The marathon is not to be taken lightly, and even if you have clocked up the training miles, that is still no guarantee of success. To succeed at any level in a marathon requires building up your mileage gradually, but also attention to detail of the following as you get nearer to race day:

• Pace planning
• Mental preparation
• Tapering
• Racing strategies

To perform at your best in a marathon relies on you getting absolutely everything right on the day. Unlike a 5k, 10k or even a half-marathon, if it does not go well, there is not always another one around the corner to redeem yourself, even if you were up to the task of running another one so soon. That's why getting it right on the day becomes so important. The following tips should ensure that you don't fail on the big day.

Planning is everything

Race day is what you've worked for for months, so leave nothing to chance. Think about how will you travel to the race start? Where wil you park? Is there somewhere to leave your baggage? What is the registration procedure? All these questions need to be dealt with so that you can free your mind and focus solely on the race.

Know the marathon course

Yes, it's 26.2 miles (or 42.16km), but what do you know about the route? Where are the hill sections and how many are there? Where are the drinks stations, or where do you think you might you need to position a friend along the course to supply you with energy drinks? Ideally, you'd want to have run part of the route or driven it beforehand, but this is not always possible, in which case finding out as much as you can from other sources will be invaluable.

Tapering for your marathon

Failure to taper properly is responsible for many a poor marathon performance. Tapering is the opportunity for you to scale back your training in the final few weeks to allow your body to recover for the race. Tapering doesn't mean doing no training at all, but means following a carefully structured taper program that allows your body to recover well. A well executed taper can give you between a 5% and 10% improvement overall, so follow the tapering guidleines in your plan.

Be prepared for the weather

You need to be prepared for whatever weather comes your way on race day. Some marathons come at a time when the weather could be anything from snow to a glorious sunny day. Think about some of the strategies that you have employed on previous training runs, whether it be extra hydration on a warm day, or layering on a cold day. By being prepared you've eliminated one of your areas of uncertainty and made you chances of success far greater.

'Imagine' running success

An often overlooked area of preparation is mental training. Visualisation techniques where you 'imagine' positve images of you running can help performance. Imagine yourself running with good form all the way to the finish. Thinking positively will help rid you of any thoughts of failure. When the going gets tough during your race, recall these positive images and they will help you get through any rough patches.

Fuel your running

For endurace races, the runner will need to have stored glycogen in their liver and muscles through carbohydrate loading. The more carbohydrate that you can store, the longer it will be until you hit the dreaded 'wall'. Focus on a high carbohydrate intake in the run-up to your race and try to keep your stores topped up as you run by taking on board energy drinks at regular intervals.

Pace yourself well

As anyone who watches athletics on TV will know, the athlete who heads off from a distance race at  fast pace from the start very rarely if ever wins. Start off too fast and you'll pay for it later on, especially in the marathon. Before the race, calculate your splits (either by mile or km intervals) and practice running at that pace until it is locked into into your psyche. On the day of the race, write your splits on the back of your hand and check your pace as you run.

Keep focus

Keeping your focus for the duration of marathon isn't easy, especially when tiredness creeps in, but by concentrating, this will help you save energy by keeping your running efficient. It will also help you follow the shortest route around the course. Race measurers always measure diagonally corner to corner, so cutting the bends is a surefire way of save you time and energy, which can be especially important when running 26.2 miles!

Having put so much effort much effort into your training and the the taper phase, the last thing you want to do is blow your chances by not preparing correctly. By paying attention to all the tips outlined above is guaranteed to improve your performance, whether your aim is just completing the race or you are going for a PB. Your opportunity to run a marathon doesn't come around frequently, so make sure that you aren't left with regrets after running yours.