First and foremost to train for and run a marathon you have to really want to do it. It may feel aspirational, even hopeless at times but beneath it all you must almost have a hunger for it.

Otherwise you will find every excuse in the book not to go for your training run. Before you know it you will be too far behind and decide to pull out of it altogether.

Enjoy being challenged. There are few things in life that will challenge you like a marathon will. Not just during the marathon itself but during the months of training.

If you enjoy a challenge you will be more determined to succeed.

Have confidence in yourself. Not so much that you belittle the extent of what running a marathon entails but you must believe that you are able to do it.

If you don’t, as the mileage gets longer and the going gets tougher, feelings of self-doubt will creep in which will make it harder if not impossible to continue.

Be willing to push yourself. Marathon running is hard both physically and mentally. If it wasn’t everyone would do it. At times you will feel tired and lacking in energy. In pain too, sometimes.

So you really need to be able to dig deep mentally to pull yourself through these moments. Be resilient and continue forward.

Enjoy your own company. Whether you run on your own or not, you will have hours of time in your own head, so to speak.

You need to be able to let your mind drift away and not think too much about what you are doing, how much longer you have to do it for or how you are feeling.

This enables you to lose yourself in your thoughts and distract yourself from what you are doing. Before you know it, you will be on the homeward stretch wondering where the last few hours have gone.

Be resistant to all weather conditions. There are too many uncontrollable factors that can impact on your training plan such as work, kids, health, etc, so you must be willing to run in all weather conditions.

And it means there will be no surprises on marathon day as you will have run through all imaginable conditions during training. So if you are a fair-weather runner you might as well decide right now that marathon running isn’t for you.

Think optimistically. Pessimistic thoughts when running long distance can be detrimental. Your body will do what your mind tells it, so if you tell your body that this is too tough going and you can’t do it, your body will stop.

So when running up a hill, instead of focusing on the physical challenge of uphill running, visualise the rewarding downhill or flat stretch that awaits you at the top.

Or when battling strong winds head on, think about how it’s only a matter of time when that same wind will be behind your back, pushing you along with minimum effort on your part. You will find yourself clutching at straws at times but better that than letting pessimistic thoughts creep in.

Prioritise your training over other aspects of your life. Not always easy with work deadlines, children’s activities, partners’ needs and social commitments.

You don’t need to put these things on hold. You just need to prioritise your running over them. Work around them. Especially your weekends when you are doing your long runs.

You need to schedule your long run on the day/time that works best for you energy wise etc and then schedule other things.

On the flipside of all of these mental traits, you also need to be able to listen to your body.

While mental strength is vital with long distance running you need to recognise when your body is being pushed too far.

Injuries do happen and knowing the difference between a niggle and something more sinister is crucial.

If caught in time, injuries can be repaired with limited interruption to your training plan. So never leave things untreated for too long because by doing so, you might be pulling yourself out of the marathon you have entered long before it has even started.

As challenging as marathon running is, it is equally as rewarding. Not just as you cross the finish line but each time you push yourself and reach a new distance during training.

The mental resilience that you build up can help you to deal with other challenges that life throws at you, both personally and professionally.

As a soon to be seven-times Dublin Marathon runner, I have learnt many things through running aside from running.

You will get what I’m saying when you cross that marathon finish line with your head held high, even if your legs are trailing a bit behind you.

Katharine Teeling is running coach and owner of Coast Road Runners; Learn to Run 0-5km & Beyond www.coastroadrunners.com