Why Training in the Gym Is Essential to Prepare for the Paris Marathon
As thousands of runners lace up for the Paris Marathon on April 13, 2025, training plans are hitting their peak. Long runs, intervals, stretching routines… all of it matters. But there’s one aspect that remains widely underestimated — and yet, it can make all the difference on race day: strength training.
Yes, training in the gym. The squat rack. The cable machines. The kettlebells. Far from being reserved for bodybuilders, gym-based conditioning is now recognized as essential for endurance athletes, and for good reason.
Let’s explore why working with a personal trainer in Paris — in a controlled, gym-based setting — may be exactly what your marathon preparation is missing.
1. Endurance begins with a strong foundation
Marathon running isn’t just about your lungs or your willpower. It’s about how efficiently your muscles handle stress over time. As your miles increase, your body needs to absorb and redirect massive forces through the hips, knees, and ankles — repeatedly, and without breakdown.
Targeted strength training in the gym strengthens the muscles, tendons, and joints that support every stride. Done correctly, it leads to improved posture, better stride mechanics, and reduced risk of injury — a crucial element during the last 10 km of a marathon.
2. Performance is built through balance
Running is a repetitive motion that often leads to muscular imbalances. Quads overcompensate. Glutes deactivate. Core control weakens. Over time, this results in compensatory movements, pain, or plateaus in performance.
In a gym setting — especially under the eye of an experienced coach sportif in Paris — these imbalances can be addressed with specific mobility work, unilateral training, and postural reinforcement. The goal? Create a body that is balanced, mobile, and aligned, so every stride is more efficient and sustainable.
3. Strength training boosts running economy
Multiple studies have shown that runners who integrate gym-based strength work improve their “running economy” — the amount of oxygen they need at a given pace.
📚 For example, a study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports (2010) found that eight weeks of maximal strength training improved running economy by 5% in well-trained distance runners, without negatively affecting their aerobic capacity.
Source: Støren et al., 2010 – Scand J Med Sci Sports
This means running the same pace with less effort, which translates into more endurance and a faster finishing time — especially crucial in the last stretch along the Seine.
4. Recovery and injury prevention
A well-designed gym program doesn’t just build strength — it supports recovery. Sessions focusing on mobility, flexibility, eccentric control, and neuromuscular coordination help reduce inflammation, improve tissue resilience, and support faster recovery after long runs.
A marathon is not won (or finished) with willpower alone. It’s finished by the runners whose bodies hold up — and strength is one of the best predictors of resilience.
5. The role of a coach in Paris during marathon prep
Working with a coach sportif in Paris in the final weeks leading up to the race allows for precision work, controlled intensity, and tailored support. Rather than adding more mileage and risking overload, runners can fine-tune their posture, reinforce weak links, and enter taper week with a body that feels ready, aligned, and strong.
In my private gym, I’ve worked with runners preparing for their first marathon as well as sub-3-hour veterans. The one thing they have in common? They understand that running is not enough — and that the gym can be a powerful tool to maximize performance while protecting the body.
🏁 Final thoughts: Strong legs carry farther
If you're running the 2025 Paris Marathon, it’s not too late to integrate strength training into your final weeks. Focus on quality over quantity. Use these last sessions to activate, stabilize, and optimize.
And if you're not racing this year? Start now. Strong runners are made year-round, not just in the weeks before the start line on the Champs-Élysées.
Your marathon doesn’t begin at kilometer 0 — it begins with the choices you make in the gym.
