How can you prepare to run the London Marathon? 26.2 tips from a first-time marathon runner
The prospect of running a marathon for the first time can be hugely daunting — so a first-time marathon runner has put together some top tips and advice.
FROM the incredible costumes to the sheer displays of human spirit, the London Marathon is one of the happiest days on earth.
But for many who aren’t well-seasoned runners, the prospect of running a marathon for the first time can be hugely daunting.
I had never run further than 5km at a leisurely pace before the London Marathon last month, but somehow I can now say I’ve run a marathon in under 5 hours and have well and truly caught the running bug.
If I can do it anyone can do it.
Here I’ve shared my top tips and advice on what to expect and how to gear up for your first marathon.
1. Enjoy every single moment of your marathon experience (I know it sounds clichéd!)— from those early morning training sessions to the day itself. From losing 11 kilograms to helping my mental health, my marathon training really has changed me for the better.
2. Try and run for a charity if you can. It’s an amazing feeling running for a cause that is close to your heart. I ran for in memory of my Grandad and every time I got a donation it really gave me a boost and reminded me why I was taking on such a gruelling task. I also kept my Grandad in my mind (and wore a special bracelet that reminded me of him) during my race and throughout training which lifted me when times got tough! Also, make sure you thank people when you get a donation — and you’ll be surprised what friendships you can rekindle through it.
3. Prepare for running to well and truly take over your life. You’ll be talking about it to your friends, your work colleagues, your family... There will also be times when you may have to say no to a night out or a quick tipple so you can get to bed early before your Sunday long run.
4. Find a training plan to follow that suits you. I followed Martin Yelling’s intermediate training plan which you can find on . There are loads for all different abilities. The Hal Higdon one also worked well for other people I spoke to.
5. Invest some time in strength and conditioning. Running the marathon isn’t just about running. I found it really helped investing some time in the gym doing some weights sessions and getting my body as strong as possible — as running a marathon is no easy feat! My biggest goal was to get to the start line uninjured and strength and conditioning certainly helped that.
6. Mix up your cardio sessions by doing other workouts like yoga, swimming or spinning. I did a class at once a week and found it helped to flush my legs out if I had done a tough week of running the week before.
7. Make sure you have the right kit for training and the big day itself. If you’ve signed up for the marathon you’re going to be spending 50 per cent of your time in running kit — so it’s really important to make sure it’s comfy and doesn’t rub in places it shouldn’t. I wore leggings for running as I find they’re the only leggings that stay put and don’t fall down when I’m running. Reebok also do some great sports bras and leggings sets for the gym.
8. Look after your feet. Rotate your trainers during training to make sure your trainers don’t wear out by the time you get to the big day. I had a pair of trainers I used on the roads and a pair of ‘mucky’ trainers I wore when I ran down the canal footpath. Don’t buy a new pair of trainers the day before the marathon as you will destroy your feet! Also get some comfy shoes to change into after the marathon — I had some super comfy sliders from Reebok I put on straight after and they were a life-saver.
9. Get a decent running watch to track all those miles. I can highly recommend — it’s everything you want in a running watch. It’s accurate and waterproof which I loved for when I did the odd swimming session too. It helped me to pace my runs and I worked out I could run ten minute miles and I tried to stick to that consistently throughout the marathon.
10. Invest in some Bodyglide and decent underwear to avoid chafing. I got really bad blisters on my feet when I first started training and I found rubbing Bodyglide on my feet prevented this. It also helped to stop chafing in awkward areas like by my sports bra or knickers! Also get some good underwear in your wardrobe. I can’t stress enough how important this is as it can get extremely uncomfortable if you’re running in the wrong pants! Runderwear were the best brand for me as they're seamless and didn't chafe.
11. Be conscious about what you put into your body. Obviously fuelling before your runs is extremely important and can make a huge different to how you feel. Eating a curry before a Sunday long run is a definite no-no. I also gave up alcohol for four months to avoid big hangover.
12. Have baths...lots of them. It's the perfect way to wind down after hours of pounding the pavements. I also got some nice bath bombs and Epsom salts to make them even more enjoyable.
13. Get some sports massages booked in. I went once a week to , Surrey and I credit them for getting me through my marathon experience injury-free. (If you need physio ask for Tom Williams — as he has put me back together over the past few years!) If you’re on a budget just make sure you get lots of stretching/rolling into your week to prevent injuries.
14. Practice with using the running gels or chews you’re going to take on during the marathon itself. I used Science in Sport gels but a lot of people find gels don’t settle well in their stomach and it can take time for your body to adapt to them. Lots of people find jelly babies, sweets or energy cubes work instead.
15. Listen to your body. It’s okay to have an unplanned rest day and take some time off if you’re not feeling 100 per cent. It’s better to have a day off than to get injured or poorly! (This is one I found hard to stick to at times.) And make sure you get a good night's sleep before your training sessions as it can really make a difference to how you feel/
16. Book onto some pre-marathon prep races. Pre-marathon races (such as the Surrey Half marathon, the Dorney Lake 20-mile marathon prep race and Cancer Research's Winter London Run) really helped to motivate me and gauge my pacing plan for the London Marathon.
17. Podcasts and audiobooks will get you through those long, lonely training runs. I listened to the Harry Potter audiobooks on Audible when I was doing my 16, 18, 20 mile runs at the weekends - it kept the long runs interesting and I found it better than listening to music which can often influence the pace you’re going. I used Libratone’s TRACK+ wireless earphones for training which I found were comfy and stayed in place when I was running.
18. But don’t listen to music during the London Marathon! I made sure to run without headphones during race day itself so I could fully absorb the incredible atmosphere. There is nothing quite like the crowds at the London Marathon and the cheers will be enough to carry you around the course. I also got a pat on the back from a stranger also running the marathon, just 200 metres from the finish, which gave me a much-needed boost and wouldn't have happened if I had my headphones in.
19. Don’t compare yourself or your race times to other runners on social media. It’s easy to start looking at what everyone else is doing and how fast they’re going but everyone’s journey is different. One catchphrase that stuck with me was ‘finish line, not finish time’.
20. Make sure you get down to the expo yourself if you can. It was honestly one of the best parts of the marathon for me and it really got the buzz and excitement going inside me. Make sure you arrive there in good time though as it can get very busy and you can spend ages queuing at the picture moments if you go at peak time.
21. Get your name printed on your shirt. This is a big MUST. It really makes a difference hearing people cheer your name along the way.
22. Talk to the people in your start pen. I got chatting to three ladies in my start pen who really helped to ease my nerves. One of the ladies had just had a baby five months earlier and it makes you realise just what incredible things people were doing.
23. Take in the atmosphere and the support on race day — don’t clock watch. Look up when you run and take in the amazing sights. There’s everything from animal cheerleaders along the way (people had brought their horses to look over a wall to cheer us) to people running in crazy outfits (I saw giant Eiffel Towers, robots, the famous rhinos etc). As you run the marathon there will be thousands of supporters offering you high-fives or with fun signs saying “tap for energy” or bells to ring. Embrace all of that. Yes it may add a few seconds or minutes to your time but it really gives you a boost and is all part of the experience.
24. Get as many of your friends and family out to cheer you on during the big day. I had people I knew every couple of miles and it gave me a lift knowing I’d be seeing familiar faces along the route.
25. Embrace the pain. It does get tough mentally and physically but every minute is worth that medal and huge sense of achievement at the finish line.
26. Go to work the day after. The thought of tackling the escalators or stairs at work felt like a marathon in itself but it was worth it to continue the buzz of the marathon and get all the accolades. Just make sure to book a massage later on in the week.
.2. Love every moment. Running the London Marathon is by far the best day of my life to date and I’m sure it will be yours too.