Why your marathon paces should come from a real run
The single biggest reason a training plan feels wrong is that its paces are guessed. Anchor them on a real run instead.
Plans that ask you to pick a vague fitness level hand you paces based on it. The problem is obvious: you're guessing, and the plan inherits your guess.
A better approach is to anchor your training paces on a recent, honest effort (a parkrun, a 10K, a half). From one real performance we can estimate the others accurately, because endurance fades in a predictable way as distance grows.
That's why The Marathon Clinic asks for a recent run. It turns 'about this fast, maybe' into a set of paces you can actually trust: easy, long, marathon, threshold, intervals. Get the anchor right and the whole plan clicks into place.
If you don't have a recent race, that's fine. Give us your typical weekly volume and we'll start conservative. The moment you log a hard effort, the picture sharpens.
Try it on your own running
“Want your paces set from a recent run? Build a free plan and we’ll set every pace for you, with the effort cue attached, so you can run by feel.”