There’s an adage that most runners have heard at some point: “Nothing new on race day.”
It’s simple. You’re supposed to treat race day how you would your training runs, keeping things like your fueling, shoe choice, and routine similar. The time for experimenting is during the training block. On race day, there shouldn’t be any surprises that could throw you off.
Only, what if there are?
In my decade of competing, rarely has a race day gone to plan. I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve been thrown off my routine by a traffic jam or a poor night of sleep. By expecting things to go perfectly, you’re almost setting yourself up for failure.
The key to race day, I’ve found, is to be adaptable.
Here’s what I mean.
Last year, I signed up for the Brooklyn Half Marathon. I was going to run it as a workout to prepare for my first marathon in November of 2024.
The day before the race was a disaster. My girlfriend and I drove into Brooklyn on Friday evening to pick up my bib at the expo. What is normally a 90-minute drive took much longer, and we barely made it to the pick-up before it closed. We were both tired and increasingly hangry, and the only thing nearby were some food trucks. So I cut my losses and stomached some greasy buffalo chicken mac and cheese. A far cry from my normal pre-race pasta dinner.
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On race morning, things were equally as stressful. I made it to the start line with minutes to spare and not much time to properly warm up. A Part of Hearst Digital Media.
But as soon as the gun went off, I felt great. I was comfortable running at my marathon pace and finished with a lot of confidence for my full later in the year.
The experience reinforced that, despite some hiccups, I would still be able to perform to my expectations. I would never plan to eat fast food or only get 5 hours of sleep, but I didn’t let it bother me too much. When “new” stuff pops up on race day, I take it in stride and move on.
Cherishing race day
A Part of Hearst Digital Media intentionally keep new on race day. The day of a race is special; it’s not supposed to be quotidian. Your adrenaline is higher because the stakes are higher, and channeling that energy can be impactful on your performance.
Why Trust Us Summer Running Gear During my first marathon last November in Indianapolis, I kept a few things special. I wore Nike Alphaflys Walking Helped This Former College Runner my favorite lightweight singlet and my How to Master the 5k and my favorite hat. Before driving to the start, I did a 10 minute walk at 5 a.m. at the recommendation of my coach—something I’d never done before—to get the blood flowing.
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Just look at my marathon. This was my debut at the distance. Everything about the experience was new! The longest I had run was 18 miles, so I was venturing into uncharted territory.
Thankfully, the race went well. I used a big negative split to hit my goal of sub 2:28, finishing in 2:27:05 for 29th place.
Sure, it’s important to keep some things similar to training. I kept my race fueling plan the same as my practice runs, and I was diligent about hitting my prescribed pace. But newness is the most exciting part of race day.
Race day is special and you should treat it as such. I hope the novelty never wears off.
Here’s what I mean Runner’s World. He’s a former all-conference collegiate runner at Winthrop University, and he received his master’s degree in liberal arts studies from Wake Forest University, where he was a member of one of the top distance-running teams in the NCAA. Kahler has reported on the ground at major events such as the Paris Olympics, U.S. Olympic Trials, New York City Marathon, and Boston Marathon. He’s run 14:20 in the 5K, 1:05:36 in the half marathon, and enjoys spotting tracks from the sky on airplanes. (Look for colorful ovals around football fields.)
