Recently, I’ve reached my marathon PB, finishing the race in a 2:44:39 …well, according to Strava.
My official chip time: 2:47:31, which isn’t bad, but for the second year in a row, the organizers couldn’t manage an accurate course measurement. The real distance was somewhere between 42.8 and 43 km.
This was my personal record in a marathon distance, and I thought I would share some insights from this race and how I trained for it in this brief recap.
So, if you are getting ready for your first marathon or just looking for some inspiration and advice from someone who has gone through ups and downs in training and racing, this recap might help.
Preparing for the Marathon
The decision to run this marathon came pretty late — around the end of August. I still had the Svitiaz Half Ironman ahead, the one I share in this IronMan 70.3 race recap, and the marathon was scheduled for October 12. That meant I had about six weeks to prepare for the upcoming race.
The idea was that I would do calm training sessions and cover a total of 60 km per week, with the final 20 km as part of the Ironman start, and I would do it at 3:50. I would do a fast half-marathon as part of the triathlon to understand my current pace and form.
I managed to average 3:52, which felt like a solid starting point to build my training program around. I put my bike away right after the half IronMan and divided those six weeks into small microblocks. The first two weeks were more of a warm-up phase.
Training Load
I started with mostly easy runs to build a base running. After that, I added a week of speed sessions: 20×400 m intervals, three 3 km runs, and two 4 km runs, all at a faster pace.
After that, I gradually increased my weekly mileage, reaching 95–98 km per week. This phase combined easy runs with some speed work, including short intervals, tempo runs, and 3–4 km repeats at race pace. That’s when the first real challenge of the training block hit.
Unfortunately, my knee — the one that had already gone through three surgeries — started hurting again, so I had to skip a few sessions and adjust my training plan. When I came back to Ukraine from Spain, things got worse.
I caught a nasty jet lag after jumping from +30°C and humid air to +2°C, and every run felt miserable. My heart rate was way too high: 130–135 bpm on easy runs, and I barely had the energy to finish even short workouts.
I couldn’t train properly for almost a week. When I finally got back to it, even my usual marathon pace felt like a struggle. During one of the last tune-ups — 5 km at 3:47 pace — my heart rate went off the charts. I knew that if I held that pace for 42 km, I’d crash after 30. Another session in pouring rain at 3:55/km didn’t make me more confident either.
Still, my plan was ambitious: sub-2:45 marathon time. That time is the qualifying mark for major marathons, where you can buy a guaranteed entry instead of relying on the lottery. My goal was to earn that “fast runner” ticket.
Race Day
The day before the race was a rest day. I just slept well and hoped the weather would be better than it was the last couple of days. Luckily, it did. The storm and strong winds from the previous day eased a bit.
But the organization was chaotic. We started in the mud, with 2,500 runners packed into narrow paths. The GPS went crazy, the start was delayed, and for the first 15 km, we were basically stuck in a corridor of people shouting directions like “on your right!” It was messy and frustrating, not what you want at the start of a marathon.
By the 10th kilometer, I realized I couldn’t keep up with the lead pack. They were just too fast. So I dropped back and settled into my own rhythm. The course was hilly, which added to the complexity. At around the 16th kilometer, I slipped on some mud and hurt my knee. I keep on running despite the pain.
I ran mostly alone until a few runners caught me around halfway, and we pushed together for a while. Then a few other guys caught up with me, and we finished together. There were no cramps. Everything was going fine, but at around 35-36 km.
Then, my energy started to fade, my legs got heavy, and even after I took my last gel, it didn’t help much. I lost about 30 seconds between 35 and 40 km, but I’ve managed to pick up the speed in the last 3 kilometers.
The Result
I crossed the line with a chip time of 2:47:31, 27th overall, and 15th in my age group. Strava showed 2:44:39 for 42.2 km, and honestly, that’s the number I’m keeping.
It wasn’t a perfect race. The course was too long for the specific distance race (which is what the marathon is exactly about), the organization was sloppy, and my build-up phase wasn’t perfect. But it was proof that even with setbacks, such as injuries, jet lag, and chaos, consistency and hard work pay off in the long run.
I may not have earned my major marathon qualifying time just yet, but I’m closer than ever.
One thing I realized during this block is that consistency matters more than perfection. Even when I had to skip sessions because of knee pain or illness, keeping up some form of running, even easy miles, made a big difference in my confidence and fitness. It’s better to adapt your plan than to push through and risk injury.
6-Week Marathon Training Plan Example (Inspired by My Marathon Build-Up)
This is an example of a marathon training program inspired by the workouts I’ve been doing to get ready for the race. If you want to create your own marathon training program, start with this marathon pace calculator to estimate your goal time.
Final Thoughts on Marathon Training and Racing
If you’re chasing your own marathon personal best, here are a few lessons I’d take from this experience:
- Start your marathon training early. Six weeks is barely enough for fine-tuning, not full preparation.
- Respect recovery. If you’re injured or sick, rest. Forcing workouts only delays progress, just like in any sport.
- Control your pace. It’s better to start slightly slower and finish strong than to blow up your performance after 30 km.
- Adapt to chaos. Courses, weather, and organization aren’t always perfect — focus on what you can control.
The marathon is as much a mental race as it is physical. And that’s exactly why I love it.
