The Pacing Strategy That Stops You Blowing Up (Oceans 21k)
Six weeks. One goal. Two Oceans Half Marathon is getting real! The difference between a strong finish and a painful blow-up often comes down to one thing: pacing.
In this episode of the Southern Cross Podcast, Jamie and Ntutu break down how to pick a realistic goal time, build a smart pacing strategy, and avoid the classic mistake that ruins half marathons: “banking time” early.
You’ll learn:
- What half-marathon effort should actually feel like (the “comfortably hard” sweet spot)
- How to pace for a negative split (finish faster than you start)
- Why conditions (heat, wind, hills, crowds) should change your pace, but not your effort
- A simple way to chunk the race so 21.1km feels manageable
- How 5K/10K times + time trials can help you set a goal you can truly execute
In this episode of the Southern Cross Podcast, Jamie and Ntutu break down how to pick a realistic goal time, build a smart pacing strategy, and avoid the classic mistake that ruins half marathons: “banking time” early.
You’ll learn:
- What half-marathon effort should actually feel like (the “comfortably hard” sweet spot)
- How to pace for a negative split (finish faster than you start)
- Why conditions (heat, wind, hills, crowds) should change your pace, but not your effort
- A simple way to chunk the race so 21.1km feels manageable
- How 5K/10K times + time trials can help you set a goal you can truly execute
Creators and Guests
Host
Jamie Hattingh
Strength & Conditioning Coach, Sport scientist and strength & conditioning specialist with a passion for helping athletes move better and feel better through exercise. Key Achievements BSc: Sport Science Honours degree from the University of Pretoria (2023), Currently enrolled in MSc Sport Science at the University of Stellenbosch, Former competitive swimmer with high-performance team experience.
Host
Ntutu Letseka
Physiologist & Running Coach, Molecular biologist combining his scientific background with his passion for endurance sport, bringing science and education to coaching. Key Achievements: Master's degree in Molecular Biology (Evolutionary & Population Genetics) from WITS University. Lecturer in Biochemistry, Genetics & Microbiology at the University of Pretoria Passionate about helping recreational runners improve through science-backed training.
