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Marathon day checklist

The marathon is partly a challenge of logistics. The more prepared you are for the day, the more confident you‘ll feel on the day.

Ben Barwick is a UKA Coach in Running Fitness and works for Mind’s training partner, Full Potential. The team at Full Potential are on hand to help #TeamMind get ready for their active challenges. 

On this page:

3 weeks to go

Taper begins

The taper is one of the hardest parts of marathon training. We’ll ask you to reduce the training you’re doing as the race gets closer. This feels counterintuitive. However, getting the taper right is key to making the most of your training and the race itself.

What you can’t do is train hard up to the date of the race. Your aim in those last few weeks isn’t to get fitter. It’s about getting you ready for race day.

The taper is a time to recover and freshen up before the race. Don't be tempted to play catch up or try to fit in a session you missed during training. You’ll just compromise your race day experience.

During this time, make sure you eat well and stay hydrated.

Finalise your routine

The long run this week is your last chance to experiment with your kit, fuel and nutrition strategy. The most important thing to remember is ‘Nothing new on race day’. We don’t want any nasty surprises if you experiment with something you haven’t tried before.

This long run is a fantastic opportunity to:

  • Run at the time of the real race
  • Work out your pre-race breakfast and how long you’ll need between eating and starting the race
  • Fuel during the run as you plan to on the day.

Practice your pacing strategy

You should have a plan on how you’ll cover the miles on race day. Everyone will do something different, but here’s a few things to keep in mind:

  • Endurance races are about being patient. It’s just you against the distance.
  • You need to execute your race plan and run at your pace! Focus on yourself and stay in control.
  • Aim to run each mile as evenly as possible, avoiding wild swings in pace.

This long run is a chance to practice that race day pace. Don’t run the whole distance at marathon pace – stick to half at most. This allows you to feel the pace you are going to run on race day and lock into that.

2 weeks to go

This week will have a similar training routine to usual, but with a lower volume of training. Your long run will be 2 hours in length.  This is your chance to do your race day admin, and make sure you’ve got everything planned.

Plan your route to the start line

Get your timings sorted for race day. It always takes longer than you think to get there, so build some extra time into your plan. Check out your race website for details on traveling to the start line, as they’ll share up-to-date information.

If you’re staying in a hotel, consider booking a restaurant for a meal the night before the race, and check what breakfast options there are for race day. Will you need to bring your own food?

Prepare your playlist and buy your nutrition supplies

This is the time to make those final tweaks to your music (although I’d really recommend taking your headphones out during the race so you can enjoy the crowd cheering you on), and making sure you’ve got any food or drink you need for the day.

1 week to go – race week!

Here we are! All those weeks of training have led you to this moment

Collect your race pack

You’ll either receive your race pack in the post with your number and timing chip, or if you’re running the London Marathon, you’ll collect your pack from the Running Show.

The Running Show is a wonderful experience, but it can be easy to get it wrong:

  • Try to go earlier in the week to avoid the crowds
  • Don’t spend too long there, you can easily be walking around for 2 hours without really knowing it
  • Take a bottle of water with you to stay hydrated
  • If you buy any new kit there, remember to only use it after the marathon.

Race preparation

Check out your race website to see the course and take in where you’ll be running. Start to visualise yourself crossing that finish line!

If/when the nerves start to kick in, and you begin to doubt yourself, read over your training diary. Having a look at all the big training runs you have done over the last few months can really boost your confidence. You’ll see how far you have come and all the hard work you’ve put in. Focus on the sessions you have done, don’t look at times when you have missed training. We need positivity this week!

Try to rest as much as possible and get good nights’ sleep this week. You might not sleep that well the night before the race, so resting up is important.

If you’ve been regularly stretching and foam rolling, then continue that this week. But don’t spend an hour stretching each day if you haven’t done anything in the training cycle, as you don’t know how your body might react.

Pack your race day bag

It’s time to get the kit together. You’ll want a set of kit to travel to the start line, and some clothes to grab at the end.

Travelling to the race

You might be waiting around before the race starts, so you might get cold. Some people choose to wear an old jumper or tracksuit bottoms while waiting to start, which can be left and donated to charity. You might want a bin bag to keep any rain off you. A magazine to read might be useful.

After the finish

Many races allow you to store a kit bag that you collect at the finish. In here, you could pack:

  • A snack
  • Warm and comfortable clothes
  • Wet wipes
  • Clean socks, or maybe some comfy shoes.

Night before

Lay out your kit and make sure you’ve got everything. You can take a photo to share on social media or your fundraising page – it’s a great chance to push for extra donations!

This outfit will be something you’ve practiced in, so you know that it’s comfortable, fits perfectly and doesn’t rub. This kit will include your Mind t-shirt or vest. The only addition will be your race number and timing chip (some timing chips are now stored on the race number). Make sure you pin your number to your top the day before the race.

Once that’s done, set a couple of alarms and try to get a good night of sleep.

Race morning

Whether it’s your first or 50th race, you can feel nervous. Do what you’ve prepared for.

Have breakfast and make your way to the start line. Stay as calm as you can, and follow through on the plans you’ve thought about already.

You can do this.  

Important: disclaimer

Please read this information carefully:

Full Potential is an independent service provider. Mind does not endorse or guarantee the services of Full Potential, and you take part in a training programme recommended by Full Potential at your own risk.

It’s your responsibility to consult with your GP to make sure that you’re medically and physically fit and well enough to take part in a Full Potential training programme and – as per our terms and conditions – your fundraising challenge. Mind will not be held responsible for any injury or illness related to your training or taking part in a fundraising event.

Want more advice for your running training? 

Back to the running training hub

Need help getting ready for race day? 

Read our guide on getting race ready

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