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THE BETTER RUN · NO. 05
The first km should feel too slow.
Why most runners fall apart at km 15, and the simple way to pace a half so you finish strong.
Hey {{first_name|runner}},
Most runners don't slow down at the end of a half because they're unfit. They slow down because of what they did in the first 3 km.
You know the feeling. The gun goes, everyone's fresh, and you're flying. The first few km feel easy, so you bank some time. Then around km 14 the legs turn to concrete, the pace you held so easily becomes impossible, and you watch your splits fall apart one by one.
That's not a fitness problem. It's a pacing problem, and it's the most common one in the half marathon.
WHAT THE DATA SHOWS
Race data from tens of thousands of finishers shows the same pattern every time: the runners who slow down the most are the ones who started the fastest. The strongest finishers run even or slightly negative splits, the second half as fast as the first, or faster.
The even pacer and the fast starter can have the exact same fitness. The even pacer just finishes minutes ahead, and feels stronger doing it.
WHY STARTING FAST BACKFIRES
Start too fast and you burn through glycogen and flood your legs with lactate early. You can't feel it in the first few km because you feel great. But you've written a cheque your legs have to cash at km 15.
HOW TO PACE YOUR HALF
Here's the rule: your first km should feel almost too easy. Not comfortable. Too easy. Like you're holding yourself back, because you are.
First 3 km: 5 to 10 sec/km slower than goal pace. Let the crowd go.
Km 3 to 16: settle into goal pace and lock it in.
Km 16 to 21: spend what you saved. If you have it, speed up.
The runners who pass dozens of people in the last 5 km aren't faster than you. They just paced it right.
TRY IT THIS WEEK
On your next tempo run, make the first km deliberately slow, then hold the rest even. Notice how much stronger the finish feels.
Then hit reply: what's your half marathon goal time? We read every answer.
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Pace it right, finish strong,
The Better Run
Sources: Hanley B. Pacing profiles in distance running. Journal of Sports Sciences, 2016. Joyner MJ, Coyle EF. Endurance exercise performance: the physiology of champions. The Journal of Physiology, 2008.