Running a marathon is an extremely difficult thing physically and mentally–being prepare can be the difference between being able to succeed or not. There is a long checklist that you should follow explicitly in order to be fully ready to meet your goal.

To begin with, if at all possible, run one or more of your long training runs on the race course. You’ll learn how to get there, where to park, and what the site is like.

Run over the last half-mile of the course at least twice. This is the most important part of the course to know.

Many runners will run segments of the course on several different long runs. Visualize your line-up position.

First-time racers should line up at the back. If you line up too far forward you could slow down faster runners.

You want to do this first race slowly in order to make sure you have a good experience. You will be taking your walk breaks as you did during training, and you will probably need to stay at the side of the road.

If there is a sidewalk, you can use this for your walk breaks. No matter what, don’t run the day before the race.

You will not lose any conditioning if you take two days off from running leading up to the race. Don’t even walk around for more than two hours.

Some races require you to pick up your race number and your computer chip at the expo the day before. Other races allow you to pick up your materials on race day.

Certain races sponsor a dinner the night before. At the dinner you can talk with runners at your table and enjoy the evening.

Make sure you don’t eat much, however. Many runners mistakenly assume that they must eat a lot the night before.

This is actually counterproductive. It takes at least thirty six hours for most of the food you eat to be processed in your body and turned into fuel for the race.

But eating too much, or eating the wrong foods for you, can be a real problem. A lot of food bouncing up and down in your gut when you race is stressful.

Carbohydrate “loading” the night before can lead to carbohydrate “unloading” on the course itself. The evening before your long training run is a good time to practice your eating plan, then replicate the successful routine for the race.

When it comes to drinking, drink when you are thirsty the day before the marathon. If you have not had a drink of water or sports drink in a couple of hours, drink half a cup to a cup (four to eight ounces) each hour.

Do not drink a lot of fluid the morning of the race. This can lead to bathroom breaks during the marathon, which will cost you valuable time.

Many races have portable toilets around the course, but some don’t–you don’t want to be caught without one! A common practice is to drink six to ten ounces of fluid about two hours before the race.

Usually this is out of the system before the start. Practice your drinking routine before and during long runs, and use the pattern that works best for you.

When it comes to a meal the night before, eating is optional after six p.m. If you are hungry, have a light snack you have tested before that has not caused problems.

Less is better, but do not go to bed hungry. It is a good idea to have eight ounces of a good electrolyte beverage about two hours before you go to bed the night before your marathon.

Pack your bag and lay out your clothes the night before so you do not have to think or prepare much on race morning. Make sure that you have your watch, socks and shoes, shorts and a top, your race number properly pinned to your shirt, and a few extra safety pins to be safe.

Make sure that you have enough water for both before and after. You will probably be quite hungry after, so pack some food.

Having bandages, Vaseline, and any other first-aid items you may need is also a good idea. Always carry cash for your registration, parking, food, and more.

Make sure you are mentally prepared–whether that means meditating, praying, or just infusing your mind with positive thoughts. Now that you are physically and mentally ready, the last thing you need to do is just to have fun.

More Marathon Articles

Share this page: