What to Do the Week Before a Marathon

After months of training for a marathon, it may feel strange that your final preparations for the race would include very little running. Many marathoners-in-training are nervous (totally normal!) and get the urge to run more during the week before the marathon because they think it will get them more prepared for the race. But tapering, or cutting back your mileage, is critical to your marathon success.

Here’s what to do in the week before a marathon and what to do the day before your big race:

How much should I run and work out the week before a marathon?

Cut your mileage to about one-third of normal during your final week. Stick to your normal easy pace. Take at least one or two days off from running during marathon week. Some people prefer to take off the two days before the race, while others will take off Friday before a Sunday marathon and do a very easy 20 to 30-minute run the day before the race to work out last-minute nerves. You can do one short run at marathon pace during the week to remind your legs of how that feels.

Don’t strength train in the week before a marathon. You need to let your muscles rest and store glucose (your fuel) and strength training can interfere with that. You won’t get the benefits from strength training until after the marathon anyway, and it could actually hurt your performance since your muscles may still be feel sore or at least not fully recover by race day.

If you want to get a pre-race massage, make sure you do it at least a week before your race, so your muscles are fully recovered from that.

What should I eat and drink?

Eat a diet rich in complex carbohydrates (whole-grain breads, pasta, and cereals), and drink plenty of fluids. Get about 65-70% of your calories should come from carbs. Don’t experiment with unfamiliar foods – stick to your tried-and-true meals and snacks that you ate during training.

You don’t need to be constantly drinking sports drinks the week before. Plain water is fine to stay hydrated. Try to limit you alcohol consumption, since it not only dehydrates you, but can also interfere with your sleep.

What else should I be doing the week before a marathon?

Try to avoid stress-inducing activities or situations at work and home. You’re going to be stressed and irritable, so you don’t want to take on new projects or put yourself in stressful situations. If you’re able to take some time off from work, give yourself some down time in the days leading up to the race.

Stay relaxed and confident, and know that pre-race nerves are normal. Start working on these strategies for reducing performance anxiety.

It helps to stay busy, so you’re not obsessing about the marathon. Just make sure that you stick to relaxing activities such as reading, catching up on Netflix, or hanging out with friends and family.

Start packing.

It’s never too early to start packing for your marathon, as leaving it to the last minute is likely to create unnecessary stress and lead to a lot of pre-marathon anxiety. This is especially important if your marathon is out of town and you’ll be packing a suitcase of race clothes as well as regular clothes.

Use a marathon packing list to make sure you don’t forget anything.

Start planning out your race outfit now and make sure you have everything you need. You shouldn’t race in clothes and gear that you’ve already tried out during training runs. Remember one of the Golden Rules of marathoning: Nothing new on race day!

Don’t plan on buying your favorite sports gels or other necessities at the race expo. You don’t know for sure if you’ll be able to buy what you need, so you’re much better off getting it early and packing it with all your other race essentials.

Get plenty of sleep.

Sleep is critical during this period. Try to get to bed early every night – not getting enough sleep during the week before a marathon can lead to a poor performance. And hitting the hay early in the days leading up to the marathon will make it easier to do the same the night before the marathon. If you’re having trouble sleeping, try some of these tips for getting better sleep.

Prepare your team of supporters.

Being a marathon spectator is hard work, too, so make sure your family members and friends are prepared for a few hours of cheering and supporting. Share these tips for marathon spectators with them, so they know what to expect and have everything they’ll need. And give them some ideas for marathon signs to make so they can show their support!

Finalize your race morning transportation plan.

Don’t wait until the last minute to figure out how you’re getting to the start. Look on the race website to see what options they have for getting to the race start. If you’re planning to drive to the start, make sure there are parking options and that you have the right directions (accounting for road closures). If you’re taking mass transit, do your research to see if there’s any potential for delays.

What to Do the Day Before Your Marathon

Should I run the day before the marathon?

This is one of the most common questions that I get from marathon runners that I coach. Like many running-related questions, it’s a matter of personal preference. Some runners prefer to rest the day before a marathon, while others like to do an easy, 20-minute shake-out run to calm their nerves. If the weather is similar to what it will be on race day, it can be helpful to get a feel for it during that short run.

Whichever you decide to do, it’s not going to make or break your race. If you choose to run, just keep it very short and easy.

Eat mostly carbs, but don’t overdo it.

As you’ve been doing before your long training runs, you should be eating about 65 to 70 percent of your calories from carbs in the days leading up to your race. I tell runners I coach to make lunch their biggest meal during the day before the marathon, so you have plenty of time to digest.

You don’t need to stuff yourself at dinner the night before. As many marathoners like to say, “Too much ‘loading’ can lead to ‘unloading’ during the race.” Eat amounts of food that you would normally eat, but eat a greater percentage of carbs.

Stay hydrated throughout the day.

You’ll know you’re well-hydrated if your urine is a light yellow color, like lemonade. Plain water is fine for most of the day, but you can have one sports drink to give yourself some extra electrolytes. You should be making frequent trips to the bathroom.

Avoid alcoholic beverages because they have a dehydrating effect, and they’ll interfere with your sleep. Plus, it’s not a good idea to run with a hangover.

Lay out all your clothing and gear for the race.

Try to do this early in the day so that you still have time to get anything you’re missing. Essential items include:

Race bib (number) and safety pins
Race timing device (if it’s not part of your race bib)
Running shoes
Running outfit, visor or hat, shoes, and socks
Watch
Your race fuels, such as sports gels (whatever you’ve been training with)
A product to prevent chafing, such as petroleum jelly or Body Glide
Sunscreen
Clothes to wear before/after the race (for your checked bag)
Throwaway clothes to wear to the start

Other optional gear that you may need:

Sunglasses
Race belt or fuel belt to carry essentials (if you use one)
Hand-held water bottle (if you use one)
Phone holder (if you use one)

Trim your toenails.

Check your feet and see if your toenails need to be cut. This simple step can prevent a lot of pain and discomfort in the later miles.

Review the course map.

You probably received a copy of the course map in your race packet. (If not, you could always look on the race website.) Even if you’ve already looked at the map (including the elevation map), review it one more time, so you’ll know what to expect. It’s always good to know where you’ll hit some hills and where the aid stations and porta-potties are.

Stay off your feet, rest, and relax.

When you go to the race expo to pick up your race packet, don’t spend hours walking around, shopping, attending clinics, and eating and drinking free samples. Spending too much time on your feet will tire you out, and hanging around big crowds at the expo may get you nervous about your race. It’s not smart to try new foods in the days before a marathon—and that includes giveaways.

When you do need to walk around, make sure you’re wearing running shoes or other very comfortable shoes. Don’t wear your race shoes. If you get caught in the rain or spill something on them, they may not dry out in time for the race.

Try to relax as much as possible, stay positive, and avoid any stressful activities.

Be ready for the finish line.

Your marathon recovery starts the moment you cross that finish line. Make sure you prepare ahead of time for how you’ll be feeling post-race. Your body temperature will start dropping as soon as you finish, so put some warm, comfortable in your checked bag or have someone meet you at the finish line with extra clothes to put on.

Your legs may be too sore and tired to drive yourself home or back to your hotel, so make plans for how you’ll get back after you finish.

Don’t stress if you can’t sleep!

Don’t worry if you’re having trouble sleeping the night before your full marathon. Most people don’t sleep well the night before a marathon. One sleepless night is very unlikely to hurt your performance. Two nights before your race is the most important night of rest. The excitement and adrenaline rush from race day will give you enough energy for your race.

If you find that you can’t sleep, just try lying in bed and resting. Don’t get up and start cleaning your bathroom or checking your social media at 3:00 a.m. It’s still important that you stay off your feet and try to rest.

More Marathon Advice:

Running coach, avid runner, and fitness writer Christine Luff is an RRCA-certified running coach and ACE-certified personal trainer. Founder of the website Run for Good and author of the book Run for Good: How to Create a Lifelong Running Habit, she coaches runners, from beginners to advanced, who are training for races, from 5Ks to marathons.