Marathon Travel Tips

There are so many factors that go into marathon training and preparation. If you are doing a destination race, there are even more things to consider and plan for that we don’t need to consider for local races. Here are some tips that could help ease the stress of traveling for your goal race:

Pack your race gear in your carry-on

• The last thing you need to stress about is lost luggage, let alone when it has all your race essentials. Make sure your carry-on bag has all your race essentials: racing outfit, shoes, and fuel. If it were to be lost through a checked bag, there’s no guarantee you’ll have it for race morning, so make sure the essentials never leave your side.

  
  

Give yourself 2-3 days to adjust before race day

• This is most important if you are changing time zones or going to a different elevation/climate from what you’re used to. This can greatly impact your sleep and recovery as you prepare for a big race, and you want to feel rested by race day

• As fun as it is to travel to a new place, remember your purpose for being there is to race, and you want your legs to feel as fresh as possible. Stick to sightseeing that has minimal time-on-feet like bus or boat tours.

Study up on the area

• Make sure you know where you are staying in relation to the start/finish of your race and the expo so you can pick up your bib. If you’re staying within a few minutes walk from these key areas, then great! But if you are even a few miles away, do your research with how you plan on getting there, whether it’s by public transit or ride sharing.

• You also want to study the course map with regards to fuel stations and whether or not there are big elevation changes at any points of the course.

• I personally like to run as soon as I get a chance to shake my legs out and get my blood flowing, especially if you've been sitting for several hours on a flight. This helps you adjust to the new time zone, explore the city and maybe even preview part of the race course.

• If you have specific pre-race meals or rituals you follow, research different restaurants that serve the type of food you’re looking for and make a reservation in advance.

• Keep in mind that races outside of the US will likely have the course marked in kilometers instead of miles. Make a plan for either knowing your anticipated goal marathon pace in km and manually lapping your watch, or watching for your 5k splits.

Keep hydrated and fueled throughout the travel day

• Flying can lead to dehydration, which is not a state you want to be in a few days before a big race. Pack electrolytes in your carry-on, keep up with your fluids, and stick to normal meal times. 

Keep as much as you can the same

• The saying goes, “don’t try anything new during race week.” Stick to foods that you know won’t upset your stomach, meal times that are the same as home, and keep your nighttime routine as close to normal as you can.

Explore the city after the race

• Now it’s time to take in all the sites of a new city! You may be sore while doing it, but staying active with walking in the days after a race helps expedite recovery, so by the time you have to fly back home, you won’t be as sore.