If this is your first marathon or half marathon, you have probably never done anything like this before. Even though this a writing event, you should treat it like you would running a marathon, albeit one you don’t necessarily have to be in great physical shape for.

Training for it is an important component for many. Lots of participates set aside an hour a day to write poems during the week leading up to the marathon. Others practice with test quarter marathons. Some just practice writing poems with a timer.

It is also important that you set aside time for The Poetry Marathon. Some people attempt the marathon while doing other things, like working an eight hour shift, or being the hostess at a friends wedding. This has historically not worked out well for anyone and leads to complaining and quitting.

A repeat half marathoner has done the poetry half marathon and a running half marathon in the same day successfully, but that is because the timing worked out. The events did not overlap.

As someone who is now on their fifth marathon, I know that not only should my day of the marathon be well-planned, but the day before and after should be too. As the mother of a young child (whose husband also participates in the marathon), I make sure to have childcare arranged for the whole marathon and at least five hours afterwards, so that we can sleep a little.

All our food is prepared in advance. I generally run, do yoga or other forms of exercise between writing poems.

But everyone does the marathon differently. For example my husband naps as much as possible between writing poems.

Expect the marathon to take a lot out of you. Many writers say it is much harder than they expected. Recovering after the marathon should take at least a day. Sometimes longer.

Ramona Elke, a participant in last year’s Poetry Marathon, wrote an excellent blog post that every new participant should read: http://lovedrovemetorebel.blogspot.com/2017/03/so-youre-thinking-of-participating-in.html

Last year over 500 people signed up. Less than half the people finished either the half or full marathon. This year we want a much higher success rate even if we have a much lower sign up rate. That is why we added this essay of warning.

Now, if you are wondering after reading all of this, why you would possibly do the marathon, I want to tell you three things.

1. Most Poetry Marathoners don’t do this once, they do it year after year after year. They put it on their calendars when we announce the date in January.
2. I can’t explain in advance everything that you will get out of the marathon, as everyone gets something different, but just know it will be something special.
3. Every year the biggest blessing for me is 24 new poems that are different from what I normally write. Every year I have published edited versions of over half the poems I produced during the marathon in literary journals. Poems I have written during the Marathon have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and the Best of the Net.

So please sign up! But only if you are really prepared to commit.

Caitlin Jans

Marathon Co-Founder