Share your marathon tips and experiences!

My find was that all the artificial sugar is what causes the issues with gels etc!

So I think don't be scared of eating "real" food, especially with some trail. I aim for 60-90g carbs per hour so my schedule is on the hour- eat Sorreen bar/flapjack (approx 30g of carbs), second half of every hour, Clif Shot Bloks- usually 3/4. Practice whether you can shove it in whilst running or whether you need to walk to at least chew it and swallow. My preferred pattern is running 9 mins and walking 1 throughout, so I time my food for the 1 min walk!

I woke up with the munchies at 1am after my ultra. So annoying!

I can eat if it's little and often post run - snacking basically! But would also have a protein shake.

In my drop bag I'll always pack clean socks and a pair of sandals. Bit easier to put on than shoes. I'll also have something warm to wear.

If the marathon is in April you basically have to be prepared for any type of weather, and be flexible about expectations. The last 2 London marathon I've done were one that snowed at the start (got my course pb but wore more layers than i might have anticipated) and one that was about 25° and sunny (dropped any expectations of a time, focus on finishing, and took on water at every water stop , instead of less frequently)
I've also spectated at a few where it's poured with rain

I made that mistake in a marathon. It was an unusually warm day so decided to wear shorts instead of tights, and by the end of the marathon I had chaffing so bad between my legs it looked like I had grown gonads and there was blood pouring down my legs.

Brilliant advice! Yessss to the poster who mentioned struggling to eat after a long run- generally your body shuts down digestion running for that long so have something like a protein shake or chocolate milk ready for when you get back.

Also yes to eating everything in sight the next day!!!

Also, good kit!!! Seamless T shirts (I wear Sweaty Betty Featherweight Athlete T shirts as I get seams chaffing under my arms) and tight cycling style shorts.... I tore my inner thights to shreds with chaffing from about mile 15 in my first one and it was the single most painful thing in the whole experience. The running will be painful enough, good preparation and kit testing can help you avoid "other" pain and issues like blisters and chaffing that can really slow you down. Slowing down because it's hard and it's your first marathon is one thing, it's experience, but slowly down because you have a pesky blister between two toes or something ridiculous is incredibly frustrating!

So much great advice here so I won't duplicate, but having run 4 marathons, the one I enjoyed the most -

I didn't have a time in mind
I set out to smile as much as I could - and I did (makes a huge difference when you are in real pain and it gets hard)
I high fived with all the kids I could see along the route, any "touch here for a power up" sign I saw, I touched it!

Try and enjoy it. Running a marathon will change your life in my opinion. When I'm having a hard day I think to myself "Daisy, you've run 4 marathons FFS, you can do anything!"

You may need bigger/ wider shoes than usual to accomodate your feet swelling over the length of time.

I did my training runs as a "compass". I parked the car at a central point and set my garmin to do a workout of 3 or 4 out and back legs. So a 10 mile run is broken down into 8 legs of 1.25mi, so each time I'm back at the car I've done a 2.5mi block. Even on my longest marathon runs, I was never more than 3mi from the car if there were any issues. It also allowed me to adjust winter layers on/ off when running in weather substantually colder than my April race. It was also more managable mentally that each stage of the run was a short distance.

The only run I struggled with was my 20mi for a few reasons. The biggest one was I brought it forwards due to snow being forecast, and I was not fully recovered from a HM race 5 days earlier. Every step ached from tired muscles. I genuinely didn't know at halfway whether I could complete it and ended up tweaking my route to make it more accessible if it all imploded. But I did it! The weather was also awful, 3-5⁰C dampish fog and that chill that gets in your bones. Everything was shades of black/grey/brown and all colour leached from the world. It was a long time to be aline with my brain despite listening to radio and podcasts along the way. I remember being in the late stages having to wait at a major road junction and dancing like a nutter waiting for the lights to change because I didn't dare stop my body from moving 😂
But I knew even while pushing and forcing myself through it, that this was the hardest moment of the whole process, because on race day I'd be fresh, there'd be an atmosphere, spring would have kicked in and all I'd need to do is follow/ pass the person in front.

I tend to view HMs as a 10mi run and a parkrun. I saw my marathon as a 20mi run (which I'd already done!) and a 10k race. And every step of that 10k race was a new pb for distance!

I jeffed. I'd been injured and deferred a year earlier so was cautious, but actually it's great zone 2 training and keeps fatigue down. I also did a plan where I did my long run every other week and a mid-length run between to allow for recovery. My other runs were short and I ran 3-4 times a week plus keeping up strength. I kept up with parkrun and that was my faster running. I also allowed some flex for life getting in the way- which it did with the snow, hotly followed by illness from DS.

Being used to HMs, it was only really mastering 14, 16, 18 and 20mi that was new. Just 4 long runs! Mentally that made the plan much easier. I'd actually gone from the start of C25k to 26.2 in a year and after each stage of training had a few weeks consolidating and recovering at each level. However that's easier for having retained experience even if the body is rebuilding.

Other than the 20mi, I genuinely enjoyed the training and race.

I often think of all sorts of treats to have once I've done the marathon.....but I generally find it difficult to eat after a long run (18+ miles)

Then the next day I eat everything in the house! 🤣

I came here to say:

Vaseline, vaseline, vaseline 😂
Compeed
And a good music playlist

And a nice beverage waiting for you at the finish line...I had a non alcoholic pint of larger that sponsored the event and even to this day it's probably the best thing I've ever tasted 😂

Enjoy OP there's no feeling like it!

Trim them before you do your marathon

Lots of good advice here, also please enjoy it. You only get to run your first marathon once, it should be exciting!

Nothing new on race day. Good 80/20 plan will get you over the line. Cross train with cycling. Ensure you’re focused on mobility exercises too. It’s always the last few miles that kill - keep it Z2 as a warmup until the last couple of miles and race 😎

So true!

Try not to be too emotionally attached to your toenails, just in case. It was totally fine but several of mine did drift off in the bath after my first marathon which was disconcerting.

And one other thing - treat yourself to some really nice bubble bath. A bath after a long run is a real treat, and bathing in something nice is even better.

I can't believe the advice on this thread is all so consistent, and - IMO - really good.
I've seen some nonsense and also so really bad advice on marathon threads before, so this is very refreshing!

I also can't believe noone has mentioned Vaseline yet - a marathon running essential. Even if you're wearing kit you've worn a million times before, running longer distances can lead to blisters and chafing, especially if you're wearing a running vest or belt (which are prone to moving around).

For anything over about 10 miles I cover the ends of my toes in Vaseline (your feet swell so they fit differently in your trainers), and also put some under the clasp of my bra strap and also the front (where it sits flat). Those are my 'pinch points', but if it's wet then I also use it on the inside of my arms. Finding out you have chafed skin when you get in the shower is the worst!

I think miles 15-18 during a marathon are mentally toughest, you've run a really long way ....but there's still a long way to go! Once I get to mile 21 or 22 I tell myself I could walk the rest if I had to (it has never come to that!)
Also break into chunks, often I tell myself, you only have to get to the next mile marker...or 5k etc...and then repeat...again and again!

Training runs can be pretty tough especially if the weather is bad. I've had to have a word with myself on many a long run when the urge to give up and go home is strong! 🤣 But training buddies are absolutely worth their weight in gold, chatting/whinging/complaining your way round 18 miles is so much easier with friend/s, there is almost no subject off limits on a 20 mile run!
(Although choose carefully, ideally they will be a similar pace, or at least do long runs at a similar pace - attempting to keep up with someone faster and youre likely to crash and burn...equally it's actually quite difficult to go slower than your natural range)

During 1 marathon I had mentally given up around mile 18 and then a club mate saw me, and then we ran together for the last 8 miles, which was great

Yes yes yes to the step-down weeks mentioned by @BuzzieLittleBee - I tend to do a 20-week plan with a step-down every four weeks.
I find that helps to avoid getting injured (after always getting injured about 15 or 16 weeks in, during my first few marathon blocks).
Also agree with running your long runs slowly, but doing some faster sessions midweek so you get used to knowing what MP feels like.
My MP is 7:45 pace but my long runs would be roughly 9 minute miles, or even slower on a hilly or trail route. From experience, doing your long runs close to MP just ends in injury.

You've got most of the advice you needed but I wanted to reiterate the point on nutrition. Practice to see what works for you otherwise you will either hit the wall or get stomach issues during the race. You do no want diarrhea on race day.

Kit - sports bra, proper trainers and socks (with space for your feet to swell during the race, and probably some anti chafing gel.

You'll be fine, a marathon is hard but if you've prepared properly its extremely doable for most people.

Lots of good advice here. would second the one about finding somewhere nice for the long runs. I would often run a long stretch on the thames path and then get the train home (and sometimes the train to the start point too).

Try and get someone to be there to support you at about mile 22 (with a nice treat) as that is when you're really digging deep.

Magnesium spray to rub into tied legs after a long run really helps....

SO MUCH good advice on this thread!

Pretty much everything I would have said has already been said, and there's been a lot of consistency in what people have suggested, which is refreshing.

Which marathon (people may be able to give specific advice - I'd say different things about London vs Manchester vs Brighton vs a small race with only a few hundred people in it)?

How long is your plan? I usually follow a 20 week plan (which is one I construct myself based on previous experiences and what I'm hoping to get from the event), but I'd always start it 22 weeks before race day. Then I've got 2 weeks 'in the bag' and if something goes wrong I've got a bit of padding. If it all goes well, then I either repeat a week if I'm feeling keen, or just have a 'rest' week where I keep ticking over and do no more.
The best plans, IMO, are those with a fair number of 'step down' weeks. So your long runs don't go 10/12/15/18/20/22 miles but more like 10/12/15/11/18/14/20/17/22. I find that much easier mentally - getting to the end of a 20 mile run and thinking "I've 'only' got to do 17 next week" is easier that getting to the end of 20 and knowing the next long run is even more. By the time the 22 comes round (after the 17) you've had a chance to mentally prepare (and forget the horror of the 20!!)

Other random things that have got me through (I've done 8 marathons, so have tried various approaches)...
Run your long runs SLOWLY. At least a minute/mile slower than you think you might go. People worry about this one, but it honestly works. (As an eg - for my fastest marathon I did all my training at between 10.30/mile and 11.20/mile and on the day averaged 9.35/mile. I had done shorter runs and some speed work, and it was a pace I was familiar with, but ALL my long runs were done slowly. It means you can run again within a day or so, and your legs are not battered).

Find other people to run/train with if you can - it makes a HUGE difference.

I like to plan interesting routes for my long runs. I figure if I'm going to run a long way, it may as well be somewhere nice/where I don't usually run. Some people like to do laps/use their usual routes, but that is very much NOT for me!

Don't underestimate the power of adrenaline! It gets you a LONG way on the day.

On long runs, and on the day, just take each mile at a time. Or chunk it up in a way that works for you.

I could go on and on, but you've been given so many good tips that I'll probably stop there for now.

I used this book for my first marathon and recommend it - it really breaks down the training plan into an easy format and makes it enjoyable. I was lucky to train with a friend and we both used the same book.

Training with a friend is ideal, if you can. We helped each other with motivation, support and extremely random chats on our long runs!

There's loads of fab advice on this thread. I'm tempted to sign up for another!

Don't eat anything new on race day

I also find that after my first marathon I didn't want to eat and woke up the next day with migraine. With that in mind for marathon number 2, I explained to my friend that I struggle to eat much post race and we just went for coffee and cake. We had a full meal in the evening.

Take a bin bag or old jumper that you don't mind dumping and won't get back at the start

Agree with all of the above

Especially keeping your longest runs limited to 3-3.5 hours. If you're looking down the barrel of a 5-6 hour time you might think this is madness BUT if you look for plans with back to back runs on a weekend they will see you right.

So 3 hours Saturday and then another 60-90 mins on Sunday.

If you don't feel comfortable with that you can stick to a traditional plan perhaps with a 20 mile race in the last month to practice fuelling. Those races sell out quickly as everyone wants to use them for Spring marathon prep.

I've done a couple of those races before and they are helpful for confidence. But i agree that there is a balance to be had and I think getting to the start fresh and uninjured is more likely with fewer of those really long runs.