You’ve crossed the marathon finish line – congratulations! Once the DOMS have eased, you might find yourself wondering what next. Whether you want to go longer, faster or tougher, these next-step challenges will keep your running journey moving forwards.
Next-step challenges for after a marathon
Try a tri
If you’re comfortable with a marathon-distance run, you could think about pushing yourself a step further – and adding in a cool 3.8km open-water swim and a 180km bike ride into the mix. While there are plenty of shorter triathlons out there, the Ironman is considered the ultimate triathlon endurance challenge.
The fastest Ironman time ever recorded is 7:21:11 by Kristian Blummenfelt in 2021, with the fastest women’s time of 8:18:13, recorded by Chrissie Wellington.
Alternatively, there are plenty of other triathlons out there that are even more challenging than the Ironman. Check out our round-up of the world’s toughest triathlons and decide whether you’d like to put yourself in the pain cave for quite that many hours.
Go the distance: do an ultra
Mastered the marathon distance and fancy going the extra mile? Perhaps you’re ready for an ultra. An ultramarathon is anything longer than the classic 26.2-mile marathon, so work out how far you want to push yourself and go from there.
Interested? We’ve rounded up some of the toughest ultramarathons in the UK and around the world.
- What is Jeffing? The legend behind the popular running interval training method
- Sleep deprivation, extreme weather and more ascent than Everest – this ultramarathon is 'Britain's most brutal race'
Head for the hills
While city marathons are the perfect way to get used to running a marathon distance, there are plenty of off-road marathons to try next – without having to add any miles on the clock.
In the UK, you could try Endurancelife Exmoor, a Devon-based marathon that takes in a whopping elevation gain of 1,850m with stunning stretches of the South West Coast Path and challenging terrain underfoot. Or further afield, you could head to Peru to tackle the Inca Trail Marathon, where runners follow the 500-year-old hand-laid cobbled path for 26 miles. Check out our round-up of the toughest marathons for a few other ideas.
- Fierce weather, rugged mountains and a 67% drop-out rate. Is this the world's toughest mountain trail race?
- This Lake District ultramarathon is almost the equivalent of scaling Everest – and you're banned from tackling it alone
Work towards pro-level speed
Completing a marathon in any time is an enormous achievement, but if you fancy an additional challenge, why not focus on improving your marathon time next time round? Start by nailing your half marathon time, and go from there. Keen to get a marathon PB? Check out our round-up of the fastest marathon courses in the world to give yourself the best head start possible.
At the 2026 London Marathon, we saw Kenyan runner Sabastian Sawe run a record-breaking sub-2hr marathon time. His average mile splits were 4 minutes 33 seconds, so, while it’s unlikely you’ll ever reach this pace over an entire marathon (sorry to disappoint you, feel free to prove us wrong), you could aim to cut your pace down per mile.
- These are the toughest half marathons in the UK – including one that climbs two Munros
- 9 easiest half marathons for beginners – or those wanting to grab a PB
The ‘four-minute mile’ is a classic milestone many try – and fail – to beat. British runner Sir Roger Bannister ran what is believed to be the first recorded four-minute mile in 1954, clocking in at 3:59.4. The mile record has since been lowered by 16.27 seconds, with Moroccan athlete completing a mile in 3:43.13 in 1999. There has yet to be a woman who has recorded a four-minute mile. Women, go forth!
For those favouring shorter distances, the ‘10-second 100m sprint’ is the greatest aim for many elite athletes. The current men’s world record holder of the fastest 100m sprint is Usain Bolt, who ran it in 9.58 seconds in 2009. The women’s world record holder of the fastest 100m sprint is Florence Griffith-Joyner, who ran it in 10.49 seconds in 1988.
Top image: An athlete runs along the Marin Headlands during The Big Alta 100K Ultramarathon in 2026 in Muir Beach, California (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
