10 TIPS I wish I had known before my FIRST MARATHON 

It just cracks me up how your first marathon was 2:28 😂 I mean you seriously are a complete talent Ben

I wonder if you secretly do hope to catch the elite men one day? 😉 Imagine that? we’re all cheering you on in the Olympic marathon in the future. I can see the video title now ‘ from RU-vidr to Olympic marathoner 😉😀👍 Go Ben 👍

This is probably the best running tips I've ever watch🔥

Great tips Ben. I've found the running in a pack thing especially useful recently, really helps psychologically to feel you're in it with others. Thanks for sharing

Thanks for the tips Ben!

I tried all scenarios before my first marathon, but your tip to consume a gel over a distance of more than one km has additionally perfected it! Thanks!

Ben with those daily uploads 😍😍

Great video Bob!

As always, great content Ben! I want to touch a little bit more on tip 4, position support (4:35). I like to have everything planned and knowing exactly where my family and friends will be helps me avoid looking for them randomly throughout the race. If you know your family will be at mile 10 for example, you can enjoy the rest of the race without having to be on alert mode waiting for a friend/family member to call out your name. If for some reason you miss them at that mile mark, there will another opportunity at another predetermined marker.

I agree with your assessments. I was always fairly conservative about racing 3 weeks out from a marathon. I'll admit it, I did it, but I was warned that it was easy to tax yourself and result in a sub-par marathon performance. I love to race though and I knew better but I did it anyways. My biggest tip is that you MUST absolutely nail your first 10K in the marathon. Meaning come up with a plan based upon your expected time and the weather conditions and run that 10K as conservatively as you can. If you go out even a little too fast, you'll pay for it later in the race. The "race" really begins around mile 16 to 20 for most people. As always, I enjoy your work and watch all your videos.

Brilliant tips Ben! On the subject of gels, I think taking a spare one with you is good advice, in case you drop one without realising or (like me) rip one open too fast and spill most of it down you

Great tips!

I did Copenhagen too, and I'm already signed up for Valencia. Nice to have in the diary but also nice to have a big break in between to rest and then focus on some shorter distances.

I have done a few marathons, but not since 2019, so some good reminders in here as I’ve got the Chelmsford marathon in October.

These are really good tips, recently ran my third marathon and by #3 I can finally run the whole thing without blowing up. Sipping gels and not overdoing the water are definitely key especially for salty sweaters like me. I used to think smash tonnes of water and consume 2-3L during the run. My recent one I had 600ml sugar water and 3 cups water from aid stations and outperformed my other attempts which had 3x or more fluids lol.

Great tips! Thanks for sharing. If Valencia is sold out, check out San Sebastián. It’s the week before in north Spain and great crowd and support as it is the 2nd oldest marathon in Spain… 44th edition this year. I just signed up 😀

Thanks Ben ,Great tips! I made a few learnings myself from Stockholm marathon. 1) flip belt takes on a lot of water . I pored water over my head every 5 k to try to cool down which probably added half a kg of weight in the end. Next race I will not use the flip belt 2) avoid hotel coffee in the morning if you are, like me, having a sensitive stomach. You want to keep you breakfast as long a possible 3) go up 1/2 shoe size in warm weather conditions if the shoes are on the limit. I got blisters

The Valencia marathon is great! It did just sell out though, hope you managed to get a ticket in the end. Last year I myself was late to signing up and managed to get a ticket via the waitlist. If Valencia is your goal race, perhaps get on the waitlist sooner rather than later.

I signed up for a marathon at age 25, when I was young, stupid and not even a runner, because I wanted to finish one so bad. I backed out and felt twinges of regret. Only now am I learning from you guys on YT about what it takes, and kinda thankful I didn't do it. I would have been injured or DQd, no training and didn't even know about refueling tsk tsk. Old now but who knows, I might slowly SLOWLY build up to a marathon in a few years.

Hi Ben! Excellent video and very useful, but I miss one crucial issue: working on strength. In my experience, at the beginning when you start running you don't pay much attention to it but when you improve I think that is key to being strong to run...but even more if you want to run faster o longer...42k is too long!!!. Can you make a video about how you train your strength?

My advice for anyone looking to run a marathon is just go for it unreal experience but make sure follow a well planned training regime there's 1000s online if are into running join a local running club the wealth of knowledge is unreal and it's great to train with like minded people.

Mate! Valencia - great choice - lovely and flat!

Seen you’re doing some full on speed session at the moment for short stuff. Would you do a video on the difference between 5k training and marathon please? Like sessions you’re currently doing that you wouldn’t touch during a marathon build and vice versa 👊🏼

Great advice Ben . All your tips were 1st class . Consuming the gel over the course of a km will be something that I’ll implement on my next marathon as opposed to rushing them down as I’ve done previously. Don’t forget the sunblock especially on those shoulders would be my advice. I had a great Boston, except for my burnt Shoulders , so learnt my lesson the hard way. October 9th in Perth WA is my next marathon 👍🏃‍♀️

consuming a gel all at once was a big mistake in my first marathon ( bad stitch). my club mates are running Valencia! very exiting

I’m new to running and am training up to the London in October. I’m really looking forward to it but keep getting runners knee! Went for a half at the weekend and had to stop at 18k due to pain :(

Great video Ben. Not that I'll actually be doing a marathon anytime soon haha

One thing I got into the habit of doing is starting my long training runs the same time that marathon started, getting myself into a routine 💩 need I say more 😉

I'm sure I saw Ben in Leicester park run on Saturday?

Next marathon - Valencia? Would love to see you there!

Also watch out on your electrolyte intake. It's easy to take too much which throws your body out of balance and then you end up running to the toilet for days afterwards, as well as feeling pretty crap. I find one tablet is about enough for me but others may be able to consume more without issues...

Electrolytes tabs are expensive for what they are. You mostly lose sodium ( very little magnesium potassium and calcium ) through sweat so i add about 500 to a 1000 mg of table salt ( 200 to 400 mg of sodium ) to my pre run oatmeal. Much cheaper and as effective........

One tip that I learned at least for me learned the hard way is not to line up at the front with the pros when the race starts. I find if you do subconsciously you try to keep up with them and deplete your energy to fast instead of running your own race at your own pace.

While I agree. 2:28 is pretty stellar I also wanna say calling yourself a 2:20 marathoner is a little funny! A 2:09 marathoner wouldn't call himself a 2:00 marathoner either. Those times are worlds apart!

What do you think about recovery after a marathon? Do you take time off from running/cross train in the days following?

4:52 my friend’s dad always gets us to stand at mile 19 for his expresso coffee to overcome all the fatigue in the last few miles😂

Love your videos man, I got 2 questions, what were your times at 16 and currently I'm 16 and I'm only running 18.44 for 5km, how do I lower that time in 2 months? Thanks bro

Great tips, although I changed my view with salts after I read Waterlogged by Tim Noakes... (for me taking "extra" salt (eg additional to normal diet) made my running worse)

Hey man I have a question : if I run the fastest time at a half marathon but I’m not in the elite devision am I still the winner even though the elite runner finished before me but I ran the fastest time¿ thanks

Cheers ben. What would you suggest to do pacing wise compared to a half marathon? Got a 76min half PB and doing my first marathon next year…wondering if sub 3 is possible.

Where can I get that cap from? Looks comfy

I have problems with drinking when running rather than with the gels

First

Going off too fast is not great. But I am terrible for it! 🤣

My top tip. First half of the race, don't be an idiot. Second half, don't be a wimp. 😂

My advice to you is to stay away from Marathon since you are still young. It is a hell of a lot of long runs and training you will be prone to injuries. Stick to 10 K more time for you.

Please, please, shave off that thing on your upper lip. I won't be telling you who you look like but I think you know yourself ... P.S. Very inspirational!