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Marathon Pace: For Beginners
Most beginner marathoners are sabotaging their race before training even begins by choosing a goal pace that has nothing to do with their current fitness. If you’ve picked a time because it sounded good, matched someone else’s result, or felt like the “right” number, there’s a good chance every run in your build is being anchored to the wrong pace. That leads to workouts that feel too hard, easy runs that aren’t actually easy, inconsistent training, and ultimately a race day that doesn’t reflect your true ability.
There’s been a lot of conversation around marathon pace on this channel, but I wanted to approach this specifically for beginners and first-time marathoners who don’t have a clear reference point yet. In this video, I break down what marathon pace actually is (and why it’s not a goal), how to calculate it using real performance data instead of guesswork, and how to use tools like VDOT, RPE, heart rate, and the talk test to triangulate your correct pace. We also cover how to build that pace into your training properly so it becomes automatic by race day.
⸻
Relevant Links
🚨 FREE CALCULATOR AND CARB GUIDE I CREATED RUNNERS 🚨
https://www.runfastandfree.com/free-tools
⚠️ TAKE THE MARATHON READINESS QUIZ NOW ⚠️
https://marathon-readiness-quiz.scoreapp.com
Get coached by Brant Stachel
https://teamrunrun.com/coach/brant-stachel-kingston-ontario-running-coach/
Mental Performance Coaching with Brant Stachel:
https://calendly.com/cepadminteam/15-minute-intake-call-clone?month=2026-01
Get my Book, "Fast and Free":
https://a.co/d/00twBZ6d
Learn More about Team RunRun:
https://teamrunrun.com/
Fuel Your Training (Affiliate Link):
https://fuelgoods.com/?ref=Brant
⸻
Follow Brant Stachel Fast & Free Performance Coaching
https://www.youtube.com/@UC4Nd1yg5n94puosXxjeL5FQ
https://www.instagram.com/fastandfreecoaching
https://www.tiktok.com/@BrantStachel
https://www.strava.com/athletes/12318637
https://www.facebook.com/FastandFreeWithBrant
https://www.twitter.com/BrantStachel
https://www.LinkedIn.com/Brant-Stachel
Visit Our Website: http://runfastandfree.com
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By Brant StachelMost beginner marathoners are sabotaging their race before training even begins by choosing a goal pace that has nothing to do with their current fitness. If you’ve picked a time because it sounded good, matched someone else’s result, or felt like the “right” number, there’s a good chance every run in your build is being anchored to the wrong pace. That leads to workouts that feel too hard, easy runs that aren’t actually easy, inconsistent training, and ultimately a race day that doesn’t reflect your true ability.
There’s been a lot of conversation around marathon pace on this channel, but I wanted to approach this specifically for beginners and first-time marathoners who don’t have a clear reference point yet. In this video, I break down what marathon pace actually is (and why it’s not a goal), how to calculate it using real performance data instead of guesswork, and how to use tools like VDOT, RPE, heart rate, and the talk test to triangulate your correct pace. We also cover how to build that pace into your training properly so it becomes automatic by race day.
⸻
Relevant Links
🚨 FREE CALCULATOR AND CARB GUIDE I CREATED RUNNERS 🚨
https://www.runfastandfree.com/free-tools
⚠️ TAKE THE MARATHON READINESS QUIZ NOW ⚠️
https://marathon-readiness-quiz.scoreapp.com
Get coached by Brant Stachel
https://teamrunrun.com/coach/brant-stachel-kingston-ontario-running-coach/
Mental Performance Coaching with Brant Stachel:
https://calendly.com/cepadminteam/15-minute-intake-call-clone?month=2026-01
Get my Book, "Fast and Free":
https://a.co/d/00twBZ6d
Learn More about Team RunRun:
https://teamrunrun.com/
Fuel Your Training (Affiliate Link):
https://fuelgoods.com/?ref=Brant
⸻
Follow Brant Stachel Fast & Free Performance Coaching
https://www.youtube.com/@UC4Nd1yg5n94puosXxjeL5FQ
https://www.instagram.com/fastandfreecoaching
https://www.tiktok.com/@BrantStachel
https://www.strava.com/athletes/12318637
https://www.facebook.com/FastandFreeWithBrant
https://www.twitter.com/BrantStachel
https://www.LinkedIn.com/Brant-Stachel
Visit Our Website: http://runfastandfree.com