Paris Marathon Debrief

05.07.2010

J’ai couru le marathon de Paris le 11 avril 2010.

Distance Expected Actual Difference

5km 0 :23 :00 0 :23 :10 0 :10

10km 0 :46 :00 0 :46 :21 0 :21

15km 1 :09 :00 1 :09 :07 0 :07

20km 1 :32 :00

Half 1 :37 :04 1 :37 :04 0 :00

25km 1 :55 :00 1 :55 :20 0 :20

30km 2 :18 :14 2 :18 :54 0 :40

35km 2 :42 :24 2 :42 :29 0 :05

40km 3 :06 :34 3 :06 :59 0 :25

Full 3 :16 :38 3 :17 :49 1 :11

My pre-race strategy was to run at a steady 4’36 pace until km 29, then to expect a significant reduction in pace, down to 4’50 or about for the next ten kilometers or so, only hopefully to pick up again in the last couple of kilometers to reach 4’35. This would have resulted in a full time of 3 :16 :38.

In terms of halfs, the first half would have been covered in 1 :37 :04, and the second half in 1 :39 :34, i.e. a positive split of 2 :30.

The split I actually achieved was 3 :41.

Pour ce qui est des ravitaillements, j’ai consomme des gels, du coca, et un peu d’eau.

Le temps perdu se décompose de la façon suivante :

-crowds : 1 :30

-water stops at km 33 and km 40 : 0 :15 + 0 :30

-km 5 water stop : 0 :15

Total time wasted : 2 :30.

Donc le temps effectif, si j’avais mieux su gérer la foule, est de 3 :15 :19

Full to half ratio :

(1) 3 :17 :49 vs. 1 :31 :45 à 2.156

(2) 3 :15 :19 vs. 1 :31 :45 à 2.13

The corresponding speed decline when distance doubles is : 12.962 km/h vs 13.797 km/h = -6.05%. This translates into an expected 10k performance of 14.685 km/h, or 0 :40 :51, i.e. a 4’05 pace.

The marathon to 10k ratio is about 3 :15 :19 vs. 0 :40 :51 i.e. 4.78, which I find a bit on the high side.

The marathon to 10k ratio generally accepted value is 4.66, while for the marathon to half marathon ratio we are talking of a value of 2.11.