How to prepare for a marathon, according to official Comrades coach

John Perlman speaks with Lindsey Parry, Official Comrades Marathon Coach.

Running a marathon is a massive task, and far more goes into it than just the actual running.

In the final two days of a race, there are a few things a runner needs to do for the best outcome.

Eat at the right time:

Your biggest main meal leading up to the race should be two nights before the race.

The night before you should not eat anything too heavy.

Get your sleep:

The few nights before running a marathon you should get a full night’s sleep.

Many people will not sleep that well the night before, so Parry says you should be sure to rest well two or three nights before.

“Night two and night three, those are really the nights to try and get yourself a good night’s sleep.”

- Lindsey Parry, Official Comrades Marathon Coach

Make a realistic race plan:

Before you start running you should look at what you have done with previous races or training, and plan accordingly.

This year the first 50km have a significant amount of climbing, so you should be conservative in this time.

Stay positive:

It can be easy to get overwhelmed by bad thoughts, especially if you have recently had a bad run.

Parry says you should just enjoy the day for what it is and focus on the run ahead.

posted Friday June 7th
by Keely Goodall