Articles that are of interest and benefit for people training for marathon’s and half marathons
Many runners wait until they feel tired before taking fuel during a half marathon. Unfortunately, by then it may already be too late. Learn why early fuelling, practising your race nutrition, and training your gut can help you maintain pace, avoid late-race fatigue, and finish stronger on race day.
View More If You Wait Until You’re Tired, It’s Already Too Late: Half Marathon Fueling Explained
Bad patches are a normal part of marathon racing. Learn how to stay calm when the going gets tough, check your pacing and fuelling, manage negative thoughts, and focus on what you can control. A difficult kilometre doesn’t have to define the rest of your marathon or your race-day experience.
View More Prepare for Bad Patches: How to Stay in Control When Your Marathon Gets Tough
Qwik Kiwi athlete Jess Bray ran an impressive 3:04 in her first Dunedin Marathon, finishing fourth woman despite no marathon-specific taper. Discover how she managed the wind, pacing, fuelling and growing fatigue, and why the biggest lessons from her marathon debut were about mindset, self-belief and racing her own race.
View More 3:04 in Her First Marathon: What Jess Learned at the Dunedin Marathon
Your race-day breakfast should be practised just like your pacing and marathon fuelling. Learn how to test what you eat, how much you need and when to eat before race day. Rehearsing breakfast during long runs can reduce uncertainty, avoid unwanted stomach problems and make marathon morning feel comfortably familiar.
View More Practise Your Race-Day Breakfast: Don’t Leave Marathon Nutrition to Chance
Your finishing time is only part of your race story. Using Harrison Shaw’s Cambridge Half Marathon as an example, Coach Ray explores how pacing, weather, recovery, fuelling and mindset influence performance — and why a structured race debrief can reveal valuable lessons to help you race smarter next time.
View More Did You Actually Have a Bad Race? Why Your Finish Time Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story
Easy runs have an important purpose in marathon training. Learn why controlled Level II running builds aerobic fitness, supports recovery, and helps you perform better in harder sessions. Stop judging easy runs by pace alone and discover why running at the appropriate effort can make you a stronger, more consistent marathon runner.
View More Your Easy Runs Need a Purpose: Why Slower Running Matters for Marathon Training
Your first half marathon is exciting, challenging and full of unknowns. Learn what to expect during training, race week and across the 21.1km itself, including pacing, fuelling, fatigue and recovery. With the right preparation, you can arrive at the start line confident, prepared and ready for the challenge.
View More Your First Half Marathon: What to Expect Before, During and After Race Day
Stop testing your marathon fitness and start trusting your training. Constantly racing long runs, pushing marathon pace, or turning workouts into fitness tests can create unnecessary fatigue. Learn why purposeful training, strategically planned benchmarks, and consistent preparation will tell you more than repeatedly trying to prove you’re marathon-ready.
View More Stop Testing Your Marathon Fitness: Training Is Preparation, Not Proof
Learn how to pace your half marathon by starting smart, settling into race pace, and finishing strong. Discover why banking time early can backfire, how to divide 21.1km into three manageable sections, when to adjust pace for conditions, and how disciplined pacing can help you race your strongest final kilometres.
View More How to Pace a Half Marathon: Start Smart, Settle In & Finish Strong
Don’t turn your marathon long runs into weekly races. Learn why keeping most long runs controlled at Level II can build endurance, improve recovery, and support consistent training. Discover when faster running belongs in your programme and why saving your racing for race day can help you perform at your best.
View More Don’t Race Your Long Runs: Build Marathon Fitness Without Leaving Your Race in Training