Run coaches are calling out a common misconception about how to handle marathon pacing. The idea that runners should “bank time” early in a race to guarantee a finish time is wrong, and experts say it usually leads to a slower finish than if the athlete had stuck to a steady pace from the start. Greg McMillan, founder and head coach of McMillan Running, explains that banking time involves running faster and harder in the early miles to save time for the end of the event. This approach frequently fails, and coaches guarantee the final stretch of the race will not go well.
Elisabeth Scott, a run coach and founder of Running Explained, notes that banking time is distinct from simply falling off pace later in the race. When runners push harder than their bodies are prepared for, they burn through energy stores much faster. This depletion means they will not have the fuel required for the later miles. The increased effort also causes damage to the legs earlier in the event, making it nearly impossible to continue at a high level.
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“There is a lot of muscle damage [in a marathon], and the faster you go, the more stress there is,” McMillan says. He explains that the normal muscle tears experienced during running will ramp up earlier. “A marathon is not a heavy-breathing workout,” he adds. “Marathon pace is supposed to feel easy—not like your legs (or lungs) are working in overdrive.” If a runner starts the race at an effort that feels hard to maintain, they can almost guarantee a “bonk” or a dramatic slowdown.
The psychological toll of burning through energy too quickly is significant. When physically fatigued, the mental challenge increases. Instead of focusing on moving through the later miles, runners battle negative thoughts and question their earlier decisions. This mental fatigue can make it difficult to pick up the pace when it matters most. The simple math behind the strategy often fails as well. If a runner targets a 4:10 marathon and slows down by four to five seconds per mile toward the end, they might run closer to 4:12. However, if they bank time by running 10 to 20 seconds faster early on and then blow up, they could start slowing down by a minute or more per mile, turning a 4:10 race into a five-hour finish.
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Training to Avoid the Early Surge
A lack of confidence in their ability often drives runners to bank time. Scott says that the right types of workouts during training can set athletes up for success. “You want to get to the starting line feeling like you don’t have to try anything stupid or crazy,” she says. “Just trust yourself to run a smart race.”
Coaches recommend three specific workouts to help runners control their pace. A progression run forces athletes to hold a more conservative pace and then speed up later. On a 10-mile run, athletes should start at a rate of perceived exertion (RPE) of 2 or 3, then pick up the pace to an RPE of 6 or 7 for the last four miles. Goal-pace mile repeats help runners know what it feels like to run at their target speed on both fresh and tired legs. Scott suggests running 6 x 1 mile at goal marathon or half marathon pace with 90 seconds of rest. Finally, long runs with goal pace segments, such as running easy for 5 miles followed by 3 x 1 mile at goal race pace, help the body adapt to running fast on tired legs.
