26 Pro Marathon Training Tips for Race Day Success
The marathon is a long race with lots of variables that can undue months of hard work. Prior planning can go a long way in setting you up for success for your race day. I am sharing 26 pro marathon training tips for going 26.2 so you can do your best to conquer the beast that is the marathon!
26 Pro Marathon Training Tips for Running 26.2
With marathon training, practice makes perfect and so does preparation for the good, bad, and the ugly: Because the marathon is a LONG race, and a runner needs to be ready for anything that can happen! Here are 26 tips from running coaches and experienced runners to help you optimize your race day performance!
1. Show up for your run.
Marathon training is perhaps more about mental training than physical. If you wake up and it’s pouring or your run friend flakes, do not give up. Instead, focus on what IS going right to stop that downward mental spiral of doom—and get out there!
“This teaches you that when you hit a low spot in a race, it’s not the end of the world. This builds that resilience muscle,” shares running coach Amie Dworecki.
2. Reflect on your marathon training.
Periodically review your training log to see your progress. The night before the race, scroll through your Strava or training log to see all the hard work you have put in and how long you have been training for THIS day.
The hay is in the barn.
3. Prioritize sleep and nutrition over extra miles.
Laura Norris, head coach of Laura Norris Running, has advice for the busy mother runner—prioritize sleep and nutrition.
“If you’re wondering how you fit in a 50-mile week and take care of your kids and go to work while eating and sleeping well, then try running 40 miles a week to make time for the other things,” suggests Norris. “If you skimp on the other things, the higher mileage will often backfire.”
4. Practice fueling.
Practice your marathon fueling on your long runs to ensure your stomach handles the nutrients well and you can easily take it in. Treat your long run nutrition exactly as you would on race day.
5. Fuel early.
Research shows that marathoners who consume 60 grams of carbs per hour (roughly a gel every 25-30 min) finish faster and experience less of a slowdown in the final 10K, says Norris.
“This is because available blood glucose allows for quick production of energy without depleting glycogen stores. Once you deplete your glycogen stores, your body switches to lipid (fat) metabolism, which can only be done at a low intensity, so you slow down. To avoid that bonk, fuel early and often!”
6. Remember your electrolytes.
Your body loses lots of salt (electrolytes) as your run which can lead to dehydration. Electrolytes are responsible for directing fluid to the right places both inside and outside of your cells. So replenish them with energy gels like SIS or sports drinks like Gatorade or Skratch Labs in between gels or chews.
7. Eat right in the days ahead of the race.
Eat well during your marathon training and select foods in the days leading up to the race that you know your body digests well, advises Chef Luigi Diotaiuti, an avid marathoner. Avoid any new foods 2-3 days ahead of the race or foods with lots of fiber.
Chef Luigi suggests simple foods like vegetables, pasta, and chicken breast. Also, drink more water than usual the days ahead of the race—(and get extra rest since you won’t be able to sleep the night before the race).
8. Eat a big lunch.
A lot of people talk about the pasta dinner before your marathon race day but actually lunch is the most important, says nutrition and run coach Claire Bartholic, host of the popular podcast The Planted Runner.
“Eating your biggest meal earlier in the day (at lunch) allows plenty of time for digestion. Then eat normal size meal the night before and a breakfast of what you typically eat before a long run about 2 hours before the race,” she explains.
9. Make time for the extras.
Do the extras like foam rolling, drills, mobility, and strength work to run more efficiently, have more power, and ensure proper form. If you train for your marathon with poor form, you will reinforce this poor form and put yourself at risk for a decrease in performance and injury.
10. Prepare for the worst-case scenario.
When doing pre-race visualization, do some sequences where you have to go to the bathroom, or you drop your gel, or your shoe comes untied, or the weather is bad. Imagine how you will respond so that you aren’t caught off guard on race day.
11. Have a backup plan.
Things happen. Hurricanes. Bad weather. Upper respiratory infections. Have a contingency plan for race day. “Rather than waste 9 months of training, have a back-up marathon to enter within a 3-week window of the chosen marathon,” suggests Howell.
12. Check the weather forecast.
Well in advance, runners can see the average condition for that date and that time of year, but starting around ten days out, they can track the weather more exactly, advises Dworecki. Select the outfit you will wear on that day plus some backups for weather changes. Be sure you’ve worn the clothes and know they work well.
13. Carry-on your race day gear.
Dworecki also advises to carry on your race day fuel and clothes on the plane, so they don’t get lost before race day. Then lay them out, bib pinned on, the night before.
14. Don’t wear new shoes on race day.
You never want to try out a new pair of running shoes on race day. That’s a great way to find out if they give you blisters or not enough arch support on the big day. If you buy special race day shoes (I’m looking at you Nike Alphaflies!), be sure to try them out and break them in on a couple of runs and workouts.
15. Lube up everything.
And I mean EVERYTHING! Get Body Glide or Vaseline and apply it to every area a seam or band hits, and completely cover your feet to prevent blisters.
16 Check out the course map.
(Or even better, drive the course!) Learn where there will be turns or hills or downhills. Use this to mentally visualize you nailing your race! Also, learn where the water and gel stops will be so you can plan your nutrition plan. Also, if you have a race plan, memorize it and envision yourself nailing it on the course and crossing the marathon finish line PROUD.
17. Practice water stops.
Speaking of water stops, you can practice picking up your water cup on your run by setting up your own table with a cup, advises Dworecki. This will save time and mistakes of dropping cups.
18. Arrive early.
Give yourself enough time to use the bathroom several times, standing in those long lines, and get to the start line early to calm nerves, advises Thomas Watson, founder of Marathon Handbook. “Plan to arrive to the start line area with oodles of spare time, get yourself acclimatized, and visit those portapotties (even if there’s a long queue!).”
19. Put your name on your bib or clothes.
This is a genius tip from Dworecki that helps when the going gets tough. “People will yell your name and give you a mental boost,” she explains.
20. Practice pacing.
Have an idea of what your race pace will be and practice it in runs leading up to the race. For example, add in some race pace miles in long runs. You can do a prediction of race paces using this Run Smart Project calculator.
21. Don’t go out too fast.
“You are going to feel GREAT at the start of the race. So don’t mistake that feeling by going too fast,” advises mother runner Katie Rey. Most marathoners should start out about 30 seconds slower than race pace and speed up after the first several miles. If you use a pace group, check your watch and make sure the pacer is running the right speed.
22. Don’t trust the GPS.
But don’t rely on GPS for pacing—especially in large cities or remote areas where the signal may not be strong. You can use the clocks at mile markers or just run by feel.
23. Have a mantra and look away from the watch.
Pick a mantra that helps you stay calm and confident, and connects to your “why.” Repeat that to yourself when the going gets tough. Focus on those words instead of your watch. Stressing about your pace will only lead to anxiety, making it hard to breathe.
24. Run the tangents.
Learn to run the tangents to avoid running more than you must.
“Try to run in as straight a line as possible through curved sections. Some races have the shortest course marked. If this is the case, follow that line, rather than the outer edges of the road, which can actually add unexpected distance to your race,” says Dworecki.
25. Run the terrain.
Try to do training runs on the terrain of your race to prep the legs. If your race is going to be hilly, practice hills. Flat? Aim to do long runs on a flat path. Trail run? Aim to do some of your long runs on trails. This will help prepare you mentally and physically.
26. Believe in yourself.
Mother runner Gadeer says not to believe in others, or the watch, or the clock—believe in yourself. Truly, if you don’t believe you can do it, then you won’t—no matter how much preparation you do. You’ve worked hard and are ready. Time to get what you earned.
Do you have any marathon tips to add?
