Race day

On race day, the rule is: nothing new. Shoes, clothes, breakfast and gels: all tested in training.

• Sleep: a poor last night is common and costs little; the nights of the week before matter more.
• Breakfast about 3 hours before (2 at least): familiar, rich in carbohydrates, low in fibre and fat, with your usual coffee if you drink it.
• Arrive 60 to 90 minutes early for the bib, the toilets and the bag drop.
• Warm-up: 10 to 15 minutes of jogging and a few strides for a 5 or 10 km; just a few minutes of easy movement for a marathon, where the first kilometres warm you up.

At the start, line up with runners of your level and hold back over the first kilometre.