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Rowing for Marathon Preparation: the Perfect Complement for Runners

21. March 2025

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BY Lars Wichert

Why Rowing is an Underestimated Training for Marathon Preparation

A marathon is one of the greatest physical challenges an endurance athlete can overcome. The 42.195 kilometers demand not only excellent aerobic endurance, but also strong musculature, good running technique, and mental toughness. Many runners rely exclusively on running training in their preparation, but this can lead to one-sided strain and injuries. Rowing is one of the best alternatives here: It improves endurance performance, strengthens the entire body, and is gentle on the joints.
I, Lars Wichert, as an Olympic participant myself, have spent countless hours on the water and the rowing ergometer. Today, as an age-group triathlete in middle and long-distance events, I continue to benefit from this training. An Ironman not only includes a marathon but also requires enormous running performance in preparation. Rowing helps me build the necessary basic endurance, strengthen my leg and core muscles, and at the same time protect my joints. Especially when I want to give my body a break from the high impact loads of running, the rowing machine remains my first choice. Particularly modern devices like the AUGLETICS Eight Style offer me precise resistance adjustment and intelligent training programs that are optimally suited for both basic and intensive sessions. The ability to precisely control loads allows for effective and individually tailored training – an essential prerequisite for ambitious marathon runners.

What Physical Demands a Marathon Poses

To successfully complete a marathon, the body needs a combination of aerobic endurance, strength endurance, and mental toughness. Anyone who thinks that only leg muscles are crucial underestimates the holistic demands of running. Here are the most important factors:

  • Aerobic Endurance: Marathon runners must train their cardiovascular system so efficiently that the body can optimally utilize oxygen over long periods. A high proportion of slow-twitch muscle fibers helps maintain consistent performance for hours. The maximum oxygen uptake capacity (VO2max) plays a crucial role here. Those who row regularly significantly increase their VO2max – a great advantage for long distances.

  • Strength Endurance: The running musculature must not only be strong but also remain resilient over long distances. The leg muscles, core, and lower back are particularly challenged. A strong core ensures a stable running posture, reduces energy loss, and can thus contribute to improving running economy.

Frau lächelt nach dem Training mit einem Rudergerät im Hintergrund.
  • Joint Stress & Injury Prevention: Marathon runners are exposed to high impact loads due to constant foot strikes. The most common injuries result from overuse of the knees, hips, or Achilles tendon. An excessive increase in running volume often leads to stress fractures or tendon irritation. Here, rowing can help maintain cardiovascular training without increasing the risk of injury.

  • Mental Toughness & Concentration: A marathon is not only a physical challenge but also a mental one. Those who want to persevere in the final kilometers must learn to cope with exhaustion and focus on a steady, economical movement. Consciously pacing oneself and deliberately controlling one’s breathing are essential skills that can also be intensively trained in rowing.

Why Rowing is a Perfect Complement to Running Training

Many marathon runners face the problem that excessive running training leads to overuse injuries. Rowing offers a joint-friendly alternative to gain the same physiological benefits without risking typical running injuries. Here are the decisive advantages of rowing in marathon preparation:

  • Full-Body Workout: While running primarily engages the legs and core, rowing works 85% of the musculature – including arms, shoulders, and back. This improves overall athletic performance and ensures a stable posture while running.
  • Cardiovascular Training Without Impact: Rowing improves oxygen uptake capacity just as effectively as running, but without the impact on knees and joints. This makes rowing particularly suitable for runners with sensitive joints or susceptibility to injury.
  • Effective Strengthening of Running Musculature: The quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves particularly benefit from rowing training. This promotes a more stable running posture and prevents muscular imbalances.

  • Improved Lactate Tolerance: Interval training on the rowing machine trains the body to handle lactate, which is particularly helpful for tempo runs and the final stages of a marathon. Furthermore, long basic endurance sessions can train the maximum lactate production rate, allowing the body to work more effectively and, at a higher pace, require fewer carbohydrates for energy production, relying more on fat burning.
  • Mental Resilience: Long rowing sessions require perseverance and concentration – precisely what is essential for a marathon.

Rowing Training Zones for Marathon Preparation

Depending on your goals, you can use various intensity zones in rowing to specifically work on your endurance and resilience:

Low-intensity basic endurance workouts are ideal for strengthening the cardiovascular system, while high-intensity intervals improve VO2max and contribute to fast marathon times. Your heart rate zones from running can be transferred almost identically to rowing. Due to the higher proportion of muscle mass engaged in rowing, the heart rate is sometimes slightly higher than during running.

The Ideal Rowing Machine for Marathon Runners – AUGLETICS Eight Style

Not every rowing machine is equally well suited for marathon preparation. The AUGLETICS Eight Style offers special advantages for runners:
  • Virtual Coach that optimizes technique and provides training instructions – ideal for efficient training
  • Whisper-quiet magnetic brake for undisturbed training – perfect for indoor sessions at any time of day
  • Individual training programs for endurance, interval, and recovery sessions
  • Space-saving design that integrates into any home

Through the ability to specifically work on strength endurance and VO2max, the AUGLETICS Eight Style represents a perfect complement for every ambitious runner.

Person training on a modern rowing machine in a cosy living room.

Rowing as Mental Training for the Marathon

In addition to the physical benefits, rowing also offers excellent mental training. Long sessions train mental endurance, aid focus, and enhance the ability to concentrate on one’s breathing rhythm and movement – precisely what is needed in the final kilometers of a marathon. And just like running, rowing consists of a repetitive movement that can bring you into a “runner’s high” state.

Why You Should Use Rowing for Marathon Preparation

Rowing is the perfect complement to running training. It improves aerobic capacity, trains the entire body, and simultaneously protects the joints. With the right training methods and a high-quality rowing machine like the AUGLETICS Eight Style, you can sustainably improve your marathon performance. Those who strategically integrate rowing into their training plan not only increase their endurance but also their resilience – and that is precisely what makes the difference in the final kilometers of a marathon. Through the combination of rowing and running, you can become a more effective, resilient, and faster runner.

About the author

Lars Wichert

Lars Wichert ist Sportwissenschaftler und ehemaliger Leistungssportler im Rudern. Er war 13 Jahre Teil der deutschen Nationalmannschaft. Dabei kann er auf zwei Teilnahmen an den Olympischen Spielen sowie drei Weltmeistertitel zurückblicken. Er war nach seiner Ruderkarriere als Trainer tätig und konnte mit seinem Team die Europameisterschaft gewinnen. Mittlerweile ist er in seiner Freizeit im Triathlon unterwegs und hält dort die Weltbestzeit der Amateure über die Ironman-Distanz. Lars verfügt über das Wissen als Trainer, Leistungssportler und Sportwissenschaftler, sodass sich jeder angesprochen fühlen kann. Sein Ziel ist es, Spaß an der Bewegung zu vermitteln und zu verdeutlichen, dass mit geringem Aufwand viel für die Gesundheit getan werden kann – denn es gibt keine bessere Vorsorge als die in seine eigene Gesundheit. Lars Wichert è uno scienziato dello sport ed ex atleta agonista di canottaggio. Ha fatto parte della nazionale tedesca per 13 anni. Ha partecipato a due Olimpiadi e ha vinto tre titoli mondiali. Dopo la carriera di canottiere, ha lavorato come allenatore e ha vinto il campionato europeo con la sua squadra. Nel tempo libero pratica il triathlon e detiene il record mondiale amatoriale sulla distanza Ironman. Lars dispone delle conoscenze necessarie come allenatore, atleta agonista e scienziato dello sport, in modo da poter soddisfare le esigenze di tutti. Il suo obiettivo è quello di trasmettere il piacere del movimento e di dimostrare che con poco sforzo si può fare molto per la salute, perché non c’è prevenzione migliore che quella della propria salute. Lars Wichert is a sports scientist and former competitive rower. He was a member of the German national team for 13 years. He can look back on two Olympic appearances and three world championship titles. After his rowing career, he worked as a coach and won the European Championship with his team. He now spends his free time competing in triathlons and holds the world record for amateurs over the Ironman distance. Lars has the knowledge as a coach, competitive athlete and sports scientist, so that everyone can feel addressed. His goal is to convey the fun of exercise and to make it clear that a lot can be done for one’s health with little effort – because there is no better prevention than taking care of one’s own health. Lars Wichert est scientifique du sport et ancien athlète de haut niveau en aviron. Il a fait partie de l’équipe nationale allemande pendant 13 ans. Il a participé à deux reprises aux Jeux Olympiques et remporté trois titres de champion du monde. Après sa carrière d’avironneur, il a travaillé comme entraîneur et a remporté le championnat d’Europe avec son équipe. Aujourd’hui, il consacre son temps libre au triathlon et détient le record mondial amateur sur la distance Ironman. Lars dispose des connaissances nécessaires en tant qu’entraîneur, athlète de haut niveau et scientifique du sport, ce qui lui permet de s’adresser à tout le monde. Son objectif est de transmettre le plaisir de bouger et de montrer qu’il est possible de faire beaucoup pour sa santé avec peu d’efforts, car il n’y a pas de meilleure prévention que celle de sa propre santé.
Picture of Lars Wichert

Lars Wichert

Lars Wichert ist Sportwissenschaftler und ehemaliger Leistungssportler im Rudern. Er war 13 Jahre Teil der deutschen Nationalmannschaft. Dabei kann er auf zwei Teilnahmen an den Olympischen Spielen sowie drei Weltmeistertitel zurückblicken. Er war nach seiner Ruderkarriere als Trainer tätig und konnte mit seinem Team die Europameisterschaft gewinnen. Mittlerweile ist er in seiner Freizeit im Triathlon unterwegs und hält dort die Weltbestzeit der Amateure über die Ironman-Distanz. Lars verfügt über das Wissen als Trainer, Leistungssportler und Sportwissenschaftler, sodass sich jeder angesprochen fühlen kann. Sein Ziel ist es, Spaß an der Bewegung zu vermitteln und zu verdeutlichen, dass mit geringem Aufwand viel für die Gesundheit getan werden kann – denn es gibt keine bessere Vorsorge als die in seine eigene Gesundheit. Lars Wichert è uno scienziato dello sport ed ex atleta agonista di canottaggio. Ha fatto parte della nazionale tedesca per 13 anni. Ha partecipato a due Olimpiadi e ha vinto tre titoli mondiali. Dopo la carriera di canottiere, ha lavorato come allenatore e ha vinto il campionato europeo con la sua squadra. Nel tempo libero pratica il triathlon e detiene il record mondiale amatoriale sulla distanza Ironman. Lars dispone delle conoscenze necessarie come allenatore, atleta agonista e scienziato dello sport, in modo da poter soddisfare le esigenze di tutti. Il suo obiettivo è quello di trasmettere il piacere del movimento e di dimostrare che con poco sforzo si può fare molto per la salute, perché non c'è prevenzione migliore che quella della propria salute. Lars Wichert is a sports scientist and former competitive rower. He was a member of the German national team for 13 years. He can look back on two Olympic appearances and three world championship titles. After his rowing career, he worked as a coach and won the European Championship with his team. He now spends his free time competing in triathlons and holds the world record for amateurs over the Ironman distance. Lars has the knowledge as a coach, competitive athlete and sports scientist, so that everyone can feel addressed. His goal is to convey the fun of exercise and to make it clear that a lot can be done for one's health with little effort – because there is no better prevention than taking care of one's own health. Lars Wichert est scientifique du sport et ancien athlète de haut niveau en aviron. Il a fait partie de l'équipe nationale allemande pendant 13 ans. Il a participé à deux reprises aux Jeux Olympiques et remporté trois titres de champion du monde. Après sa carrière d'avironneur, il a travaillé comme entraîneur et a remporté le championnat d'Europe avec son équipe. Aujourd'hui, il consacre son temps libre au triathlon et détient le record mondial amateur sur la distance Ironman. Lars dispose des connaissances nécessaires en tant qu'entraîneur, athlète de haut niveau et scientifique du sport, ce qui lui permet de s'adresser à tout le monde. Son objectif est de transmettre le plaisir de bouger et de montrer qu'il est possible de faire beaucoup pour sa santé avec peu d'efforts, car il n'y a pas de meilleure prévention que celle de sa propre santé.

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