Marathon racing strategies

What are your strategies for running a marathon?  Do you break down the race and pace into segments?  Inquiring minds want to know.  Thanks.

I just try to keep pretty steady pace. I will sometimes write down my pace goal, my 10K and half time and 20 mile time based on that pace. I've only run a few negative splits and those I was really intentional on not starting out too fast and had enough energy to pass people the last half and finish really strong. I wish I ran all of my marathons that way.

I try for a steady pace, but I also try to take into account the terrain. Slow a little on the uphills and make up the time on the downhills.

If you know your lactate threshold pace (or better yet, heart rate), you can aim for an effort level climbing from about 90% to 95% of that in miles 5-25. Once you hit that last 1.2, anything goes.

The experts say to break the race down into four 5 mile segments and a final 10k. Ease into the marathon pace by mile 3 after first going MP+60, MP+30 and MP+15. From miles 8-18 or so, the pace should be MP-10 seconds. The final 8 miles should be MP or whatever you can muster.

I don't like the MP-10 second strategy and just take it 1 mile at a time, running as even effort as possible until mile 22 when the effort to maintain MP naturally climbs. 

I will also walk 5 seconds at the major drink stops to make sure I consume all the fluid on warm days.

You know you have done it right when you can negative split, run even halves, or have a slight positive split of 1-2 minutes.

I ease into it in the first 3 like Diego said, but I don't know that I give up that much time (1:45) during that section.  After easing into it, I typically hold MP (which is slightly faster than my "required" MP for a goal time, anyway) and don't try to do anything until mile 20.  If I feel GREAT at mile 20, I keep up MP until 22-23 and then allow myself to go for broke and shave off some time.  If not, just hold on as long as possible.

Assuming flat course, even pace always and I divide the race into 4 phases:

0-6: get into the zone, relax, try not to pee
7-half/15: cruise, relax, and pee
-20: start concentrating, and pee
-finish: focus, curse, cry

Jerry wrote:Assuming flat course, even pace always and I divide the race into 4 phases:

0-6: get into the zone, relax, try not to pee
7-half/15: cruise, relax, and pee
-20: start concentrating, and pee
-finish: focus, curse, cry

This is, without question, the most sense Jerry has ever made!

I tend to agree with Mike here in thinking that Diego's strategy just gives up way too much time for amateurs like most of us.  Easing into the pace is one thing, but that strategy is really putting you into a huge time debt to make up, even over 23 miles.  I really liked the strategy Dave-O had me use when I PR'd several years ago.  The goal was 3:14, or 7:24 pace, and he had me make sure I wasn't any faster than 7:30 pace going through the 10K mark.  So, 5-10 seconds slower than goal pace at 10 (30 seconds to 1:00 total) which ensures you're not burning yourself up too early and then slowly but surely make that time up over the next 6-10 miles.  I ended up right on goal pace at the half, which in hindsight may have cost me, but it wasn't because the first 10K was too fast.

For the most part I break every marathon down into 8 5k segments and then the final 2k. Boston is a little different with the exception that I will break it down by areas and then prepare myself to run each one of those segments a certain way.

For 50 mile races I have pretty much been breaking them down into 10 5 mile segments. Still working on this strategy.

As for pace I really don't have a plan I just run for the most part. I will try to use the first 2 to 3 miles to get loose and stay relax and not be over excited and burn to much energy. After that it is pretty much just settle into the pace that my body is ready to run that day. As the miles fall off I will just keep evaluating how I feel and that will predict whether I continue on at the current pace, speed up or slow down. I play this game to the end, sometimes the races turnout a neg. split, steady pace or slight positive split. I really treat the races like one big fartlek run. 

Once race day comes I don't worry about what paces I trained for in training. Race day is a different day and I feel that my body and mind will achieve what it's going to on that given day. I have learned that no matter what pace i want to run it can't be forced, it will all come naturally for that day. No stress, no worries just go out and have fun and enjoy, endure and love the moment.

To me, a marathon can be broken down into three 10s.  The first 10 miles are when you have all of the nerves and you are feeling out your pace.  The second 10 miles are when you have found your cruise control.  And the last 10k is when you gut it out, because it is the mental toughness that gets you through it.

All I really focus on is my elapsed time at miles 9 and 18. If I cross mile 9 on pace and feeling good, I shift focus to mile 18. If I cross mile 18 on pace and I'm just starting to feel the onset of fatigue, then I buckle down for the last 8 miles (which at that point I know is less than 1hr left). Whether I am over or under by a few seconds each mile isn't terribly important to me as I expect variances. I actually believe that trying to hold a true 'steady pace' can be less efficient over the course of the race. I let the conditions influence my splits a little, as needed, with an eye towards where I need to be at miles 9 and 18.

I try to stay relaxed as possible in the corral. If I'm yawning a lot I know I'm good. After say 3 or 4 marathons this has been pretty easy. Don't go out way fast. Run within your abilities based on where you are at training wise and most recent past races. I just keep as steady pace as possible and pick a pace leader to hang with or start a conversation with someone. I love having a fellow runner to lend moral support to and get back from. Having someone you already know pace you is great also. The first half of the race should be about how you feel that day and not specific times since trying to hit specific paces for the first 3-4 5K's is kind of anal. If you have an idea what your MP is you should already know how to lock into that naturally.

I have used Diego's approach in the past very successfully, but in recent races (not those I was pacing), I have used a strategy where I run the first 6-8 miles at MP-10, then get to MP and hold for as long as possible (usually to about 20-21 miles) and then try not to bleed too much back.  

I found pace bands on www.races2remember.com where you can select a race (from pre-done or they will make you one) and a strategy.  I used one for Leading ladies as I knew the course was downhill and I wanted to make sure that I didn't take the group out too fast.  It worked and made sense.  I will most likely go back an order for Monumental.

I like what's been said here. I run the first 2@ mp +30,mp + 15 then run even effort not pace based on course elevation etc. If I feel good going into mile 20 ill push the pace to make up the 45 seconds over 6 miles. If feel wheels are coming off ill back off a kiss goodbye goal A and hold on for dear life. however. This year it might change as I like holding back a bit over the first 10k idea.

I set the watch with a field for average lap pace (one mile laps) and give myself a window from goal MP to MP-10 and make myself stay in it. I'm pretty good at dialing into a pace and just staying there, so I don't usually have to constantly look at the watch. I don't try to start out slower, I just aim to stay in that window the entire race.

Well I think I'm done with marathons for awhile, but my strategy was always a steady pace.  I was never able to pull off negative splits as hell broke loose after 20 every time.  So the actual result was about a steady pace for 20 miles and then hang on for dear life.

Guess I'm a little more anal and calculating.  I have yet to run a "flat" marathon so each one takes some planning.   First I set my goal.  Then I make a pace band with mile splits and I adjust each mile to the terrain and whether or not I think it will be a fast start (small marathons) or slow start (big marathons).  If you running a race that Maclin already has in his data base then you can pay $5 and fool around with the inputs forever and spit something out that is really accurate.  I typically will not run any slower than MP +5-8 seconds for the first three miles.  I hate the mental pressure of having to make up time.  For the Ridge to Bridge with 3000 feet of downhill I needed to really think it thru.  Having run the half over much of the same terrain gave me an advantage, but I made the begining section slower than normal, those 9 downhill miles much quicker and MP for the end.  It wasn't perfect, but it gave me a sense of where I needed to be on each mile and how much +/- I was at the time.  So my pace band shows each mile and the cumulative at each mile.  The garmin inevitably gets off track a bit so the cum time is where I focus, with the indivual mile paces a target, knowing there will be some variance.   Works for me.  Keeps me concentrating and not zoning out.  I was -1 sec to target at the half in the last Boston.

This all has been very helpful, I have the Maine marathon coming up and I have trained so well this time I know it's within my ablilities I just have to execute on race day and not give up. My last 21 was a very hilly route and I maintained a 10:30 avg. pace for the run very consistent splits. I have one more 20 to go I'm doing hills again as the last 5 miles are a climb in my marathon. I think a 4:19 finish is reasonable with that long run, what does everyone else think? I have been averaging 40-50 miles per week very consistent I've done speed work, hills, and trail running throughout this cycle

r u doing Mt. Desert Island?

yes I'm doing Mt.Desert:D

one of my absolute favorites.  I jealous.   Wish it was me.  Enjoy Bar Harbor.  Looking forward to the race report.