Race Day Strategy for Your Marathon
What should you do the day before your marathon?
The day before your marathon should be fairly relaxed. According to the research, carb loading at a rate of 10-12 grams per kilogram of body weight on that day is ideal to build your glycogen stores. This is typically recommended for 36-48 hours before your race.
It’s also recommended to do a short, easy “shakeout run” the day before your marathon. This can help with blood flow to your legs and will help with the nerves you may be feeling pre-race. Shoot for a 20 minute shakeout run.
What should you do the night before your marathon?
Prepare your gear the night before your marathon. It always feels good to have things laid out. Remember the 1st day of school when you were a kid? How you’d have your outfit ready the night before? This is exactly that, except you’re an adult now!
Do your best to regulate your anxiety about the race so you can get a good night’s rest. We always remind our clients to “trust their training.” The race is the easy part- you’ve already done all the hard work to earn your spot at the starting line. The race is an opportunity to execute on a plan that you’ve already established.
You can meditate, journal, take a bubble bath and/or practice deep breathing exercises. Any of these will help to calm your central nervous system.
We also recommend that you practice some mental visualization. See yourself on the course feeling good- a smile on your face, taking in the moment. The best athletes in the world visualize themselves as they want to be in that moment.
What should you eat for breakfast before your marathon?
About 2 hours before your marathon, you should eat a breakfast that is high in carbohydrates and low in protein and fat. Your carbohydrates should be a combination of glucose and fructose. Some examples of a good breakfast include oatmeal with berries or brown sugar and bagel with jelly/jam or cream cheese. You can eat some fruits that are easily digestible and/or hydrating such as bananas, oranges, berries, watermelon, or pineapple. You can drink fruit juice such as orange, apple, or grapefruit juice. If you drink coffee or tea, you can have that with sugar or maple syrup.
If you’re drinking coffee or ingesting caffeine specifically to improve endurance running performance, drink your coffee or take caffeine about 60 minutes before your marathon, according to this systematic review and meta–analysis.
Please consult your doctor regarding caffeine intake if you have a history of cardiac conditions since caffeine can elevate your heart rate and blood pressure, and may not be appropriate.
What should you not do before a marathon?
Now here are some things you should NOT do before a marathon:
Neglecting Nutrition: Don’t skip meals or try new foods. Stick to familiar foods that your body knows how to process.
Overtraining: Avoid intense workouts, long runs, and strength training in the few days before the marathon. Focus on stretching, rest, and recovery instead.
Neglecting Hydration: Make sure to stay well-hydrated, but avoid excessive drinking right before the race.
Wearing New Gear: Avoid wearing new shoes or clothing on race day. Stick with what you’ve trained in to prevent discomfort. If you’ve been wearing nylon-plated running shoes for your long runs however, you may use carbon-plated running shoes for your marathon.
Stressful Activities: Don’t engage in stressful or strenuous activities. Keep your environment calm and relaxed.
Drinking Alcohol: Avoid alcohol the night before, as it can dehydrate you and disrupt your sleep.
Neglecting Sleep: Avoid staying up late. Prioritize getting a good night’s sleep before the race.
Last-Minute Changes: Don’t make any last-minute changes to your race strategy or pace. Stick to your plan.
Your marathon prep routine should feel almost the same as your long run prep routine. Stay consistent and don’t do anything new at this point.
When to take gels during a marathon?
Some runners like to take a gel 10-15 minutes before their marathon begins. This is especially true if you ate breakfast several hours earlier, before leaving your house.
During the race, the literature recommends 60-90 grams of carbohydrates per hour of running. Note that if you haven't trained your gastrointestinal (GI) system to tolerate this, you shouldn’t attempt it on race day. Ideally, you will have utilized your long run training to train your gut to digest that volume of carbs.
Most gels have 25 grams of carbohydrate in them, so you’ll need at least 2 per hour during your marathon. Every runner burns fuel at a different pace, but 2-3 gels per hour should suffice for most runners.
Not everybody likes gels, so we do think it’s important to consider alternatives. One of the issues with alternatives, like gummies/chews, is that you need to be eating and chewing while running (not an easy feat).
Should you take caffeine during a marathon?
According to the research, caffeine before and during a marathon can facilitate your running performance through analgesia (pain relief) and increasing time to exhaustion.
The generally recommended dose is 3-6 milligrams per kilogram of body weight, 60 minutes before your race. As per the literature, caffeine absorption is maximal by 45 minutes post ingestion. Again, if you haven’t ever tried this before in your training, please don’t try it on race day!
There isn’t agreed upon data of when and how much caffeine to ingest during your marathon, but caffeine can give you a jolt of energy when you need it most, so we recommend taking caffeinated gels in the middle third of your race. Most of these gels have 100 mg of caffeine. We recommend taking one in the earlier part of the middle third and one in the later part of the middle third of the race. This will be when you’re still feeling fresh enough, but know that the last third of the race will be a physical and mental battle!
How much fluid should you drink before the marathon?
You should drink water or a sports drink at least 1 hour before your marathon. The amount of fluid you should drink before the marathon depends on various factors such as your body size, sweat rate, and weather conditions. A general guideline is to drink about 16-24 ounces (approximately 470-710 milliliters) of water or a sports drink 1 hour before your marathon. However, listen to your body and adjust the amount based on your individual needs during your practice long runs and apply the same strategy for your marathon. You should be well-hydrated without feeling overly full or sloshy during your run.
How much sodium do you need during a marathon?
The amount of sodium lost during a marathon varies widely depending on factors such as individual sweat rate and environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity. Some runners sweat more sodium than others. Sodium loss while running is typically 300-1000 milligrams per hour, depending on many variables. In hotter and more humid weather, sodium loss will be greater. According to this research article, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends endurance runners should take 300–600 mg of sodium per hour. We recommend taking 400-600 mg of sodium per hour during your marathon and even more if the temperature is hotter or more humid. For example, you can take 1 salt stick tablet or 2 chewables every half hour.
Should you run slower at the start of your race?
You should start your marathon slower than your intended goal marathon pace. It takes a couple of miles to get into a rhythm, and to allow your body to warm up. A common mistake we see runners make is “coming out too hot.” The excitement of the day, and the adrenaline rush causes them not to be as aware of their pace out the gate. The result of that is an empty tank later in the race when you’re going to need to be able to maintain your goal pace.
Here are 2 strategies that we find work well for our runners:
Slow Ramp Up: start the race at pace that you determine ahead of time, and progressively attempt to increase your pace. Some people call this the 10/10/10 Method. The first 10 miles are run conservatively (run with your head). The second 10 miles are run at your ideal goal pace (run with your legs). The final 10K is run with harder effort (run with your heart).
Negative Split: run the first half of the race at a predetermined pace and hold it, then increase your pace and hold it in the second half of the marathon.
Recovery after your race
Recovering after a marathon is an enjoyable experience with your friends, your family, and with yourself. It’s an opportunity to self reflect and let the moment sink in. Recovery includes proper carbohydrate, protein, fluid and electrolyte intake. Optimal sleep quantity and quality, as well as foam rolling can have positive effects on your recovery.
Our team at The Game Plan wrote an entire blog outlining exactly how to recover after your marathon: you can access the blog - Best Recovery Tips After a Long Run, Marathon, or Half Marathon Run.
Closing Remarks on Race Day Strategy for Your Marathon
If you’re a runner who is interested in consulting us for your recovery needs after your marathon, you can reach out to speak with us below.
Disclaimer: This is not intended to be formal medical advice. Your individual needs should be met by the appropriate health care practitioner. Please consult with a trusted provider.
Dr. Paul Nasri, PT, DPT, OCS, COMT
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Orthopedic Clinical Specialist
Certified Orthopedic Manual Therapist
Dr. Vincent Liu, PT, DPT
Doctor of Physical Therapy