Marathon prep: why routine beats stress

There's nothing more stressful than turning up to a marathon without a clear idea in your head of what's going to happen, how it's going to happen, and what you're going to do. That uncertainty is what sends your brain into overdrive. The more you've thought it through and practised it, the calmer you'll feel on the day.

Why having a programme helps your head

Over the years I've lost count of the number of people who've told me, "I don't need a programme." They just run when they feel like it and hope it adds up to a marathon. The problem is, that approach keeps everything floating around in your head. You're always wondering if you've done enough, what you should be doing this week, and how it all fits together.

Having a simple programme laid out does more than structure your training. It helps you plan how you're going to do the marathon and what you're going to do each week on the way there. That makes things feel settled, rather than stressful. You can look at the week and know, "That's my long run, that's my easy run, that's my rest," instead of guessing. If you want support building that structure, our running coaching page explains how we fit training around real life, not the other way round.

Using training to rehearse race day admin

The other big piece is administration – how you actually do it on the day. As you move into the latter weeks of the block, all those easy runs and long runs become a chance to rehearse the routine you'll use on race day.

That means:

Eating the same breakfast you plan to have on the big day

Wearing the kit you're going to race in – top, shorts, socks, everything

Using the trainers you'll wear in the marathon, not brand new ones

You want to know that your kit feels comfortable and does the job. What you don't want is new shoes giving you blisters or a new top rubbing for the first time at mile 15. If something is going to cause a problem, you want to find that out on a normal Sunday long run, not during the race you've trained months for.

Gels and staying close to home

Gels and feeding yourself around the marathon are another big part of this. You want to know that what you're taking doesn't upset your stomach and that you can actually use it on the day. A good way to do this is in the middle part of your block: pick some shorter loops around your local area and practise with the gels there.

If a gel doesn't agree with you, you're only a few minutes from home. You can cut the run short, get yourself sorted, and you haven't ended up stranded 10 miles away with an unhappy gut. Over time, you'll work out which products sit well with you and roughly when you like to take them. If you want a bit more detail on how to practise this in training, there's a handy overview here: how to train with gels.

Building the race day routine

Every time you go out for a long run, treat it as a chance to go through the same routine you'll use on race day:

What time you get up

What you eat and drink

When you take your gels

How you lay out your kit the night before

The aim is that, by the time the marathon comes around, you're not inventing a routine. You're just repeating what you've done for weeks and weeks. That's what takes the edge off the nerves – it feels familiar.

Planning travel, accommodation and packing

It's not just the running bit that matters. Weeks in advance, you want to have a clear idea of:

How you're getting to the race

Where you're staying, if you're using accommodation

What time you need to leave

What you're going to pack

One simple trick is to lay all your equipment and clothing out at home and practise that routine as if you were going away for the race. Then make a list on your phone – shoes, socks, shorts, top, race number if you have it, safety pins, gels, warm clothes, all the little bits. When it comes to travelling for the marathon, you just follow the list and pack without thinking too hard.

What to do next

For your next long run, don't just think about the distance. Think about the routine: the night before, the morning of, the kit, the gels, and how you get out the door. Run that same script again and again so, when you stand on the start line, it feels like another well rehearsed day rather than a one off event you're hoping to survive.