Insight Update

Five tips for running the Virgin Money London Marathon

On Sunday, April 28, some 40,000 runners will take to the streets of London to conquer the gruelling 26.2 miles of this year’s Virgin Money London Marathon. Garmin coach, Dr Martin Yelling, shares his top five tips to help all participants make it through race day.

Relax: It’s natural to feel nervous at the start. Everyone does. Take a moment to stand confidently on the start line, look around, you’ve made it. You deserve to be there. Reflect on how far you’ve come on your marathon journey, close your eyes, breathe deeply, exhale slowly and get ready for one of the best days of your life.

Be patient: Be disciplined at the start and especially in the first few miles. You might be tempted to go out a little harder than planned. Don’t. Hang back and conserve your energy. It should feel easy at the start. If it doesn’t, you’re working too hard so slow down. Poor pace control at the start of your race can bring about a tough final third of the race.

Own your pace: During the first half of the race feel yourself get into your running and allow your body and mind to settle down. A wearable GPS will help you keep track of your pace and your personal effort using your heart rate. It’ll help you stay in control for longer.

Tough moments:
Everyone experiences tough moments in a marathon. It’s how you respond and react to these that will ensure your finish. You’ll have many doubts and anxieties. The choices you make when it hurts in the later stages of the race to focus and keep moving will help you believe you can achieve anything. At points in the race everything is going to hurt and you are going to want to slow down, stop, cry, and go home. Don’t. Believe in yourself an keep pressing forwards.

Be proud: Every runner on the day is on the same 26.2mile journey around London. Be proud of yourself and those around you. Draw on the energy and be inspired by your fellow runners, your family and friends and those you know supporting you and the passion and excitement of strangers who will encourage you all the way to the finish line.

Running is very much part of Garmin’s DNA with steps tracking, heart rate monitoring and GPS route planning built in – its range of running watches are accessible for every level of fitness and sporting ability. Now, with Garmin Pay and features such as Spotify integration and pre-loaded GPS routes, the Forerunner has progressed into an all in one smartwatch for the runner of the future and as of 2019, there are no fewer than six models available to purchase. Additional models such as the vívo, fēnix and Instinct range are all part of the Garmin family, offering activity tracking across various sports that all include running.

For more information on our full Garmin range of products, visit Garmin

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