What is the best strategy to finish marathon?

I'm having a marathon in two days. I dont work out regularly. So what is the best way to finish this upcoming marathon? Should i run at low speed but constanly throught out the race or should i boost at early race? Thanks|||Getting off to a fast start (which is what I think you mean by "boosting") is the absolutely WORST thing you can do if you want to finish a marathon. Especially if you haven't been training.





Most marathoners, even the established ones, work to achieve a "negative split:" a faster second half time than the first. Let's just say you finish in three hours (a very good time, btw). If your first half was one hour, 45 minutes, your second half would be one hour fifteen minutes. That would be a negative split (and the example is extreme, because it's not likely one would be faster by 30 minutes in the second half).





The best strategy (and one I'm going to follow when I run my seventh marathon in October -- after having back problems most of this year) is to start slowly, build up to a comfortable pace, and then hold that pace -- resisting the temptation to go faster because you have the energy -- for most of the race. Depending on how you feel toward the end, you might want to end the race with a "kick" -- a surge that propels you across the finish line.





Some people maintain that a "kick" is bad form, because if you have that much energy left at the end of a race you haven't given it your all. Not being in the best shape, it's hard to judge exactly when one's energy is going to fail, so holding back a little in order to finish is not a crime, in my book.





One thing I've found that helps me is to consume an energy gel ever four miles. During my first marathon I ate one every six miles and found that I had already used up my energy store. So now I eat one *before* I feel I need it, and the strategy has helped keep my energy level during the entire run.





Good luck! Finish strong!|||Not knowing your fitness level or level of training I would suggest that your goal would be in the following order...





To finish.


To finish with a time goal.


To finish without stopping or walking significantly.





Start out at a comfortable pace, even a pace where you are feeling barely exerted for the first 20 minutes to warm up, then gear up slowly.





Start at RPE 2 or 3 for the first 3 miles.


Maintain an RPE of 3-4 for much of the race.


Only go to RPE 4 or 5 in the last 6-8 miles of the race if you still have it in the tank. I would avoid anything above RPE 6 unless you're sure your legs aren't going to cramp up.





RPE = Percevied exertion on a scale of 1-10.





This is what I'd do if I weren't sure I could finish.





Common sense -- don't forget to fuel and hydrate well during the race.|||I've run one marathon and I really faded in the final third. I was drinking water and only ate one gel shot (it was some horrible flavour: apple pie), so I wasn't replenishing my energy stores. My advice would be to drink Gatorade (or whatever `sports' drink they offer) instead of water and grab a gel shot from every aid station. Also, it probably pays to stop briefly to eat/drink at the aid stations; drinking while running takes practice, otherwise you will simply spill the drink all over yourself!|||you should run at a constant speed though out the whole race and maybe for the last 50 yards or 100 yards you can try and sprint for the rest of it for what energy you have left in you. if you give it an early boost in the beginning, then you will be out of energy very quickly and will probably have to walk by the end of it which would loose you some places. i have personally run a marathon before, but i do cross country and this is what i do when i run. hope i helped!!!


10pts??|||If you didn't train for it, a true marathon (26.2 miles) is something that you should skip.





Just trying to finish 26.2 miles with no training is not a good idea. You will run the risk really injuring yourself.