Marathon Tips: Have Your Best Race Day!

Marathon Tips

April has arrived and the Boston Marathon will be here in the blink of an eye. For many, this means gearing up, lacing up, and mentally boosting up for one of the biggest race days of the year. The hardest part of training is coming to a close and the ultimate test is approaching: RACE DAY. There are marathon tips all over the web on what to DO and DON’T.

Here are some helpful marathon tips to follow for the big day.

MARATHON DOs

  • –DO lay out your gear the night before and be sure your running outfit is one you’ve already completed a long run comfortably in. This includes any chafe-free products, nutrition, and hydration tools. You’ll be grateful by mile 20, I assure you.
  • –DO take a moment the night before or the morning of (or both!) to visualize all the positive attributes of the race ahead. Imagine the corral at the start, the cheers of the sidelines, the push of power down the final straightaway to the finish.
  • –DO stick to your marathon plan. You know best how you’ve trained, what to expect, and how to get there.
  • –DO enjoy yourself and smile like a lunatic or laugh with other runners in the start corral. This is an opportunity of a lifetime for so many. Embrace it. If you want to connect with others, do so. If you want to hold onto the excitement internally, do so. The way you choose to enjoy yourself is your prerogative.
  • –DO relax, settle into your body, and appreciate all it has done for you up to this point. Walk or run lightly the day before. Have the glass of beer or chug the gallon of water. Do the yoga or settle into the meditation. It boils down to doing what feels relaxing to you.

MARATHON DON’Ts

  • –DON’T plan on wearing a brand new tee from the expo. (As always, there are exceptions to any rule. There may be a brand that you are so certain works well for you. By all means then, do your thing and run in it.)
  • –DON’T entertain last-minute doubts or uncertainties. The “hay is in the barn,” as they say. Ignore the haters, including those haters in your own mind.
  • –DON’T get caught up in the expectations of others. Have confidence in your race day plan. This includes your nutrition choices, hydrating along the course, any gear and outfit decisions, pacing, and any other decisions you’ve made for race day.
  • –DON’T allow any Negative Nancies to get into your headspace or forget to have fun. Too often, negativity can seep in and sabotage a marathon experience because of our personal expectations, reactions to external circumstances (like weather), or the opinions of others.
  • –DON’T worry about how others choose to relax or settle pre-race. Simply focus on you and what simply works for you. As Biggie Smalls put it so eloquently, “It’s all good, baby.”

Soak up the experience and enjoy every moment that’s to come. You’ve earned it. Good luck!

OTHER ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Long Run Essentials

MARATHON TIPS: A SOGGY RACE DAY

SUMMER RUNNING: Sweat Facts

The Foam Roller: Hurts So Good

Boston Marathon Gear

Shop the Collection

Oh no! It looks like we’re not able to display products on this page right now. While we work on patching things up, please visit our full online store. [collection-error]

Products You May Like

See More
Saucony Men's Spitfire 5 - ViZi Gold/ViZi Red
Saucony Men's Spitfire 5 - ViZi Gold/ViZi Red
Saucony Men's Spitfire 5 - Citron/Black
Saucony Men's Spitfire 5 - Black/White (S29055-6) Lateral Side
Saucony Men's Spitfire 5 - Gunmetal/ViZiRed
Saucony Men's Spitfire 5 - Black/Cool Mint
+2

Saucony Spitfire 5

Men's Shoes
price:$64.95 - 65.00
Brooks Men's Revel 6 side view
Brooks Men's Revel 6 side view
Brooks Men's Revel 6 White/Green/Red lateral side
Brooks Men's Revel 6 Black/Blackened Pearl/Grey side view
Brooks Men's Revel 6 Blackened Pearl/Blue side view
Brooks Men's Revel 6 Alloy/Primer Grey/Oyster side view
+3

Brooks Revel 6

Men's Shoes
price:$99.95
Brooks Men's Adrenaline GTS 23 Black/Hawaiian Ocean/Green lateral side
Brooks Men's Adrenaline GTS 23 Black/Hawaiian Ocean/Green lateral side
Brooks Men's Adrenaline GTS 23 Oyster/Black/Red Orange lateral side
Brooks Men's Adrenaline GTS 23 - Black/Black/Ebony
Brooks Men's Adrenaline GTS 23 - Oyster/Ebony/Alloy
Brooks Men's Adrenaline GTS 23 - Crystal Grey/Surf the Web/Grey
+8

Brooks Adrenaline GTS 23

Men's Shoes
price:$139.95
ChicknLegs Men's Shorts 2" Chocolate Chip front
ChicknLegs Men's Shorts 2" Chocolate Chip front
ChicknLegs Men's 2 Inch Shorts Rubber Ducky front
ChicknLegs Men's Shorts Hot Pink Bolts front
ChicknLegs Men's Shorts Salty Donut front
ChicknLegs Men's 2 Inch Pink Bananas Shorts front
+3

ChicknLegs Shorts 2"

Men's Bottoms
price:$35.00
Brooks Men's Hyperion - Oyster Mushroom/Black Iris
Brooks Men's Hyperion - Oyster Mushroom/Black Iris
Brooks Men's Hyperion Gunmetal/Black/White lateral side
Brooks Men's Hyperion - Grey/Atomic Blue/Scarlet
Brooks Men's Hyperion Green Gecko/Red Orange/White lateral side

Brooks Hyperion

Men's Shoes
price:$139.95
HOKA Men's Bondi 8 Real Teal/Shadow lateral side
HOKA Men's Bondi 8 Real Teal/Shadow lateral side
HOKA Men's Bondi 8 - Black/White
HOKA Men's Bondi 8 - Puffin's Bill/Amber Yellow
HOKA Men's Bondi 8 - Black/Black
hoka-mens-bondi-8-running-shoe-outer-space-all-aboard-blue
+10
Sale

HOKA Bondi 8

Men's Shoes
original price:$164.95 price:$131.95 - 164.95
HOKA ORA RECOVERY SLIDE 3 - 1135061-SLLR-STELLAR BLUE/MIRAGE side view
HOKA ORA RECOVERY SLIDE 3 - 1135061-SLLR-STELLAR BLUE/MIRAGE side view
hoka-ora-recovery-slide-3-blue-red
hoka-ora-recovery-slide-3-pink-blue-3
hoka-ora-recovery-slide-3-grey
hoka-ora-recovery-slide-3-light-green
+7

HOKA Ora Recovery Slide 3

Shoes
price:$59.95 - 60.00