8 Marathon Secrets You Need to Know

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You’ve nailed your marathon training block. You’re ready to crush it on race day. But there is no level of physical or psychological preparation that can prepare you for the unknowns.

That’s what we’re here for. Whether you’ve run 50 marathons or are gearing up for your first, here are the eight marathon secrets we wish someone had told us about before we towed the line—plus how to handle them, according to experts.

1. Packet pickup and pre-race parking requires more planning than you think. 

You’d think the hardest thing a marathoner has to do come race day is actually running the race. But sometimes the first challenge comes before you even get to the starting line. Packet pickup, where you retrieve your bib, is usually at the pre-race expo held during the days before the race. These are often hosted at convention centers or arenas, and beyond the requisite check-in and bib retrieval consist of numerous distractions such as exhibitor booths,  pop-up shops, giveaways, shoe demo opportunities, expert speaker panels,  and raffles.

While pre-race expos can be fun to attend, sometimes they’re a bit overwhelming with traffic, crowds, large amounts of walking and time on feet, and parking difficulties. A lot of runners make the mistake of not carving out enough time for packet pickup, which can lead to a ton of stress, rushing, and even potentially missing out on getting your bib—which, if there’s no morning-of retrievals, means you might not race. To avoid anxiety and time on feet (which you certainly shouldn’t be dealing with the day before a race) plan ahead, check pickup times, and get in and out as fast as you can. (The freebies you stand in those long, torturous lines for aren’t usually worth it anyway.)

USATF-and-RRCA certified running coach Kai Ng is based in New York City and has trained many clients for the New York City Marathon. He says he’s coached a lot of athletes who, unfortunately, got run-down and sick the night before a race because they overdid it at the expo.

“I think it’s really fun and exciting, especially when it’s your first time, but my recommendation is to go earlier when it’s quiet and there’s less people,” he says. “You have people coming from all over descending into one building. Bring your hand sanitizer, wash your hands diligently to stay healthy.”

And speaking of torturous, if you don’t have a game plan when it comes to race-day arrival and parking, you could face a world of hurt. A few days before the race, check online for parking instructions and availability. Have a plan A and a plan B for parking, and remember to bring a credit or debit card and cash, as sometimes lots and garages will only accept one or the other. You’ll want to give yourself plenty of time in case you get lost, get stuck in traffic, or have to pivot plans. Plus, it’s likely you’ll have to walk a little from your parking spot to the starting line.

“Definitely go with public transportation—the bus, subway, ferries—because you want to keep the roads as clear as possible,” Ng says. “On top of that, it’s less stressful, in my opinion. Race day is already a lot—you waste 25 percent of your human battery looking around for a parking spot.”

If you’re being dropped off, either by a loved one or a ride-share service, solidify departure times ahead of time. Schedule your Uber or confirm with your loved one what time you have to be out of the house in the morning.

RELATED: 5 Marathon Training Resolutions Coaches Wish You’d Make

2. There’s so. Much. Gatorade. 

While all courses are different, it’s likely that your marathon course will have aid stations that offer both water and some sort of electrolyte drink, like Gatorade, Skratch, GU, or Nuun. There’s no doubt about it—Gatorade can be a godsend during a race, as it helps replace fluids and electrolytes lost through sweat. (Note: every course has different offerings. For example, the Chicago Marathon and Boston Marathon pass out Gatorade Endurance Formula, a powder that is mixed with water.)

But sometimes, especially if you’re not used to drinking it on your training runs, there’s only a finite amount of sweet, glucose-packed liquid you can stomach, so you need to drink equal amounts of water, too. Plus, often both water and sports drinks are held out by gracious volunteers in cups that look identical, so if you’re gasping for breath and speeding by trying to make a quick grab-and-go, you might make the mistake of grabbing a lukewarm Gatorade when really all you want is a cold, crisp water. Not to mention the sodium in Gatorade can often make you feel more thirsty, which can be a problem if you don’t also manage to grab water at the same aid station.

If you’re wearing headphones during a race, pause whatever you’re listening to when you approach an aid station.  Volunteers typically shout exactly what they’re holding out, so you won’t get confused. And if you can, take both a water and a sports drink.

Orange County, California-based RRCA-certified running coach Monica Olivas says runners should have both a fueling and hydration strategy cemented prior to raceday—and to take into account not only the general recommendations, (the American College of Sports Medicine recommends drinking 5 to 12 ounces of fluids every 15 to 20 minutes during a marathon) but your body’s specific needs.

“If you have a sensitive stomach, you need to put that into your nutrition plan,” she says. “Knowing what’s on the course is helpful—sometimes you can look it up on the race website and try it in training. That way, you know what works for you and what doesn’t.”

Another thing that runners might not know about race day hydration is that you can calculate your sweat rate to find how much you need to drink to replenish what you’ve lost. You can do this by subtracting your weight after a long run from your weight before a long run. Then, add the amount of fluid you took in during the run, and divide that number by how long you exercised. This gives you an estimate of your sweat rate in liters per hour. You can also conduct an official sweat test with a practitioner or order one online.

3. You can get caught up in other people’s paces.

Nailing your race requires going out at the right pace. Go out too hard, and you may blow up—not to mention, have about as little fun as possible. But it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement after the starting gun goes off and suddenly find yourself running 20 seconds per mile faster than you’re supposed to. We all fall into the trap of getting coaxed into other runner’s paces, especially toward the beginning of the race when morale is high, your legs are fresh, and adrenaline says, ‘Forget the plan! This feels great!’

“Start in the right corral. A lot of people are tempted to push up to the front,” Olivas says. “Even if you don’t want to run with a pace group, start near them even just for a mile so you can hold yourself back. It is really exciting, that first mile of the race, and I’ve made that mistake. You regret it later every time.”

Practice your race pace during your training and stick to it, especially the first half of the race. If you progressively feel better as the marathon continues, you may feel like you’re able to kick it up and negative-split the race. Remember that everyone has different plans in mind, not to mention some runners around you  may not even be running the full marathon—they may be taking part in the half marathon, which is why it feels like they’re so much faster than you. Stay focused on yourself and stick with the plan. If you’re going to err on being slightly off pace at the start, it’s better to start out too slow than too fast.

RELATED: I Replaced Running Gels with Real Food and This Is What Happened

4. Your favorite gels might suddenly taste terrible.

If you practiced fueling during your training (which you should), then you probably developed some favorite brands and flavors of gels, blocks, etc. But by the time mile 18 comes around, that s’mores and cookie dough gel might be the last thing you want to eat. Sometimes it’s wise to pack a wide variety of flavors of fuel you know sits well with your stomach, so you’re not gagging through gels. You could also consider unflavored gels that help when flavor fatigue kicks in hard.

A word of advice? That cupcake-sprinkle-donut-surprise gel might taste delicious every now and then.  But it probably won’t when you’re already nauseous from riding the line for hours during the race. Stick to the tried-and-true basics.

“Switch up your flavors. If you have a sweet gel, take a salty one next (salty watermelon?),” he says. “And also, if you know you’re going to be eating sugary gels for the entire morning, have something savory for breakfast like eggs with salt and pepper and spinach, or maybe an unripe banana with some peanut butter and salt. My personal secret weapon is savory porridge.”

Just like your race nutrition, make sure you practice your pre-race fuel, too, before key sessions during your training block.

5. You might want to cry—try to save tears for the finish line.

Sure, you can expect some happy, relieved tears when you finish a marathon, but a lot of runners are caught off guard when a wave of emotions slam into them in the middle of a race. It’s not uncommon to inexplicably get choked up and teary-eyed while running a marathon. You’re doing something incredibly difficult while thousands of spectators watch…There’s a little pressure! Not only that, studies show that sleep deprivation and physical exhaustion negatively affect the amygdala, an essential part of the brain that regulates emotion. Extreme fatigue can unfetter “normal” feelings and lower the threshold for crying. So one second you could be running smooth and easy, the next, you’re sobbing.

“If you’re getting emotional, try and save your tears for the finish line,” Olivas says. “You can’t expend any extra moisture! You’re already sweating enough! I tell myself, crying is dehydrating. And I hold it in. And then you can let it all out at the end.”

Ride it out, be grateful for the process, and rehydrate to make up for any escaped tears.

6. You can ‘hit the wall’ more than once. 

Many of us know what the “the wall” is all about in a marathon—know it, hit it, hate it. Hitting the wall refers to the point in a race, usually between miles 18-20, when glycogen stores in your muscles have run dry, and your energy levels suddenly plummet. Ideally, if you’re fueling correctly (aiming for 30-90g carbs per hour, depending on your source, weight, experience, etc.), you can avoid this. But with so many factors going into a race like hydration, weather, and elevation, it can still happen. Not only that, but hitting a wall can come from mental exhaustion in addition to physical.

But here’s the thing no one tells you: you can hit the wall more than once. You may feel it at mile 18, down a gel and feel better for a bit, then smack right back into it at mile 24. And this can happen for both physical and mental reasons.

“If it’s a physical wall, I address whatever I can: fuel, hydrate, address that blister forming on my foot,” Olivas says. “If it’s a mental wall I’m hitting, I try to distract myself. I look ahead in the distance and start making deals with myself like, ‘just get to the next mile marker!’ or “keep that person ahead in my sight!’”

If you hit the wall, don’t panic. Slam a gel (or two) and some fluids, take a second to mentally compose yourself, and keep moving. More often than not you will snap back out of it.

RELATED: Use This Checklist to Prep for Your First Marathon

7. You might not feel hungry or thirsty, but you should refuel and rehydrate right away.

You’d think plowing through 26.2 grueling miles would make you ravenous, but sometimes the last thing you want to do is eat that banana the volunteers handed you after the finish line. That’s because, according to research on exercise and how it correlates with appetite regulation, running can suppress the hormones that trigger hunger, tricking us into making us feel momentarily full. Plus, your body is working overtime to pump blood away from your digestive system to your muscles and lungs, which can trigger nausea. This is a problem when it comes to refueling, as (according to the Gatorade Sports Science Institute) runners are supposed to eat at least 1.2g of carbs per kilogram of body weight per hour for the first hour after a race for optimal recovery. Even if you don’t feel hungry, make sure to consume a balanced meal of high-glycemic carbs (which are fast-digesting for quicker muscle recovery) and protein. Try Greek yogurt, a protein shake, eggs, sweet potatoes, a salad with protein, oatmeal, or whole grains.

“I really like chocolate milk to refuel, because I’m usually super thirsty after a run but not very hungry,” Olivas says. “I can get down something like a protein shake or chocolate milk and have it still be nutritious.”

Sometimes the same goes for rehydration. If you’ve done nothing but chug water and Gatorade throughout the course, it can feel like your stomach is sloshing around with too much liquid. But even if you don’t feel like drinking more, according to research conducted by the University of Connecticut, Athletic Training Education department,  it’s important to drink about 25 percent more than what you lost through sweat within 4-6 hours after the race. For the rest of the day, incorporate coconut water or electrolyte drinks into your regular hydration.

8. Your immune system might take a hit after. 

It’s not uncommon to come down with flu-like symptoms in the days following a marathon. That’s because the intense physical stress you’ve just put your body through triggers a suppression of the immune system, opening yourself up to all kinds of germs. And where do germs come from? Big crowds! Where are crowds often found? At marathons!

This is what people refer to as the marathon flu, something one in seven marathon runners experience. Symptoms include a cough, runny nose, chills or fever, or body aches. While this is seen as common but unfortunate (bleh), if you experience long-term dark-colored urine or vomiting that doesn’t improve with time, seek medical care.

“Eat to replenish what you’ve lost. Soups are great, especially if you’re someone who isn’t very hungry after a race,” Ng says. “If you’re cold, change out of your sweaty, wet clothes. Even if you’re covering up in a poncho, you’ll still be cold. Drink something, obviously.”

Even though sometimes getting the marathon flu is unavoidable, you can focus heavily on nutrition, rehydration, and quality sleep post-race to better your recovery. If you do get sick, be kind to yourself and address it like a cold or flu: liquids, pain relievers, and rest.

“When you listen when your body whispers, you won’t have to hear it scream,” Olivas says. “When you’re getting sick after a race, it’s telling you ‘I need a break.’ It’s a reminder to be grateful for your body and that it got you across the finish line, and now it needs a rest.”