The night before a race is a time for relaxation – there isn’t any more training that you can do so there’s no point in stressing. Your only concern should be packing your race bag for the morning, keeping those feet up and drinking plenty of fluids.
Preparing your kit
The main thing to consider when picking your race kit is the weather. When choosing what you’ll wear for the race, remember:
You will heat up quickly once you get going, even in fairly cold conditions – extra layers will just make you overheat
A half marathon is a long way and conditions will change while you are running, for a morning start it is likely to get warmer as the race progresses
A general rule of thumb is to dress for 15ºC warmer than the forecast suggests for the start of the race
That’s the race kit taken care of, but you also need to consider how to maximize your comfort in the lead up to the race. For a big race with lots of competitors, you may be waiting at the start line long before you start running so if it’s cold, hot or wet you’ll need to pack some extra clothes. In particular:
In cold conditions, take some old running clothes as extra layers, preferably ones you don’t mind never seeing again, and discard them at the last minute
For wet races, runners have been known to use a bin bag as a makeshift poncho while waiting for the race to start
If it is hot, stay cool with a hat, sunglasses and of course a nice cold drink
No matter the conditions you will be wet after the race – from rain or sweat (or both!) so a towel will make a big difference to your comfort on the journey home
Zoazi’s preparation checklist:
Make sure all your kit and shoes are packed, along with some snacks and drinks
Pin your race numbers onto the outer layer of your race gear the night before
If it is hot, stay cool with a hat, sunglasses and of course a nice cold drink
Ensure any devices you will use – like running watches or wireless headphones – are charged and ready to go
Evening and Sleep
Nutrition in the lead up to a half marathon is very important. Eating plenty of carbohydrate–rich food will ensure that your muscles have plenty of energy to get you through the length of the race. In the days leading up to the race (and especially the day before), meals including pasta, rice or potatoes will ensure you get sufficient carb intake to fuel you to the finish line. Don’t overdo the quantity the night before or you may find you feel sluggish on the start line with a half digested meal in your stomach.
Many runners get stressed about the importance of getting a good night’s sleep the night before a race. It is good to feel well rested, but in reality the night before a race doesn’t make much difference, if any. In fact, if you’ve been sleeping 8+ hours regularly in the last few weeks then studies have shown that not sleeping well the night before a race won’t hinder performance.
Bearing this in mind, remember that it’s normal to find it harder to sleep the night before a race. To improve your chances of falling asleep, We’d recommend avoiding screens an hour before your usual bedtime – maybe settle down with a book, some mellow music or a podcast during this “down” hour before getting into bed. If you still find it hard to sleep after this, have some more down time with your book or music and then try again rather than getting stressed.
Morning and Breakfast
It is best not to eat too close to the race start to avoid any digestive problems associated with eating too close to running. Equally, eating too early may leave you hungry during the race. We’d recommend eating two and a half to three hours before your race start time. Again food that is rich in carbohydrates and easy to digest will set you up well, maybe some porridge or bananas. Having said this, try to stick with something you are used to eating rather than making changes that your body objects to on the day of the race.
It is important to be well hydrated before your race. You will lose plenty of fluids while running so make sure you are well topped up in advance by frequently drinking small amounts of water throughout the pre-race build up. Rehydration sports drinks can upset the stomach if over used so we’d recommend only using these towards the end of the race, if at all.
Getting to the start line
Make sure you allow plenty of time to travel to the race. Bear in mind that travel time may be longer than it would be normally. If you are driving, check where the recommended parking is – there may be shuttle buses provided from parking to start line.
The time you need to get to the start line will depend on the size of the race – those with a small entry will gather at the start only a short time beforehand whereas larger races may require you to be present at the start before the official start time by 30 minutes or more. Check where your starting point is – often runners are grouped by their expected times so make sure you know where you need to be.
Always ensure that you have sufficient time to perform any warm up before the race starts.
Warming Up
Warming up for a half marathon depends on a few factors, such as your experience level, your goal and the weather. However, the main thing to remember is that you have a long run ahead of you and the key is to conserve your energy before the start.
If you’re a beginner and just looking to complete the distance then some easy walking will be all you need. A more experienced runner, hoping to maximize performance should probably try to fit in 10 minutes of very light jogging around 25 minutes before the scheduled start of the race. Jogging will heat up the muscles, making them more pliable and responsive while promoting blood flow which will speed up the delivery of fuel to the muscles in preparation for the upcoming effort.
For mental preparation, you can run the last 30 to 60 seconds of your warm up at close to target race pace. Having a small run at close to race pace can help to prepare you for running at pace once the gun goes.
If it is particularly hot before the race then the warm up jog should be significantly reduced to avoid unnecessary overheating – the focus instead should be on staying cool and hydrated.
If you’re in doubt, do less rather than more during your warm up. You’ve got 13.1 miles to run here and plenty of time to get warmed up after you start whereas doing too much before you even start can take away from your performance.
Summary
The key to a successful race is being well prepared, both from the training you have been doing and getting everything ready in advance. The tips in this article should help you have a stress-free race day.
Once the race starts it is easy to get swept along with the crowd, running at a faster pace than is comfortable and getting into trouble later in the race. Remember that a half marathon is a long race and it is important to settle into a pace early on. If this pace is slower than your target then you will be able to make this up by running faster later in the race once the crowd thins out. If you set off too fast then the chances are you will slow significantly by the end of the race and run a slower time overall.
Most importantly, enjoy your race and good luck from all of us at the Zoazi team!