I’ve shared how I mentally break down a 5K, 10K, and half marathon, but I haven’t shared how I approach the marathon itself.

After completing my 80th marathon at London 2024, I thought it was finally time.

Funny thing is — after my first marathon 11 years ago, I promised myself I would never run one again.

Clearly… that didn’t last long.

Once the marathon bug bites, it bites hard.

Over the years my mindset has evolved. I’ve tried different approaches, different ways of mentally breaking the race down.

And this is how I currently approach a marathon.

For the first half of the race, the goal is simple:

Conserve energy.

You’ve probably heard the saying:

And honestly — it’s true.

The biggest mistake runners make is racing the first half instead of preparing for the second half.

So my approach is simple:

But mentally…

Pretend the race doesn’t start until halfway.

When I race a half marathon, this is how I break it down:

7km — Warm up into the race
7km — Actively working and grinding
6km — Dig deep
Last km — Always find something extra

But a marathon is different.

Because when you hit halfway in a marathon…

You’re not fresh anymore.

So from here, I break the race down differently.

This section sets the tone for the entire second half.

Go too hard here and you’ll pay for it later.
Hold back too much and you’ll leave time on the course.

The key here is controlled concentration.

Focus on:

Before you know it, you’ll reach 28km.

At that point you’re two-thirds of the way through the race.

Now the real battle begins.

For many runners, this is where the marathon starts to bite.

Your pace may begin to slip.
Fatigue creeps in.

This is where you remind yourself:

Why you trained.

Think back to:

Those workouts were for this exact moment.

Mentally, I often find this the toughest part of the race.

You’re exhausted.
You’ve worked hard.

But the finish still feels far away.

If you’re feeling strong here, gradually increase your effort.

If runners are passing you and your goal time is slipping away…

Do not give up.

Fight for every second.

But remember:

Just keep putting one foot in front of the other until you reach 35km.

At this point I tell myself something simple:

“It’s basically a parkrun left.”

Five kilometres.

That’s it.

And we all know how quickly a parkrun can go by.

Try to take in your last bit of fuel at the start of this section — you’ll need it.

Then let the environment carry you:

Your body can handle the effort.

But those demons in your head will try convince you to slow down.

Be stubborn.

Tell them to shut up and keep moving forward.

Just over one kilometre left.

This is when the pre-race song in your head starts playing.

Yes, the doubts still pop up every few seconds.

But now you know:

You’re going to finish.

Stay strong.

There’s always something left in the tank for the final kilometre.

Always.

Let the thought of the finish line pull you forward.

Whatever effort you put in here…

You’ll thank yourself afterwards.

With 400 metres to go, take it in.

The noise.
The crowd.
The moment.

Because finishing a marathon puts you among less than 1% of people on the planet.

You made it.

Even if parts of the race made you doubt it.

If you hit your goal time, there’s no better feeling.

If you didn’t…

Take a moment.

Give yourself credit.

And use that feeling as fuel for the next one.

Every runner has their own way of mentally breaking down a marathon.

This is mine.

But I’m curious to hear yours.

When you're standing on the start line of a big race — or deep into a long run — what do you tell yourself to keep moving?

Come share your thoughts in the community discussion inside the Running Hub.

👇 I’m curious how other runners approach this.

I’ll be reading through them.

Onwards and upwards,
Coach Nick