This sub has been invaluable in my training so I thought I'd pay it forward with my experience hoping it can help others after completing my first ever Marathon yesterday. *Used Gemini to put it into this format.
Race Information
- Event: London Marathon 2026
- Official Time: 3:33:14
- Runner Profile: 36M | 189cm | 93kg
- Hardware: Nike Vaporfly 4
Goals
| Goal | Description | Completed? |
|---|---|---|
| A | Sub 3:30 (Original Training Target @ 5:00/km MP) | No |
| B | Sub 3:35 (Race Day Target due to Heat/Pacer) | Yes |
| C | Execute a Negative Split | Yes |
Background
Current Fitness & History: I played a lot of sports - mostly football - as a teenager, but running was never my sole focus. I had a brief running stint about 10 years ago, but since then, my primary engine building has been through cycling (FTP peaked ~280w). I built a solid baseline completing a Hyrox Mixed Doubles in London in December 2025 (1:15). I started running properly last April, averaging roughly 18km/week from May to December alongside Hyrox-specific gym sessions. That hybrid training yielded a 21:10 parkrun in September.
Motivation: I really started enjoying the running and signed up for the London Winter Run 10k in February. Stepping my mileage up to 142km in December, I realized I wanted to carry this fitness into the London Marathon - an event I’ve always wanted to do but repeatedly failed to get into via the ballot. I joined a few charity waitlists. After a disappointing 21:05 parkrun in January (heavy calves, bad trainers, 124km month), I got the call in the first week of February: two charities had open spots. I went out on Sunday, Feb 8th, and ran my longest ever run -16km at 5:39/km (Avg HR 137, strict Z2). I felt like this told me I had enough of a base to be able to complete the marathon.
I raced the 10k on Feb 15th, finishing in 42:32 with a negative split (second 5k in 20:30). VDOT put my marathon equivalent at 3:16, but I knew I lacked the aerobic base and muscular endurance for that, so I shifted my absolute focus to marathon prep and though I'd target 3:30.
Training Playback
- Plan Used: Custom 10-week block designed with Google Gemini, specifically focused on safely building mileage and extending time-on-feet, since the speed was already there.
- Weekly Mileage (km): 43, 50, 45 (missed session to illness), 25 (travel/rest), 56, 61, 61, 42 (taper start), 32, Race Week.
- Key Workouts: Running 4 days a week. Tuesday was a Marathon Pace (MP) session, progressing from 2x3km (with 1km float) up to a full 10km at MP. Wednesday and Thursday were easy Z2. Sundays were the long runs, peaking at 32km.
- The Confidence Builder: For the 32km peak run, I did a full dress rehearsal: carb load, full race gear, gels every 5k, and water bladder. I embedded 16km at MP, coming in at 5:01/km (HR peaked at 162). I got a nasty blister on the ball of my foot, but handling that pace deep into a long run gave me massive confidence.
- Highs & Lows / Taper: Taper madness hit hard. I experienced phantom niggles, mood swings, and the absolute certainty I was losing fitness. In the first week of the taper, I literally had to sit down 4km into a 6km easy Z2 run. Thankfully, the body bounced back by the second weekend.
Pre-Race
The Days Before (Carb Loading): Executed a highly disciplined loading phase.
- Thursday: 650g carbs (7.0g/kg) + 4L water.
- Friday: 750g carbs (8.1g/kg) + 5L water.
- Saturday: 750g carbs (8.1g/kg) + 5L water (including 1,250mg of sodium starting at 3:00 PM).
- Nitrates: Deployed Beet It 400 shots (2x Wed/Thu/Fri, 1x Sat morning), but aborted the final doses to protect against GI issues.
Race Morning: Woke up and consumed 90g of carbs, 600ml of water, and 250mg of sodium before heading to the start line.
Race Strategy & Execution
The Fueling Matrix: Hardware: Torq nutrition gels (29g carbs via 2:1 Maltodextrin:Fructose).
- Execution: One gel 15 mins before launch. Then, one gel approaching every water station (every 3 miles in the first half, every 2 miles in the second half), skipping the gel at the final station. First 5 were regular; the final 4 were caffeinated.
- Hydration/Sodium: 250mg sodium tablet + 250ml Buxton water at every single station (10 stations total).
- Hourly Intake (over 3h33m): * Carbs: 73g / hour (9 total gels)
- Fluid: 704ml / hour (2.5L total in-race)
- Sodium: 704mg / hour (2,500mg total in-race)
Miles 1 - 13.1 (The Busy Grind): With the weather looking hot and sunny, I adjusted my A-goal (3:30) and targeted 3:35, lining up with that pacer. I started at the required 5:05/km pace, but the course was incredibly congested. After hitting the 1km mark precisely, weaving around people started costing me about 10 meters per kilometer on the Garmin. Realizing the energy cost of surging, I consciously decided to take the first half easy and bank energy for a second-half push when the field thinned out. The crowds at Tower Bridge were unbelievable and spiked the HR, but I crossed the half in 1:48:25 - about a minute behind the 3:35 target. I felt great, my HR was sitting comfortably at 163.
Miles 13.1 - 20 (The Dream State): It was time to go to work. I consciously sped up to lock the Garmin onto a 5:00/km pace. Whether it was the crowds, the caffeinated Torq gels hitting the bloodstream, or the stored glycogen, the second half felt like an absolute dream. I started consistently knocking out sub-5:00/km splits
Miles 20 - 26.2 (The Embankment Sprint): The wall simply never arrived. The sound of the crowd as we headed back toward Big Ben and down the Embankment was electric. The feeling of actively accelerating and passing people late in a marathon is incredible. Over the final 40k to the finish line, I dropped my pace to 4:51/km. My heart rate steadily climbed to peak at 178. Bird Cage walk felt far longer than it should have, but I held the pace all the way across the finish line for a massive negative split with the second half coming in at 1:44:49.
Reflections & What's Next
Takeaways: The structural approach to pacing and nutrition paid off perfectly. Trusting the time-on-feet training and holding back during the congested opening miles allowed me to unleash a negative split. The Torq 2:1 ratio delivered exactly 73g of carbs an hour with zero GI distress, and the caffeine timing worked flawlessly. I didn't want the final 10km to be a struggle and the pacing meant it was a very enjoyable run.