How To Pace A Half Marathon?

There are so many ways to go about doing a half marathon. Your pacing strategy will depend on the objectives you set and the type of event/ route it is. 

You are probably not going to have the same pacing strategy if you are going from couch to half marathon to someone who is completing their 6th half marathon. 

The pace will also vary depending on the route you are taking as well as your objectives for this half marathon. You may want to pace yourself much slower if it is a very hot day or if there is a lot of elevation as opposed to if it is a mild day and a very flat course. Or if your goal is to complete it, then you may wish to go slower than if you were aiming for a particular time. 

First of all, we need to figure out your race pace. 

How To Calculate Your Half Marathon Pace

If you have a specific time you want to run in then your pace will be predetermined by you and you will need to train towards that pace. Use Polar’s race pace calculator to calculate the average pace you need to go at for a specific distance to achieve your specific goal time.

 

Looking at a recent race you have done, Omnicalculator can predict a race pace for your next race. Or you can use Runner’s World race pace predictor. 

 

How To Pace Your Half Marathon?

Many runners would not keep the same pace throughout the entire race. Some runners, like Justin Ross, Psy.D and Cory Smith like to go faster the first half of the race and then gradually slower their split in the second half which they call a controlled fade strategy or positive splits. Others prefer to start slower and start chasing down their goal in the second half of their race, also known as negative splits. 

When planning on how to take on a half marathon there are a few different strategies we can go about it. 

Negative splits 

Running the first half of the race slower than the last half. This may be a bit daunting and difficult to do if you tend to be competitive and do not enjoy seeing many people going ahead of you. 

But this means you will have more energy when approaching the last few kms. Starting off the half marathon lower than your goal race pace means you are less likely to blow off all energy, which is a common mistake by many runners.

Some interesting facts about this strategy is that many world records are broken by runners doing the second half faster than the first. 

This could similar to your race strategy: 

1-2 miles

Take it easy, aim for 10 – 15 seconds above your race pace.

If choosing to do the first half slower and then ramp it up the second half, you do not want to go all out from the start. A half marathon is a long race and going all out on the first KMs is one recipe for disaster.

3-9 miles 

Settle into your race pace. 

Join a similar pace running group and then you will not have to watch the clock to control your pace. The miles will fly by…

Don’t focus on how many miles lie ahead, you can cross that bridge when you get there. Important is to not go too fast. 

10 – 11 miles 

Maintain your race pace goal. And if you can, start increasing your pace gradually. Can you run 5 seconds per mile faster? 

Important to listen to your body here and if you need to slow down a little to keep running until the end, then do that.

This is when the race becomes a mental game. The pace will feel difficult but you have trained for this and you will be able to keep this pace up. 

From approximately 10 miles / 16 kms in, you need to start consistently be running negative splits to reach your PB. A great tip from Jeff Gaudette is to pick one person in front of you and focus solely on reeling them in, nothing else. As you pass them, focus your eyes on the next person and repeat. Imagine tying a fishing line to their back and reeling them in.

12 – 13.1 miles

Last mile now, so give it all you got. Reach that finish line knowing you left it all in the race. All will be done in a few minutes.

When it becomes very tough, try and remember your goal and the purpose you are running for whether it is a personal goal or running for charity and all the training you have done for this. Personally, I find smiling really helps when I am struggling.  

 

Positive Splits 

On the opposite end of the stick is running faster the first half compared to  the last half. This is also known as positive splits. This seems a little more risky to me but in a way, you can do the hard work early when feeling fresher and then just try and hold off.

For this you would need to run faster than your race pace for the first half and then once you are over half, try and run around or just under your race pace. You may be able to reach 12 miles with good pace and feel like you can push again for the last mile. 

Whatever strategy you choose to go with, it is definitely advised to try it out in training before deciding to go with it on race day. 

Why not try them both in shorter races coming up or in two of your tempo runs to see which one suits you best?

 

Do you know how it feels?

Even though nowadays we have a wide range of technology to choose from to track our paces and different stats, it is really important to know your race pace by feel too. Sometimes you meet unexpected conditions during a race, for example, a heat wave or strong winds and you will have to adjust your race pace accordingly and go more on feel than on what your watch says. 

 

The Importance of a Training Plan

Whether you want to achieve a certain distance or complete a half marathon in a certain time, having a training plan which marks out, for example, the next 15 weeks of your training programme leading up to your half marathon is essential. 

Coopah can help you train for your next half marathon anytime from 6 – 24 weeks out from your race day! There is also the opportunity to chat to and even meet fellow runners training for a half marathon at the same time and maybe even the same half marathon as you!

Our digital coach will create a training plan tailored to your target race and time. As you train, our plans adjust based on your progress, giving you the right sessions at the right time.

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References

Flipbelt, 2022. How to Calculate and Set Your Perfect Running Pace. Flipbelt [online] Available at: https://flipbelt.com/blogs/flipbelt/running-pace-strategies#:~:text=The%20key%20to%20finishing%20your,strategy%20among%20elite%20distance%20runners. [Accessed 18th July]

Gaudette, J., 2012. Half Marathon Pacing Strategies. Active. [online]. Available at: https://www.active.com/running/articles/half-marathon-pacing-strategies [Accessed 13th July 2022]

Smith, Cory., You Don’t Need to Negative Split Every Race. Runner’s World. [online]. Available at: https://www.runnersworld.com/advanced/a38070581/why-you-shouldnt-negative-split/ [Accessed 14th July 2022]