How can the London Marathon help with your exams?

Months and months of preparation and hard work, all leading up to one moment… for once we're not talking about your exams… we're talking about the London Marathon!

For thousands of runners, this Sunday, 26 April, will be the moment all their effort hopefully pays off as they cross the finish line on The Mall and take home the prestigious London Marathon finishers' medal.

But what can you learn from the London Marathon runners and their time spent training, and how can you put this into practise during your revision for exams? Lace up your trainers as we're about to race through some tips to help you in the run-up to your exams!

Put a revision plan in place to avoid burnout

Running any long distance race requires proper planning, with runners often putting a training schedule into place to help them reach their goals safely and avoid injury or burnout. Making a revision timetable can be really beneficial in helping you properly pace your studies in the lead up to, and during your exams.

Just like runners might focus on hill training or speed sessions, focusing on one topic at a time rather than multiple subjects at once could help you manage your time better. Your timetable can also be tailored to meet your needs – choose a time of day that you work best, some people may prefer revising in the morning so that they can relax in the evening, others might revise better after dinner. Find out what works for you and give it a go!

We've got lots of tips on how to structure your revision timetable, with downloadable templates here.

Get some exercise

Many runners talk about the benefits of a run for helping to improve their mental health, but exercise, like running, can also help improve your relationships with friends and family, your sleep, and even your studies – so it's a good idea to schedule exercise into your revision timetable if you make one.

Exercise will feel like less of a chore if you are having fun whilst being active. But if running isn't for you, then you could try riding a bike, dancing, gardening, jumping on a trampoline, hula hooping, climbing, skateboarding and roller sports, swimming or going for a brisk walk.

You can find out more about the benefits of exercise here.

Eat a balanced diet during your revision

Marathon runners need to eat the right foods to keep them fuelled – BBC food suggests eating more carbohydrates to help you through a long run. Just like a runner, eating the right food during your revision can help make or break those study sessions.

Dr Radha gave us some top tips on the best things to eat to get you through those long hours of learning. She recommends eating a balanced diet, with fibrous foods such as vegetables and dark leafy greens, as well as protein like fish that are high in omega-3 fats. Whole grains like brown rice and porridge are good for keeping your blood sugar levels stable. Radha also says that food that is high in vitamin C is great for your immune system, so a good revision snack could be an orange, some blueberries or blackberries.

You can find more of Dr Radha's tips for a healthy diet whilst revising here.

We also have some easy recipes for revision time.

Sleep is a revision superpower

After finishing the London Marathon runners will need lots of rest to properly recover, and a good night's sleep will be on the to-do list of many of the finishers of Sunday's race. If you are studying for exams, then rest and sleep can be super beneficial for you too.

Learning expert, Dr Carolina Kuepper-Tetzel told us that as well as helping you regain strength and energy, sleep can actually help you learn better. This is because during sleep, the things you've recently studied get incorporated into your long-term memory, which makes it easier for you to recall the information later on.

Putting a routine in place can really help you to ensure you have a relaxing evening and a good night's sleep. The NHS says that avoiding screens for 30-60 minutes before bed can help improve sleep quality. Instead of scrolling through your phone before bed, you could have a chat with a family member. It can be good to talk through your day, and a chat with your family could be a positive and relaxing way to end it.

Remember, revision season is a marathon not a sprint, and Bitesize Study Support is here to help you to the finish line with plenty of study strategies and exam essentials.

If you need support

You should always tell someone about the things you’re worried about. You can tell a friend, parent, guardian, teacher, or another trusted adult. If you're struggling with your mental health, going to your GP can be a good place to start to find help. Your GP can let you know what support is available to you, suggest different types of treatment and offer regular check-ups to see how you’re doing.

If you’re in need of in-the-moment support you can contact Childline, where you can speak to a counsellor. Their lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

There are more links to helpful organisations on the BBC Bitesize Action Line page for young people.