How to Pace a Half Marathon
The short version
- Pick a goal pace from a recent race, not from hope.
- Hold back for the first 5K, settle for the middle 10K, race the last 6K.
- You cannot bank time. You can only borrow it.
Most half marathons are not lost in the last few kilometres. They are lost in the first three.
You are tapered, the crowd is loud and goal pace feels easy. So you run faster than goal pace, and you pay for it from 15K onwards. Good pacing is mostly about not doing that.
Start with a realistic goal
Your goal pace should come from what you have run recently, not from a nice round number. Put a recent 5K or 10K into the pace calculator and see what it suggests for the half. If your target is a long way ahead of that, you have a goal for a later race, not for this one.
Run it in three parts
Hold back
Run goal pace or a touch slower. It should feel almost too easy. Let people go. You will see plenty of them again.
Settle
Lock on to goal pace and relax. Shoulders down, breathing under control. Take your drinks and any fuel early, before you feel you need them.
Race
This is where the race starts. If you have paced it well you can push on here, one runner at a time, and empty the tank over the last kilometre.
Mistakes to avoid
- Banking time. Seconds gained early are paid back with interest later.
- Chasing the watch on hills and in wind. Run to effort when conditions change and let the pace come back to you.
- Weaving through the crowd. It costs energy and adds distance. Be patient and move up when there is space.
- Trying something new. Shoes, kit, breakfast and fuel should all be tested in training first.
Practise it before race day
Goal pace should not be a surprise on the start line. Run it in training, in sessions and in parts of your long runs, until you know how it feels without looking at your watch.
Training for a half marathon?
The Break 100, Break 90 and Break 80 plans each give you 12 weeks of structured training with a pacing guide built in.
