I did a search of the forum and didn’t find anything.
I know there are run pacing recommendations like the Jack Daniels VDOT Running Calculator, where you enter a distance and time or pace and the calculator gives estimated paces for different training and/or race distances (assuming you have the training miles for a solid event).
I recently read an article about focusing on your run pacing in a 70.3. It occurred to me that if you’ve never completed one or you failed miserably on the run for the few you have done, you don’t have anything really to go on (like me). I have read to use your marathon pace as a guide for the run (assuming you didn’t blow yourself up during the bike and your nutrition is on).
But I wondered if there were any calculators out there on the web. I searched but most were either like the JD calculator or a total time calculator.
I plugged in my 5k and 10k times from sprint (July) and olympic (June) triathlons into the Jack Daniels calculator. The calculator was spot on for giving me a good pace for my Maine 70.3 half marathon pace for the end of August. I was surprised at how accurate the calculator was.
I recommend the same link to the chart of tri2maxtraining. I found this a long time ago and it has been useful.
Fundamentals of triathlon race pace planning — Tri2Max Coaching LLC
Don’t live and die by it like I did. I would use my 5k time and then it says my 70.3 pace is 7:08 so I would shoot for that exact pace on race day. When in reality I should have gone in with the plan of 7:00-7:20 target pace depending on conditions and how I felt.
That chart is great. I’ve been using it the last few months for training/racing. I think 70.3 run pace should align pretty closely with open marathon pace. What prevents people from getting there in a race? Bad pacing on the bike, not training for a half marathon on tired legs, poor nutrition, and bad pacing early in the run (throw in not adjusting for heat/terrain into this). So many people fly out of transition, run their first mile or two 30 seconds faster/mile than what they’re gonna do the whole thing in, and then post a Strava caption saying their strong bike leg did them in. Sometimes that’s true but that runner could probably hold something in between what they went out in & their overall pace. That pace usually corresponds with open marathon pace or open marathon effort (a lot of run legs are in trash running conditions). The 13.1 miles at the end of a 70.3 should be treated like a marathon both pace-wise and in approach. Go out slower the first third of the race than your goal, settle into a rhythm in the middle of the race at your goal pace, finish strong/pick it up if you have the legs for it. Fuel. Fuel. Fuel.
The ranges in that chart are helpful. Take your open times to find your range. Start off the run leg of your next 70.3 at the slower end of the range and pick it up if you’re feeling good.
Another rule of thumb that has been useful for me is that your triathlon run pace is the open run race pace of the distance longer. 5k, 10k, half marathon, full marathon.
So your sprint distance (5k) pace is your open 10k pace. Your 70.3 run pace is your open marathon pace. Etc
Thanks for posting this. I’ll be using it as a guide and agree with you that allowing a range for your target pace is probably smart. I know if Augusta has a heat index of 100+ degrees I’ll be at the upper end of that target compared to if the conditions are more favorable.
