5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Running My First Half Marathon

Are you about to run your first half marathon? Check out these top 5 things you should know before you hit that start line.

↓↓ What things do you wish you knew before your half marathon? Or maybe you haven't run yours yet and you've got a question for us? Tell us in the comments below ↓↓

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[bravoalley]

I agree with all of these tips. I did the Great North Run. It was a great experience. I would probably add in: don't be afraid to join in with the running chants or being cheered. It helps to push you on.

[KoshEFG]

I went for a ten mile run Sunday. Got lost and did a half distance. Knowing I can do it, I've just entered my first half in spring 😮

[hannahmalsbury]

I got over taken by a dinosaur in my first half marathon :D

[clp]

I’ve run six half marathons and am thinking about moving up to take on my first full marathon. Hopefully my half experience will stand to me in making the transition.

[iammarcjoyce]

When doing my first half marathon to avoid going off too quickly I purposely started in the pen behind my target time group. For the first 2 miles I was then running with people at a pace I was more than comfortable with. As I began to run at the pace I wanted to I found I wasn’t held up too much and naturally passed people with ease.

[habibkhalid]

I m in love with running channel 4 years before and still watching early videos this channel, my journey from 10k to full marathon started just bcz of Running channel, keep it up guys but I really miss the team of Fantastic 4, Anna, Rick, Andy and the last one I forget😉😁

[jennysjourneys]

I would add not to get stressed if your race plan falls apart half way through. And also to take into account the weather conditions, if you've trained through the winter and then get to race day and it's over 20 degrees, chances are you'll need to make some changes to your plan and expectations!

[struong]

The video is so timely because I just ran my first half marathon two days ago! One thing I learned was the bigger and more popular the race, the harder it is to maneuver through/past slower runners. Aside from that, I had a great experience.

[khc]

I agree with all of these especially tip 2. On my second half I was in the best running shape of my life, but I let that adrenaline take over me. I ran the first 5k in about 16min, finished the race barely under 2hrs was about 30min slower than my first when I actually paced properly.

[Lorem]

Notes from my first Half a few weeks ago:
Definitely agree about not running too fast to start! You’ll lose your energy too quickly. That said, keep yourself at a solid pace so you don’t leave too much unused at the end.

Also I would recommend, unless you’re feeling self-conscious and prefer the comfort of a large crowd, trying for a smaller local race where you don’t have to maneuver through loads of people and you get spaced out more quickly. Far less frustrating!

Finally, don’t panic about your stats if someone passes you early on (or at all). You just might end up passing them later when they run out of steam and start walking! And if you paced yourself well enough, you might just have enough of a burst to pass a few folks close to the finish line. Steady wins. :)
Good luck out there!

[savingsoul]

I usually only run 5 miles, 5 days a week but one day I went out to run 5 miles and I kept going, before I knew it I ran a half marathon, I would have kept going but my body was like no thats enough for the day.

[kevinslattery]

I have just signed up for my first half marathon! I'm a bit nervous but REALLY looking forward to it.

I will try to take your advice and some from the comments too.

Thanks all for the help.

[biffer]

My first half was about 10 years ago, but I still remember realizing at the end of the race that I hadn't changed the position of my arms the entire way! They were SO sore that I could barely use them for 48 hours after running. Now I am always careful to let my arms hang or to swing them around a bit every ~2 miles during a run. Problem solved!

[MartinUnderwood]

First half marathon is in a month and a half. Both pumped and nervous. Glad I found this video

[LittleMrsW]

I've done three halfs now. That clip at 0:48 had me cracking up. 😂 Thanks for the laugh and the great content and running tips.

[kidscharles]

Just did my first half marathon in the bathhalf and was amazing. Got over taken by a Pac-Man, 5 person caterpillar and a sonic the hedghog. Loved every moment of it even the painful parts.

[mikemckinney]

I like the Half Marathon distance. I would advise novice runners to drink more water than normal (Hydrate) about three or four days in advance of race day, your body will use up more water than you think. If you don't have a running belt, with one or two small water bottles on it can help when you get thirsty between race water points.

[Leeroy]

Putting the legs high... I gotto try that next time :)

[gayrflfans]

I did one 7 years ago but am now doing another one on 12th of May. Wish I had known these tips before I did the one 7 years ago

[emmasibley]

Got my first ever half marathon tomorrow!! It was the earliest I could possibly do because all the ones I looked at you have to be 17 and I had my 17th birthday yesterday, so 2 days before the 1/2 marathon! Thanks for all these tips, they’re super helpful! Also I’m ill right now (flu-like symptoms) and the wind speed is predicted at 59mph, so do you have any advice for particularly challenging conditions?