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Advice for runners
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Marathon Week
These are just suggestions to enable you to enjoy the week leading up to your marathon. They are by no means set in stone. Everyone has their own interpretation and you should go along with them. It is your day, you have worked hard to get here so now is the time to try to relax and enjoy the fruits of your labours.
Registration & Exhibition,
If you can go on a day as early as possible especially if this is your first time. There will be lots to see and enjoy. You will have the time for your legs to relax after at home. Remember who the sponsors are. They have to sell as much as possible. I.e. If you have never drunk Lucazade or other sports drink or used a gel then now is not the time to start. If you buy new kit then do not use it on the day. You should have all that sorted by now. Again if you don’t normally eat pasta then do not be tempted now. There are many eating places on the concourse but beware of the prices.
After the Registration.
Stay of your feet as much as possible. It is the worst time as you are raring to go and you think you will get unfit in the next 2 days. You will not. Now is the time to put the much needed fuel in your tank. Eat well and don’t try anything new. Drink, drink, drink. No not from the pub. Water. You should be well hydrated by Sunday. It is no use drinking like mad on Sunday morning it will do no good at all.
DON’T FORGET your ID you will need this to get your number.
The materials in this website are in no way intended to replace the professional medical care, advice, diagnosis or treatment of a doctor, qualified personal trainer, therapist, dietitian or nutritionist Runners's World, Part of the Hearst UK well-being network © Copyright 2017
Comments
MARATHON DAY.
Remember, Running kit, shoes, number, you would be surprised the number of people who forget something on the day.
You should have made you arrangements to get to the start by now. Read the instructions sent to you by the organisers ref trains and which start you will be at.
It is not a good idea to take friends and family to the start. In the nicest way they get in the way. When you get to the start have a quick look around for the loos and the baggage busses (Lorries actually).
Find somewhere to sit. Depending on the weather keep your clothes on as long as possible. Listen to the PA regarding when the Lorries are leaving.
If it is cold or wet take something that will keep you warm and dry that you can discard later. Go to your start pen whenever you wish but take something to sit down on and rest your legs. Do not be worried by what others are doing it is your day.
When the gun goes off there will be quite a wait before you start your run. The timing chip will give you your own personal time so do not get worried about getting to the start line by pushing and shoving others. When you start, again keep calm and don’t get involved with the high fives and oggie oggie that goes on. It is all part of the fun BUT you will be wasting your energy.
If you are not using a Garmin etc, try to go through the start line when the clock on the gantry shows a full minute. That way you only have to deduct this from the time on the gantry at the finish to see what time you may have achieved. Before checking your Garmins or chip timing.
A few words of warning!!!!
For those who are treading the roads of a marathon for the first time. On race day think legs. What! I hear you say. Think about it. You get out of bed, you get to the start. You may well have had to take the train.
You have to walk from the station to the start area. Now you are getting nervous and you are walking around looking for friends or charity areas. You want to go to the loo, and you are forced to stand in a queue. You have a coffee and you are still standing!!!.
You change, and then at last you go to your start pen. What!!! Still 30 minutes to go and you’re still standing. Yippee the gun goes off. Hang on, you haven’t moved. It could take anything up to 10 minutes before you actually cross the start line. THEN you have to run 26.2miles.You don’t see the elite runners on their feet that long before they start to run. When you did your training especially your LSR you started from your house or at least the local sports hall. Which didn’t mean you were on your feet for ages before you started?
The moral of the story is keep off your feet as much as possible on race day. Take an old shirt, jacket, and bin bag, anything to sit on wherever you can. If you don’t you will wish you had. Trust me I learnt the hard way.
THE RACE.
Take it very easy until after the Cutty Sark which is just after the 10KM mark. It get’s congested here and sometimes you are forced to stop to be able to get through a narrow part of the course. After this point you should be relaxed and beginning to enjoy the day. Now look at the time and see how you are doing. REMEMBER the clocks are set for the time the gun went off not your time. There is a clock on every gantry at every mile. Do not look at them all. If you are a bit behind where you want to be do not panic and start sprinting there is another 32km to make up that time. It is the last few miles that count not the first and then blow up.
There is a drink station nearly every mile. You do not have to take one every time you pass these. If you only drink maybe one or two bottles when you are training then that will also do for the race. Do not be tempted to take anything from people on the course. They offer sweets and all sorts of things but you do not know where they came from and what they might have done to them (sign of the times).
If you have people cheering you on along the course arrange with them where and which side of the road you will be on. Other than when they will be around run in the middle of the road (less camber ) as you stay away from the walkers and people who want to throw water and all sorts over you.(mostly kids). The last time your friends should try to see you would be along the Embankment so they have the time to walk to the meeting area on Horse Guards Parade ground after you have passed ( they will have plenty of time
AT THE FINISH AND AFTER
Yippee you have finished and have achieved your ambition. Great, well done. The time on the clock over the gantry is not your time. The chip timing strap will give you that.
Remember which gantry you went through at the finish there are people who will be videoing it all and will be able to send you a cd with your finish on. (Welsh Alex on RW forums). After collecting your medal and taken you chip off. You will be directed to a small stage where they will take your finishers photo with your well earned medal around your neck (you won’t take this off for a few days so don’t worry).
There are many helpers around to point you in the right direction. If you need first aid then just ask they are all around to help you. That’s what they are there for.
You will find the baggage Lorries in front of you so you can collect your clothes. If it is a wet day then ask the people meeting you to have a dry set with them as the clothes in the bags will still be wet from when you took them of at the start.
Make your way to the meeting area do not arrange to meet just outside the barriers it is manic and you will miss each other.
When you have met and exchanged those well earned praises and got back into your warm clothes keep moving. Try not to just sit down.
If you can, walk through the back of the meeting area and across Whitehall and down to the Embankment. Walk along to one of the underground stations before catching your train back to your homes.
Or to that well earnt drink at the local hostelry with your friends. The more you can keep moving the better you will feel the next day. There is food in the goody bag and you will feel like eating a horse. Again if there is food there you do not normally eat then don’t. Ask your friend to bring something you know you will enjoy. If you drink tea then ask them to bring a flask of it with up to 6 spoons of sugar Drink this slowly and you will find it will do you good.
I hope some of these ideas will help you enjoy your day. I wish you the very best of luck. Above all else listen to your body. If you have to walk. Walk. If you have to stop, stop. Only you know how you will be feeling along the route. You will have your good times and your bad times but above all you will be the star and very proud when you go through that finish line.
Thanks Stilts. Just glad to be able to pass on some information to others to make thier day special.
Thanks Gatton thats made me even more excited now
Steady Keggi. You will need all the energy you can find....