By Jessica O'Donnell Published: 31 March 2023. Jessica O'Donnell. If you'd told me six months ago that I had signed up for a half marathon I would have laughed in your face and told you I am not a This way of training seems beneficial for (half‐)marathon performance, since a high training volume is, together with a high training pace, related to a better marathon performance time. 3 , 4 However, a high training volume is also associated with a higher risk of running‐related injuries (RRIs). 5 Running more than 65 km/wk for men and No, running half marathons are not bad for you. So, running a half marathon on your first running day probably is a bad idea and you will be so sore that your day-to-day activities will be affected for several days. Also, you risk your chances of getting injured and give up running completely. Is it bad to run a half marathon without training Plus, logging lots of miles on low energy is miserable — you'll feel exhausted, grumpy and lightheaded — and an ineffective training strategy. To run at your fastest, Clark recommends consuming between 100 and 300 calories of carbs before you hit the road to get your blood sugar on the up swing. 4. You Don’t Hydrate. First time half marathon racers should try to consume between 4 and 8 energy gels (between 60 grams and 150 grams of carbohydrates) for the total duration of a half marathon race. These values can vary considerably based on a runner’s fitness level and estimated race finish time. One of the main reasons that beginners are lost when it comes What to eat before a half marathon: top tips for race day. Here are some more tips for properly fuelling your half marathon so you achieve your best performance. 1) Wear a second sports watch and set a timer for every 20 to 30 minutes to remind you to eat/drink. 2) Consider carrying your own fuel if possible. A small change in pace could have a large impact on how far you get. And wherever you're at now is not a limit on where you can get to. Some ultra runners who have specifically trained for fat metabolism can run absurdly far on nothing at all. The farthest I’ve gone without consuming calories is 16 miles. For a detailed post on walking a half marathon, check out: Can you walk a half marathon in 4 hours? Athlete #2: Hailey. Hailey is an active individual with a few extra pounds she would like to shed. She is a casual runner and would like to run a half marathon race and get in better shape. She can almost run the distance of a 5K without stopping. To run sub 1:45 half marathon, you need to average at least 8:00 per mile. If you want to run 8 minute miles for 13.1 miles, then you better practice running 8:00 minute miles for shorter distances in your training! Try to include workouts with 30-60 minutes at your goal half marathon pace at least once a week in the later part of your training. Downhill can be tricky on your quads, use a midfoot versus a heel strike (meaning, hit the ground with your midfoot) to avoid breaking after every stride. I decided that I could run this half marathon because it was downhill, but my colleague informed me that can be the most difficult part of a race because it can create quad strains. HhxD.