London Marathon coach. Built for negative-split execution.
London is one of the fastest marathon courses on earth — but only if you race it patiently. I coach runners targeting a Good For Age place, a sub-3, or a first London finish, with a build that punishes the urge to go out hot and rewards the runner who's still moving past the 21-mile mark on the Embankment.
London is fast. Not easy.
London has the World Marathon Majors' fastest average finish time for a reason: flat profile, big crowds, and elite pacing groups. But the course also has Tower Bridge bunching, the Canary Wharf u-turns, and a long, exposed Embankment finish that catches anyone who paced the first half on adrenaline.
Training for London means building the aerobic ceiling to run a fast marathon and the discipline to execute a negative split. We do both — and we rehearse the specific pacing problem London creates: how to handle a 5K split at mile 13 that's 30 seconds faster than goal.
How I coach this build
12–16 weeks of base before any marathon-pace work. London rewards the highest aerobic ceiling — that's what we build first.
Every long run in the peak block is split: easy first half, marathon-pace second. Your body learns to settle and surge in the right order.
One threshold session, one long run with race-pace work. Three hard days a week is how runners over 35 get hurt before April.
London in April can be 5°C or 22°C. We rehearse fuelling and clothing for both. Race day is not the day to figure it out.
Tower Bridge surge, Canary Wharf turns, Embankment headwind. Every mile of the course gets a pacing target before race week.
Three-week taper with sharpening intensity, big volume cut, mental rehearsal. You should feel restless on race week.
A sample peak-build week
Week 12 of a 16-week build for an athlete chasing a sub-3 London Marathon. Roughly 55 miles, two quality sessions, one long aerobic run with marathon-pace work.
Get the free London Pacing Guide.
The same race-day pacing framework I use with athletes targeting a sub-3 or GFA London finish. PDF, no fluff.
- Mile-by-mile pacing template at five goal times
- Fueling schedule synced to the London aid stations
- Tower Bridge / Canary Wharf / Embankment tactics
- Weather adjustment scenarios
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Most of the roster is remote — you get the same plan, weekly review, and race-day calls regardless of where you live. Athletes in the UK occasionally meet on long-run weekends, but it's never required.
London is fast but not flat — Tower Bridge bunching, Canary Wharf turns, and the Embankment headwind all cost time if you don't pace conservatively in the first half. The fitness ceiling is Berlin-fast, but the race demands more discipline. We train for negative-split execution, not a hot start.
London Marathon GFA standards are tighter than Boston for younger age groups. We build to your specific standard with a 3–5 minute cushion, since GFA cut-offs are tightening every year.
London in April is unpredictable — 5°C and rainy or 22°C and sunny. We rehearse fuelling and clothing scenarios in your peak block so race day isn't your first test of either.
16–20 weeks before race day for a focused build. If you're chasing a sub-3 or sub-3:30 for the first time, start 12 months out with a base phase before the build.
Training plans start at $75 one-time. 1:1 coaching billed every 4 weeks: Aurora $250, Phoenix $350, ThunderBird $750 (capped at 4 athletes).