Time Segments
Whether or not your training indicates that you'll finish the marathon in two hours or in six hours, it can help to divide the race into time segments. Just as many professional sports divide their events into quarters, innings and rounds, you can feel free to divide your race into your own personalized time segments. Half hour or hour pieces can be much more manageable than an unbroken, marathon-length time.
For four-hour marathoners, breaking the race into one-hour "quarters" not only helps to keep the runner's attention locked into the task at hand, it can help to refresh the mind and body after a rough "quarter" as well. If the third of the four quarters is rough going, it's beneficial to watch the clock shift into a new section of the race, where the story has yet to be written and the hope of a second wind is often realized.
More: Advice From the Front: Lessons from the 2014 USA Marathon Championships
Landmark Legs
Breaking the marathon into different legs based off of course changes and landmarks is a great way to keep from "falling asleep" in the middle of the race. Many larger marathons give a distinctive urban tour of a city, allowing runners to see the different neighborhoods and subdivisions that make up the whole city. Before a race, breaking the 26.2 miles into different legs can allow the runner to not only enjoy the marathon experience more, but to be properly prepared for the tough sections to come.
A great example of a marathon where this strategy is effective is the New York City Marathon. The marathon boasts an urban course that travels through five distinct boroughs and across five bridges, breaking itself into naturally unique pieces.
Foreseeing where the crowd will be heavy, which adds motivation to tired legs, and anticipating where the going will get tough in a lonely section of the course are factors you can take advantage of.
Landmarks don't have to only come from what's on the course; strategically placing your friends and family at specific points on the course can also help to keep your energy high. Even if you're feeling low at mile 18, knowing you've got friends and family at mile 20 and again at the finish can be enough to keep you going.
No matter how you break the marathon down in your mind, the distance of the race is daunting. It's supposed to be. That's what gives the marathon its allure. If you strengthen your mind as well as your body, you'll be better equipped to meet the challenge of the marathon.
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