How To Pace A Marathon!

How do you run a sub-4-hour marathon, and what is the best way to pace it? 🤔 #shorts

Useful Links

Watch more on GTN...

Photos: © Triathlon / Getty Images

🎵 Music - licensed by Epidemic Sound / Artlist 🎵

#gtn #triathlon #swimbikerun #swim #bike #run #running #runner

The Global Triathlon Network (GTN) is the world's biggest triathlon YouTube channel, with new videos every day! GTN is for anyone who loves triathlon: from seasoned triathletes to first-timers – and everyone in between!

With the help of our former pro and Olympic medal-winning team, we’re here to inform, entertain and inspire you to become a better triathlete; including videos on:

- How to swim, bike, and run faster with expert knowledge
- Try our session ideas
- Investigations into wide-ranging topics
- The best triathlon bike tech and gear with pro-know-how
- In-depth, entertaining features from the heart of the sport
- Chat, opinion and interact with us across the channel and on social media!

Join us on YouTube’s best triathlon channel to get closer to the sport and to become a better, faster and fitter triathlete!

Welcome to the Global Triathlon Network.

Thanks to our sponsors:

Watch our sister channels:

[Katie-wcit]

I started slow and instead of getting faster, I just went even slower 😂😂😂

[soyanchd]

I don't even think I can walk 42km straight, let alone run it 😂

[jakekieffer]

This is so true. Having even splits is helpful. Also starting off well is critical. A lot of times it’s not until mile 3-4 where you start to feel “in gear”. There’s def a break in period so the first few miles you feel fresh BUT sometimes you’re not as loose

[aunarmotors]

At 5:41 you Will run a marathon in 4:03/4:04. Thats because when you zigzag to take hidratation you run more than 42, 2 km. Usually between 42, 6 and 43 km.

[michaelhenry]

I did this for half marathon. It's a mental game. I ran exactly 5:41 and on the last km I was panicking because I looked at the time remaining and it shows that I had enough time as per the pace but with seconds to spare.

When I crossed the line it was exactly on 5:41. I felt like I was going to miss the deadline target. My only advice to anybody is that if your watch tells you you are on target trust that you are on target despite your mind telling you that you are going to be late.

[johnnymember]

My first and only Marathon Ive ran so far I was going for sub 4 hrs. I was doing really good until mile 23 and that last 3 miles was excruciating! Ended up slowing way down and finished at 4:15

[LoveJMeva]

For me, the most important miles are the first 2. Set the pace and tone for the rest of the race.

[klipklapklop]

It doesnt make sense to start off fast anyways because itll be so crowded for the first 1-3/4km you'll waste energy cutting in and out of the crowd

[el_carbonara]

all good in theory. rarely works that way in practice

[mrsaprilmendez]

It takes a bit of practice, but negative splits can be very effective!

[rylandpeters]

Agreed
Start slower then when you're warmed up and in a rhythm speed it up

[AliciaQuality]

I'm focusing my training on maintaining consistent pace for the majority of my run. My biggest issue is that my pace ends up all over the place, so conditioning myself to run evenly is hard work but will be worth it.

[AlbertWeijers]

Few weeks back I was able to hold 5:30 km pace for the whole marathon. Happy with that although I planned to speed up in the end, but that was impossible.

[njzunfx]

I feel fine running my first one except for those last three or four miles. Did it in 3:56 now I want sub 3 !

[jimmynoo-chron]

I swear if I start slow I for some reason cannot finish faster. I HAVE to start fast and gradually get slower over time.

[Headhunter_]

Ran 1:54/2:05 split for my first marathon (NYC @ Age 45) 90 days training.

[ajtam]

This is me in bed. I come out with a bang, but man...can't hold it together at the end. 😂

[Reckoning]

First marathon; my goal pace was 5:40 km/min… I got carried away and started with 3:50 km/h and crashed after 22km lol
Still finished but not within my goal time

[pgreen]

Great advice. Also you get a bit of an ego boost as you pass all the runners who slow during race as you speed up.

[paulrawlinson]

The research consistently shows that negative splits are not the fastest way to pace an endurance event. Even splits are, but those who aimed for a given time and got closest to, or beat those times are those who slowed slightly over the course of the race. On the whole, you can't make up for a slow start.