Preparing for a race from A to Z: from choosing your entry to the start line

In short Choose a race that suits you, set a three-level goal, count backwards to fit your plan, test all your gear on long runs, sort logistics early and prepare your head as much as your legs.

1. Choose the right race

Not all races are equal, and the best isn't necessarily the most famous. Before getting out your card, ask yourself a few questions.

• The distance: is it consistent with your experience? A first half takes two to three months to prepare, a first marathon usually four months and a solid base.
• The date: give yourself enough weeks of preparation, and look at what's happening in your life then (holidays, moving house, busy period at work).
• The profile: a flat, fast course to chase a time, a hilly course for the scenery. Check the announced elevation gain.
• The atmosphere: a big city race with thousands of runners and crowds, or a village race where people know each other at the aid station?
• The logistics: travel time, accommodation, start times, bag drop.

Big races often sell out months ahead: once you've chosen, enter without delay.

2. Read the rules (yes, really)

The race rules say everything you need to know and nobody reads: minimum age, time limit, cut-offs, compulsory kit on trails, cancellation and bib transfer conditions, and the paperwork required.

In France, for road races run under the French athletics federation (FFA), runners without a club licence generally have to complete the FFA's online prevention course (Parcours or Pass Prévention Santé) before entering or collecting their bib. The details have changed in recent years: check the FFA website and your race rules for what's required and how long it's valid. Other countries have their own rules.

The rules also say what's allowed on your body and kit: some races restrict visible brands, notably when a race partner has exclusivity in a sector. That's why Leg Up records the rules race by race.

3. Set a goal (or rather three)

"Finishing" is a perfectly honourable goal, especially for a first race. If you're aiming for a time, base it on a recent race, not your best day three years ago. Equivalence calculators (10K to half, half to marathon) give a rough idea, to be used carefully for a first marathon.

The experienced runner's trick: three goals.

• Goal A, the perfect day: everything goes well, the weather's on your side.
• Goal B, the normal day: a realistic time you'll be happy with.
• Goal C, the off day: finish, in good shape, smiling in the photo.

On race day, the weather or a bad night can change everything. Having a plan B stops an average day becoming a bad memory.

4. Count backwards

Once the date is set, start from race day and work back through the calendar.

• The last one to three weeks: the taper, cutting volume.
• Before that: the core of the build-up, with specific sessions and long runs.
• At the start: an endurance base, and a little speed.

Orders of magnitude often used: six to eight weeks of specific preparation for a 10K, eight to twelve for a half, twelve to sixteen for a marathon. For the latter, our 16-week plan details everything, week by week.

Schedule a test race four to six weeks before your goal (a 10K before a half, a half before a marathon): it validates your pace and lets you rehearse your pre-race routine.

5. Test all your gear

Race day isn't a day for discoveries. Everything you'll wear should have been tested in training, ideally on a long run:

• shoes, with a few dozen kilometres already, but not worn out;
• socks, shorts, T-shirt or sports bra: seams reveal themselves at kilometre 25;
• the race belt or bib holder, the gel pouch;
• your watch, its screens and alerts;
• gels, drinks and breakfast (our runners' nutrition article helps you choose);
• anti-chafing on sensitive areas.

And if you're running with a Leg Up tattoo, do a test application a few days before on a small area, especially if your skin is sensitive.

6. Sort the logistics early

The least glamorous part, and the one that ruins most races when rushed.

• Accommodation and travel: book early for big races, hotels near the start go fast. Check Sunday-morning public transport, often reduced.
• Bib pickup: note the days, hours and documents to bring.
• Course recce: look at the route, aid stations, tough sections, the finish area and the meeting point with your supporters.
• The morning: work out your wake-up time backwards from the start time, with breakfast two to three hours before, the journey, bag drop and the toilet queue (always longer than expected).

7. Prepare your head

Mindset can be trained too. A few simple tools:

• Break the race into chunks: a 10K, then another, then "just a Sunday run left".
• Prepare short phrases for the hard moments: "Relax your shoulders.", "One aid station at a time.".
• Visualise the start, the tough sections and the finish. It sounds strange; it works for many runners.
• Accept in advance that not everything will be perfect. A bad patch at kilometre 28 isn't the end of the race.

8. The final week

It has its own rules: run less, sleep well, eat smart, prepare your things the night before, start cautiously. We've devoted a whole article to it: "Race week: the delicate art of doing (almost) nothing before the race".

The night-before checklist

• Bib and pins (or race belt), chip if it's separate.
• Tested kit suited to the weather, plus a layer to throw away or leave at bag drop for the wait.
• Shoes, socks, anti-chafing.
• Charged watch, charged phone.
• Gels, drinks, planned breakfast.
• ID, required paperwork, bag-drop ticket.
• Something to change into and eat after the finish.
• For a Leg Up tattoo: your tattoos, a little water, a tissue, and your phone for the proof photo at the finish.

Got everything? Then all that's left is to sleep. Or to try.