Are you nervous for the marathon? That’s normal! Follow my marathon running tips to get the most out of your race and finish with a smile.
A solid marathon training plan of at least three months should get you ready for the race. However, your marathon race-day strategy may strongly affect your performance. Do you need a warm-up before the marathon? At what pace should you run the first half of the marathon?
Let’s continue with my marathon running tips!
Solid Warm-Up
The challenge of the marathon is to run a stable race from start to finish without ‘hitting the wall’. During a warm-up you will burn some carbohydrates. You simply cannot avoid this.
That’s why your warm-up should get you ready for race pace and nothing more than that. In my opinion, the optimal warm-up for the marathon depends on your level and goals.
A first time marathoner whose goal is to finish should refrain from doing a warm-up; just start your marathon slowly and pick up your marathon pace in the first few miles.
More experienced marathoners should warm up at latest 30 minutes before the start. You may divide it into two sessions of roughly five minutes. Start your first session slowly and gradually increase your pace, but keep it slower than marathon race pace. Do some easy stretching before your second session.
In your second session you may slowly build up to marathon pace. Run at this pace for at most 30 to 60 seconds. Finish your warm-up 10 to 15 minutes before the start.
Marathon Race Pace
Are you a marathoner who starts fast and tries to maintain the pace in the second half? It’s quite logical that a good strategy would be to run an even race. However, your running economy will likely decrease during the race and this will negatively affect your race pace.
Let’s say your personal best is 3:20 and you want to run 3:19. If you take into account that your pace will drop a bit in the second half, you should try to run your first half in 1:38 to 1:39.
For a beginner it is not necessary to set a pace strategy in so much detail.
First Half Of The Marathon
Already feeling tired after 10 miles? It will be a long way to the finish. The first half of the marathon shouldn’t be too difficult. Most aid stations will offer water and carbohydrate drinks. Make sure to take them both right from the start, because if you feel thirsty or tired, you are already too late.
The second half is much tougher, both mentally as well as physically. So my advice is to save your mental energy as much as possible for the last five to ten miles.
Up To 20 Miles
Halfway and feeling great? Be careful to not immediately alter your marathon pace. On the other hand, don’t drop your pace in this part. Once you drop your pace for a few miles, it is difficult to come back.
You need to think clearly in this part of the race. Drinking enough water is important, but make sure to get carbohydrates as well. You will need your mental energy for the last part of the race!
The Last Part: Go for It!
Congratulations, you are almost there. Actually, the last six miles of a marathon are more difficult than the first 20 miles. Are you feeling like you want to quit?
This is where you can test your mental fitness. Often it is more like a mental fight than a physical one. Keep that in mind!
Now you can use all the energy you have left to reach your goal. Run strongly and deeply – enjoy the moment that you cross the finish line.
You did great!
I hope these marathon running tips provide some guidance to you. Good luck with your challenge!
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