This is the last article in our 10-week series on how to prepare for a marathon. If you’d like to get the weekly series delivered to your inbox, click here to subscribe. You’ll get the first email (Marathon Training: A Compressed Guide to Everything You Need to Know) within minutes, and then each week get a new email covering the different important aspects of marathon training.
Marathon Race Day Tips
So the big day has almost arrived and you’re excited…maybe a little nervous…and raring to go (hopefully – if you’ve been following your plan!).
It can be nerve-wracking in the lead up to race day – whether it’s your first race or you’re a seasoned runner.
We have some tips ahead of your race to help make sure you have everything you need and don’t have a last-minute ‘oops!’ that throws your day off track.
One or Two Days Before Your Marathon
Make a list of everything you will need on the day so you can tick it off as you go.
Pack your bag the night before so it’s ready and waiting, along with any kit you’ll be wearing the next day.
Don’t use any new kit on race day!
Make sure everything you’re planning to wear has been tried and tested. You may want to wear shiny new kit but you don’t want to risk the chance of chafing from a new sports bra or blisters from brand new trainers.
Check your journey and check for any travel disruptions.
You don’t want to start the day in a panic because the train you were planning to get had planned works to it but you didn’t know.
Check how long your journey will take…
Or you may start your marathon with a sprint to the start line.
Get your playlist ready and make sure any electrical devices you will be taking along are fully charged.
Have a refuelling plan
Have an idea of at which mile you’ll take on fuel and when you’ll re-hydrate to prevent hitting the dreaded wall.
Use the same sports drink/energy gels you’ve used while training.
Ask any seasoned marathoner and they’ll tell you do NOT want an upset stomach during your race.
On the Day of Your Race
Double check your packing list against what’s in your bag and on you before you walk out the door.
Get there in time to do a good warm up – but don’t start your warmup so early that you’re cold by the time you’re scheduled to start.
Remember your pacing! It’s too easy to start too fast because of excitement and/or nerves, and that’s a surefire way to run out of energy early in the race.
Final tip: Relax and enjoy the day.
You’ve worked hard to get to this point – you’ve had weeks and months of training.
You deserve to settle into a good rhythm and enjoy the experience.
When you’ve finished take advantage of any post-marathon recovery massage that’s offered on the day.
If there’s no recovery massage immediately available to you at the race, you can always come for a 30-min recovery massage with us – a lighter flush to encourage the rest and recuperation of the muscles you’ve just used. We find recovery massages are most effective within 24-48 hours of your event.
If you’d like more tips on training and preparing for race day (and how to recover), you can check out our marathon training guides. They’re available on Amazon kindle here, or you can get the whole bundle or review our marathon training packages here.
Congratulations on finishing the series!
If this is the first post you’ve seen, you can sign up here to receive the whole marathon training series, starting with ‘A Compressed Guide to Everything You Need to Know’.