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The art of pacing has, sadly, become a lost art.

Gone are the times of heading out the door, running a 30 minute out-and-back and calling it four miles.

No more coming home and trying to explain to your wife how you ran a distorted cloverleaf through the subdivision.

Now you can upload your data and show her! Figuring out how to pace yourself running is no longer needed

What made running so simple, so pure of a sport, perceived effort versus the clock is just as much an afterthought as what life was like before cell phones.

Working with runners on a daily basis for almost a decade now, I have noticed a growing population of runners solely depending on GPS watches to keep a constant pace while running.

Rarely do I see workout feedback explaining how they felt going into a workout, how they felt as the workout progressed or how they felt post workout.

Feedback is wrapped up in hitting target paces, heart rate averages, and elevation gain.

Completing a workout is no more about how you feel inside, what we refer to as internal cues. Rather we focus so much on external feedback from data and devices that are readily at our fingertips.

How does this type of reliance affect our ability to gauge and adjust our pace as we move through our marathon training schedule?

I like to compare the dependence on GPS data to our vision.

If you want to experiment, stand on one foot, hands out to keep balance. Next, put hands by your sides and don’t allow them to move. Not a huge difference in the ability to keep balance.

Now, with arms remaining at your side, close your eyes.

How long were you able to remain on one foot?

Notice how much more dependent we are on our visual feedback than our proprioceptive feedback?

Same is true for most runners when you take away their GPS watch. Their ability to pace goes out the door because they can’t feel or decode what their internal cues are giving them.

So how do we regain that sense and sharpen it in training and carry it over to race day?

Pace Yourself Better In Training

Learn to pace by listening to your body.

You can’t become better at pacing until you know what you’re looking for.

Coach Jeff says, “The ability to properly adjust your effort as an experienced runner is critical when you’re pushing for that last one percent improvement to break through the plateau.”

It’s great to have that data that a GPS gives you but it should be in support of what your body is telling you.

You might be wondering:

What internal cues do I need to look for to learn how to pace myself better?

Perceived effort

On a scale of 1-10 how are you feeling.

Make notes of your effort level during different workouts in your training log. Over time you’ll begin to look back and see similarities.

Thresholds are consistently around 7-8. Easy runs are 4-6.

Learning to see a workout and automatically knowing the effort it will need before going into the workout is a huge advantage.

Breathing rate

Think about your breathing rate while running at different effort levels.

Typically the faster you run the more your breathing rate picks up. Very similar to the effort scale.

Think and feel how many steps you’re taking while you’re breathing in, while you’re breathing out.

Are you doing a workout that asks to switch paces drastically? How does your breathing change when the paces change? How does your breathing rate gradually pickup over the course of a tempo run?

Foot strike rhythm

Counting strides per minute is good for a number of reasons but it’s especially helpful with gauging different paces.

As we increase in speed, most of us increase in steps per minute as well. Sometimes faster paces or harder efforts means we can tell a difference in the sound our foot is making with the ground.

Both are great tools to learn and use as workouts progress, we fatigue, and when to adjust or gauge pace within a run or race.Learn to pace from workouts

Why not let the RunnersConnect customized coaching schedules do the hard work for you. We will give you a variety of paces within the training cycle to practice this with. In any given week you could run workouts that culminate in your running extended periods of time at 5-6 different paces.

One of my favorite workouts to learn how to connect a pace with an effort level is the cutdown run.

In a cutdown, or progression run, the goal is to get quicker as the run progresses. Typically you’re “going through the gears” hitting several different pace ranges that you commonly train or race at.

This type of a run forces you to focus on your ability to dial in a pace based on effort multiple times throughout the workout.

Cutdown’s are just one example, but any type of workout that asks you to vary pace often throughout a run is makes for a great opportunity to learn how to gauge pace and adjust effort accordingly.

Pace Yourself Better While Racing

Matt Fitzgerald has written, “The goal in racing is to cover the distance between the start and finish lines as quickly as possible given one’s talent and conditioning levels. To achieve this goal, a runner must have a solid sense of the fastest pace he or she can sustain through the full race distance and the ability to make appropriate adjustments to pace along the way based on how he or she feels.”

How to find your goal pace from your training

All too often we set time goals based on expectations, comparisons, or qualifiers.

Many times I’ve seen 5:00 marathoners setting a goal to BQ at 3:45 in 6 months.

Although a BQ is achievable with a long-term, consistent, training it more than likely is not achievable within half a year. We need to learn to dial in a realistic goal race pace based on recent training results.

When an athletes comes to me we do sit down and talk about goal setting. We line up a timeline of racing goals which are mostly based around time.

We revisit original goal and compare it to how training has progressed over the course of the previous few months. Then formulate a goal pace to target in the final 6-8 weeks of training leading up to race day.

When we begin to taper, typically anywhere from 7 days to 3 weeks depending on athletes, we reevaluate our goal time based solely on the previous 6-8 weeks not the time we originally set 5 months prior.

This is the best formula I’ve found to setup a realistic goal time and allows us to plan for the race.

Creating A Race Plan

Now that you have a pretty good idea of how to assess a goal pace for a race, the second step would be putting together a race plan.

You wouldn’t go into a workout consisting of mile repeats without a goal time range to hit nor should you toe the line of a race without a detailed race plan.

Now that you are equipped with a goal race pace based on past training outcome you also need to take these things into consideration:

Race course elevation gain and loss

You very well could be in sub 4-hour shape with many weeks of training that prove that fitness level but if the course profile has a lot of elevation gain or loss than you need to adjust race pace based on those circumstances.

A 3:55 marathon on a course with 3,000 feet of elevation gain over 26.2 miles takes a lot more fitness than a 3:55 at Berlin, or a relatively flat course.

Study the course map, break the race down into smaller sections to enable better focus, and adjust plan accordingly to ensure the fastest 26.2 miles.

Race day weather conditions

Take the same 3:55 example. Optimal marathon temperatures for most runners are in the 50’s, although research has found that every runner has an optimal race temperature.. A 3:55 will feel a lot easier at 55 degrees compared to 75 degrees.

The rule of thumb is for every 5 degrees over 60 you can estimate 1-3 minutes added to your marathon time. With that being said, weather is a major factor is setting up a race plan that you can execute with success.

Allow some flexibility on race day

Staying with the 3:55 example that is 8:58 per mile. As mentioned before, each mile is different therefore each mile in the marathon shouldn’t be 8:58 on the dot.

Trying to do so means constantly putting in mini surges, which is not ideal for any runner in a marathon.

This is a great example of learning to pace based on effort.

Following this guide will leave you with a race plan based on your recent training results, course profile and weather conditions, and you have a very specific idea of how to attack race day.

Now for the toughest part:

Your final step is putting it all together and executing accordingly without being influenced by hundreds of other runners. The number one mistake I continue to see in marathon racing is going out too hard in the first 6 miles.

The first 10k sets up the last 10k, good or bad. You have planned your work now it’s time to work the plan.

A sound race plan is only half the equation. The other half starts in training and unlocking the keys to better gauge and adjust pace based on what your body is telling you.

Next time out on an easy run spend time gauging effort by clicking off miles without looking at your watch but rather feeling, thinking, and listening to what your body is saying.

Before you glance at your GPS to confirm a mile split take a guess at what pace you are running and use your watch as a secondary means of feedback and confirmation.

Over time this still of knowing pace based on sensory data within will becomes fine-tuned and ultimately a better race predictor than what your watch is telling you.

Long before he became the fastest man in history, before the Olympic gold medals, world records, and global superstardom, Usain Bolt was simply a gifted teenager with extraordinary speed and limitless potential. In 2002, on the track at Kingston's National Stadium in Jamaica, the world witnessed the first chapter of a story that would forever change athletics.

At just 15 years old, Bolt lined up for the men's 200 metres at the World Junior Championships with the weight of expectation resting on young shoulders. Competing before a passionate home crowd, the Jamaican prodigy produced a performance that instantly captivated the athletics world. Crossing the finish line in 20.61 seconds, he became the youngest athlete ever to win the men's 200m title at the championships.

It was far more than a gold medal. It was the moment the world realised that a once-in-a-generation talent had arrived.

Bolt's victory in Kingston marked the beginning of one of the greatest careers in sporting history. Over the years that followed, he rewrote the record books, dominated the Olympic Games and World Championships, and transformed sprinting into a global spectacle through his breathtaking speed, infectious personality, and unrivalled confidence. His legacy continues to inspire young athletes across the globe, many of whom dream of following the same path he once began as a teenager.

This week, that dream comes alive once again as the World Athletics U20 Championships take centre stage at the iconic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. The venue has already witnessed the birth of future superstars. In 2014, it was where Britain's Dina Asher-Smith and Uganda's Joshua Cheptegei captured their first global titles, launching careers that would later produce world championships, Olympic medals, and lasting legacies in athletics.

Twelve years later, another generation arrives in Eugene hoping to create its own defining moment.

Among the brightest young talents is Great Britain's Jake Odey-Jordan, the 200m bronze medallist from Lima who now owns the European U20 100m record after an astonishing 10.01-second performance. He enters the championships eager to build on his growing reputation as one of Europe's most exciting young sprinters.

The United States will look to Tate Taylor, who has already made history as the first American high school athlete to break the 20-second barrier for the 200 metres. Fresh from a Diamond League victory in a sensational 19.75 seconds, he arrives in Eugene carrying the momentum of one of the most remarkable junior seasons ever recorded.

Jamaica, the nation that introduced the world to Usain Bolt, will once again have high hopes through Shanoya Douglas. The talented sprinter has established herself as one of the championship's leading contenders after producing lifetime bests of 10.98 seconds for the 100m and 22.11 for the 200m this season.

History has repeatedly shown that the World U20 Championships are far more than a junior competition. They are often the first chapter in the careers of future Olympic champions, world record holders, and global icons. Every generation arrives with ambitious dreams, but only a select few leave having announced themselves to the world.

No one can say with certainty whether the next Usain Bolt will emerge this week. Greatness cannot be predicted, and legends are never manufactured. Yet every legendary career begins with a single breakthrough performance.

For Bolt, that defining moment came in Kingston in 2002.

Now, under the famous lights of Hayward Field, another group of gifted teenagers stands ready to chase history. Somewhere among them could be the next athlete whose name will inspire the world for years to come.

"An athlete cannot run with money in his pockets. He must run with hope in his heart and dreams in his head." More than seventy years after those words were spoken, they remain among the most powerful messages ever shared in distance running. They are often quoted as simple motivation, but behind them lies a remarkable story of sacrifice, courage, conviction, and an unwavering belief that true greatness is never measured by financial reward.

Few athletes have left a legacy as enduring as Emil Zátopek. Known around the world as "The Czech Locomotive" for his relentless determination and unmistakable running style, he redefined what was possible in endurance racing. His legendary performance at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki still ranks among the greatest achievements in athletics history. In the space of just nine days, he captured Olympic gold in the 5,000 meters, the 10,000 meters, and, incredibly, the marathon—a race he had never attempted before.

Yet the world in which Zátopek competed was vastly different from today's professional athletics landscape. During the 1950s, elite sport officially operated under strict amateur rules. Olympic athletes were forbidden from accepting prize money or earning a living directly from competition, although unofficial financial arrangements existed in many sports. Zátopek himself never raced for appearance fees or lucrative prize purses. Instead, he served as an officer in the Czechoslovak People's Army, receiving a military salary while representing his country. Running brought him glory, but not personal wealth.

It was within that environment that his famous words carried genuine meaning. For Zátopek, success was never driven by the promise of money. He believed the greatest performances were fueled by hope, ambition, discipline, and the courage to pursue dreams that seemed impossible. Those qualities, rather than financial incentives, formed the foundation of lasting excellence.

With the benefit of history, his words carry even greater significance. In 1968, during the Prague Spring, Zátopek openly supported democratic reforms in Czechoslovakia. When the movement was crushed, he paid a heavy personal price for standing by his principles. He was stripped of his military rank, removed from public life, and forced into years of manual labor. The man who had once stood proudly atop the Olympic podium found himself performing physically demanding jobs, far removed from the stadiums where he had inspired millions.

His story reminds us that the values he expressed were not empty words crafted for public admiration. He lived by them, even when doing so came at enormous personal cost. His belief that hope and conviction mattered more than material rewards became evident not only in the races he won, but also in the hardships he endured with remarkable dignity.

Distance running has changed dramatically since Zátopek's era. Today's elite athletes compete in a fully professional sport where prize money, sponsorship contracts, appearance fees, and endorsement deals can be worth millions. Success on the track and roads now offers opportunities that were unimaginable during the age of amateur competition. Professionalism has transformed the sport, allowing athletes to train full-time, access world-class coaching and sports science, and build financially secure careers.

Yet despite these changes, the essence of Zátopek's message has never lost its relevance.

Every elite runner naturally hopes to earn a good living from years of dedication and sacrifice. There is nothing wrong with financial success, and the rewards available today have elevated the standard of competition across the world. But history consistently shows that money alone is rarely enough to sustain greatness. The athletes whose careers endure the longest are often those driven by an inner passion to improve, to test their limits, and to chase excellence for its own sake. Financial rewards become the result of that commitment, not the reason for it.

When competition is motivated solely by wealth, its deeper purpose can fade. But when an athlete races with genuine belief, relentless determination, and an unwavering dream, extraordinary performances often follow naturally.

That is why Emil Zátopek's words continue to resonate across generations. His legacy extends far beyond Olympic medals and world records. It lives in every runner who laces up their shoes with a goal that cannot be measured in dollars, every athlete who refuses to surrender when the race becomes painful, and every competitor who understands that the greatest victories begin long before the finish line.

The economics of distance running may have evolved beyond recognition, but the heart of the sport remains unchanged. Every athlete still arrives at the starting line carrying something far more valuable than money—hope in their heart and dreams in their head. Those invisible qualities have always been, and will always remain, the true fuel of greatness.

Winning a major championship is never just about crossing the finish line first. Behind every gold medal lies a carefully crafted race plan, and Josh Kerr's unforgettable Commonwealth Games triumph in Glasgow was a perfect example of tactical brilliance meeting extraordinary finishing speed.

While the final time of 3:54.12 for the mile will be remembered as the official result, the split times reveal a much deeper story—one of patience, precision, and devastating acceleration when it mattered most.

Kerr resisted any temptation to force the pace from the gun. Instead, he settled into a controlled rhythm, allowing the opening stages to unfold naturally. His first four 100-metre segments—14.9, 15.1, 15.3 and 15.1 seconds—brought him through 400 metres in 60.4 seconds, a measured opening that conserved valuable energy while keeping him firmly in contention.

The second lap remained equally composed. Passing 500 metres in 15.3 seconds before recording splits of 15.7, 16.2 and 15.4, Kerr reached 800 metres in 2:03.0. The pace had eased, but that was exactly where the Scottish star wanted to be. Rather than chasing early speed, he was setting the stage for a decisive finish.

Everything changed after halfway.

Kerr gradually increased the tempo with smooth, controlled acceleration. His 900-metre and 1,000-metre splits of 15.2 and 14.9 seconds signalled that the race was beginning to stretch. He then surged through 1,100 metres in 14.3 seconds before covering the next 100 metres in just 13.4 seconds to reach 1,200 metres in 3:00.8.

From there, the home crowd witnessed championship running at its finest.

Instead of fading, Kerr became even stronger. He reeled off three consecutive 100-metre splits of 13.4, 13.4 and 12.8 seconds, dismantling the field with every stride. His final 100 metres were covered in a stunning 12.5 seconds, sealing an emphatic victory and sending the Glasgow crowd into celebration.

The progression of his race was remarkable. After opening with relaxed 15-second splits, Kerr transformed the closing stages into a demonstration of world-class speed endurance. His ability to accelerate continuously over the final 600 metres highlighted not only exceptional fitness but also supreme confidence in his race plan.

Championship middle-distance racing is rarely about producing the fastest possible time from the start. More often, it rewards athletes who understand when to conserve energy and when to unleash everything they have left. Kerr executed that philosophy to perfection.

His split chart paints the picture of a runner who never panicked, never wasted effort, and saved his greatest weapon for the closing stages. It was a textbook display of patience followed by relentless aggression—a combination that turned a tactical race into a memorable Commonwealth gold medal performance.

For aspiring middle-distance runners, Kerr's Glasgow masterpiece offers an important lesson: the strongest finish often belongs not to the athlete who runs hardest from the gun, but to the one who knows exactly when to make their move. On home soil, Josh Kerr timed that move to perfection, producing a performance that will stand as one of the defining moments of the championships.

At just nine years old, Oliver Smith has achieved something extraordinary—not by chasing records or medals, but by proving that determination, compassion, and consistency can create a life-changing impact.

Hailing from Wombwell, on the outskirts of Barnsley, Oliver set himself a remarkable challenge at the beginning of the year. Rather than attempting a single marathon, he decided to complete the equivalent distance of nine marathons over several months. From January 1 to April 26, the young runner covered an incredible 380 kilometres, breaking the distance into manageable daily runs suitable for a child his age.

His routine was built on dedication. Saturdays were reserved for parkrun events, Sundays for junior parkrun, while the remaining kilometres were steadily accumulated throughout the week. Averaging approximately 3.3 kilometres each day, Oliver never lost sight of the goal that inspired every step.

The challenge carried deep personal meaning. Last summer, Oliver's father, Tom Smith, suffered a devastating health setback after losing most of the vision in one eye. Medical examinations revealed a 4-centimetre meningioma wrapped around his optic nerve, leading to a complex 12-hour operation at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield.

Throughout the family's difficult journey, The Brain Tumour Charity provided invaluable guidance, support, and reassurance. Grateful for the help his family received, Oliver decided he wanted to give back in the most meaningful way he could. He launched a fundraising campaign with an initial goal of raising £2,000 to support others facing similar challenges.

What followed exceeded everyone's expectations.

Oliver brought his incredible fundraising challenge to a memorable conclusion at the Mini London Marathon, finishing on the very same day his mother, Hannah Smith, completed her first-ever London Marathon. It was a fitting family celebration of courage, resilience, and perseverance.

By the time Oliver crossed the finish line, donations had soared beyond £16,500—more than eight times his original target. His remarkable achievement captured the hearts of supporters, demonstrating how one young boy's determination could unite an entire community behind an important cause.

For Oliver, however, the journey is far from over. Inspired by the overwhelming support and the difference his efforts have made, he has already begun working toward his next fundraising challenge.

His story serves as a powerful reminder that age is no barrier to making a meaningful difference. Sometimes, the greatest acts of courage are measured not by speed or distance, but by the willingness to take one small step after another for the benefit of others.

Oliver Smith's inspiring journey is more than a fundraising success—it is a testament to the strength of family, the power of kindness, and the extraordinary impact that can begin with the simplest decision to help.

Sometimes the smallest opportunity creates the greatest triumph, and Jamaica's Navasky Anderson proved exactly that with a stunning performance to capture the men's 800m title at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Less than 24 hours after scraping into the final by the slimmest of margins, Anderson produced the race of his life, surging to victory in 1:45.33 to complete one of the most remarkable comeback stories of the championships. His gold medal was not only a reward for exceptional talent but also for courage, determination, and unwavering belief when everything was on the line.

The journey to the top nearly ended in the semifinals. Locked in an intense battle with England's Max Burgin for the final qualification place, Anderson threw himself across the finish line in a dramatic dive, stopping the clock at 1:45.38. That desperate effort earned him the last available place in the final as the fastest non-automatic qualifier, keeping his Commonwealth dream alive by the narrowest of margins.

With another chance in his hands, the Jamaican made sure it counted.

In a fiercely contested final, Anderson displayed outstanding tactical awareness and patience throughout the opening stages before unleashing a devastating finishing kick down the home straight. His perfectly timed acceleration left the rest of the field with no answer as he crossed the finish line first, securing a memorable Commonwealth crown and one of Jamaica's standout victories of the Games.

Australia's Luke Boyes delivered an impressive performance to claim the silver medal in 1:45.93, while Kenya's Wyclife Kinyamal battled strongly to take bronze in 1:46.12 after another highly competitive championship race.

Anderson's unforgettable triumph will be remembered as one of the defining moments of Glasgow 2026—a powerful reminder that championships are not always won by the fastest qualifier, but often by the athlete who refuses to surrender. From a fearless dive that kept his hopes alive to a brilliant gold-medal performance less than a day later, the Jamaican wrote one of the most inspiring chapters of these Commonwealth Games.

Men's 800m Final Results

1. Navasky Anderson (Jamaica) — 1:45.33

2. Luke Boyes (Australia) — 1:45.93

3. Wyclife Kinyamal (Kenya) — 1:46.12

Navasky Anderson arrived in the final as the last man to qualify, but he left Glasgow as the Commonwealth champion—a remarkable transformation that perfectly captures the unpredictable beauty of championship athletics.