Marathon Tips for Race Week, Race Day, and Recovery

This article is by Roberto Mandje, NYRR’s Senior Advisor of Engagement and Training. We’ll continue to bring you advice and tips from Coach Roberto in the weeks and months after the TCS New York City Marathon.

Race week is here! You’re probably excited, and perhaps relieved to have made it through the training. You may also feel anxious and nervous. If it’s your first marathon, you may be wondering, “Is this what the famous ‘taper’ feels like?”

Let’s look at the week ahead—the rest of your taper, race day, and post-race recovery—and the physical, mental, and logistical steps you need to take.

Physical

Your physical work is done. In the days leading up to Sunday, "less is more" as you prepare your body to run 26.2 miles.

• Trust your training, and avoid long or hard workouts this week. Instead, appreciate the work that got you to this moment. It’s better to be 10 miles undertrained than one mile overtrained.
• Familiarize yourself with the course, even if you’ve run it before. Check out our course information and NYRR’s TCS New York City Marathon Course Experience videos for tips from our coaches for all 26.2 miles.
• Set an A, B, and C finish-time goal so you can adjust to conditions and other factors that may be out of your control. If you put all your eggs in one proverbial basket—for example, “Sub–4 hours or bust”—you’ll be adrift if that goal starts to slip away.
• On race day, don’t go out too fast. I remind runners that you can’t win the race in the first mile, but you can lose it there. Treat the first 10K or so as a warm-up and don’t worry if you’re slightly off your goal marathon pace.

Mental

Throughout the week, focus on what you can control and let go of what you can’t.

• Check Sunday's weather forecast so you know what to wear and how to adjust your nutrition—but don’t fret over the conditions. You’ve likely trained in a variety of weather, so you’ll be ready.
• Soak up special race-week moments such as picking up your bib at the Expo and checking out the finish line. This is what you’ve been training for! It’s okay to be nervous, but have fun, too.
• Your nerves may intensify on Sunday, and that’s normal, as you’re taking on a big challenge. Just turn that nervous energy into positive fuel for the race. Appreciate the excitement of the start, the beauty and diversity of the course, and of course, crossing that finish line.
• During the race, you’ll almost certainly hit rough patches. When you do, relax, focus on your effort (rather than pace), keep moving, and that rough patch will soon be behind you.

Logistical

• Download the TCS New York City Marathon App Powered by Tata Consultancy Services; it’s full of useful race-week and race-day information. Have your friends and family download it to track your run.

• Make sure your transportation to the start is solidified and that you have a post-finish plan.

• Test your race-day shoes and outfit—remember, nothing new on race day. If you’re flying, pack that gear and your nutrition in a carry-on bag.

Recovery

Your recovery begins the moment you cross the finish line.

• Keep moving as you collect your medal and recovery bag. Stopping or sitting down may bring on cramping.
• Take in fluids and calories within the first 30 minutes after finishing; even small amounts will speed recovery and set you up well for the coming days, though some soreness is expected.
• Over the next week, pay extra attention to your sleep and hydration/nutrition to help your body deal with the microtears and overall muscle/body repair that's taken place.

Reflect on all the work you did to get to that finish line. And you know what, you won’t be alone if you feel you’ve caught the marathon bug and want to do it again. Congratulations, and welcome to the marathoner club!