The first kilometre is a liar…and so is the first year in school marketing.

There’s a saying in the running world that the first kilometre is a liar.

Let’s break that down.

When you run long distances, the first kilometre is often one of the toughest you’ll face.

Your body and your mind will start making up reasons why you shouldn’t be running.

Aches and pains will materialise. Your breathing will be uneven.

To be honest, it feels kind of terrible.

But when you run through that first painful kilometre, that all starts to go away.

Your body finds a rhythm.

You breathe more evenly.

Those pains miraculously disappear.

Similarly, the first year of working in school marketing is always going to be one of the toughest years you’ll face.

⬅️Bianca in her first year of school marketing.

No matter the industry you were in before you started in schools, nothing really prepares you for that first, brutal year.

You’ll be plunged into a new world that speaks its own language, operates on its own calendar, and moves at a pace that often feels relentless.

At first, it feels overwhelming.

There are unspoken traditions, deeply ingrained cultures, and layers of decision-making that can feel impossible to navigate.

You will say yes to everything and will struggle to keep all the balls in the air.

⬅️Also Bianca in her first year of school marketing.

But just like that first kilometre, if you push through, something shifts.

You start to understand the rhythm of the school year.

You learn when to sprint and when to pace yourself.

The educational landscape begins to make sense.

You’ll start to learn when it’s appropriate to say no.

The things that once felt impossible start to feel a little easier.

So, if you’re in your first year of school marketing, and it feels like you’re gasping for air, know this: the first kilometre is a liar.

Keep running.

I promise, it does get better.