Tips for running a marathon from a first timer - Edinburgh Marathon 2025

Taking on a marathon was, without exaggeration, one of the toughest challenges I’ve faced. I picked it precisely because it was beyond my comfort zone and I wanted to see how I did. I thought I’d share some of my thoughts of the run and tips leading up to it.

• Start early and stick to a plan to hit 30km before race day. I’d convinced myself that doing a half-marathons meant I was ready. Wrong. At 28km I went into the wall: legs cramping, brain fog for what next and self-doubt. The physical and mental challenge was hard. Meeting that moment in training would have helped.
• Run in all kinds of weather. During training I was a fair weather runner. Come race day we got hail, sheets of rain, then blazing sunshine (I did burn). My soaked shoes filled and I’d never practised the shuffle strides to get water out. Practise this, and take sun cream.
• Layer up like the military. I shivered on the start line, then baked mid-course, then the rain slapped me and I couldn’t even see. The hail brutally assaulted me. I wish I had packed a rain coat, or at least had a runner pack to store this in.
• Test the food beforehand. On a training I used salt tablets and gels; they were magic on the day. Important to test this beforehand to see how the tummy handles it.
• Bring tech with real power (or the ability to power up). My Apple Watch died at 30km, which meant my music went and I lost my pace maker. This made it hard to pace and I really went overboard. Check your technology in advance.
• Respect the runners’ code. A few people zig-zagged without looking and two went down hard. This helps my strategy early on, go slow to avoid these dangers and then speed up.
• Sip, don’t gulp. Volunteers handed us 250ml bottles of water. First station I gulped half of the bottle of water and paid with stabbing stitches. The fix: two mouthfuls, bottle over the head, move on. Be smart with this.
• Use the loo. Always use the loo. Comfort beats pain while running. And the queues weren’t that bad. The staff did a great job.
• Prepare for vomit (well for me). I crossed the line feeling relief, then a St John Ambulance volunteer offered a sick hat. I filled it immediately, thanked her and nooted off. I felt fine after, I just didn’t think I needed it, but they clearly felt I did. Happens I guess when pushing yourself so hard.
• Cramps are impossible to manage. My Calf seized at around 32km; I hobbled and stretched. I carried ibuprofen to mask the pain. Not a smart move. But it was my only solution.

Those 42.2 kilometres were brutal, but I would recommend running in the Edinburgh Marathon! The staff, the route and the support were excellent. Really made all the difference to moral.