
  

That is often enough.

The big mistake: doing too much too soon

The excitement after a big event like the Gold Coast Marathon can be powerful.

That motivation is great.

But one of the most common mistakes is going from very little running to too much running, too quickly.

The same applies to strength training.

If you suddenly add hills, speed work, long runs and heavy gym sessions all at once, your body may not have enough time to adapt.

A better approach is to build gradually.

Start with what your body can currently tolerate. Then add load over time.

Training loads are different from rehab loads

It is also important to remember that the strength targets above are training goals, not starting points and not rehabilitation prescriptions.

If you are dealing with an injury, pain, tendon irritation, a recent flare-up, or a long break from running, the right load may be much lower at first.

In a rehab setting, the goal is usually to find the amount of load your body can currently tolerate, then gradually build from there. That may involve lighter weights, fewer repetitions, slower movements, isometric holds, modified ranges, or a temporary reduction in running volume.

If you are unsure where to start, or you are carrying a niggle before launching into a new running or strength program, booking an appointment with one of our osteopaths can help you work out a sensible starting point and progression plan.

So, should runners lift weights?

For most runners, yes.

But the aim is not to become sore, exhausted or bulky.

The aim is to build a body that can better handle the repeated loading of running.

A good runner’s strength program should help you feel:

• more stable

• more springy

• more controlled

• more resilient

• less beaten up by your training

  
  

Running will always be the main ingredient for running performance.

But strength training is one of the best supporting ingredients.

If the Gold Coast Marathon has inspired you to start running, return to running, or finally tackle a bigger distance, strength training may be one of the smartest places to begin.

Start gradually. Build consistently. Respect recovery.

And remember: the goal is not to train harder for a few weeks.

The goal is to keep running well for years.

References

Yamamoto et al. (2008) Effects of resistance training on endurance running performance

Balsalobre-Fernández et al. (2016) Effects of strength training on running economy in highly trained runners

Blagrove, Howatson & Hayes (2018) Effects of strength training on the physiological determinants of middle- and long-distance running performance

Støren et al. (2008) Maximal strength training improves running economy in distance runners

Silbernagel et al. Achilles Tendinopathy Loading Program

van Dyk et al. (2019) Including the Nordic Hamstring Exercise in injury prevention programmes

Lauersen et al. (2018) The effectiveness of exercise interventions to prevent sports injuries