A marathon is a long-distance event and to get the best out of yourself, you need to control the controllables.

Make a realistic plan in advance! One of the most important things to plan is your pacing. Going out too eager or surging too often could be the difference between a strong finish or a painful last few miles.

Start by working out what time you are aiming to finish in.

If you've already done a marathon race previously, you can use your previous finish time to set your goal time, based on your recent marathon training performance. Then, you can use our pace calculator to define your target pace.

For example:

If you are aiming for 3hours 30mins, then this is an average pace of 4:58 min/km. Hitting the pace to the exact second is tricky, so I'd recommend setting a pace range of 3-4s either side of your target pace.

For the 3hours 30mins runner, this would be a pace range of 4:55-5:03 per km. I would then break down your marathon into sections, and focus on each section at a time.

Here's a marathon pacing chart where you can see how this looks like for different goal times:

If it's your first time doing a half marathon, you might not know what goal time to set, and that's completely ok. Simply aim to finish the race!

You could also use your personal best at a half marathon to define your approximate goal for the half marathon race, but keep in mind that the longer the distance, the more you need to do targeted endurance workouts to be able to keep your target pace during the entire race.

Check out our marathon training guide and plans to get started, or find out how to prepare with your race with our top tips for race day.

The best way to pace a marathon is to break down the entire distance into sections, and focus on each section at a time.

The first half of a marathon should feel comfortable and easy. You should feel like you have got plenty in the tank and you are cruising along.

Stick to the slower side of your target pace. If you are aiming for a 3hour 30min marathon, this is a pace of 4:58/km so I'd advise you not to run any faster than 4:56/km. A few seconds here or there might not feel like a lot, but over the course of 42.2km, they'll start to add up.

Enjoy the first half and try not to get ahead of your pacing plan. Remind yourself that you still have a long way to go!

Also remember to keep on top of your fueling plan from the get go. I would advise a gel every 30-35minutes (60g for carbs every hour).

The half way point is the real start of the marathon! This is the part that will start to test you.

Break down the race: Focus on getting to the next km or mile rather than worrying about what is to come during those later stages.

If you're feeling good then gradually pick up your pace but only by ~5 seconds per km. Keep assessing how you feel and pick your moment to push on. If you aren't sure, then hold.

I also like to countdown the time until my next gel and visualize this as fuel entering my body and giving me a good boost!

You've now got 6k to go. It might feel like your body is being weighted down but everyone else will be feeling this, too!

Keep ticking off the kilometers and give it everything you have got. Use the energy from the crowds and focus on runners ahead of you, can you pick them off?

When it gets to that final km, give it your absolute all to cross that finish line and celebrate when you get there!

A marathon is a challenging distance which requires targeted training and lots of dedication.

For many, the biggest challenge is staying accountable and consistent with their training schedule and building a weekly running routine where they go out for a run two, three, or more times a week, rain or shine.

Signing up for a race and having a structured marathon training plan can really help you stay on track in preparing for your next half marathon race.

That's why we've built Runna, which you can use to create a personalized marathon running plan based on your own goals, preferences, and schedule. The app sets out all sessions for you, and you can even add strength training and a mobility routine to your plan.

Using a training plan will help you become a faster and stronger runner and complete successfully your first (or next!) marathon. Simply download Runna to get started – your first week is on us.

If you have any questions about half marathon pacing or our training plans, reach out to our support team. We'd love to help.

Good luck, go smash it!

@charliecrowhurst photography