If you’re searching for first marathon tips, you’ve come to the right place.
Running a marathon had been sitting on my bucket list for 13 years. I still remember watching another mum complete one years ago and thinking, “One day, I want my children to see me do something like that.” Not because I wanted a medal, but because I wanted them to see that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary things when they’re willing to put in the work.
Fast forward to today, and I’ve crossed the finish line of my very first marathon.
I worked with a coach for six weeks leading into the race, and while I don’t claim to be an expert, I learned so much during those weeks and on race day that I wanted to share everything I wish I’d known before I started.
If you’re preparing for your first 42.2km, I hope these first marathon tips help you feel more confident on race day.
Without question, this was the best decision I made.
My coach didn’t just give me a running plan. He programmed every day—runs, strength sessions, bike rides, recovery, foam rolling and even sauna sessions. He also worked around the things I genuinely enjoy, like going to REVL, so training felt sustainable instead of overwhelming.
Having someone remove the guesswork allowed me to simply show up and do the work.
This is probably the biggest of all my first marathon tips.
My coach never gave me a finish time goal. Instead, he wanted me running to my heart rate, not my pace.
At first, that was incredibly hard mentally.
I accidentally started in Zone A, so hundreds of runners streamed past me in the opening kilometres. Every instinct told me I should go with them.
Instead, I trusted the plan.
As the race went on, I started passing many of those same runners while I still felt strong, controlled and full of energy.
Looking back, trusting my coach instead of my ego is one of the biggest reasons I enjoyed my marathon so much.
Busy week?
Something feeling sore?
Need to swap sessions around?
Tell your coach.
That’s exactly what they’re there for.
One of the most important first marathon tips I can give is to never leave your nutrition to chance.
Ask your coach to help you create a race-day nutrition and hydration plan, then practise it during training until it becomes second nature.
Everyone’s stomach is different.
Try different brands and flavours during training so you know exactly what works for you before race day.
It’s one of the oldest running sayings for a reason.
Don’t wear new shoes.
Don’t wear new socks.
Don’t try new nutrition.
If you haven’t trained with it, don’t use it on race day.
Treat your long runs like a dress rehearsal.
For me, a 6:00am race meant waking around 4:30am, eating sourdough with peanut butter, honey and banana, drinking electrolytes and having my morning matcha.
By race day, my body knew exactly what to expect.
Trust me…
You’ll probably need the toilet more than once.
Give yourself plenty of time because toilet queues can be surprisingly long before big races.
If it’s cold, wear an old jumper to the start line.
Many marathons collect discarded clothing and donate it to charity.
I almost didn’t pack my visor because rain was forecast.
I’m so glad I did.
Instead of protecting me from the sun, it kept the rain out of my eyes for much of the race.
Use it everywhere.
Under your sports bra.
Between your thighs.
Under your arms.
Wherever clothing rubs.
Your future self will thank you.
Recovery is training.
Whether that’s stretching, foam rolling, massage, physiotherapy or mobility work, don’t neglect the little things that keep your body healthy.
I carried a disposable bottle and topped it up with water at every aid station.
That meant I could sip whenever I wanted instead of trying to drink everything while running through the station.
Find what works for you.
This might have been my favourite discovery.
Family and friends recorded messages that played through my headphones at different kilometres throughout the marathon.
Those little messages gave me such a lift exactly when I needed them.
Music can completely change your mindset.
I had three different playlists depending on how I felt.
But don’t spend the whole marathon listening to music.
Take your headphones out occasionally and soak up the atmosphere.
You’ll never experience your first marathon again.
Smile.
Talk to other runners.
Thank the volunteers.
Encourage someone who’s struggling.
These little moments are often the memories that stay with you long after the finish line.
One of my biggest surprises?
Recovery was harder than the marathon itself!
Give yourself permission to rest afterwards.
Your body has just done something incredible.
My coach used TrainingPeaks, and every workout automatically synced to my Garmin watch.
It removed all the guesswork and made every session incredibly easy to follow.
I also loved the recovery insights.
For me, that looked like:
I never cramped.
I never hit the wall.
I felt strong from start to finish.
That doesn’t mean this plan is right for everyone—but it worked brilliantly for me because I’d practised it throughout training.
One of my favourite first marathon tips is this…
Invite your people.
Ask family and friends to come and cheer you on.
Seeing familiar faces throughout the course gave me so much energy and made the whole day even more special.
My Biggest Takeaway From My First Marathon
What I’m most proud of isn’t my finish time.
It’s that there wasn’t a single moment during the race where I genuinely doubted I could do it.
That confidence came from preparation.
I trusted my coach.
I followed the plan.
I executed it exactly as we’d practised.
I didn’t need to walk once.
(Well… apart from one very necessary toilet stop near the end! 😂)
For me, kilometres 37–39 were definitely the hardest.
The 5km-to-go sign tricks you into thinking you’re almost there, but you’ve still got around half an hour of running left!
If running a marathon has been sitting quietly on your bucket list like it was on mine for 13 years…
This is your sign.
Do it.
Train well.
Trust the process.
Enjoy every kilometre.
Because crossing that finish line is one of the most rewarding, emotional and unforgettable experiences I’ve ever had.
I hope these first marathon tips help make your own marathon journey just that little bit easier.
Happy running. ❤️
