A marathon is not just 42.195 kilometres. It’s also a mental and physical journey where there almost always comes a point when your body starts to protest. Your legs feel heavy, your energy drops, and doubt can begin to creep in.

That’s completely normal. The question is not if it will hurt – but what you do when it does. Because this is exactly where your race truly begins.

We’ve asked elite runner Jacob Dahl to share his best tips on how to stay focused and keep going when it starts to hurt out on the course.

Before the race:

Check the weather forecast – Race Day might be warm
You may have nailed all your training sessions in perfect, cool spring conditions. Expectations are high. But if Copenhagen shows its warmer side on race day, the conditions suddenly change. Your body uses more energy to regulate its temperature, so you may need to adjust both your pacing strategy and your expectations.

Tame your ego
When the adrenaline is pumping, the atmosphere is high, and your legs feel light, it’s easy to go out too fast. But keep your ego in check from the start – even if it’s hard. It can be a crucial decision to avoid hitting the wall. Because once you hit the wall, you’re often past the point where you can return to your planned pace – at that point, it’s mostly about damage control.

When the pain hits:

Look up and use the crowd
When you hit the wall, it’s easy to feel left behind. So lift your gaze. The crowds in Copenhagen are incredible and can give you a mental boost exactly when you need it most. Use their energy to take your mind off your body for a moment.

Remember the cold and wet months
What a tough winter it’s been. Think about all the runs you’ve already completed in sleet, snow, and darkness – and how many hours you’ve put into this. That work shouldn’t go to waste just because it hurts now.

Visualise your familiar routes
Calm the feeling of chaos. Forget how many kilometres you’ve already run – or how many are left. You definitely have a favourite route that matches the distance ahead. Picture it and carry that feeling with you.

Show what you’re made of
My proudest races aren’t always the ones with the best times. They’re the ones where I had to shift my mindset along the way and still finish. That creates a kind of self-respect that, in its own way, is greater than simply executing your race plan.

The joker:
Leg cramps are every runner’s fear. But a shot of pickle juice has been shown to help. The sharp taste can, in some cases, trigger a reflex in the nervous system that reduces cramping. So consider bringing a small shot with you on the course.