SLC Marathon Strategy

[Adam R Wende]

I know a lot of you have run the SLC marathon in the past. I've read some of your race reports. I've also run the first half of it on numerous training runs and am going to try and run the second half tomorrow. My question for the veterans is how to run this race. I have an ambitious 5 min PR attempt and want to get people's feel on going out easier on the first half with the harder ups and downs and trying to make up the time in the second half versus sticking to the initial plan of going at the even effort from the beginning.

Plan A: ~5:55 or 2:35 effort all the way through
Plan B: ~6:05 or 2:40 for the first half then try and pick it up the second half

[Sasha Pachev]

If you are 100% sure you can run 2:35, and you are good at running even through the race, the pacing strategy should be first half in 1:18:30, second in 1:16:30.

Also, be aware that under ideal conditions SLC course is 2 minutes slower than TOU under 2007 conditions. So with 2:35 you are aiming for 7 minute effective PR, which I think is doable given your recent increase in mileage. In TOU, you demonstrated in the first 20 miles that you had enough half-marathon fitness to run 2:37. Now your half-marathon fitness is up, and you should also be able to hold it better.

My suggestion would be to not plan to run faster than 2:35. So for the first half, run by feel, but try not to get there before 1:18:30. But do not get there after 1:20:00 either, unless you are just having a bad day. Then if you underestimated your fitness, you have a nice net downhill half with no uphills steeper than 1% or longer than 0.1 to make up. Always be willing to adjust the plan, do not get hung up on the numbers. If your body is telling you the pace is too fast anywhere before 20, better believe it. After that, better not believe it.

Also, note that the first half is really bad for pacing. First mile is fast, next two are more normal, then two screaming fast miles, followed by dog-slow for the next 5. It gets a bit more normal after that. This makes it even more important to use your senses.

[Adam R Wende]

Thank you Sasha. "100% sure" I can say I am not. I'm not sure you can ever predict a PR because it is untested territory. What I can say is I'm willing to give it my best go. If I fall apart or have to change plans before then at least I gave it a try. I like your ideas of the sub-1:20 first half and just listening to my body.