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
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
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
Race morning is not the time to try something new. Discover how practising your breakfast, warm-up, clothing, fuelling, and race-day routine during training can reduce nerves, prevent avoidable mistakes, and help you arrive at the start line feeling calm, confident, and ready to perform your best half marathon.
View More Don’t Let Race Morning Ruin Your Half Marathon
Jess Bray’s Wellington Half Marathon wasn’t built on perfect preparation. After battling a hip injury and racing in miserable conditions, she produced a smart, resilient performance to finish in 1:25:12, claim 1st U20 female and 6th overall. Discover the lessons every runner can take from her inspiring race debrief.
View More From Hip Injury to 1:25:12: Jess Bray’s Wellington Half Marathon Debrief
Many runners make the mistake of turning every run into a hard effort. Discover why easy runs are essential for building endurance, improving recovery, and running faster on race day. Learning to slow down during easy sessions could be the key to unlocking your next half marathon personal best.
View More You’re Running Your Easy Runs Too Hard
Your weekly long run is the foundation of successful half marathon training. Discover why it’s so important, how it builds endurance and confidence, and why running it at the right pace prepares your body and mind for 21.1km more effectively than simply running faster or further.
View More The Purpose Of The Weekly Long Run
Running for 30 minutes continuously may be all you need to begin half marathon training. Discover why you don’t need to be able to run 21.1km before you start, how structured training builds endurance safely, and why consistency is the key to successfully preparing for your first half marathon.
View More Why 30 Minutes Of Running Is Enough To Begin Half Marathon Training
The final 5 kilometres of a half marathon reveal how well you’ve trained, paced, fuelled, and prepared. Learn why strong finishes are built long before race day and discover practical strategies to help you maintain your pace, stay mentally focused, and finish your next half marathon with confidence.
View More The Last 5K Doesn’t Care How Good You Felt Early
Many runners spend months training for a half marathon without ever becoming comfortable at their goal race pace. Learn why practising race pace is essential, how to include it in your training, and why confidence on race day comes from recognising the effort you’ve already mastered in training.
View More Most Runners Get Race Pace Training Wrong