Prepare for your half-marathon or marathon with essential day-before tips on hydration, prerace meals, gear setup, packet pickup and managing stress.

Published: September 21, 2026

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

You’ve put in the work, logged the miles — and now the big day is almost here! The day before a half-marathon, marathon or other big race can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. Most runners will put themselves under extra unnecessary pressure before race day, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Managing the 24 hours before the event sounds easy enough, but those jitters can get into your head. It’s all about having a plan to success, and we’re here to help!

• Packet pickup: Take advantage of the time provided for packet pickup, and don’t wait until the last hour to grab your gear. Consider using this time to rest up.
• Race day’s been on your calendar for months now. Plan and perfect that motivating music playlist before the big day. Don’t spend half your race distracted because you’re skipping songs.
• Reduce unnecessary stress by setting everything out the night before, even the simple things. From head to toe, from the gels to the lubricants, from the bib pins to the postrun clothing. Every bit of your race-day essentials should be in one spot or stowed away in an easy-to-grab bag to get you out the door without stress on race morning.
• Know where you are going to park before race morning. Check the map. You’ll want to check how far from the start line you are to ensure proper timing, and how far from the finish line you are to ensure you will be able to walk back to your car!
• The prerace dinner is not the time to try that new Thai restaurant. Keep your diet simple, clean and familiar. Plan your meals in the days leading up to the race, so you ensure you have the fuel you need.
• Keep your morning breakfast routine the same as you did during your long training runs. Whether it was just a banana or a bacon-egg-cheese sandwich — roll with the race-day food you (and your gut) know.
• Water is not just for race day. We cannot stress this one enough. Hydration is important 24 to 48 hours before your race, as well as the morning of. Keep that water bottle handy until the gun goes off.

There’s so much that goes into preparing for a big race that sometimes, the simple things fall through the cracks. It’s always nice to have some friendly reminders and tips to follow before a half-marathon or marathon, whether you’re an experienced runner or lacing up for your first race, and we hope these help ensure your success in crossing that finish line!