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Race guides
Practical, no-fluff race-craft. Written by runners and coaches who've been at the start line.
Your first marathon: a complete 16-week roadmap
Everything a new marathoner needs — from base mileage to taper, fuelling, kit and the mental game. Built from coaching hundreds of first-timers.
Read guideHow to break 3 hours in the marathon
Sub-3 is the marathon's iconic threshold. It demands ~4:15/km for 42 km — and a structured 18-week build with VO₂ max, threshold and marathon-pace work.
Read guideBreaking 4 hours: the realistic blueprint
Sub-4 averages 5:41/km. It's a stretch goal for most runners and a confirmation goal for trained ones. Here's how to nail it.
Read guideFrom road marathon to first ultra
Stepping up from 42 km to 50 or 100 km changes everything — pace, fuel, kit, sleep. The training emphasis shifts from speed to time on feet.
Read guideTrail vs road: how to train for both
Trail and road racing share an engine but reward different mechanics. Here's how to keep both in your season without compromising either.
Read guideRacing in the heat: how to survive and thrive
Above ~18 °C, marathon performance starts dropping. Acclimatisation, pace adjustment and hydration strategy can win back minutes.
Read guideAltitude racing: what to expect above 1500 m
Above 1500 m, your VO₂ max drops by ~2% per 300 m. A race in Mexico City or Boulder runs differently than at sea level.
Read guidePacing strategy: even, negative or positive split?
The mathematics of marathon pacing — what the data says about even, negative and positive splits, and which one is right for you.
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