In need of some advice please....I'm doing New York in November and due to an ankle break earlier in the year will be run/walking the whole marathon - 5 mins running 1 minute walking.I thought about delaying a year but have put in a lot of training and have raised a lot for my chosen charity.Anyone know how the run/walk program works in a real marathon situation - surely it must be hard to start walking after 5 minutes when runners around you are trying to find their pace - and I pull up for my 1 minute break!!Any thoughts??

I did run/ walk for my first marathon, after ITBS troubles- went with roughly 10 min run, 1 min walk- actually ended up as 1 min walk every mile marker, which was easy to do- move over to the side- or even onto the pavement if available, look round before slowing- try to slow gradualy, not suddenly.It's very difficult to slow to a walk in the first mile of the race- you DO get comments, you'll be laughing on the other side of your face by mile 21, though- as you'll be in better shape than many "runners" by that stage Oh- and be prepared to pass the same person 20 times in the same race, and then they pass you each time you walk!Does NY have a qualification standard?- if it does, like Boston, then it may not be such a good idea, as you'll be very much a the back of the race, otherwise just move to the back of your timed pen, so you don't get trampled in the first couple of miles.

I've recently started run/walking again as I have a niggly shin splint that keeps recurring.  I do find getting into my pace takes much longer when I stop every 5 mins for a walk but the injury is healing and it means I can keep running so to me it's worth it.  If it's the difference between doing the NYM and not doing it and you're genuinely fit enough then do it - it's not as bad as you think it might be!

I have never done run/walk but I think you do need to be prepared at the start to annoy people - put a lot of effort into starting in the right place and moving out of the way of runners or you could be very unpopular - the New Yorkers arent polite and will tell you so I'm afriad.(I would just reschedule but thats me)