The night before and the morning
- Lay out everything the night before: bib, shoes, gels, watch, the clothes you tested on long runs.
- Eat a breakfast you have tried before long runs, about 3 hours before the start. Something rich in carbohydrate and low in fibre: bread, rice, porridge, a banana.
- Arrive early. Big races take time to get through, and queues for the toilets are long.
- If it’s cold, wear an old layer to the start and leave it behind; many races collect them for charity.
Pacing
The most reliable way to run a good marathon is an even pace, or a slightly faster second half. Every second you bank in the first 10 km is paid back with interest after 30 km.
- 0–15 km: settle at goal pace, or a touch slower. It should feel too easy. “Patience in the first 15 km is the only race plan.”
- 15–30 km: hold the pace. Stay in a group if you can, and run the shortest line through the bends.
- 30–42 km: this is the race. If you have been patient, you can hold on or speed up.
On hills and in heat, run by effort rather than pace. Look up your race on the marathon calendar to see its course and usual weather.
Fuelling
Your body stores enough carbohydrate for roughly 90 minutes to two hours of hard running. After that, what you take in during the race keeps you going.
- Most runners do well with 30 to 60 g of carbohydrate per hour, starting in the first 30 to 45 minutes. Trained runners who have practised it can handle up to about 90 g per hour from mixed sugars.
- Only use what you have tested on long runs.
- Take gels with water, not sports drink, unless you have practised that.
Drinking
Drink to thirst at the stations. Drinking far more than you sweat is dangerous too: it can dilute the sodium in your blood. In hot races, take water early and pour some over your head.
When it gets hard
It will. Break the distance into pieces: the next drink station, the next kilometre marker. Check your form: relaxed shoulders, short steps, arms moving. And remember why you started.
After the finish
Keep walking, drink, eat something salty and sweet, and get warm. Easy days for a week or two; many runners take a week without running at all. Then add the race to your globe.
