So, you want to run a marathon. You want to hear the cheering support of the crowd and feel the rush of adrenaline. You want to experience the sense of great accomplishment and satisfaction upon crossing the finishing line. But how are you going to swing running 26.2 miles when you get winded running for the bus?

The truth is that almost anyone can complete a marathon if he or she trains properly. The first thing you need is the desire. Secondly, you need the time to train.

"Anyone that takes the time to prepare for a marathon can do it," says Shelly Glover, coauthor of The Competitive Runner's Handbook and codirector of the New York Road Runners Club training classes. "You can run a marathon without training properly, but you won't enjoy the experience."

Getting Started
If you have never run before or you run very infrequently, Glover advises that you start running regularly for about a year, building up to 15 miles a week. Other experts like David Whitsett, author of The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer, suggest beginners leave themselves at least five months to train (one or more months of doing three-mile runs several times a week and then four months to train in earnest).