Knowing the essential tips for running a half marathon are essential while training for your race. You can always download a training plan to get ready for the Mai Dubai City Half Marathon – but expert guidance can help the experience be more effective and positive for you. Training for a half marathon is exciting – it’s a great goal and a fun (but challenging) distance to run. Therefore, we’ve put down the essentials to help you get to the finish line during the Mai Dubai City Half Marathon. 

1. Run for a reason

Training for  a long race can be an arduous endeavor, even if you already have a few of them under your belt. Regardless of whether you’re a total newbie or a seasoned road warrior, ask yourself one simple question: “Why am I doing this?” The answer to that question gives purpose to your chosen pursuit and will serve as your primary motivation throughout the training cycle as well as on race day. Everyone has different reasons on why they signed up for the Mai Dubai City Half Marathon.  Whatever your reason is, remind yourself of them regularly and never lose sight of what crossing that finish line means to you.

2. Don’t Rush

The half-marathon may not require the same amount of training as a marathon, but you should still be careful not to underestimate it and try to cram your training for a few weeks before the Mai Dubai City Half Marathon. If it’s your first time tackling the 21 km distance, you should give yourself about 10 weeks to fully prepare, with five or six weeks of solid base training before that. If you’re not new to half marathons in Dubai and you’ve been running regularly for several years, you may be able to shorten your training to eight weeks, but anything shorter than that and you might be disappointed with your performance. 

3. Plan for Hydration Stops 

This tip is very important. It’s not only important to know where your hydration stops are throughout your race course, but it is important to somewhat parallel your training with similar hydration stops as well. 

4. Be Confident in Your Training

There are dozens of training plans out there that people follow to get them through the half marathon. The most important thing is to research these plans and find one that suits your lifestyle. Follow a program and stick to it and ensure that they are designed to get you ready right on time for the Mai Dubai City Half Marathon. 

5. Have a Race Plan 

It helps to figure out a plan for your race, to avoid going out too fast or not racing to your full potential. Here’s how you can predict your half marathon time, based on a recent race time. Once you figure out your average pace for your goal time, you may have to use a pace bracelet or pace hat to determine what your splits should be at each mile.

Keep in mind that changes in elevation or conditions on the course may lead you to run uneven splits. Therefore, we suggest that you visit Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) at least once before the day of the Mai Dubai City Half Marathon to familiarise yourself with the race route.

Want to join the best running events in Dubai? Check out the events below: 

Mai Dubai City Half Marathon 

The Mai Dubai City Half Marathon is one of the most popular running events in Dubai. The next Mai Dubai City Half Marathon will be held on the 30th of October 2022. To get more details about the next Mai Dubai City Half Marathon event, follow us at @promosevensports on Instagram! You can now also register for the Mai Dubai City Half Marathon here. 

Mai Dubai Community Run

The Mai Dubai Community Run has just concluded last 26th of March. The event will be held again in November 2022. The Mai Dubai Community Run has 2.5 km, 5km, and 10km races available and it’s a family-friendly event which is great if you want to bring your family with you.

Bloomberg Square Mile Relay 

The Bloomberg Square Mile Relay was held in DIFC last 9th of February 2022. The Bloomberg Square Mile Relay is the only corporate race in the world and anyone can enter as a team of 10 for a great team-building activity.

Are you thinking of joining the Mai Dubai City Half Marathon but aren’t sure if you’re ready to conquer your first one? We’re here to help! In this short blog, we’ll be giving you 8 signs that say you are in fact ready to click the ‘register’ button to sign up for the Mai Dubai City Half Marathon.

1. You’ve Finished Other Races 

So you joined the Mai Dubai City Half Marathon last year and you’ve done a 5km race. Perhaps you’ve toed the line at a 10 km or two, and you’re ready for a new challenge. Then you’re ready to join a half marathon! But if the last time you laced up a pair of running shoes was for middle school, you may want to take a step back and start with a lesser distance. A good rule of thumb for first-timers is to make sure you can run three continuous miles, working up from there. Don’t worry because the Mai Dubai City Half Marathon has 5km and 10km races available this 30th of October at DIFC. 

2. You Train at least 3x a Week 

In order to be prepared for a half marathon, you’ll need to log a high number of weekly training miles. If you’re a beginner in running, we don’t suggest immediately training 3x a week. Take it slow and work your way up little by little. In order to avoid injury, it’s important to spread those miles out over more runs throughout the week rather than trying to cram them all into a couple of long runs. Start training today to help you prepare early for the Mai Dubai City Half Marathon.

3. You’re Healthy 

Good health is a definite prerequisite for consistent training and is essential if you want to make it to the start line of a race. Search for healthy meal plans designed specifically for half marathon runners and do strength training whenever you can to help you stay healthy and help your body prepare for the Mai Dubai City Half Marathon. 

4. You’ve Been Consistent The Past 3 Months 

Running a half marathon is no joke. The only way you can ever truly be ready is if you have committed yourself to training consistently for the past 3 months. While the amount of time necessary to train to prepare for a half marathon in Dubai depends on each person, a minimum of 3 months is a good benchmark. Therefore, if you’ve already been running for 20 minutes or more at least 3 times a week for the past 3 months then you’re ready to take your training to the next level and join the Mai Dubai City Half Marathon.

 5. You’re Competitive With Yourself 

The best advice we could give both in running and in life is to ‘Run your own race’. Getting wrapped up in beating other runners wrecks the whole magic of running. Sure, you should use faster runners as inspirational goals, but at the end of the day, you only improve by challenging yourself against yourself. Running a half marathon slower than someone else doesn’t make you any less of a half marathon runner. 

6. You’re Mentally Prepared 

It’s a great thing to be physically prepared for a half marathon but it’s a whole other thing to be mentally prepared. If you want to reach your potential in the half marathon or really at anything hard then you’ve got to dig down a part of yourself that is a little dark and a little uncomfortable. Running for hours on end is hard and on race day you will need to be disciplined and 100% mentally prepared. 

 7. You Just Love Running 

If you know that the process of training will be long and difficult yet you’ve accepted it then you’re ready to join the Mai Dubai City Half Marathon. If you know what you’re signing up for but you know that your love for running is what will keep you going even if every fibre of your muscle is screaming at you to quit then you’re 100% ready to run a half marathon. Register now for the Mai Dubai City Half Marathon, lace up your shoes and enjoy training for the event! 

If you have no idea what the Mai Dubai City Half Marathon is, here’s a short summary. The Mai Dubai City Half Marathon is the most iconic half marathon race in Dubai with over 2,000 attendees every year. The event will be held on the 30th of October 2022 at DIFC and 5km, 10km, and half marathon races will be available. Register here!