Goal Pace for Marathon

In article said:

I have been training for the portland marathon and now I have to choose my target pace for the
actual run next sunday. My total distance per week has been about 40 miles per week for the last
month and a half alternating 15 and 20 mile long runs. My training pace for long runs (15-20 miles)
has been an average of 8:45 - 9:00 min/mile for shorter runs (5-7 miles) I ussually run and 8:15 -
8:30, Can anyone reccomend a good pace target for the marathon?

Probably not, since we don't know your previous race times for marathon or other distances, nor
how easy those long runs have been, nor whether your long run course is of comparable difficulty,
easier, or harder than the race's route.

If you've been following the slow end of recommendations, running your LSD at 2 min/mile
slower than marathon pace, then you're looking at 7 min/mile (and a 3:00 marathon). If they're
near your marathon pace, then you're looking at struggling through to a 9 min/mile for the
26.2, and about 4:00 marathon, or maybe a DNF if doing too many fast miles too often catches
up to you on race day.

--
Robert Grumbine radix.net~bobgOpen ↗ Science faqs and amateur activities notes and links.
Sagredo (Galileo Galilei) "You present these recondite matters with too much evidence and ease; this
great facility makes them less appreciated than they would be had they been presented in a more
abstruse manner." Two New Sciences