RW: Exactly how do the RW Pacing Groups work

I would be particularly interested if one of the RW experts could tell me the exact splits of last year's sub 4 hour pacing group in the Marathon.

This sort of time is my ambition for FLM 2003 (I was 20 minutes outside it this year) and want to know more about the theory and practice of your pacing groups especially re. the splits.

1. Do you aim for sub 4 on the clock or sub four for 26 miles and 385 yards?

2. Are the splits even - from mile to mile / or at the 10k level / or even the first half versus the second half?

3. If splits are not exactly even, would the pacing group intend to do parts of the race (eg. second half or a particular 10k stretch) at a faster pace than others?

I am as much intrigued by the psychological versus physical aspects of breaking a particular target as anything else. Put another way, is it better mentally to, say, have a couple of minutes spare by the time you cross the halfway mark (psychologically comforting) or is it better to run a slower first half thereby keeping "gas in the tank" for the second?

Thanks very much.

Hello Sterling. Glad to see you're back. Pretty sure they go for sub 4 for the clock. Not sure about the splits - be interested to find that out too, as Im after a sub 4, too. Think it's better to do the negative split thing, ie run faster the second half, as you say, keep a bit of gas in the tank.

BTW, bit serious post for you, Sterling. Will we be digging this one up of the archives in a few months...

Sorry about grammar and spelling above! Blimey, and I do this for a living - yes, that is why I'm such a pauper

Sterling, I answered your post here