Run towards your goal with a pacer!
Do you have a target finish time in mind for the Swedbank Tallinn Marathon? Our experienced pacers will be out on both the Marathon and Half Marathon courses, helping you maintain a steady pace and work towards your goal.
With all the excitement and adrenaline of race day, it’s easy to get carried away and run the first few kilometres faster than planned. That’s where our pacers can help – their job is to maintain a consistent pace and cross the finish line as close as possible to their target time.
Choose the pacer that matches your goal, find them in your start group and get ready to run!
▶︎ Marathon pacers
On the Marathon course, you can follow pacers targeting finish times from 3:00 to 6:00.
▶︎ Half Marathon pacers
For the Half Marathon, pacers will be targeting finish times from 1:30 to 2:30.
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Why run with a pacer?
A pacer can be particularly helpful if you have a specific finish time in mind – or if you know that race-day excitement sometimes makes you start a little too fast. Running with a pacer means you don’t have to keep checking your watch, leaving you free to focus more on how you feel and enjoy the race.
That doesn’t mean you have to stick with your pacer at all costs. Always listen to your body. If you’re feeling strong, you can pick up the pace towards the end. And if race day turns out to be tougher than expected, adjust your pace to what feels manageable.
Advice from our pacers: don’t give it all away in the first few kilometres
One piece of advice comes up again and again from our pacers: don’t start too fast.
Ülo Niinemets, our 3:00 Marathon pacer, recommends checking the course profile and weather conditions before the race and choosing a manageable pace from the very beginning. If you’re already struggling halfway through the marathon, it may be a sign that you went out too fast.
Kaido Vetevoog, our 4:30 pacer, recommends starting with a little in reserve so that, if all goes well, you can run the second half slightly faster than the first.
Olle Rõuk, our 5:00 pacer, points out that it’s particularly easy to run faster than planned during the first half of a marathon, when fatigue hasn’t yet set in. This is where running with a pacer can be especially useful, helping you stay disciplined and stick to your original plan.
Nothing new on race day
This is another piece of advice our pacers agree on.
Tarmo Reitsnik, our 1:45 Half Marathon pacer, puts it simply: don’t experiment on race day.
Marika Roopärg, our 6:00 Marathon pacer, shares the same advice – your gels, sports drinks, running shoes and clothing should all have been tested before race day.
The hard work has already been done. Now it’s time to trust your training.
When it gets tough, take it one step at a time
Whether you’re running the Marathon or Half Marathon, there will probably be a moment when moving forward takes a little more determination.
At those moments, Janno Kaljuvee, our 4:00 Marathon pacer, reminds runners: “Every step takes you closer to the finish line. Keep moving!”
Renna Nelis, our 2:30 Half Marathon pacer, recommends breaking the big goal into smaller ones. If the finish line still feels far away, focus on reaching the next kilometre marker, hydration station or turn. One small goal at a time – and eventually, you’ll be at the finish.
And Tiina Kala, our 2:00 Half Marathon pacer, suggests choosing a simple mantra before the race that you can repeat to yourself when things get tough.
Find your pace and enjoy the race!
There’s one more message that comes through clearly in our pacers’ advice: Tallinn Marathon is a celebration.
The training is done. On race day, trust your preparation, choose a pace that works for you and enjoy the course, the cheering crowds and the atmosphere of the entire marathon weekend.
Choose the pacer that matches your goal and keep them in sight at the start. Together, it’s easier to stay on pace and take those kilometres one by one all the way to the finish line.
See you at the start line!
READ THE MARATHON PACERS’ TIPS →
