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The value of the half-marathon in preparing for the real thing

Many marathoners book a race at half the distance, so Jack Rathborn assesses why it can be so beneficial

Wednesday 19 February 2020 18:08 GMT
Comments
Race day takes plenty of preparation
Race day takes plenty of preparation

One significant adjustment to the preparation for my second marathon is the inclusion of a half-marathon race in my training.

There were numerous reasons for this, which I will detail later, but perhaps the most important one is clarifying my goal time for the real thing. Any marathoner will tell you how they’ve spent several hours over a training camp checking race calculators optimistically, as well as mentally translating their latest splits in the hope they are on track to shave chunks off their personal best.

But what does it truly mean based off your time from a year ago (if you have even completed 26.2 before), given many will have entered training this time in different shape or under different circumstances. The half-marathon should therefore offer clarity in the closing weeks of training and either provide confidence that you on are course for your optimistic goal or firmly push you towards adjusting that time.

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