The ABP Newport Marathon Festival is back on Sunday 13 April with a marathon, half marathon, 10K and Mile race.

With the event just five months away it’s plenty of time for people to train – including those looking to take on the full 26.2 miles.

But for those who are running the distance for the first time, there’s some important things to know.

Race Director, and double Olympic marathoner, Steve Brace, shares his tips:

Start your training early: While everyone’s starting point is different, it’s important you give yourself enough time to train. Follow a good plan that will structure your weekly mileage with a variety of runs, safely upping the distance of your long runs and incorporate strength and conditioning exercises and the all-important taper ahead of race day.

Be realistic: When it comes to your goal setting, it’s important to be realistic. If you have a time in mind that you’d like to complete the race in, make sure it’s achievable based off your fitness level and how your training is going. Remember, life doesn’t always go to plan, so it’s OK to change and adjust your goals as you go.

Hydrate and eat well: Ensuring you’re well fuelled and hydrated is essential. Practise your strategy throughout your training, working out how often you need to take on fuel to keep your energy levels up. Also make sure to test what does and doesn’t agree with you, so you don’t have any nasty surprises on race day. It’s a good idea to look at what fuelling options are available around the course and practise using these products (at Newport we use High5) and start carb loading in the days leading up to the race, ensuring you’re taking on plenty of water too.

Find out more in-depth fuelling advice from Steve here.

Remember to rest: It’s important to let your body rest and recover from your hard work. This will help you to avoid injury and let your body prepare for its next run. Don’t do anything too strenuous on your rest days, instead focus on low impact activities, foam roll and stretch.

Pace yourself: Preparing a good pacing strategy should be part of every marathon runner’s plan. Based on your training, you’ll know what finish time you’re capable of, and you’ll need to pace yourself accordingly. Come race day it’s easy to get swept up in the excitement of the event but one of the biggest mistakes most people make is setting out too quickly, leading to them running out of energy later on.

Remember your ‘why’: While it will give you a huge sense of accomplishment, running a marathon, and the training that goes with it, is tough. There will be times when it feels hard, and you might even think about giving up. When this happens it’s important to dig deep, remember all the reasons you wanted to take part in the first place and how amazing you’ll feel crossing that finish line. If you’re looking for an extra bit of motivation, running for a good cause is a great idea. Knowing the change that can happen with your fundraising efforts will help you carry on.

Enjoy it: Running your first marathon is an incredible achievement and will be something you remember for the rest of your life. Make sure you enjoy it, soak in the atmosphere and no doubt when the pain subsides, you’ll be looking to sign up to the next one.

For those looking for a training plan tailored specifically to them, Run 4 Wales partners with Coopah, the virtual run coaching app that offers instant personalised and adaptable training plans. Those who enter the ABP Newport Marathon Festival can get a two-week free trial using the code ‘R4W’.