The Hardest Part of a Marathon: (the 8 hardest parts of a marathon And How to Overcome Them)

Let’s talk about how hard it is to run a marathon. BECAUSE IT IS HARD.

But the hardest part of a marathon isn't just one thing, it's a collection of physical, mental, and logistical challenges that test even the most prepared runners. Whether you're training for your first marathon or you're a seasoned marathoner, understanding the challenges and how to overcome them can mean the difference between crossing that marathon finish line with confidence or struggling through every mile.

After coaching THOUSANDS of people through marathon training and running marathons myself, I've seen (and experienced) every possible challenge the marathon distance throws at us. Some happen during training, some hit on race day, and some are mental battles that play out over months.

Here are the eight hardest parts of running a marathon and how to tackle each one so you can show up to race day prepared, confident, and ready to handle whatever comes your way.

1. Training For The Marathon

Training for a marathon is like an unpaid part-time job. The race itself is only about 3-8 hours of your life, but training for a marathon will consume 12-20 weeks of consistent, hard work.

Training for a marathon is hard because it requires:

Massive time commitment. You're looking at at least 4-6 days of running per week, plus strength training, plus recovery time. That's 5-10 hours per week minimum, and that's before you factor in the time for meal prep, foam rolling, proper sleep, and all the other things that support your training.

Unwavering consistency. Missing a week of training can set you back significantly. You can't cram for a marathon the way you might cram for an exam. Your body needs consistent progressive overload over months to adapt to the demands you're placing on it.

Physical discomfort and fatigue. Marathon training is supposed to be hard. You'll have runs that leave you exhausted, sore muscles that make walking down stairs a challenge, and mornings when your alarm goes off and every fiber of your being wants to stay in bed. Shitty weather? You still make it happen. Life blowing up all around you? The marathon doesn’t care. It’s a brutal and transformational distance that requires time and care.

Lifestyle adjustments. Friday night plans? You might skip them because you have a long run Saturday morning. Sunday brunch with bottomless mimosas? Not during peak training. Social events, travel, spontaneous plans - everything gets filtered through the lens of "how will this affect my training?"

Mental endurance before physical endurance. The mental challenge of showing up day after day, week after week, when the finish line is still months away - that's incredibly difficult. Especially during those middle weeks when the novelty has worn off but race day still feels far away.

How to Make Marathon Training More Manageable

Choose the right training plan for your life. Not every marathon training plan is created equal. If you're a busy professional or parent, a plan requiring six days of running per week might be unsustainable. Look for plans that match your schedule, experience level, and goals. At BALG, we emphasize time-based training rather than mileage-based training because it respects that runners at different paces experience vastly different training stress when covering the same distance.

Build your base before jumping into marathon training. One of the biggest mistakes I see is runners going from inconsistent running straight into a marathon training plan. (And truthfully, that’s a mistake I made training for my first marathon. I didn’t understand that I couldn’t just align my plan to the marathon day and disregard slowly building mileage. I jumped into a plan and 4 weeks in, had to take time off because of overuse injuries.) Ideally, you should have a solid base of consistent running (3-4 days per week for at least 8-12 weeks) before starting marathon-specific training. This foundation makes the training plan feel less overwhelming.

It’s often better to go into a marathon slightly undertrained than push mileage without a safe build.

Schedule your training like important appointments. Don't just hope you'll "find time" to run. Put your workouts on your calendar like you would a doctor's appointment or work meeting. Treat them as non-negotiable unless there's a legitimate reason to adjust.

Communicate with your support system. Have honest conversations with your family, partner, roommates, or friends about what marathon training will require. When the people in your life understand why you're waking up early on Saturdays or meal prepping on Sundays, they're more likely to support rather than undermine your efforts.

You will need help. ESPECIALLY post long run. ASK FOR IT.

Remember your why. On the hardest training days, reconnect with the reason you signed up for this marathon in the first place. Is it to prove something to yourself? To honor someone? To accomplish something you never thought possible? Your "why" is the fuel that keeps you going when motivation wanes.

Join a community. Training alone is exponentially harder than training with others who understand what you're going through. Whether it's an in-person running group, an online community like the BALG Training Team, or just a few running friends, having people who get it makes the journey so much more enjoyable and sustainable.

The training is hard - there's no way around that. But here's the beautiful truth: the training is also what makes crossing that finish line so incredibly meaningful. Every early morning, every long run, every moment you chose training over comfort - those are the building blocks of the confidence and strength you'll carry across that finish line.

2. Cramping During the Race

Few things are more frustrating than training for months, showing up to race day feeling strong, and then having your legs seize up in painful cramps that force you to slow down or stop completely. Or spending miles with the threat of calf or quad cramping.

The running world loves to blame cramping on dehydration and electrolyte imbalances, specifically sodium depletion. You've probably heard it: "Make sure you're getting enough salt!" or "You need more electrolytes!" And that’s not bad advice.

But here's what recent research from physical therapists and sports scientists has revealed: muscle cramping during marathons is rarely about sodium or electrolyte deficiency.

According to research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine and studies from the American College of Sports Medicine, exercise-associated muscle cramping (EAMCS) is primarily caused by neuromuscular fatigue - essentially, your muscles can't tolerate the workload you're demanding of them.

Dr. Martin Schwellnus, a leading researcher on exercise cramping, explains that cramping occurs when muscles are pushed beyond their current conditioning level. Your muscles fatigue, which causes altered neuromuscular control, which leads to involuntary muscle contractions - aka cramps.

Think of it this way: if you've trained your body to run 20 miles at an 11-minute pace, but on race day you're trying to maintain a 10-minute pace for 26.2 miles, you're asking your muscles to do more than they're conditioned for. They fatigue faster, and cramping is the result.

How to Prevent Marathon Cramping

Train at your goal race pace. This is crucial. Your long training runs shouldn't all be at an easy conversational pace if you plan to run the marathon faster than that. Include marathon pace segments in your long runs so your muscles adapt to sustaining that effort over distance. (SEGMENTS. Not the entire long run. Work with a coach to help you with your training plan!)

Build adequate volume. While you don't need to run a full 26.2 in training, 1-2 3 hour long runs is ideal prep for marathon day. Doing stacked long runs if you’re an 11+ minute miler (meaning you might run 3 hours Saturday and 90 minutes Sunday) will help build the endurance you need without putting you at risk for an injury.

Practice race-day pacing from the start. The biggest cramping mistake? Going out too fast. When you start faster than your trained pace, you accelerate muscle fatigue, setting yourself up for cramping in the later miles. Stick to your plan, even when you feel great at mile 5.

Include strength training consistently. Strong muscles are more resistant to fatigue. Regular strength work (2-3 times per week) and plyometrics throughout training builds muscular endurance that translates to better cramping resistance on race day.

Taper properly. Your taper period (the 2-3 weeks before the race where you reduce training volume) allows your muscles to recover from accumulated training fatigue so they're fresh and ready on race day. Don't skip or shortchange your taper - it's when your body repairs and strengthens.

If cramping starts during the race: Slow your pace immediately (even a 15-30 second per mile reduction can help), shorten your stride slightly, focus on STRONG form (lean from those ankles and drive those knees) and focus on relaxing the affected muscle group. Stopping to stretch can provide temporary relief, but addressing the pace that's causing fatigue is the real solution.

The good news? When you train properly for your goal marathon pace and build adequate volume, cramping becomes much less likely. It's not about chugging electrolyte drinks or popping salt tablets - it's about training your muscles to handle the workload you're planning to demand on race day.

3. Mental Strength: Preventing Panic and Staying Present

The marathon is a mental mind f*ck and the truth is, your mental game can make or break your race.

Even with perfect physical training, many runners fall apart mentally during the marathon. The overwhelm sets in somewhere around mile 15-18: "I still have HOW many miles left? I'm already tired. I can't do this. This was a mistake. I don’t think I can do this. Why did I sign up for this?"

Panic during a marathon shows up as:

• Racing thoughts about how far you still have to go

• Catastrophic thinking ("I'll never finish" or "I'm going to have to walk the rest")

• Physical symptoms like chest tightness, rapid breathing, or feeling disconnected from your body

• The overwhelming urge to quit even when your body is physically capable of continuing

Here's the truth: these mental breakdowns are completely normal, and they happen to runners at every level. The difference between runners who push through and those who fall apart isn't that some people don't experience these thoughts - it's that some people have practiced mental strategies to manage them.

How to Build Mental Strength for the Marathon

Practice chunking the distance. Twenty-six point two miles is overwhelming. Anyone would panic thinking about running that far when they're already tired at mile 10. Instead, break the race into manageable chunks.

Some runners chunk by aid stations: "I just need to get to the next aid station." Some break it into 5K segments. Or even 5 minute chunks. Some focus on single miles. Find what works for you, but the key is always focusing on the next small achievable segment, never the full distance remaining.

During your long training runs, practice this chunking strategy. Don't think "I have 12 more miles." Think "I'm running to that stop sign" or "I'm getting to mile 15, then I'll reassess."

Try to focus on fuel and hydration tables. When is the next time you get to fuel? Focus on that. Stay in that chunk.

Stay ruthlessly present. Panic lives in the future - in thoughts about miles you haven't run yet and challenges you haven't faced yet. Confidence lives in the present moment.

When panic starts creeping in, bring yourself back to right now:

• What does my breathing feel like right now?

• How do my legs feel in this moment?

• What can I see, hear, and feel around me right now?

One of my favorite mantras is: "Be here now." and “You’re okay.” Even when the race gets hard, even when you're tired, in this specific moment - this step, this breath - you're doing it. You're okay. This will all be over soon. EVEN if that doesn’t feel believable, it’s true. PAIN REALLY IS TEMPORARY. Stay in it and trust that time will pass whether you choose to suffer or try to find pockets of joy and peace.

SMILE. You’re doing something incredible. Yes it’s hard and hurts like hell, but all you need to do is put on foot in front of the other.

Develop a mantra library. Mental toughness isn't just about positive thinking, it's about having specific tools ready when your brain starts spiraling. Develop several mantras you can rotate through:

• "I trained for this."

• "One mile at a time."

• "Strong and steady."

• "This is temporary."

• "I am capable."

• "Not today, brain. We're finishing this."

Practice these during hard training runs so they become automatic during the race.

Expect the mental low points. Most marathoners hit a rough patch between miles 16-20 where everything feels harder and the finish line feels impossibly far away. Knowing this is coming - expecting it, even - makes it less scary when it happens.

Tell yourself during training: "Around mile 18, my brain is going to try to convince me to quit. That's normal. That's expected. That's when I'll use my mental tools." When it happens, you'll recognize it as the predictable challenge it is, not a sign that something is going wrong.

Practice positive self-talk. The way you talk to yourself during the race matters enormously. Notice when you slip into negative self-talk ("I'm so slow," "I'm terrible at this," "I'm going to fail") and consciously replace it with either neutral observations ("My pace has slowed") or encouraging statements ("I'm still moving forward").

Would you talk to your best friend the way you talk to yourself during hard runs? Probably not. Treat yourself with the same compassion and encouragement you'd offer someone you care about.

Visualize success and challenges. Mental preparation isn't just visualizing yourself crossing the finish line feeling amazing (though that's helpful too). It's visualizing the hard moments and seeing yourself working through them successfully.

Spend time before the race imagining: What will I do when my legs feel heavy at mile 20? How will I respond when I see my pace slowing? What will I tell myself when I want to quit? Rehearsing these responses mentally creates neural pathways that make it easier to execute them during the actual race.

Develop a race day focus plan. What will you think about during different parts of the race? Some runners listen to specific playlists at certain mile markers. Some use different mantras for different segments. Some focus on form cues early and switch to emotional mantras later.

Having a plan for what to focus on prevents your mind from wandering into panic territory.

The mental part of the marathon is trainable, just like the physical part. Every time you practice staying present during a hard training run, every time you use a mantra to push through discomfort, every time you chunk a long run into manageable pieces - you're building the mental strength you'll need on race day.

4. GI Distress and the Fear of Pooping Your Pants

Let's talk about something many marathon guides skip over because it isn’t cute: POOPING YOUR PANTS. Gastrointestinal distress is one of the most common and most feared elements of running a marathon.

How not to poop your pants during a marathon:

Studies show that 30-50% of endurance athletes experience GI issues during races, ranging from mild cramping and nausea to urgent bathroom needs and yes, sometimes accidents. If you're worried about pooping your pants during a marathon, you're not alone - and more importantly, this is something you can largely prevent with proper preparation.

Marathon-related GI distress happens because:

Blood flow shifts away from your digestive system. When you're running, blood flow prioritizes your working muscles and cardiovascular system. Your gut gets less blood flow, which slows digestion and can cause cramping, nausea, and urgency.

The physical jostling of running. Every footstrike creates impact that literally jostles your intestines. Over 26.2 miles and 30,000+ footstrikes, that mechanical stress adds up.

Race day nerves. Anxiety and stress activate your nervous system, which can speed up gut motility (making you need to go) or cause cramping and nausea.

Dehydration or not practicing your hydration strategy. As exercise physiologist Dr. Stacy Sims explains, dehydration compounds GI issues in multiple ways. When you're dehydrated, your body has already shunted blood away from your gut to working muscles and skin for cooling. This reduced blood flow causes gut hypoxia (low oxygen) and increases intestinal permeability. Additionally, dehydration can directly trigger diarrhea as your body struggles to maintain proper fluid balance in the intestines.

Taking in fuel your gut isn't trained to handle. This is the big one. Many runners practice their marathon fueling plan for the first time during the race itself - and their gut rebels against the sudden influx of gels, chews, or sports drinks it's not accustomed to processing while running.

Dr. Sims also highlights important considerations for women runners: research shows women experience more GI distress than men due to sex differences in gastrointestinal transit time, sensitivity, and the effects of estrogen and progesterone on gut function. Women's guts can't handle as much fructose or maltodextrin as men's - concentrated sugars cause increased osmotic pressure in the intestines, pulling water from the bloodstream into the gut, which worsens dehydration and increases nausea.

How to Prevent GI Issues During Your Marathon

Practice with the exact fueling plan you'll use on race day. This is non-negotiable. Your gut needs training just like your legs do. Whatever fuel sources you plan to use during the race (specific brands of gels, chews, sports drinks, whole foods), you need to practice with them during training runs.

Start practicing fueling during runs longer than 90 minutes. Begin with small amounts and gradually increase to race-day quantities. By the time race day arrives, your gut should be completely adapted to processing fuel while running.

Find out what the race will provide. If you plan to rely on aid station fuel rather than carrying your own, find out exactly what brands they'll offer (Gatorade vs. Nuun? GU vs. Maurten?) and train with those specific products. Different formulations can affect your stomach differently.

Practice your hydration strategy separately from fueling. Dr. Sims advocates for separating hydration from fueling - "food in the pocket, hydration in the bottle." When you consume concentrated carbohydrate drinks, your body must pull water into the intestines to facilitate digestion, which actually promotes dehydration rather than preventing it. This is especially problematic during marathons when blood flow to the gut is already compromised.

Instead, practice getting your calories from easily digestible solid foods (energy chews, bars, or real food) and use your fluids primarily for hydration with appropriate sodium for absorption (around 360mg per 16-20oz) rather than as calorie delivery systems.

Hydrate consistently in the days before the race AND during the race. Dehydration is a major contributor to GI distress. In the days leading up to your marathon, monitor your hydration by checking urine color - aim for pale yellow. During the race, don't wait until you're thirsty. Thirst is a late indicator of dehydration, especially during the stress of racing.

Dr. Sims recommends drinking 0.12-0.18 oz per lb (8-12 ml/kg) of body weight per hour of a cold hydration drink with sodium. Set a timer on your watch to remind yourself to drink every 15-20 minutes - it's easy to fall behind in the hectic race environment.

Develop a fueling schedule and stick to it. Sporadic, random fueling is more likely to cause GI distress than consistent, scheduled intake. A common approach is taking in 30-60 grams of carbohydrates per hour, consumed in smaller amounts every 20-30 minutes rather than all at once.

Stay hydrated (but don't overdo it). Dehydration can slow gastric emptying and worsen GI issues, but overhydration can cause sloshing and nausea. Practice your hydration strategy during training. A general guideline is 16-32 ounces of fluid per hour depending on conditions, but individual needs vary significantly.

Consider the timing of your pre-race meal. Eat your pre-race breakfast 2-4 hours before the start to give your system time to digest. Stick with familiar foods that you know your stomach handles well. This is not the time to try that new breakfast burrito your friend recommended.

Use the bathroom before the start. This seems obvious, but get to the race early enough to use the porta-potties without rushing. Many runners need multiple bathroom visits due to pre-race nerves - that's normal. Don't skip this.

Know where bathrooms are on the course. Study the course map and note where porta-potties are located. Just knowing where bathrooms are can ease anxiety, which in turn can help prevent GI issues.

Consider adjusting fiber intake before the race. Some runners find that reducing high-fiber foods in the 24-48 hours before the race helps prevent mid-race bathroom urgency. Others do fine with their normal diet. Experiment during training to see what works for you.

If you start experiencing GI distress during the race:

• Slow your pace slightly (this increases blood flow to your gut)

• Stop taking in fuel temporarily and focus on small sips of water or a light hydration drink

• Take a brief walk break if needed

• Avoid warm fluids, concentrated carbohydrate drinks, caffeine, and salt tablets - all of which can increase gut permeability and worsen distress

• If you need a bathroom, just use one - losing 2-3 minutes is better than spending the rest of the race in misery or risking an accident

For persistent GI issues: If you consistently experience GI problems during long runs despite trying these strategies, consider consulting with a sports dietitian or gastroenterologist. Some runners have underlying conditions (like IBS or food intolerances) that need specific management.

The key takeaway: GI distress during a marathon is largely preventable through consistent practice with your race-day fueling and hydration strategies. Don't wing it. Don't try new things on race day. Train your gut as deliberately as you train your legs, practice your hydration strategy separately from your fueling, and you'll significantly reduce the risk of GI issues derailing your race.

5. Bonking: When Your Body Literally Runs Out of Fuel

Let's clear up a common misconception: "bonking" or "hitting the wall" doesn't refer to the general fatigue, muscle soreness, or mental exhaustion you experience during a marathon. Those things are uncomfortable but manageable.

Bonking is a specific physiological crisis where your body has depleted its glycogen (carbohydrate) stores and can no longer function properly. This is a metabolic emergency, and it's completely different from just feeling tired.

When you bonk, you experience:

• Sudden, severe energy depletion (not gradual tiredness - it hits like turning off a light switch)

• Extreme weakness and inability to maintain pace, even when walking

• Dizziness, confusion, or disorientation

• Vision changes or trouble focusing

• Cold sweats and chills

• Nausea

• Feeling like your legs won't respond to your brain's commands

True bonking often ends with runners in the medical tent or emergency room because it can involve dangerous drops in blood sugar, dehydration, and metabolic dysfunction. It's not just “hitting a rough patch”. It's your body shutting down.

Why Bonking Happens

Your body stores approximately 2,000 calories worth of glycogen in your muscles and liver. Running a marathon burns 2,600-3,500+ calories depending on your size and pace. Do the math: if you don't take in additional fuel during the race, you will run out.

Bonking typically happens around mile 20-22 for runners who haven't fueled adequately, which is why these miles are sometimes called "the wall." It's not a coincidence - it's biochemistry.

Additionally, if you're also dehydrated, you accelerate the bonking process because dehydration impairs your body's ability to metabolize the glycogen you do have stored and the fuel you're trying to take in.

How to Prevent Bonking

Fuel consistently throughout the race. This is the number one bonking prevention strategy. Don't wait until you feel hungry or low on energy - by then, you're already in trouble. Start fueling early (by mile 4-6 for most runners) and continue taking in carbohydrates every 20-30 minutes.

Aim for 40-60 grams of carbohydrates per hour. That might look like:

• One gel (usually 20-25g carbs) every 20-30 minutes

• A gel plus some sports drink at each aid station

• Energy chews or other easily digestible carbohydrate sources on a schedule

Practice your fueling strategy during training. I'll say it again because it's that important: you cannot show up on race day and successfully fuel your marathon if you haven't practiced this during training. Your long training runs (especially those over 16-18 miles) are fueling dress rehearsals.

Don't skip early fuel because you "feel fine." One of the biggest mistakes runners make is feeling great at miles 5, 8, 10, and thinking "I don't need fuel yet." You're fueling for miles 20-26, not for right now. The fuel you take at mile 8 prevents bonking at mile 22.

Start the race properly fueled. Eat a carbohydrate-rich meal the night before the race and a lighter carb-based breakfast 2-4 hours before the start. You want to start with full glycogen stores, not already partially depleted.

Stay hydrated. Proper hydration supports the metabolism of carbohydrates. If you're dehydrated, even adequate carbohydrate intake won't prevent bonking because your body can't process the fuel effectively. Drink water or sports drink at regular intervals throughout the race.

Don't rely only on "fat adaptation." While training your body to burn fat more efficiently has benefits, the reality is that marathon pace effort requires carbohydrates as fuel. Fat metabolism alone cannot sustain marathon pace for most runners. You need carbs.

Pay attention to warning signs. If you start feeling unusually weak, confused, or shaky, consume fast-acting carbohydrates immediately - a gel, some sports drink, or even asking for something sweet from a spectator. Don't try to push through hoping it gets better; bonking only gets worse if you don't address it.

If you start bonking during the race: Stop and consume quick carbohydrates immediately. Walk or stop completely if needed. Get to an aid station and take in sports drink, water, and whatever fuel they have available. Don't try to run through it - you risk serious medical complications.

The beautiful thing about bonking is that it's almost entirely preventable through proper fueling strategy. Unlike cramping (which can still happen despite perfect preparation) or mental struggles (which every runner faces), bonking is a problem with a straightforward solution: adequate, practiced fueling.

6. Pushing Through Fatigue and Exhaustion

Here's a truth about the marathon that nobody sugarcoats: miles 18-24 are going to be hard. Really hard. For everyone.

Even when you've trained perfectly, fueled properly, paced yourself well, and maintained strong mental focus, you're still going to experience profound physical fatigue in the final miles. This is not bonking (see above), not cramping, not mental panic - it's the legitimate exhaustion of asking your body to sustain hard effort for 3-6 hours straight.

This fatigue manifests as:

• Heavy, tired legs that don't seem to lift as easily

• Your goal pace feeling harder and harder to maintain

• Every mile feeling longer than the last

• Muscle soreness and general body fatigue

• Mental fog where it's harder to focus or think clearly

• The overwhelming desire to slow down or walk

• Every slight uphill feeling like a mountain

This exhaustion is completely normal. It's not a sign you've trained inadequately or done something wrong - it's an inherent part of running 26.2 miles. The marathon is supposed to be hard. The question isn't whether you'll feel exhausted in the later miles; it's how you'll respond when that exhaustion hits.

How to Push Through Marathon Fatigue

Accept that it's going to be hard. Paradoxically, accepting that miles 20-26 will be exhausting makes them slightly less overwhelming when you get there. If you expect these miles to feel easy and they don't, panic sets in. If you expect them to be hard and they are, you simply execute your plan for getting through hard miles.

Tell yourself during training: "The final 10K is supposed to hurt. When I feel exhausted, that means the marathon is working exactly as designed."

Rely on form cues when motivation fails. When you're exhausted, trying to summon motivation or mental energy often doesn't work. Instead, give your tired brain something concrete to focus on: form cues.

Pick 2-3 simple form elements to focus on:

• "Arms swinging front to back, not crossing the body"

• "Quick, light feet"

• "Shoulders relaxed, not hunched"

• "Breathing steady and rhythmic"

Focus on executing these cues for one minute at a time. This gives your brain a task that requires less energy than trying to stay motivated or positive.

Break it down smaller than you think necessary. In the later miles when exhaustion is overwhelming, even mile-by-mile chunking might feel too big. Break it down to landmarks: "Just to that tree. Now to that intersection. Now to that person in the pink shirt."

Sometimes I tell runners to focus on just 10 more steps. Then 10 more. Then 10 more. It sounds ridiculous, but when you're in mile 24 and everything hurts, sometimes "just 10 steps" is all you can manage - and that's enough.

Use the aid stations strategically. Every aid station is an opportunity to reset. Walk through if you need to. Take your fuel. Drink your water. Take five deep breaths. Roll your shoulders back. Then start running again with refreshed focus.

Don't think about the miles between here and the finish - just think about running to the next aid station.

Draw energy from the crowds and your support people. In the later miles, the crowd support becomes incredibly powerful. Make eye contact with spectators. Smile at them (even if it's forced). High-five kids holding their hands out. Read the funny signs. These tiny moments of connection give you little hits of energy.

If you have friends or family coming to watch, tell them exactly where you want to see them - ideally somewhere in miles 20-24 when you'll need that boost most. Seeing a familiar face when you're struggling can provide enormous emotional energy.

Check your self-talk. Exhaustion makes us susceptible to negative self-talk: "I can't do this. I'm not strong enough. This was a mistake." Combat this actively with prepared mantras:

• "I am strong enough because I'm still here."

• "Tired is not the same as unable."

• "This is hard AND I can do hard things."

• "Every step forward is success."

Remember why you're doing this. In moments of deep exhaustion, reconnect with your reason for running this marathon. Pull out the emotional core of your "why." You're not just running because you wanted to check a box - you're proving something to yourself, honoring something important, becoming someone stronger. Let that purpose carry you forward when your legs can't.

Focus on what's working. Yes, you're tired. Yes, your legs hurt. But you're also still running. Your heart is still beating strong. Your lungs are still working. Your body is still carrying you forward despite incredible fatigue. That's powerful. Focus on what your amazing body is accomplishing, not just what hurts.

Play the "when/then" game. "When I get to mile 24, then I only have a 5K left - I can run a 5K any day." "When I round this corner, then I'll be able to see the next mile marker." "When I get through this rough patch, then I'll feel the surge of the final miles."

The fatigue in the final miles separates finishers from DNFs (did not finish). It separates runners who achieve their goals from those who fall short. Your ability to push through exhaustion is often what determines your race outcome. And here's what I tell every BALG runner: you've already proven you can do this during training. Every long run where you kept going despite wanting to stop, every hard workout you finished when you were tired - those were practice runs for these final marathon miles.

You already know how to push through fatigue. Race day is just doing it one more time.

7. Trusting Your Training

One of the most insidious challenges of marathon running doesn't happen during the race - it happens in the final weeks before the race, during your taper period.

The taper taper tantrum, taper madness, taper crazies - every marathoner experiences it: that period 2-3 weeks before the race when you start second-guessing everything about your training.

"Did I run enough long runs? Should I do one more 20-miler? I feel like I should be running more, not less. What if I'm not ready? Everyone else seems more prepared than me. That person on Instagram ran way more miles than I did. I feel sluggish and slow. Maybe I should push harder these last couple weeks..."

Then race day arrives, and new doubts emerge:

"Everyone around me at the start line looks so much fitter and faster. What if I bonk? What if I can't maintain my goal pace? What if all that training wasn't enough?"

This lack of trust in your training can cause you to:

• Over-train during taper and show up to race day fatigued instead of fresh

• Start the race too fast trying to "prove" you're ready (then crash later)

• Panic when the race gets hard instead of trusting your preparation

• Abandon your race plan at the first sign of difficulty

• Let comparison and doubt steal your confidence

The truth is this: if you've followed a solid training plan consistently for 12-20 weeks, you are prepared. The training works. Your body has adapted. You are ready.

How to Trust Your Training

Understand what the taper is supposed to feel like. During taper, you're running significantly less than you have been for months. This often makes runners feel sluggish, restless, or "off." This is NORMAL. Your body is repairing, glycogen stores are replenishing, and small muscle tears are healing. Feeling weird during taper doesn't mean something is wrong - it means the taper is working.

Resist the urge to add "one more" anything. One more long run. One more hard workout. One more high-mileage week. Trust me: whatever fitness you would gain from that "one more" is far outweighed by the fatigue and injury risk it adds. The hay is in the barn. Your fitness is built. Now you just need to rest enough to access it on race day.

Stop comparing your training to other people's. Someone ran 60 miles per week while you ran 30? Someone did a 20-mile long run while you did 3 hours? Doesn't matter. They're not you. Their body, experience, schedule, and goals are different from yours.

You can only run the race you trained for not the race someone else trained for. Own your training. Trust it's enough.

Review your training log. When doubt creeps in, look back through your training log or app. Look at all those completed workouts. All those early mornings. All those long runs. All those miles. That's not nothing - that's evidence of your readiness.

I often have BALG runners count up their total training miles or hours as we approach race day. When you see how much training you did, it's hard to say you're not ready.

Remember your wins. Did you have workouts that went really well? Long runs where you felt strong? Runs where you hit paces you never thought possible? Those weren't flukes, those were your body showing you what it's capable of. Trust that that fitness is still there, ready to show up on race day.

Focus on what you can control on race day. You can control your starting pace. Your fueling plan. Your mental strategies. Your form. Your attitude. You cannot control the weather, other runners, how your body feels minute-to-minute, or unexpected challenges.

Trust your training to handle the controllables, and trust your preparation to help you adapt to the uncontrollables.

Use anxiety as excitement. Pre-race nerves are normal and healthy - they mean you care about this. Instead of interpreting nervous energy as "I'm not ready," reframe it as "I'm excited to see what I'm capable of."

Your body is literally the same whether you frame those feelings as anxiety or excitement - it's just your interpretation that changes. Choose the interpretation that empowers you.

Lean on your community. Talk to other runners who've been through this. Share your doubts with your running group, coach, or supportive friends. You'll discover that everyone feels underprepared, everyone questions their training, and everyone wonders if they've done enough. This is universal. You're not alone.

Remember: there is no such thing as perfect preparation. Every marathon training cycle has missed workouts, difficult weeks, and imperfect moments. That doesn't mean you're unprepared - it means you're human. The goal was never perfection; it was consistent effort over time. And you've done that.

On race morning, when doubt whispers "are you ready?" you get to respond with confidence: "I've done everything I can do to prepare. I've shown up consistently for months. I've put in the work. I trust my training. I trust my body. I'm ready."

And you are.

8. Pacing Yourself

Ask experienced marathoners what separates successful races from disasters, and pacing consistently appears at the top of the list. Pacing might be the single most important skill for marathon success - and it's also one of the hardest things to execute, especially for first-time marathoners.

Poor pacing causes:

• Bonking in the later miles because you depleted your glycogen stores too early

• Cramping from asking muscles to work harder than they're trained for

• Mental breakdown from "borrowing" energy in early miles that you can't repay later

• Significantly slower finish times than your fitness would suggest

The pacing mistakes happen because:

Race day excitement is real. You've tapered, you're feeling fresh, adrenaline is pumping, the crowd is cheering, and everyone around you is running. Miles 1-5 feel effortless. You think, "This pace feels so easy! Maybe I'm fitter than I thought! Maybe I can run faster than my goal pace!"

Then mile 18 hits and you're paying interest on the energy you borrowed in the first 5 miles.

It's hard to trust that "too easy" at mile 5 is perfect. If your marathon goal pace feels comfortable in the first half, your brain interprets that as "I should be pushing harder." But the marathon is won (or lost) in the second half. Feeling easy at mile 5 at your goal pace is exactly what you want - it means you'll have enough left to maintain that pace when it gets hard.

External pacing pressure is intense. Other runners pass you. Your GPS watch shows you're 10 seconds per mile slower than someone next to you. Your friend wants to run a bit faster. All of this creates pressure to speed up even when your plan says to hold back.

How to Pace Your Marathon Successfully

Know your goal pace and your actual fitness pace. These might not be the same thing. Your goal pace should be based on recent race times or time trial results, not on what you hope to run or what sounds like a good time.

Use a race time predictor (based on a recent half marathon or 10K) to determine what pace you can realistically sustain for 26.2 miles. Then be honest with yourself about whether your training supports that pace.

Start conservatively, finish strong. This is the golden rule of marathon pacing. Your first mile should be 10-20 seconds per mile SLOWER than your goal marathon pace. Your first 5K should feel almost ridiculously easy.

Run the first half of the marathon at goal pace or slightly slower, then the second half at goal pace or slightly faster if you're feeling strong. This negative split strategy (second half faster than first half) is how smart marathoners run.

Use your watch wisely. GPS watches are helpful for pacing, but they can also create unhealthy obsession with pace fluctuations. Check your watch every mile or every 5K for average pace, but don't panic about individual mile splits. Courses have hills, turns, and natural variation.

Set pace alerts if your watch allows it - an alarm that beeps if you're running more than 10-15 seconds per mile faster or slower than your goal pace.

Practice pacing discipline during training. Every long run is an opportunity to practice patience and pacing control. Run your long runs at the prescribed easy pace even when you feel like you could go faster. Practice negative splits where the second half of your run is faster than the first half.

When you practice pacing discipline during training, it becomes automatic on race day.

Account for course difficulty. If your marathon has hills, you'll need to adjust your pacing expectations. Run hills at the same effort level as your goal pace, not at the same speed. This means slowing down on uphills and using gravity (not pushing harder) on downhills.

If your course is flat, maintaining consistent pace is easier but you still need to account for heat, wind, or other conditions.

Have a pacing plan for different race segments. Rather than trying to maintain identical pace for 26.2 miles, many runners succeed with a segmented pacing approach:

• Miles 1-5: 10-20 seconds per mile slower than goal pace (establishing rhythm, settling in)

• Miles 6-13: Goal pace (finding your groove)

• Miles 14-20: Goal pace (staying disciplined when you want to speed up OR slow down)

• Miles 21-26.2: Goal pace, or slightly faster if you have gas left (emptying the tank)

Don't race people around you. The person who passed you at mile 3? You'll probably pass them at mile 22 when they're walking because they went out too fast. The person running faster than you? They might be running a different race, with different goals and training.

Run YOUR race, not the race of people around you.

Use perceived effort as a check on pace. Pace numbers are helpful, but they're not everything. If your watch says you're at goal pace but you feel like you're working very hard, something is off. Maybe it's heat, hills, or accumulated fatigue. Trust your body and adjust accordingly.

Similarly, if goal pace feels very easy early on, that's good - it should feel easy. Don't speed up just because it feels comfortable.

Have a backup plan. What if conditions are brutal and your goal pace isn't realistic? What if you're having an off day? Decide before the race what your "plan B" pace is - a slightly slower pace you'd be satisfied with if goal pace isn't working.

This prevents mid-race panic and helps you salvage a good race even when perfect isn't possible.

Remember: even pacing is the most efficient way to run a marathon. Physiologically, running 26.2 miles at a consistent pace requires less energy than running the same distance with dramatic pace fluctuations. Every surge, every fast mile followed by a slow mile, every burst of speed drains your glycogen stores faster than steady effort.

The runners who look smooth and controlled throughout the marathon? They're the ones who paced wisely from mile 1.

You Can Handle Every Hard Part

Here's what I want you to take away from this: the marathon is supposed to be hard. That's what makes it meaningful.

If it were easy, if these challenges didn't exist, if you could show up undertrained and underprepared and cruise through 26.2 miles, the achievement would feel hollow. The difficulty - the training commitment, the mental battles, the physical fatigue, the discipline required - all of that is what makes crossing the finish line so incredibly powerful.

But here's the beautiful truth: every single one of these challenges is manageable with the right preparation and strategies.

Cramping? Train at your goal pace and build adequate volume.

Mental panic? Practice chunking and staying present.

GI distress? Practice your fueling strategy during training.

Bonking? Fuel consistently throughout the race.

Exhaustion? Break it down small and lean on your mental tools.

Doubt? Trust your training and own your preparation.

Poor pacing? Start conservatively and stay disciplined.

You don't have to be superhuman to run a marathon successfully. You just need to understand the challenges you'll face, prepare specifically for them, and execute your strategies with confidence on race day.

At BALG, we believe that understanding the "why" behind the challenges makes you a stronger, more confident runner. When you know why cramping happens, you can prevent it. When you understand bonking, you can fuel to avoid it. When you expect mental struggles, you can prepare tools to work through them.

The hardest part of a marathon isn't any single challenge - it's showing up unprepared for challenges you didn't know were coming. Now you know. Now you can prepare. And that preparation is what transforms the marathon from an overwhelming, scary distance into an achievable goal.

Whether you're training for your first marathon or your tenth, every marathon teaches you something new about your strength, resilience, and capabilities. The challenges are part of the journey - and working through them is what makes you a badass marathoner.

Ready to Train Smarter for Your Marathon?

If you're preparing for a marathon and want expert guidance through every aspect of training - from pacing strategies and mental toughness to fueling plans and handling race day challenges - BALG offers comprehensive marathon training programs designed specifically for women runners who want to understand the science behind their training.

Our BALG Training Team includes:

• Customized training plans that respect your pace and schedule

• Weekly group coaching calls where we work through challenges together

• Mental game training to build unshakeable race day confidence

• Fueling and pacing guidance to prevent bonking and GI distress

• A supportive community of women who understand exactly what you're going through

Because when you understand why you're doing each workout, when you have a community cheering you on, and when you have expert coaching to guide you through the hard parts - that's when marathon training transforms from overwhelming to empowering.

You've got this. Happy training!!