So how do you plan for the marathon, how do you analyse the route? What should your strategy be to get the best out of you?

1. Marathons
Race Planning
& Execution
Running Potential
www.runningpotential.com
team@runningpotential.com

2. Agenda
● Running and Racing Marathons
● Elements of Race execution
●
○ How to execute a (near) perfect race?
■ Half marathons
■ Marathons
SCMM (Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon)
○ Course analysis (Half and Full Marathon)
○ Historical splits analysis, Optimal pacing strategy
● Q&A
Disclaimer: All images used are copyright of their respective owners as and where applicable. (source: Google Images)

3. About Running Potential
● Started in August 2013
○ Anand Hatwalne, Anand Takale, Aditya Kelkar,
Shantanu Gogate
● Personalized training for racing & running
fitness
○ Physiological adaptations and Smarter training
● Running skills and techniques
● About a dozen individuals training with us
● Many tasting success already…
www.runningpotential.com
http://fb.me/MyRunningPotential

4. Running and Racing
● Goal setting : Set multiple goals
○ Plan A: Dream Finish / Time Goal / Win(!?)
■ “03:55 for FM”
○ Plan B : Hoping for
■ “break 4 hours for FM”
○ Plan C : Acceptable
■ “better my earlier time”
● Race equivalent charts
○ more on it, later
● Make your goals public!

5. Elements of Race Execution
●
●
●
●
●
Tapering
The Race week
The pre-race day
Race day
Post-race

6. Elements of Race Execution
● Tapering (1-3 weeks)
○ Mistake #1: Reducing mileage too much
○ Mistake #2: Doing only easy runs
○ Mistake #3: Eating too many carbohydrates
■ Focus on quality carbs : raw vegetables, fruits,
whole grains (and not from bread, pastry etc.)
○ Last tempo workout:
■ 10 days out from race day

7. Elements of Race Execution
● The Race week: Things to keep in mind
Think
positive
Calm your
nerves...
Relax.
Get enough
sleep
Hydrate and
eat well

8. Elements of Race Execution
● The Race week: Do not forget!
Re-check
Travel and
Stay
Avoid
other
sports*
t
Cu r
you nails
toe
Ke
e
Ra p
c
rea e Kit
*
dy

9. Elements of Race Execution
● The pre-race day
○ Rest your feet
○ Check your gear
■ Test run anyone?
○ Eat well
■ Eat sensibly
○ Hydrate
○ Weather check - Goal ok?
● NEVER, EVER, EVER (did we mention
Never?) do or use anything new on a
Race day, which you haven’t practised in
training

10. Elements of Race Execution
● Pre-Race day - Pacing strategy
○ Running by effort or pace? (Hilly or Flat course?)
○ Official/Unofficial Pacers
Positive Splits
Time
time
taken
for 1st
Half
time
taken
for 2nd
Half
First Half Second Half
(Distance) (Distance)
Time
Even Splits
Negative Splits
Time
time
taken
for 1st
Half
time
taken
for 2nd
Half
First Half Second Half
(Distance) (Distance)
time
taken
for 1st
Half
time
taken
for 2nd
Half
First Half Second Half
(Distance) (Distance)
“Most mistakes in a race are made in the first two minutes, perhaps in the
very first minute” - Dr. Jack Daniels (Daniels’ Running Formula)

11. Elements of Race Execution
● Race day: Before you race…
Wake up!
> 2 hrs* before
Fuel up!
Warm up!
(but not too much)

12. Elements of Race Execution
● Race day - Pacing
○
○
○
○
Run your own race (your pacing plan and goal)
Do NOT run with people at the start
Let the rabbits go!
Some pacing guidelines:
■ Always always always start slow! (8-10 sec /km
slower than goal pace)
■ Do not make up the “lost” time by speeding up
■ First, get onto goal pace: over a distance
● Secret tip:
○ When you are tired,
try speeding up for a short distance
● Up your cadence

13. Elements of Race Execution
● Race day - Running Tangents
○ Mistake: Running extra distance
○ Prior knowledge and visualizing of the course comes
handy
○ Banking of roads :Run in the middle of the road

14. Elements of Race Execution
● Race day - Nutritional Strategy
○ Burning rate: ~100 calories per mile (per 1.6km)
■ ~1300 for HM, ~2600 for FM
■ Body glycogen storage ~ 1200-1400 calories*
○ You just cannot replenish all the burnt calories!
○ A Running body can at the most absorb
■ 200-300 calories/hr
■ ~60-70 grams of carbs/hr
●
●
●
Maximum 2 gels per hour
Gatorade, Enerzal?
Read the labels!

15. Elements of Race Execution
● Race day - Nutritional Strategy
○ Aim for 150 to 250 ml fluid/water every 15-20 mins
■ SCMM has 200 ml bottles
■ 1 gulp ~ 30 ml
■ So aim for 5 to 8 gulps every 15 to 20 mins
■ Mistake: Drinking too much of water :
Hyponatremia
○ Cramping
■ Electrolytes imbalance
●
Electrolyte capsules
■ Neuromuscular fatigue
●
●
Muscular imbalance
Speedwork/Strides

16. Elements of Race Execution
● Race day - Nutritional Strategy
*reference: marathonnation.us

17. Elements of Race Execution
● Post-race recovery
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
Don’t stop immediately after the race
Keep walking/moving around for a few minutes
Static Stretches
Hydrate
Eat simple carbs & proteins (4:1 ratio)
Ice baths
Compression clothing
Elevate your feet
● The week after
○ 2-3 days rest
○ Easy jog

18. SCMM
Half Marathon

19. SCMM
(Mumbai Marathon)
● Course analysis
○ Half Marathon

20. Start: 6:10 am
from Bandra
Fire Station
Copyright ©
Procam
International

21. SCMM
(Mumbai Marathon)
● Course analysis
○ Half Marathon
○ Watch out for 13th km marker! (well-known)
○ Gradual uphill from 18th km (not well-known)

22. SCMM- Half (Splits Analysis)
4.70
3.73
3.13
5.46

23. SCMM- Half (Splits Analysis)

24. SCMM 2013 HM (Pacing & Nutrition)
● Historical trend not very conclusive
● Get onto your goal pace sooner and hold
○ Either slightly positive split or even split
● A Half Marathon is best raced as:
○ “Cautiously fast” start - should not go out of breath
○ Long tempo run till 16K (show control!)
○ A 5K dash after that
● Nutritional strategy:
○ Less of a concern. Body has enough glycogen to
sustain 21k distance (unlike Full Marathon)
○ However, watch out and DO NOT cross Lactate
Threshold early. You will not recover.
○ Eat and drink early to avoid having to dig deep

25. Start: 6:10 am
from Bandra
Fire Station
Copyright ©
Procam
International

26. SCMM
Full Marathon
a.k.a.
The Marathon
;-)

27. SCMM
(Mumbai Marathon)
● Course analysis
○ Marathon

28. Start:
5:40 am
from C.S.T.
Copyright ©
Procam
International

29. SCMM
(Mumbai Marathon)
● Course analysis
○ Marathon
○ Watch out for 7 km and 34 km markers!

30. SCMM 2013 FM Splits Analysis
26.82
23.24
17.40
16.43

31. SCMM 2013 FM (Average Pace/Segment)
04:42:37
04:37:59
04:33:58
04:23:27
04:17:13
04:10:14

32. SCMM 2013 FM(Optimum Pacing)
04:32:12
04:42:37
04:37:59
04:37:55
04:33:58
04:24:31
04:23:27
04:18:29
04:17:13
04:17:13
04:14:05
04:10:14
04:08:34

33. SCMM 2013 FM Pacing Trends
● Prominent positive splitting
○
○
○
○
Weather change after 7:45 am (7:15 am Sunrise)
Pedder Road
Long stretches open to sun
Lack of experience
■ Too fast too soon
■ Improper hydration/nutrition
■ Adopting “popular” goals
■ No pacing strategy
● Start fast and pay the penalty
● Start slow and count number of people you
pass towards the end

34. Start:
5:40 am
from C.S.T.
Copyright ©
Procam
International

35. SCMM FM (Optimum Pacing)
● People who don’t own GPS/HRM
○ Get a rough estimate of race equivalent times for you
■ http://www.runningforfitness.org/calc/racepaces/rp
○ 30K split should be 2-5% faster than your target time
● Training by pace
○ You should already know your target/target paces!
● Training by HR
○ 15-20K Runs (75%-85% of HRR)
○ HRR = Heart Rate Reserve (HRmax - Resting HR)
○ This is the target pace for 30K
● Err on the slower side

36. SCMM FM (Optimum Pacing)
Sample pacing example:
● Goal: 4:00 hrs (5:40* min/km pace)
● 30K @ 5:30 min/km pace (2:45 hrs)
● Last 12.5K @ 06:00* min/km pace (1:15 hrs)
which is about 9-10% drop in pace
Race start:
● About 5:35 - 05:40 min/km till Babulnath flyover
and then pick up the pace till about 30K (should
be ~05:30 min/km)
● You’ll have buffer for pace to slip after this mark

37. Marathon Pacing (GPS Pacing tips)
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●
●
●
Using appropriate data fields
Do NOT watch instant pace
Auto-lap v/s Km marker
Be careful about using
Virtual Partner
● Time alerts
● When in auto-lap mode:
○
○
○
○
Lap pace
Last lap pace
Avg pace
Distance

38. Thank you
and all the best with your (R/P)ace!