Early Access · Founding Runners
Finishing a marathon isn't a fitness question.It's whether you let yourself stop.
Your body can cover 26.2 miles. It's your head that talks you out of it.
Pacer is the marathon companion for the part no plan covers. Keep whatever training plan you're already using — Pacer runs alongside it, learning what motivates you, talking to you while you run, and getting you through the moments where most first-timers stop.
Founding Runner places: 100
Limited to the first 100.
Built for first-time marathoners. Limited early access.
Long run · Mile 9
"Let's just get through the next ten minutes."
26.2 miles. Months of training. Hundreds of questions. One Pacer.
The problem
Marathon plans tell you what to run. They don't help you through it.
You can download a marathon plan in seconds. What it can't tell you is whether you're doing okay.
It can't reassure you after a terrible long run. It doesn't know you're terrified about your first 20-miler. It can't talk you out of quitting at mile 18. And it doesn't know why crossing that finish line matters to you.
Pacer was built for everything between the sessions on the spreadsheet.
- "Am I running too fast?"
- "I've missed my long run. Have I ruined everything?"
- "Why does everyone else seem faster than me?"
- "What if I can't finish?"
- "How am I going to run another 10 miles?"
- "What pace should I actually run on race day?"
- "Can I really do this?"
The difference
Already have a training plan? Perfect.
Whether you're using Runna, Garmin, a coach, a running club, a spreadsheet or a plan downloaded from the internet, keep using it.
Pacer isn't asking you to start again.
It adds the personal coaching, reassurance, motivation and race-day support that a static plan can't give you.
Your training plan
What to run
Pacer
Someone to run it with
01 · It gets personal
Generic motivation doesn't work. Personal motivation does.
Pacer learns why you're running your marathon. What you're scared of. What tends to make you struggle. Who you're running for. What you've already overcome. And what actually motivates you when things get difficult.
Long run · Mile 14
"You told me you signed up for Sophie. She's watching at mile 22. That's an hour away. You can do an hour."
Not "keep going, you've got this." Something that actually means something.
02 · With you while you run
Most running apps talk to you before or after your run. Pacer comes with you.
Pacer uses what's happening in your run and what it already knows about you to give useful guidance while you're actually running. Not constant chatter. Not robotic motivational clichés. Just help when it matters.
You're pushing harder than you need to. Relax the shoulders and back off slightly.
Perfect. Don't chase the pace. Hold exactly this effort.
That last kilometre was tough. Forget the rest of the run for now. Give me ten more minutes.
Easy run · 32:14
6:32
min / km · current pace
Distance
4.92 km
Heart rate
142 bpm
Target
6:30 – 6:50
Time
32:14
Pacer
Perfect. That's exactly where we want you. Relax the shoulders and hold this effort.
03 · When it gets hard
One button for the moment you don't have the words.
Every runner eventually has one of those moments. The run feels awful. Your confidence disappears. You want to stop. You don't want to navigate menus or explain what's wrong.
Tap I NEED HELP and Pacer responds using the context of your run and what it knows about you. Sometimes that's practical: "slow down for the next kilometre, take your gel, get some water and reset."
Sometimes you simply need reminding: "remember that 18-mile run three weeks ago? You thought you couldn't finish that either. You did."
Intelligent reassurance. Not empty positivity.
04 · The mental side
Marathon training can feel surprisingly lonely.
A niggle. A missed week. A horrible long run. Seeing everyone else's runs on Strava. Your first 20-miler. Fundraising pressure. Race-day nerves. Wondering whether you're actually capable of doing this.
Often the people around you simply don't understand why any of it feels like such a big deal.
Pacer does. And you're not alone.
Together
You're not alone.
23 runners training for their first marathon said they're nervous about their first 20-mile run this week.
Real human support
And sometimes you don't need another metric. You just need someone to ask.
Pacer is planned to connect you with real people from the Pacer team via message — for general running and training questions, in the run-up to your marathon.
Anything medical will always be directed to appropriate qualified healthcare professionals.
05 · Your people come with you
Some motivation shouldn't come from an algorithm.
Before race day, the people who matter to you can leave messages for Pacer to deliver when you may need them most.
A partner. A child. A parent. A friend. Someone you're running for.
Mile 21.7
"Dad, if you're hearing this, you're nearly there. We're waiting for you at the finish. We love you."
Mile 20 · London
Ellie sent
you a message.
Ellie · your daughter
Recorded 3 days ago
"Hey Dad. It's Ellie. You're doing amazing. Keep going. I love you."
06 · Race day
26.2 miles is a long way to run alone.
You don't have to.
By race day, Pacer already knows you. It knows what pace feels sustainable. It knows what motivates you. It knows where you tend to struggle. And it knows what this finish line means to you.
Pacer stays with you through the race — helping you stay controlled early, manage the difficult patches and keep moving when things get hard.
Mile 1
Hold back.
Mile 13
You're right where you need to be.
Mile 22
Now we get to work.
Race day · London
3:12:47
Mile 18.4
On plan
Pacer
You're exactly where we planned to be. The next mile has a small rise — hold effort, not pace.
Why I built Pacer
It's the app I wish I'd had.
I remember training for my first marathon and having hundreds of tiny questions nobody really prepares you for. Am I running too fast? Is this supposed to feel this hard? Have I ruined everything by missing that run? Why does everyone else look fitter than me? How on earth am I going to run 26.2 miles?
There are brilliant plans that tell you how many miles to run. But marathon training is about far more than mileage. I wanted something that understood the runner as well as the running — something that was there during the bad runs, the doubts, the nerves, the start line and, eventually, the finish line.
So I started building Pacer.
What's next
And yes, we're working on training too.
Longer term, our goal is for Pacer to understand your entire marathon journey — including personalised training that can adapt as your fitness, confidence and life change. But we don't want to build another generic marathon plan.
We're starting with the part we think runners are missing most: someone who actually understands the journey you're on.
Founding Runners will help shape what comes next.
How it works
How Pacer works
- 01
Tell Pacer about you
Your marathon, your running, your worries, your goals and why you're doing it.
- 02
Take Pacer running
Use whatever training plan you already follow. Pacer comes with you.
- 03
Pacer learns you
The more you run together, the more personal the support becomes.
- 04
Reach the start line together
Training nerves, bad runs, missed sessions and all.
- 05
Race together
Your Pacer stays with you through 26.2 miles.
- 06
Cross the finish line
That's the whole point.
Founding Runners
Become a Founding Runner — £5
We're opening Pacer to a small group of runners first. Reserve your place in the first group of runners helping us build Pacer. Your £5 deposit will be fully credited against your first Pacer subscription when we launch.
- ◆ First access to Pacer
- ◆ Founding Runner pricing
- ◆ Help shape how Pacer supports runners
- ◆ Early access to in-run and race-day features
- ◆ £5 fully credited against your first subscription
26.2 miles is a long way to run alone.
You don't have to.
Become a Founding Runner — £5Founding Runner places: 100
Limited to the first 100.
Pacer
Your marathon · Your pace · Your Pacer
Not ready to commit?
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