The second instalment of the Marine Corps Marathon Washington DC 2022 blog

The second part of this blog piece will provide you with our top 5 pre-race tips which we would recommend for participants competing in the Marine Corps Marathon 2022.

1) Include rest in your training plan

It’s extremely important to create an effective training plan before participating in a marathon. It should include the correct amount of exercise and rest. Many runners train too hard when they should be recovering from workouts. This can have a negative impact on their training later on in the preparation phase. Including rest day in your training plan will allow you to recover completely from workouts, prevent injuries, give your brain time to relax and to perform well overall.

2) Plan your sightseeing so that it happens after the race

Walking around the city before the race will make your legs tired. This will defeat the whole purpose of your visit and all your hard training over the past few months. We would therefore recommend that you go sightseeing after the race. It will also be a more relaxing experience as you don’t have the pre-race nerves and is a great way to stretch your legs post-race.

3) Keep in mind that the Metro will be very busy on the day of the event

Be cautious of the crowds on race day and plan some extra time for making your way to the event and back to the hotel. The Metro will be extremely busy, so please remember to plan your journey in advance.

4) Weather conditions

If it’s raining on the day, we would recommend taking a bin bag with you. You simply need to cut a hole in the bottom of the bag for your head and wear it while you wait at the starting line. This will allow you to keep dry before you set off as you will more than likely be standing in the starting corral for a long period of time before the race with little shelter. Please note, we do not recommend you run with it on you.

Top tip: if you have family or friends accompanying you on the course, we advise that you give them a dry set of clothes before the race starts. This will enable you to change into them when required and get rid of any soggy clothes or shoes that could be detrimental to your performance.

5) Ensure that you carry food with you at all times

In the last few days leading up to the event, you never want to go hungry. Always be prepared in case a pre-event meeting overruns and you are late for a meal. However, you should be cautious not to overeat especially during the last 3 days before the race as this be detrimental to your race.

The second part of this blog piece will provide you with our top 5 pre-race tips which we would recommend for participants competing in the Marine Corps Marathon 2022.

1) Include rest in your training plan

It’s extremely important to create an effective training plan before participating in a marathon. It should include the correct amount of exercise and rest. Many runners train too hard when they should be recovering from workouts. This can have a negative impact on their training later on in the preparation phase. Including rest day in your training plan will allow you to recover completely from workouts, prevent injuries, give your brain time to relax and to perform well overall.

2) Plan your sightseeing so that it happens after the race

Walking around the city before the race will make your legs tired. This will defeat the whole purpose of your visit and all your hard training over the past few months. We would therefore recommend that you go sightseeing after the race. It will also be a more relaxing experience as you don’t have the pre-race nerves and is a great way to stretch your legs post-race.

3) Keep in mind that the Metro will be very busy on the day of the event

Be cautious of the crowds on race day and plan some extra time for making your way to the event and back to the hotel. The Metro will be extremely busy, so please remember to plan your journey in advance.

4) Weather conditions

If it’s raining on the day, we would recommend taking a bin bag with you. You simply need to cut a hole in the bottom of the bag for your head and wear it while you wait at the starting line. This will allow you to keep dry before you set off as you will more than likely be standing in the starting corral for a long period of time before the race with little shelter. Please note, we do not recommend you run with it on you.

Top tip: if you have family or friends accompanying you on the course, we advise that you give them a dry set of clothes before the race starts. This will enable you to change into them when required and get rid of any soggy clothes or shoes that could be detrimental to your performance.

5) Ensure that you carry food with you at all times

In the last few days leading up to the event, you never want to go hungry. Always be prepared in case a pre-event meeting overruns and you are late for a meal. However, you should be cautious not to overeat especially during the last 3 days before the race as this be detrimental to your race.