ActiveRunning11 things I learned from my not-so-stellar London Marathon debutI tried (and failed) to beat my marathon PB at my first London Marathon – here’s what I’d do differently next timeWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
ActiveRunning11 things I learned from my not-so-stellar London Marathon debutI tried (and failed) to beat my marathon PB at my first London Marathon – here’s what I’d do differently next timeWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
I tried (and failed) to beat my marathon PB at my first London Marathon – here’s what I’d do differently next time
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Looking at the weather app on my phone the night before in a small hotel room in London, I was somewhat anxious to run the London Marathon 2022. It was supposed to rain all morning on the day of the race, which was pretty much the only thing I wanted to avoid experiencing. After completing the race, I realised that quite a few other things prevented me from running a PB or even a good time; here are 11 things I learned/would do differently next time.
From then on, every minute was a struggle. I ended up walking into every mile to ease the pain in my hips, and struggled to convince my body that I had to keep running (jogging, at that point) to finish the race. People cheered and tried to get me running, but the pain was pulsating in my legs, and I thought about forfeiting the race at every ambulance station for the last 15k.
It was at Blackfriars, with around two miles to go, where I was in a tunnel, walking, trying to stretch my legs when I decided that I had to keep running. I could slow down, but I had to keep running for the rest of the race; otherwise, I might not be able to run again. And although every step felt like someone was stabbing my legs with a knife, I trotted along and finished the race in 3:54 – over half an hour slower than anticipated.
I have no regrets about undertaking the marathon, but there are many things I would (will, even) do differently next time, as explained below. If you’re planning on running the London Marathon for the first time as I did, I recommend reading through the tips below, so, hopefully, you will have a much more pleasant experience on the day.
(Image credit: New Balance)
(Image credit: New Balance)
1. Gear matters
This might sound obvious, but what you’re running in matters a lot. I ran in one of thebest running shoes– theNew Balance Fuelcell RC Elite V2(retailer link) – and also wore many ofNew Balance’s marathon gearto ensure the wrong clothing/shoes won’t slow me down on the race. I saw people tackling the race in daily trainers, such as theASICS Gel-Nimbus 24, which are awesome shoes, but aren’t designed for racing, as they won’t give you enough propulsion when you need it the most.
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
Of course, many people wore carbon racers to the race, like theNike Air Zoom Alphafly NEXT% 2or theASICS METASPEED SKY+, and some of these people wereflying. That said, even the best running gear won’t replace training, so don’t count on the shoes carrying you over the finish line; you have to put the work in yourself. One more thing I’d recommend is a running watch – here are thebest running watchesandbest triathlon watchesif you need some inspiration on which one to get.
2. Respect the distance
The marathon is a gruelling distance. Looking atpros completing the 26.2 miles in a little over two hoursmight give you the impression that it’s a walk in the park, but it really isn’t. Any issues you might have with your form will be accentuated, and any niggles you feel will be exacerbated. You can’t assume you’ll be able to run the entire distance based on your 10-15k pace; you need to put the work in and train for the full distance.
(Image credit: Getty images)
(Image credit: Getty images)
3. Do your long runs
When I say you need to train for the full distance, I don’t mean you need to run the full distance before the race, but long runs are a must. For various reasons (i.e. buying/moving house, holiday, etc.), I missed out on key training sessions where I was supposed to run 15k+, and I felt this on the day. Long runs are the cornerstones of your marathon training; you can skip shorter runs here and there if you must, but you must do your steady runs to ensure your body is familiar with running for longer periods of time.
4. Scout the location/check the map
Established mass participation events such as the London Marathon are very well-organised, which means you can study the map way ahead of time. I’d recommend checking the course before the race in person (if you can) for things such as elevation, what the area is like, speedbumps on the road etc. You can also check the elevation gradient on the map itself, and thanks to software such asGoogle Maps, you can also scout the location remotely.
5. Study the course/aid stations
(Image credit: Getty Images)
(Image credit: Getty Images)
6. There will be plenty of water/gels/etc. along the route
Although I knew there were many aid stations along the way, I overprepared myself for the race. Or, more like, I carried too much stuff with me for no reason. Or even more like, the wrong stuff. Do you need 10,000 gels if there are multiple gel stations along the way? Do you need a water bottle with an isotonic drink in it if there are isotonic drink stations on the course? No, and if you plan accordingly, you can avoid the hassle of carrying all this stuff with you for 20+miles.
7. Have a contingency plan
My plan was to keep chowing down on jelly babies as I ran and stuffed my pockets full of them accordingly. I lost half of my stock as I was getting ready for the race, and the rest was hardly enough for the first 15k. Then, as it happens, I picked up two gels from the stations and put them in the rear pocket of my shorts, but both fell out almost immediately, along with the caffeine sachet I had in there for when sh*t hits the fan around the 30k marker.
What I didn’t plan was what I would do if this happened. I didn’t need all those jelly babies – many people were handing out sweets/fruits/etc. Along the course – and instead, I should’ve kept the gels in secure pockets. I saw people stuffing gels and even their phones in their running sleeves, which is a great idea: it’s secure and easily accessible when you need it.
Think through: is there anyone you can call to drop some gels off along the route? Have you got at least one bit of emergency caffeine/gel on you? It’s better to be safe than sorry when running a marathon.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
(Image credit: Getty Images)
8. It will hurt
If you aren’t walking the marathon, it’s safe to assume you’re running at a slightly challenging pace; and if that’s the case, your body will start hurting before you cross the finish line. There is nothing you can do apart from getting ready mentally that at some point, the pain will come, and you will have to be stronger mentally than your physical pain.
One thing that could’ve helped is if I stretched more, not just on the day when I actually did, but during the training. My muscles feel fine even now, a day after the race, but my tendons are killing me. My terrible hip mobility also contributed to feeling terrible on the day. Do yourself a favour and strecth more often.
9. Plan the whole day/weekend – not just the race
I don’t live in London, so it took me over five hours to get home after the race had finished. We also had to travel to London the day before to pick the bib up, so we stayed at a lovely little hotel Saturday night. We had to book parking and work out how we would get from the hotel to the race and how we would get back from the race to the car, then home.
The London Marathon weekend is hectic in London, with many people trying to get to and from the race locations; on this occasion, there was also a rail strike the day before, further complicating journey planning. If you can, map out your movements for the whole race weekend, not just the race. This includes booking hotel rooms, parking, checking the distances between key areas of the race, and, most importantly, where your supporters will be located along the course.
10. Tell your friends and family you’ll be there
It was amazing to see a familiar face now and then in the crowd. I knew where people who came to support me would be, so I spent a couple of miles leading up to those points scanning the crowd, which helped me keep going and forget about the pain. If I had enough friends and family with me on the day, I would’ve put someone at each mile!
There are spectators at the London Marathon, so if people are coming to see you, discuss where they will be and on which side of the course. The best option is for them to be around the blue line marking the best route along the course; this can be on the other side of a very wide road, so planning ahead is a good idea.
Signs can also come in handy – if they are waving something big with a familiar pattern/picture on it, it’s much easier to spot people in the crowd. My favourite signs were the ones with the picture of the participant’s head blown up to A3/A2 size stuck on a pole; I could definitely spot those.
(Image credit: Bonnie Britain/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
(Image credit: Bonnie Britain/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
11. Have your name on your top – at the front!
+1 Dress up (you’ll get even more support from the crowd)
Want to go the extra mile? Dress up. The biggest cheers from the crowd were aimed at people who wore fancy dress costumes: pine trees, minions, angels; you name it. My favourite runner was a little star, quite literally, taking up the whole upper body of the runner. I can’t imagine anything worse than running a marathon in a full-body costume, but even if ‘just’ you paint your hair in vibrant colour, wear a fancy hat, or put on smaller accessories, it can help you stand out from the crowd and get the attention of thousands of people along the course.
Today’s best Women’s Athletic Shoes dealsAsics Women’s Trail Scout 2 Running$39.95ViewSee all pricesMerrell Women’s Moab 3 Hiking Shoe$120$60.39ViewSee all pricesNike Women’s Revolution 6 Next Nature$87.08$67.65ViewSee all pricesASICS GEL-Trabuco 10$130$68.07ViewSee all pricesAdidas Women’s TERREX AX4 Gore-Tex$90$69.90ViewSee all pricesInov-8 Women’s Parkclaw G 280$63.99ViewSee all pricesLow StockTeva Women’s Trailwinder Low$82.95$52.95ViewSee all pricesBirkenstock Boston Clogs$69.99ViewSee all pricesKeen Women’s NXIS Evo Waterproof Hiking$74.31ViewSee all pricesAdidas Women’s Terrex Soulstride Trail$80ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Women’s Athletic Shoes dealsAsics Women’s Trail Scout 2 Running$39.95ViewSee all pricesMerrell Women’s Moab 3 Hiking Shoe$120$60.39ViewSee all pricesNike Women’s Revolution 6 Next Nature$87.08$67.65ViewSee all pricesASICS GEL-Trabuco 10$130$68.07ViewSee all pricesAdidas Women’s TERREX AX4 Gore-Tex$90$69.90ViewSee all pricesInov-8 Women’s Parkclaw G 280$63.99ViewSee all pricesLow StockTeva Women’s Trailwinder Low$82.95$52.95ViewSee all pricesBirkenstock Boston Clogs$69.99ViewSee all pricesKeen Women’s NXIS Evo Waterproof Hiking$74.31ViewSee all pricesAdidas Women’s Terrex Soulstride Trail$80ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Women’s Athletic Shoes dealsAsics Women’s Trail Scout 2 Running$39.95ViewSee all pricesMerrell Women’s Moab 3 Hiking Shoe$120$60.39ViewSee all pricesNike Women’s Revolution 6 Next Nature$87.08$67.65ViewSee all pricesASICS GEL-Trabuco 10$130$68.07ViewSee all pricesAdidas Women’s TERREX AX4 Gore-Tex$90$69.90ViewSee all pricesInov-8 Women’s Parkclaw G 280$63.99ViewSee all pricesLow StockTeva Women’s Trailwinder Low$82.95$52.95ViewSee all pricesBirkenstock Boston Clogs$69.99ViewSee all pricesKeen Women’s NXIS Evo Waterproof Hiking$74.31ViewSee all pricesAdidas Women’s Terrex Soulstride Trail$80ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Women’s Athletic Shoes deals
Asics Women’s Trail Scout 2 Running$39.95ViewSee all pricesMerrell Women’s Moab 3 Hiking Shoe$120$60.39ViewSee all pricesNike Women’s Revolution 6 Next Nature$87.08$67.65ViewSee all pricesASICS GEL-Trabuco 10$130$68.07ViewSee all pricesAdidas Women’s TERREX AX4 Gore-Tex$90$69.90ViewSee all pricesInov-8 Women’s Parkclaw G 280$63.99ViewSee all pricesLow StockTeva Women’s Trailwinder Low$82.95$52.95ViewSee all pricesBirkenstock Boston Clogs$69.99ViewSee all pricesKeen Women’s NXIS Evo Waterproof Hiking$74.31ViewSee all pricesAdidas Women’s Terrex Soulstride Trail$80ViewSee all prices
Asics Women’s Trail Scout 2 Running$39.95ViewSee all prices
Asics Women’s Trail Scout 2 Running$39.95ViewSee all prices
Asics Women’s Trail Scout 2 Running
Asics Women’s Trail Scout 2 Running
$39.95View
$39.95
$39.95
See all prices
Merrell Women’s Moab 3 Hiking Shoe$120$60.39ViewSee all prices
Merrell Women’s Moab 3 Hiking Shoe$120$60.39ViewSee all prices
Merrell Women’s Moab 3 Hiking Shoe
Merrell Women’s Moab 3 Hiking Shoe
$120$60.39View
$120$60.39
$60.39
See all prices
Nike Women’s Revolution 6 Next Nature$87.08$67.65ViewSee all prices
Nike Women’s Revolution 6 Next Nature$87.08$67.65ViewSee all prices
Nike Women’s Revolution 6 Next Nature
Nike Women’s Revolution 6 Next Nature
$87.08$67.65View
$87.08$67.65
$67.65
See all prices
ASICS GEL-Trabuco 10$130$68.07ViewSee all prices
ASICS GEL-Trabuco 10$130$68.07ViewSee all prices
ASICS GEL-Trabuco 10
ASICS GEL-Trabuco 10
$130$68.07View
$130$68.07
$68.07
See all prices
Adidas Women’s TERREX AX4 Gore-Tex$90$69.90ViewSee all prices
Adidas Women’s TERREX AX4 Gore-Tex$90$69.90ViewSee all prices
Adidas Women’s TERREX AX4 Gore-Tex
Adidas Women’s TERREX AX4 Gore-Tex
$90$69.90View
$90$69.90
$69.90
See all prices
Inov-8 Women’s Parkclaw G 280$63.99ViewSee all prices
Inov-8 Women’s Parkclaw G 280$63.99ViewSee all prices
Inov-8 Women’s Parkclaw G 280
Inov-8 Women’s Parkclaw G 280
$63.99View
$63.99
$63.99
See all prices
Low StockTeva Women’s Trailwinder Low$82.95$52.95ViewSee all prices
Low Stock
Low Stock
Low Stock
Low Stock
Low Stock
Teva Women’s Trailwinder Low$82.95$52.95ViewSee all prices
Teva Women’s Trailwinder Low
Teva Women’s Trailwinder Low
$82.95$52.95View
$82.95$52.95
$52.95
See all prices
Birkenstock Boston Clogs$69.99ViewSee all prices
Birkenstock Boston Clogs$69.99ViewSee all prices
Birkenstock Boston Clogs
Birkenstock Boston Clogs
$69.99View
$69.99
$69.99
See all prices
Keen Women’s NXIS Evo Waterproof Hiking$74.31ViewSee all prices
Keen Women’s NXIS Evo Waterproof Hiking$74.31ViewSee all prices
Keen Women’s NXIS Evo Waterproof Hiking
Keen Women’s NXIS Evo Waterproof Hiking
$74.31View
$74.31
$74.31
See all prices
Adidas Women’s Terrex Soulstride Trail$80ViewSee all prices
Adidas Women’s Terrex Soulstride Trail$80ViewSee all prices
Adidas Women’s Terrex Soulstride Trail
Adidas Women’s Terrex Soulstride Trail
$80View
$80
$80
See all prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Men’s Athletic Shoes dealsMerrell Hydro Moc$59.95$31.46ViewSee all pricesAdidas Adistar$48.88ViewSee all pricesOn Cloudflash$57.82ViewSee all pricesAdidas Men’s Terrex Soulstride Trail$58ViewSee all pricesMerrell Men’s Moab 3 Hiking Shoe$120$60.34ViewSee all pricesPuma Magnify Nitro$59.95ViewSee all pricesAdidas Adizero Adios 6$57.79ViewSee all pricesDynafit Alpine men’s running shoe$67.48ViewSee all pricesSaucony Endorphin Edge$200$69.99ViewSee all pricesAdidas PureBOOST$120$69.90ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Men’s Athletic Shoes dealsMerrell Hydro Moc$59.95$31.46ViewSee all pricesAdidas Adistar$48.88ViewSee all pricesOn Cloudflash$57.82ViewSee all pricesAdidas Men’s Terrex Soulstride Trail$58ViewSee all pricesMerrell Men’s Moab 3 Hiking Shoe$120$60.34ViewSee all pricesPuma Magnify Nitro$59.95ViewSee all pricesAdidas Adizero Adios 6$57.79ViewSee all pricesDynafit Alpine men’s running shoe$67.48ViewSee all pricesSaucony Endorphin Edge$200$69.99ViewSee all pricesAdidas PureBOOST$120$69.90ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Men’s Athletic Shoes dealsMerrell Hydro Moc$59.95$31.46ViewSee all pricesAdidas Adistar$48.88ViewSee all pricesOn Cloudflash$57.82ViewSee all pricesAdidas Men’s Terrex Soulstride Trail$58ViewSee all pricesMerrell Men’s Moab 3 Hiking Shoe$120$60.34ViewSee all pricesPuma Magnify Nitro$59.95ViewSee all pricesAdidas Adizero Adios 6$57.79ViewSee all pricesDynafit Alpine men’s running shoe$67.48ViewSee all pricesSaucony Endorphin Edge$200$69.99ViewSee all pricesAdidas PureBOOST$120$69.90ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Men’s Athletic Shoes deals
Merrell Hydro Moc$59.95$31.46ViewSee all pricesAdidas Adistar$48.88ViewSee all pricesOn Cloudflash$57.82ViewSee all pricesAdidas Men’s Terrex Soulstride Trail$58ViewSee all pricesMerrell Men’s Moab 3 Hiking Shoe$120$60.34ViewSee all pricesPuma Magnify Nitro$59.95ViewSee all pricesAdidas Adizero Adios 6$57.79ViewSee all pricesDynafit Alpine men’s running shoe$67.48ViewSee all pricesSaucony Endorphin Edge$200$69.99ViewSee all pricesAdidas PureBOOST$120$69.90ViewSee all prices
Merrell Hydro Moc$59.95$31.46ViewSee all prices
Merrell Hydro Moc$59.95$31.46ViewSee all prices
Merrell Hydro Moc
Merrell Hydro Moc
$59.95$31.46View
$59.95$31.46
$31.46
See all prices
Adidas Adistar$48.88ViewSee all prices
Adidas Adistar$48.88ViewSee all prices
Adidas Adistar
Adidas Adistar
$48.88View
$48.88
$48.88
See all prices
On Cloudflash$57.82ViewSee all prices
On Cloudflash$57.82ViewSee all prices
On Cloudflash
On Cloudflash
$57.82View
$57.82
$57.82
See all prices
Adidas Men’s Terrex Soulstride Trail$58ViewSee all prices
Adidas Men’s Terrex Soulstride Trail$58ViewSee all prices
Adidas Men’s Terrex Soulstride Trail
Adidas Men’s Terrex Soulstride Trail
$58View
$58
$58
See all prices
Merrell Men’s Moab 3 Hiking Shoe$120$60.34ViewSee all prices
Merrell Men’s Moab 3 Hiking Shoe$120$60.34ViewSee all prices
Merrell Men’s Moab 3 Hiking Shoe
Merrell Men’s Moab 3 Hiking Shoe
$120$60.34View
$120$60.34
$60.34
See all prices
Puma Magnify Nitro$59.95ViewSee all prices
Puma Magnify Nitro$59.95ViewSee all prices
Puma Magnify Nitro
Puma Magnify Nitro
$59.95View
$59.95
$59.95
See all prices
Adidas Adizero Adios 6$57.79ViewSee all prices
Adidas Adizero Adios 6$57.79ViewSee all prices
Adidas Adizero Adios 6
Adidas Adizero Adios 6
$57.79View
$57.79
$57.79
See all prices
Dynafit Alpine men’s running shoe$67.48ViewSee all prices
Dynafit Alpine men’s running shoe$67.48ViewSee all prices
Dynafit Alpine men’s running shoe
Dynafit Alpine men’s running shoe
$67.48View
$67.48
$67.48
See all prices
Saucony Endorphin Edge$200$69.99ViewSee all prices
Saucony Endorphin Edge$200$69.99ViewSee all prices
Saucony Endorphin Edge
Saucony Endorphin Edge
$200$69.99View
$200$69.99
$69.99
See all prices
Adidas PureBOOST$120$69.90ViewSee all prices
Adidas PureBOOST$120$69.90ViewSee all prices
Adidas PureBOOST
Adidas PureBOOST
$120$69.90View
$120$69.90
$69.90
See all prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
PS5 could finally be getting Gears of War and Halo after game-changing decisionThe age of exclusives is coming to an end
The age of exclusives is coming to an end
Samsung’s latest laptops changed my mind about AI – here’s whyThe Galaxy Book 5 Pro and Galaxy Book 5 360 are AI wunderkinds
The Galaxy Book 5 Pro and Galaxy Book 5 360 are AI wunderkinds
