Top Tips for your Best Marathon
What a large-scale analysis of marathon data says about how to run your best race.
TLDR;
- Don’t go out too fast; you’ll finish more slowly and probably hit the wall.
- Steady = Fast; even pacing leads to better finish-times.
- Run with pacers; they’ll help you run an evenly paced race.
- Don’t plan for a fast finish; you’ll finish slower with too much in the tank.
- Practice makes perfect; the more marathons you do the better you race.
Introduction
I’ve been working on a large-scale analysis of marathon data and as peak Marathon season is upon us I thought it timely to share a summary of my key findings, and what they have to say about how we should race for this season’s personal-best.
All of these ‘tips’, such as they are, are supported by real data involving hundreds of thousands of runners and they are based on a growing series of articles published at Running with Data. Where approrpiate I will provide links to the detailed analysis supporting each of these tips.