How to run a marathon in 4 hours 30 minutes?

This blog is going to take you through four simple steps how you can achieve a sub 4hour 30 minutes Marathon. As well as share some tips on the lead up to the marathon and on race day. 

At Coopah, we believe anyone who completes a marathon is a legend, as it is a HUGE achievement! And there are lots of amazing runners who go the extra mile and complete the 42.2km in under 4 hours 30 minutes! If you have run a half marathon before and you completed it in under 2 hours, then aiming for the the sub 4hour 30 minutes marathon is definitely a very achievable goal.

In 2019, the average finishing time for a marathon was 4:32:49, which means if you run your marathon sub 04:30:00, you are faster than the most!

In order to achieve your goal of sub 4 hour 30 minutes, you would need to run at a pace of 6.22min/km // 10.15min/mile. If this pace seems a little scary at the minute, do not worry! With the help of a great training plan which adapts to you and a supportive community, you will cross that finish line with a smile on your face! 

How many months do you have to train for the marathon? 

If you are a frequent runner and have already done a few half marathons and maybe even a marathon before, then 12- 16 week marathon training would be ideal for you. I would lean towards training closer to 16 weeks, as it will take a little more pressure off as you have 4 more weeks to build up and train for the marathon. 

If you are relatively new to running and have done a few 10kms and maybe even a half marathon, then it would be better to train for 20 – 24 weeks leading up to your marathon. This will allow your body to adapt to the mileage and pace you will need to run at in order to achieve your sub 4hours 30 minutes marathon. 

The Marathon

So you want to run a sub 4 hour 30 minute marathon! One factor that will heavily impact this becoming a reality is the course terrain, weather and elevation! Running a sub 04:30:00 at the Ston Wall marathon in Croatia is a very different experience to running the Berlin Marathon. Make sure you look at the course’s elevation and terrain before signing up. 

Tip: If your marathon does include elevation or trial terrain, make sure you train on this type of terrain at least once – twice a week and include elevation into your tempo and long runs. Then you will be ready to take on whatever marathon you like! 

The weather is not as easy to foresee but depending on the season and part of the world you wish to race, you can prepare up to a point.

How to pace on race day?

There are lots of different ways to pace your marathon. The course route will be a big factor in helping you figure out where you need to save your energy, for example, if there is an incline in a kilometer you may not want to run too fast to conserve your energy. 

One of the most common mistakes runners make is to start off way too fast and then they have no choice but to slow down after a few kms. As some will say it is a marathon not a sprint, start off steady maybe even 10 – 15 seconds above your average race pace goal and then after 3km, start running at your goal pace. Increase the speed gradually until you reach your goal pace, you exert more energy when you suddenly ramp up to your marathon pace. Check in every 5km and see how you are feeling and if you are running at the appropriate pace to hit your goal (average 6:22 min per km / 10:15 min per mile).

When you have 10km left and you are feeling good, you may want to run a little faster. Set your eyes on the person in front of you and keep working until you catch up with them and then focus on the next. 

When there are just a few kilometres left to go and the crowd are pushing you on, you may want to see how much time you can take off before you reach the finish or your main goal may be to just stick with the pace and soak up the amazing atmosphere. 

 

4 Steps to follow to smash a Sub 4 hours 30 minutes Marathon

1. Sign up to Coopah
2. Help Coopah set up your personalised training plan Make sure you insert the date of your marathon so we can factor in your taper weeks, to ensure you are ready when Marathon day arrives. Tell Coopah your easy running pace Let us know which days you would like to train
3. Start your training plan Remember to add your runs to the app once you complete them so Coopah can update your plan for you and adapt each session so it is just right for you. 
4. Race your marathon!  Show up on race day proud of all the training you put in! Congratulations, the hardest part is done. Now time to prove to yourself you can run a marathon in under 4 hours 30 minutes!

Download Coopah today! 

For more information either email us on run@coopah.com or visit www.coopah.com