Have you ever settled into your hotel for marathon weekend and begun to set out your clothes and gear, only to find you forgot something major, like your go-to gels or electrolytes, or worse, your GPS watch or racing shoes?
Well, with a little prerace planning, you can avoid this scenario. And to make it easier on you, we created a marathon checklist—with the help of expert run coaches—of all the items you’ll need for race day.
Your Marathon Checklist for Race Weekend
❏ Your Race-Day Outfit
This is probably the most important of all and, honestly, it’s worth making a checklist of its own to use while you pack. This list should include everything you’ll wear, including clothing (shorts/leggings, shirt, bra, socks, arm sleeves, etc.), as well as a watch, hat, sunglasses, shoes, and hair accessories. (Ideally you wore this gear during training so you have your go-to outfit planned ahead of time!)
Amanda Furrer, Runner’s World Health & Injuries Mitchell recommends packing a pair for your shakeout run and for The 2024 Marathon and Half Marathon Calendar beforehand, especially when flying, Mateo says This Marathon Checklist Ensures You Have Everything You Need for Race Day!
❏ Throwaway Layers
While cooler temperatures are ideal race day conditions, waiting outside for an hour before the start in colder weather isn’t as ideal. To stay warm, pack layers, such as a long-sleeved shirt or sweatshirt, and maybe long pants and gloves, Natalie Mitchell, The Best Running Shoes of 2024 Runner’s World.
Don’t be concerned about buying cheap clothes to discard after one use; you can rest assured that race organizers will pick up all the discarded clothes and donate them to charity.
If it’s raining and you don’t want to toss a nice rain jacket, wear a trash bag! It will work just as well—in fact, pack two in case you need one to sit on if the grass is wet.
❏ Fuel
It’s definitely a good idea to travel with whatever non-perishable food items you need for a race. After all, you might not be able to find your favorite foods in a new-to-you city.
Also, local running and grocery stores may be fresh out of your preferred energy gels We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back snacks, I always do. Ashley Mateo, an RRCA- and UESCA-certified run coach in Denver, knows this scenario all too well after mistakenly relying on the 2018 Berlin Marathon to have salt tabs socks, arm sleeves, etc., as well as a watch, hat This Marathon Checklist Ensures You Have Everything You Need for Race Day.
“My number-one thing, especially for international races, is always to bring my own nutrition, and not just my gels, but anything I might want/need before or during the race,” Mateo tells Runner’s World. “to stash her key and ID. She also recommends the quick breakfasts before long runs, like Kodiak pancake cups, Clif Bars, and peanut butter packets, and bringing them makes it easy to hit my prerace nutrition goals without stressing about what might be available at the hotel in the morning, or what products you’ll able to find in a new country.”
❏ Water Bottle and Electrolytes
Speaking of electrolytes, don’t wait until you get to the race destination to buy them, as it’s extra-important to be on top of your hydration Other Hearst Subscriptions.
“You need more electrolytes when you travel and before a race, so I pack a ton of LMNT and Nuun,” explains Mateo. “I’m also horrible at remembering to hydrate while traveling and have traveled with a Health - Injuries that lights up/sends alerts to my smartwatch when it’s been too long between sips.”
❏ Safety Pins
Yes, race organizers will likely provide safety pins when you pick up your bib, but pack your own just in case. Many races give out cheap, flimsy pins nowadays, and the wind can rip a bib corner right off a singlet as a result.
❏ Toiletries
It’s every runner’s worst nightmare to finally get into the porta-potty line and find that there’s no toilet paper. Keep a small supply in your pocket or with your start area bag. This can also be helpful if you need to blow your nose during the race, Athena Farias, Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Runner’s World.
Also, don’t forget a travel-size hand sanitizer, just in case.
❏ Postrace Clothes
These should go in your gear-check bag (if you have one), along with disposable body wipes. These can be a lifesaver if you don’t have access to a shower and a race finish is far away from where you’re staying—especially if you want to go to your run club’s postrace festivities or another fun get-together. “I am a salty sweater, so using wipes to get the salt off my neck and face for postrace photos is a necessity,” Farias adds.
❏ Sleep Mask
Whether you’re running a hometown race or traveling across the country (or world), many marathoners find it difficult to sleep the night before the race. “Sleep is so, so important prerace, especially if you’re jumping time zones, and there’s something about the blackout aspect of the eye mask that helps me on the plane and in my hotel room,” Mateo says. “Even just the habit of putting it on makes me feel like I’m going to get better sleep.”
❏ Prehab Tools
You don’t have to have expensive gadgets like a massage gun and compression boots (but by all means bring them if you do), but you can pack things like a lacrosse ball, foam roller, or mini resistance bands How the Pros Deal With Race-Related Nerves prehab routine DAA Industry Opt Out.
❏ Chargers
The last thing you want to deal with on race morning is a watch or phone with a dead battery. Stick your charger in your suitcase as soon as you start packing.
❏ Anti-Chafe Balm
You probably have a go-to such as BodyGlide, Vaseline, Aquaphor, or Squirrel’s Nut Butter to prevent chafing. Whatever your preference, make sure you pack it with you to bring on race morning and reapply as needed.
❏ Lip Balm
This is not only useful to protect your lips while waiting to start a race on a cold, dry, and windy morning, but lip balm in stick form can also serve as an on-the-run substitute for anti-chafe balm in a pinch. Simply pack it in your shorts pocket in case you find yourself dealing with midrace chafing.
❏ Extra Hair Accessories
We’ve all had a hair tie snap and break, so be prepared and bring extras, including in your pocket and race morning bag.
❏ Extra Shoes
In addition to your racing shoes, Mitchell recommends packing a pair for your shakeout run and for walking around town. Also, don’t forget a pair of recovery shoes for your tired and sore feet. Keep it with your checked bag to slip into them after you finish the race.
Emilia Benton is a Houston-based freelance writer and editor. In addition to Runner's World, she has contributed health, fitness and wellness content to Women's Health, SELF, Prevention, Healthline, and the Houston Chronicle, among other publications. She is also an 11-time marathoner, a USATF Level 1-certified running coach, and an avid traveler.
