Negative Split Marathon

by Dennis
(Singapore)

How much should the negative split be in the marathon ?

"Hi, great program. I enjoy your program very much. I feel quite ready for my first marathon. I am aiming for 4:30

Question is what is the range for the negative timing? My marathon is in 2 weeks time. I am using a 8% negative split. Meaning I am running 8% slower in the first half and 8% faster in the 2nd half compare to the overall pace. Is that too much or little?

Thanks
Dennis"

Answer: Hi Dennis, you can actually use the calculator that is already in the 100 day marathon plan - check out Chapter nr 9 on how to pace yourself. If you place in a half marathon time of 2:02 in there, you'll see a predicted marathon finishing time of 4:30:35 and a "passing the half marathon" in 2:18:05.

So as you can see, you'll be running about 2:18 for the first part and 2:12 in the second part of the race. The key is to hold back and go for a steady ride the first 20-25km and then start pushing the pace towards the end for the negative split.

I'm glad you like the program and I wish you all the best for your marathon.

Kind regards,
Marius

Back from Negative Split Marathon to Marathon Training Schedule

I'm often asked what shoes I personally recommend to help stay injury free while running (on the 100 day plan) so I'll add a little bit about it at the end of these Q and A's.

Good shoes are crucial if you want to stay injury free during your marathon journey. In general, the best is to find a shoe that fits your feet according to your foot type.

However, these three shoes will do an excellent job with their mild correction - and will work for most runners :

The most sold running shoes ever - and by every model seems to get better and better. About the same weight as the Kayano but the fit is a little bit different.

The 2150 is a great alternative for the faster work you'll be doing in the 100 day plan. It is one of the few shoes that "feels" like a lightweight one but at the same time has more than enough stabilty to prevent injuries with the marathon type length of some of the interval sessions.

A tips for international (non-US) runners : check out roadrunnerssports.com : Example : Asics Kayano (RoadRunnerssports) they ship worldwide and it can really save you some money on your shoes.