These are our tips for marathon race day. You’ve done everything you can to get to the event, these will help you get over the finish line!
Our last top tips article went through what to do in the lead up to race day, but what to do on race day itself? Here we look at the big day itself
BE PREPARED FOR THE WEATHER
If all your training runs have been in the cold and rain and it’s forecast to be hot, as most springtime marathons tend to be, make sure you have a strategy in place. Wear sun cream, cap and sunglasses. Consider taking salt tablets to help with correct hydration, they significantly reduce the chance of cramp and overhydration. Make sure all your kit is fitting well and if you are prone to rubs then use anti chafe cream, and cut those toenails. Feet swell on long runs and more so during the heat. Toe bang is 100 times worse with long toenails!
BE HONEST ABOUT WHERE TO START
It’s amazing how competitive runners can be in the starting pens. For the elite few a few seconds can make the difference between podium places or not, but for most runners on the day, it won’t. However, if you want to finish close to your expected time then you need to choose the appropriate timed starting pen. Now is not the time to be shy and claim you are a 5hr runner, when your last training run would put you on course for a 3hr finish. Be realistic and gently jostle your way into the correct pen and the correct position within it.
RUN TO FEEL
Unless you are a seasoned pro and your race expectations are finessed to perfection, there will be a lot of unknowns on race day. Commonly we are told to ‘not go out too fast’ because you will ‘hit the wall’, but this needs some context. If you executed your marathon training plan well, you will have experience of running +20miles in training, providing a strong endurance base. If so, and you find yourself running the first 6 miles quicker than expected due to being swept along with the crowd, don’t panic and instantly put the breaks on. The one thing training can never simulate is the adrenaline that comes from race day itself. It’s similar to a home team advantage in football, it’s a very real and proven thing, so allow it to naturally happen. The first 6 miles tend to be a bundle of excitement, adrenaline and jostling for position, so if you have gone out quick, after 5-6miles just let yourself naturally settle into a more familiar pace.
However, if didn’t execute your training plan, and didn’t get any of those crucial long runs in, then this is where caution needs to be used. You will need to temper that excitement. Without an endurance base, around 20 miles the infamous ‘wall’ will appear. In that scenario start cautiously.
BE CONSISTENT
Nobody wants to reach the finish line feeling they could have done more, especially missing out by a few seconds on a target time. What pace should you aim for? Experience really will help, but not just race day experience. Do a realistic assessment of your longer training runs. For a crude measurement of your predicted marathon time, multiply your half marathon time by 2.19.
For example: Half marathon race of 1hr 45: 105minutes*2.19 = 230minutes: 3hrs 50minutes marathon prediction.
The best strategy is to run a consistent pace for every mile. Negative pacing is either for those who ran too slowly in the first half or are on form for a sprint finish. Consistent pacing = consistent effort = efficiency. However, we are humans and fatigue both mentally and physically will get slower in those last 6-7 miles. If you have run the first few miles quicker due to adrenalin this will give you a buffer. Once in the last few miles of the finish, it’s time to dig deep and fight off the urge to slow down. Everyone, has a sprint finish in them for up to 10 seconds whatever the distance, and don’t forget that 0.2 miles (26.2) in your overall calculation!
HAVE A PLAN A, B, and C
Your A strategy is what you want to achieve if all the stars align. It may be to finish in a set time, achieve a negative split, remain consistent pacing throughout. Its personal to you, but it should also be realistic. If all your training suggests a 4hr marathon may be possible, you’re A strategy shouldn’t be for a 3hr30. Your B strategy is an achievement that isn’t quite perfection, but is still great. May be a slower time. It may be to be within a certain time, but also have executed your nutrition strategy. It may be to have done at least three miles at goal pace. Your C strategy is a way of finding positive when it hasn’t come together for you on race day. Again, this can be time related, but it may also be things like high-fiving at least 4 people, taking a photo at every mile, smiling for each race photographer. Remember without trying you have exactly zero chance of succeeding, so don’t be afraid of things not going to plan.
EAT
Fuelling is key to success on longer events. Fuelling little and often is crucial in not having those otherwise inevitable mental and physical ‘dips’ during the race. You should be consistently thinking about how you will feel in 30 minutes time and delivering to those needs. Everyone is different, so whether it’s a sports drink, gel, chew bar, jelly baby, few crisps, or my personal favourite from the Stockholm marathon – a pickled cucumber, whatever you need to get some calories in, do it. Be mindful that some nutrition requires water to wash it down, in which case make sure you are near to a refreshment point before you crack open the snack. This fuelling should be a consideration from the moment you get up on race day. As with pacing, the best way is consistently. Have a good breakfast, and then make sure you take on some fuel around 30minutes before the gun goes, so your energy levels pick up.
HAVE A MANTRA
Sounds corny, but this can be really helpful. You don’t need to share it with anyone, it can be yours and yours alone. I have been known on long races to repeat the Cool Runnings mantra in my head (I am an 80s child after all). Having just googled, I’m amused to see there are actually 2 mantras: ‘Feel the rhythm! Feel the rhyme! Get on up, its bobsled time!’ Much as I LOVE this, not really relevant. The one I do repeat to myself: ‘I see pride! I see power! I see a bad-ass mother who don’t take no crap off of nobody!’
BE PROACTIVE
If you feel a hot spot, it’s best to tape it up before it becomes a blister. If you feel chafing get some Vaseline on the area before it becomes an issue. If you are feeling thirsty, washed out (due to lack of salt) or hungry then you’ll need to work hard to bring back your hydration and energy levels so don’t delay!
REMEMBER YOUR WHY
Process not outcome, remember your WHY, all of these things are just ways to remind ourselves why we are in that very moment. Did you sign up to a marathon to raise money for a noble cause? Did you sign up to see if you can run that far? Did you sign up to be part of something amazing? Look around you at the hundreds or thousands of others who are sharing this experience, running in really cool places, people cheering your name. Remember when things get tough your ‘why’ will carry you through.
DON’T PANIC
If something doesn’t go right on the day, do not panic. First, take a moment to compose yourself. Second: Assess the situation realistically with where you are at in the moment, not where you shouda, woulda, coulda been. Is the situation as bad as you first thought, and can it be improved? There is nearly always something that can be done to improve the situation, so take stock. Third, execute a revised strategy. Be proactive, be practical and be realistic.
GET OVER THE WALL
Slow down, and try and get some nutrition on board as soon as you can. Focus on each step and don’t let this part of the run dominate your event. Everyone has a tough moment during a run, remember everyone will be going through the same thing and you will come through the other side.
SMILE AND HAVE FUN
Running, even a mass participation event, can sometimes feel like a solitary pursuit. This doesn’t mean you should hide in your own bubble. Thank the supporter that’s standing in the rain clapping, I can guarantee they will clap harder. Thank the aid station helpers who you have just doused in Lucozade, ask the fellow runner on your outside if you can pass them a drink. If you pass a walker, check if they are ok, and give them words of encouragement. High five the child watching, you may just inspire them to pick up a pair of trainers in the future. If you see someone has dropped something, either pick it up or let them know. All these small acts of kindness are what makes the running community such a special. In fact, if you smile whilst running, you will run more efficiently, fact! If you clock a great time while improving someone else’s day, isn’t that our duty to do so? It’s amazing how good it feels too!
Written by Karin – Running Guide
Here at Run the Wild whilst our tag line is ‘Exploring Places not Running Races’, that doesn’t mean we don’t like racing! Karin has run many road marathons both in the UK and abroad with a PB of 3h20m. Simon has run London Marathon 8 times with a PB of 2h37m. Both Simon and Karin are also UK Athletics Run Coaches – get in touch if you’d like to discuss your running goals.
