Slow marathon runners

[Pippa49]

My average pace varies from a very slow 18mm to a fast 15mm and occasional 14mm depending on the weather, terrain and how I am feeling. I wondered if there was any runners like me who were training for a marathon or have done a marathon on this forum. I am will be training for the Yorkshire Marathon when I return from the Swansea Half. Just wanted to know I wasn't alone as a slow runner

[UnfitNoMore Metric Marathon]

I know London Marathon had 7:30:00 pacers this year which is over 16:00/mile. Mainly because the pacers were complaining about the clean up crew being in their way in the second half of the run. I’d imagine that London is a bit strange on these things and tighter than other marathons, especially those outside big cities... and hopefully the bad press they got will enable them to become more inclusive. I’d check the relevant websites for cut-off times and if in doubt contact the organisers. You’re certainly not alone, I saw lots of footage of the 7:30 pacer and her runners.

[C3PO Marathon]

I'm generally metric, so I had to do the math, and it looks like my pace at the London Marathon last year was about 15 minutes/mile. I'm not fast, but had been training for a pace of 11 minutes/mile, but the heat just wiped me out, and I didn't want to DNF.

You aren't the only slow runner here - and in any case what do they say? Only 1% of people run a marathon - so finishing a marathon is a great achievement, no matter what.

[Pippa49 Half Marathon in reply to C3PO]

Thanks. I often run 15mm sometimes 16mm. I used to be 18.m+ when I started so I have got quicker.

[Bazza1234 Marathon]

Pippa - please don't call yourself a "slow" runner - because firstly it is all relative and secondly , exactly WHEN are you slow?. I am 72YO and I am FAST over 100 metres. I am also FAST at the end of a 5k parkrun and catch people by surprise - 7 minute mile pace!!! (over the last 100 metres) --- but over 13.1 miles (and soon to be 26.2 miles) , it is a different matter. I have been trying to follow a Galloway run/walk marathon training programme - he says to go run a 1 mile time trial - I did and ran it in 10 minutes. He then says what I could run for a 10K and a HM , and I agree with him, I have done what he says in the past . But then he says what he reckons is a run time in a marathon and I say WHOA!!!!! I DON'T THINK SO!!! So I decide to attempt to run dead last in my first full marathon - and not a minute faster - 6 hours 30 minutes to get an official time I have done a 20 mile training longrun at that pace and I was almost dead at the end - not because the pace is too fast for me, far from it but because 20 miles is a LONG way!!!!!!

[Bazza1234 Marathon in reply to Bazza1234]

PS what is the cutoff time of your proposed marathon?

[Pippa49 Half Marathon in reply to Bazza1234]

Hi sorry just seen your question. It's 7hrs. I have just done a 10 mile training run for the Swansea Half marathon on 23rd June in 3:11:51. Not fast at a pace of 19:10mm average but 10 miles nonetheless.

[Bazza1234 Marathon]

When I am with my "normal" real life friends , their eyes just go glassy and they don't know what to say when they hear that I am about to "run" my local quite famous International marathon. When I am with my parkrun running friends, they (although almost all are far superior runners and much younger than me) bring out their crosses when I dare them to start training for the next marathon and shout things like "Get thee away, O Satan!!: So don't be in any way ashamed of your pace - don't compare yourself with other marathon runners - compare yourself with our NON-marathon runners and/or Non-runners of any kind