The Best Marathon Training App for Half Marathons & Marathons
Looking for the best marathon training app? We here at The Run Experience regularly encourage finding a training plan if you’re preparing for a race—whether that’s a 5K, 10K, half marathon, or marathon.
Training plans do a lot of the prep work for you; they factor in rest days, speed work, and endurance training. And best of all, training plans hold you accountable.
However, not all marathon training apps are created equal. We know we’re a bit biased, but we think TRE provides the best marathon training app experience. Here’s why.
Why TRE Is the Best Marathon Training App
In this article, we’re taking a look at, in our opinion, the best marathon training app on the market.
We’re sharing some of the best features of The Run Experience app specifically. The app is available for ios and android users, and it’s made to make your training easy.
Whether you use this app or not, it should give you a good idea of what to look for you as you finding the training plan that’s right for you.
And this is not specific to marathon training! This applies to a half marathon, 10K, 5K, or whatever else you’ve got coming up.
This Marathon-Training App Is About More Than Just Running
First and foremost, this marathon and half marathon training app has more than just run workouts. TRE builds well-rounded runners. Our coaches are here to teach runners the value of adding strength training and mobility into your running life.
In fact, all of our coaches can tell you firsthand how their running improved once they began to mix up their training.
That’s why all programs on the TRE app include strength workouts and mobility as well as run workouts.
Think of it this way: the stronger and more mobile your body is, the more prepared you are for what happens out on the course. When you start to get tired on a run, your run form can suffer. And when your run form suffers, you are more prone to injury.
That’s where strength training comes in. Strength training will build your muscles’ endurance so that your form doesn’t suffer even when you get tired.
And by improving your body’s range of motion through mobility work, you’re getting your body prepared for new or unnatural positions it may wind up in out on the course. Especially if you’re using the app as a marathon training app, this is important. A lot can happen in 26 miles!
The app will also help you understand when and how to make the most of your rest days. To get a head start on that front, check out this video:
It’s a Marathon Running App For All Levels
Next, the TRE app is suited for runners of all levels, from beginner to experienced racers. Whether you want a couch to half marathon app or a full-on Boston qualifying marathon app, TRE does it all.
Beginning Runners
For beginning runners, the app focuses on sustainable training. We want to make sure you don’t do too much too fast, as that can lead to physical and/or mental burnout.
We have designed our Beginning Runner Program for gradual improvements, dividing up the workouts between runs, strength workouts, recovery, and mobility. In addition, the Beginning Runner Program takes you through proper running form step-by-step, using videos and drills to make sure you’re running correctly.
Running with proper form will make your runs easier, and it will reduce your risk of injury so that you can keep running beyond the beginner stage.
Intermediate Runners
For intermediate runners, the app has plenty of workouts (run, strength, HIIT, mobility) for all types of intermediate runners. If you’re training for a race, we have programs for all distances: full marathon, half marathon, 10K, 5K and everything in between.
And these different race programs are tailored. They have been carefully designed by our coaches to take you from Day 1 of training right up to the finish line of your race. We’ve got you covered on when to run, when to strength train, when to recover, what to eat, and everything else your running needs.
If you’re not training for a race, feel free to use our race programs as guides given how far you run generally. If that’s not your style, the app has plenty of singe follow-along workouts, or challenges to spice up your routine and improve various aspects of your running.
Experienced Runners
And if you’re an experienced runner, the app is designed to push you. The TRE coaches are just as experienced coaching seasoned vets as they are beginners, and you will be challenged.
The experienced runner workouts will help improve your cadence, your strength, and your mobility in order to take your running to the next level.
If you’re considering joining, but you’re unsure of exactly how TRE will benefit an experienced runner like yourself, take a look at your running. What’s missing? Could your cadence use some attention? Are you always sore in certain places and you’re not sure why? Have you been skipping your strength day?
TRE will fill in whatever gaps may exist, and show you running potential you might not even know you had!
To get a sense of the type of run workouts on the app, check out this video:
This Half-Marathon Training App Makes Tracking Your Runs Simpler
There are plenty of ways to track your runs – whether it’s your Garmin, another tracker app, your iPhone, or something else.
But the TRE app aims to combine that tracking with some of your favorite features from other running or fitness apps.
For example, you can find follow-along running workouts that also have a ‘mapmyrun’ feature. Be coached through the same app that’s tracking your mileage, the same app that carefully designed your running program.
You can find running workouts for the outdoors or for the treadmill. The TRE app tracks your mileage while also delivering other features. While Strava is certainly a fan favorite for tracking mileage, TRE will allow you to do the same while your personal running coach takes you through a carefully-designed run workout.
No more ambiguous “fast runs” and “long runs,” TRE will guide you through strategic and specific run workouts while mapping your routes and tracking your distance.
That’s right—this is a running training app that tracks how far you run.
And once your workout is complete, you can share it right there on the app. No need to go elsewhere. The TRE community is full of thousands of like-minded runners focused on improving and supporting each other. In fact, let’s take a closer look at the community side of the app.
This Running Training App Comes With A Supportive Community
One of the hardest parts of getting off the couch and starting your running training is how solo running can feel. For many of us, running with a group sounds intimidating, or it’s just not how we prefer to train. But the trade-off there is that we then have no one to hold us accountable or encourage us.
This is why the TRE app places a major emphasis on community. You get the best of both worlds. You can run by yourself, but can tell others about your run and receive encouraging words right after. The TRE community is tight, non-judgmental, and positive.
In addition, members of the community can share ideas with each other. Whether you need help getting motivated, need a stretch for a particular muscle group, or need a new recipe to try on your recovery day, the TRE community shares it all with one another. Some members even share their running playlists, which is my favorite part!
If you use other running apps or training programs that don’t focus as much on community, consider looking online for a suitable Facebook running group.
And if you enjoy the support that comes with joining a running community, give TRE a try. The TRE bond is a tight one. Signing up will connect you with thousands of runners worldwide who support you and your running goals. And who knows? You might even make some new friends!
It’s a Free Marathon Training App
Oh, and did we mention this marathon training app is free? Maybe we should have led with that.
Yes, it’s a free marathon training app.
While the premium version offers some big perks, the TRE app offers plenty of workouts and information for free.
If you’re a gym-goer, hop on the app and try a free strength workout to take some of the planning out of your day. If your normal running route has gotten monotonous, try a free follow-along running workout.
There are plenty of free features on the app so that you can get a good feel for the programs before you commit. You can also jump into the community for free by sharing your workouts and seeing others. Start commenting, get to know people, and see how you like it!
Don’t waste your time with sub-par training plans—download the best marathon training app on the market (TRE) and start running the right way.