How to race at 100%?

If you’re getting ready to take part in any sports event, most likely the result is important to you. The best way to perform well is following structured training and setting proper race strategy.

4 min readJun 1, 2022

More often than not, a 10 to 42 km races are competition with yourself. Trying to outrun everyone is a guarantee to finish by walking. Setting-up and following your ideal race strategy will let you show 100% result.

Check out general principles of an ideal strategies for 21,1 and 42,2 km below.

Half-marathon race strategy

21,1 km is a popular distance, but it is not easy to run it perfectly. This works well if you follow race plan and keep your start line emotions under control.

Half-marathon can be divided into 4 phases 5 km (pace), 8–14 km (position), 15–20 km (drive) and 1.1 km (kick). We recommend that you build a plan based on your HR (effort) rather then on absolute pace in min/km. This will ensure your performance.

First 5 km are very important. Settle yourself into planned pace. It’s really easy to get swept up in the excitement and start too fast. Keep in mind total distance, stay calm and run your own race.

6–14 km is about running economy. Stay relaxed and focused. Look around you. If there are people running at your pace, join the group to reduce mental burden and share pacemaking. This will save you a lot of energy for the next phase. Runners with good speed may choose “sit-and-kick” strategy by staying behind the leader and speeding past them at the end. If you prefer to stay on the safe side just sit-and-enjoy. Watch your HR, try to keep it around lactate treshold level.

15–20 km is where you feel fatigued after ~1 hour of speedy run. Try to focus in positive by practicing a self-talk. But get ready to dig deep into your energy reserves. Push yourself for your personal best. This part of distance is a test of your mental strength. That’s where you should sustain and endure.

Adrenalin and motivation will help you in final 1,1 km. Run as fast as you can when you reach the last 500 m.

The patterns described above are general and should be individually adapted for you. Based on your HR, pace, endurance capabilities and eating habits etc.

OMY! Sports Premium customers can get their individual race plans for every goal race. Ask for your plan in the OMY! Sports app chat or by email.

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Playing chess ♟ or Marathon race strategy

Marathon (42.2 km) is a grandmaster distance. Here, self-control and the power distribution plays a key role. It depends on whether you show a good result or finish by walking.

Marathon may well be divided into 4 phases: 14 km (pace), 15–28 km (position), 29–41,7 km (drive) and 500 m (kick).

First 14 km is perfectly executed if you want to run faster, but refrain from doing so. Think about 28,2 km ahead and stay calm. Settle into your pace and run your own race. There are people around you flying forward at full speed. Let them go. You will definitely meet many of them towards the end of the marathon.

14 to 28 km is about running economy and saving as much energy as possible. Keep vertical oscillation minimal, your cadence perfect(180), hands relaxed, body in vertical position, slightely lean forward. Look around anf find a group that runs at your pace. Join it, let it set the pace and run with the flow. Watch your HR — it should be below treshold or around it.

During 29 to 41 km obvious signs of fatigue will come up: you will feel super heavy legs and slowdown. Dig really deep into your energy reserves, but stay positive. Practice self-talk or remember something that inspired you to engage with running. Don’t forget to eat and drink. Take everything that is offered at the aid stations and feeding points. This will give you a boost.

Muscle fatigue will peak by 33–35 km. You will need to accept it and keep running to the finish line for another 5 km.

By the way, many of those who cheerfully ran away from you at the beginning will walk after the 30th km. Let’s assume your running pace is 5:30 min/km. This means more than 1:30 min per 1 km advantage of runners over walkers. You will surely catch all of them. Let this thought give you power in the very difficult moments of the marathon.

Finish section of the marathon is very short, probably 100–200 meters. It’s hard to sprint longer in the end of 42,2 km. But those 100 m will probably be the happiest moment of your amateur runner’s career.

The patterns described above are general and should be individually adapted for you by the coach. Based on your HR, pace, eating habits etc.