PACE YOURSELF

For one glorious day every April, more than 40,000 runners line up for the Virgin Money London Marathon in a show of individuality, togetherness, determination, passion and joy. They run for themselves, for others, for one reason, for a million reasons, and all at their own pace

What makes London one of the greatest marathons on the planet? The runners. The hordes of heroes tackling roads, weather and personal boundaries is exactly why New Balance is so proud to be the new official clothing and footwear partner of Virgin Money London Marathon.

As part of its commitment to the marathon, New Balance has partnered with the famed Runner’sworld pace team, who have been helping people hit their race targets for 20 years. There’ll be 43 pacers decked out in New Balance kit and sporting easy-to-spot flags, running everything from sub-3 hours to ‘get-you-round’ pace, so look out for them. They’ll be at the back of each start pen beforehand and will be running at exactly the same pace all the way round, like the machines they are – all you have to do is pick your pacer and follow. It’s free and it’ll make your race a whole lot easier.

Before the big day arrives, make sure you’ve stocked up on the correct footwear to help you prevent injury disasters. Always go by comfort: is the fit close but not restrictive? Is the cushioning sufficient? Are they light enough? Ticking these boxes can be the difference between failure and greatness. And everyday greatness is what New Balance are all about.