Recovery, Dress Rehearsals, and More Tips for Your Marathon-Training Journey

Now that we’re approximately 12 weeks out from race day, you probably have at least 4 weeks of training under your belt. We hope your training is going well and that you're motivated to keep it up so you can get to the start line on November 6 ready to run 26.2 miles. Read below for useful tips that'll help you feel confident during this next phase of your marathon-training journey.

Tip #1: Recover faster and safer with the help of a physical therapist.

After weeks of training, you may start to feel discomfort or soreness. Schedule an appointment with your local physical therapist to manage all aches and pains. If you are in the area, check out our partners at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS).

HSS has partnered with New York Road Runners since 2009 to help athletes hit the ground running as they prepare for various races throughout the running season. The partnership gives HSS the opportunity to offer educational programming before, during, and after each race. You will find HSS professionals at the recovery zone in the TCS New York City Marathon Pavilion Presented by Mastercard on Marathon Monday.

Tip #2: Join a panel led by coaches and other experts to gain insight into training. 

Gain valuable insight into how to get the most out of your TCS New York City Marathon experience by checking out the NYRR virtual training talks leading up to the race. Coaches and experts in their field, including our partners at HSS, will offer advice that’ll help runners prepare in the weeks and days leading up to the marathon. Follow @nycmarathon on Instagram or Twitter or check out our Facebook page to find out and join our training talks. 

Tip #3: Know how to dress for the weather on race day. 

The average temperature on the day of the TCS New York City Marathon is typically 54 degrees Fahrenheit, approximately 12 degrees Celsius. Make sure you try different outfits to prepare for the weather on race day. Use your long runs as dress rehearsals. If you live in an area where the summers are hot and humid though that may be tough. But when fall arrives, you’ll still have a number of weeks to prepare. Also, plan for unexpected weather and check the New York City forecast during the week leading up to November 6. The marathon has experienced both hotter and colder days—one year it even snowed!

Tip #4: Figure out your race pace.

At this point in your training, you want to try and figure your race pace. There are a few ways to find your marathon pace. One way is to run a mile as fast as you can then take your mile time in seconds and multiply it by 1.3. This will give you your marathon pace per mile in seconds. You can also run a half marathon, multiply your finish time by 2 and add 15 minutes. For example, if you ran a half marathon in 2 hours, your full marathon time would be around 4 hours and 15 minutes, that averages to about 9 minutes and 43 seconds per mile for your marathon pace.

Remember that marathon pace is not hard. It's only hard for 26.2 miles. We will have our NYRR Pace Team on the course for runners who are aiming for finish times between 3 to 6 hours to guide you along the course.