My Top 5 Marathon Tips

These are a few things I wish I'd known before taking on the marathon distance for the first time. Whether you're chasing PBs or you're lining up on the start line for the first time, I hope you find them useful!

1. Pacing

I know it sounds obvious, but it's amazing how many people get this wrong; I was one of them for many years! I was chasing that elusive sub 3hr marathon time for many years and my pacing strategy was flawed. I was going off at sub 3hr pace from the start trying to hit around 6:47-6:48 min/m pace and slowing down over time due to fatigue. After a few failed attempts I realised I needed to change the strategy and at Manchester Marathon 2015 I decided to start off with a 2hrs 55min marathon pace to allow time for fatigue towards the end of the race. I actually ended up having a great day out on the course and I managed to finish in the time of 2hrs 53mins!

We all invest a lot of money into a fancy piece of running tech on our wrists but how often do we really look at it? A great way to keep an eye on your pacing is to check your running watch regularly, especially in the first half of the marathon. And when I say regularly, I mean around every 30-60 seconds! Monitoring your time will keep you on that goal pace and stop you slipping back into your comfort zone and running too slowly. 

Start off a little bit quicker than your predicted marathon time, so if you're aiming to run at 9 min/m pace, start off at around 8:45-8:50 min/m. If your aim is 8 min/m, start off at 7:45-7:50 min/m and so on. Hang on to that pace for as long as you can because most of us are going to slow down towards the end of 26.2 miles. I personally think it really helps to have some time in the bag. But remember, it's a fine line between hitting that correct pace and starting off too quickly. 

2. Protect yourself from chafing

Running in discomfort from chafing is going to spoil your day and it's going to slow you down, that's a fact! Get yourself a tub of Vaseline (or Body Glide, Squirrel's Nut Butter, or any other anti-chafing product) and put it on liberally - it really helps to prevent chafing and you definitely won't regret it.

And boys - don't forget your nipple tape!

3. Make the most of your long runs

For many years I ran my long runs without giving them a lot of thought. I ran 15-20 miles but that's all I did - just went out and ran the distance. I personally think that every now and again we should add more structure into our long runs. For example, do a warm up, then run 10 miles at a marathon pace and finish off with a cool down. Or warm up, do some hill reps in the middle of your run and then have a nice, steady cool down. Making the most of your weekly long runs will improve your fitness and your speed endurance, which can only help when it comes to chasing marathon times. 

4. Believe in yourself

Confidence and belief plays a massive part when it comes to running a marathon, especially if you have a goal time in mind and you want to hit your target. You have to believe that you can achieve it and you have to be confident about that! So as we say at the channel - believe & achieve!

I had 3 or 4 failed attempts before I hit my goal time and I can honestly put it down to the lack of confidence and belief. I was on that start line, I'd trained well, I'd put in the hard work, I felt fit, but there was a little seed at the back of my mind that made me doubt that I could go sub 3 and I'm sure that's why I kept falling short of that goal time.

Stay strong, stay focused, believe, be confident and make it happen!

5. Get nutrition right

It took me a long time to discover what works well for me and I realize it's a very personal thing for so many runners. I feel that many runners don't put enough calories into their bodies over the course of the marathon distance. On average a person burns somewhere around 3000 calories while running a marathon so that clearly means that we have to put calories in to avoid running out of fuel and crashing which is never pleasant.

Personally, when I run a marathon, I carry a running belt to store a small bottle of electrolyte and 6 gels. I take 1 gel every 4 miles and carry a spare gel just in case I need a lift in the last couple of miles.

This is something that works well for me but practice nutrition in your training to see what works best for you!

I hope you've enjoyed my top 5 marathon tips and you've found them helpful, whether you're chasing a sub 3hr, 4hr, 5hr marathon time, or if you're just trying to get around and make it to the finish line of your first ever marathon. Best of luck with your training and remember - the most important thing of all is to enjoy your day out, keep smiling and have a wonderful experience!

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