Gold Coast, Australia · July
Pacing the Gold Coast Marathon
Flat and fast
A flat out and back along the coast, run in the middle of the southern winter, which on this stretch of Queensland coast means mild and dry. One of the fastest courses in the southern hemisphere.
Official site: dates and entry
Dates, ballots and entry rules change every year and are not listed here. Check the official site.
How to pace it
Flat, well organised, and run in conditions that are usually close to ideal, which puts this firmly in the category of courses where your pacing is the only real variable.
The out and back layout is the feature to plan around. Wind works with you for one half of the race and against you for the other, and because the two legs are of similar length, any time you take from a tailwind is time you will hand back with interest into a headwind while more tired.
This is a familiar pattern on every out and back course, and the answer is always the same: run the outward leg on effort rather than on the number your watch is showing, and do not let a fast early split become a target you feel obliged to defend.
The field is large and quick, and on a flat coastal road with a good forecast the first 5 km is where most of the damage gets done.
Worth knowing
- Wind reverses on you at the turn. Plan for both directions.
- Winter here is mild. Overdressing is a more common mistake than underdressing.
- A fast field on a flat course makes the opening kilometres the danger, not the closing ones.
What the common targets ask for
| Finish | Per km | Per mile |
|---|---|---|
| 3:00:00 | 4:16 | 6:52 |
| 3:30:00 | 4:59 | 8:01 |
| 4:00:00 | 5:41 | 9:09 |
| 4:30:00 | 6:24 | 10:18 |