Race day wake up time
Work back from the race start to your alarm, with breakfast early enough to settle and time to queue for the loos.
Your details
Set your alarm for
05:45
to eat, travel and warm up calmly
- Breakfast06:00, 3 hours before the start
- Carbohydrate in that breakfastabout 210 g (3 g per kg), for example 3 bagels with jam or the porridge and banana you train on
- Leave home07:35
- Race starts09:00
Eat a breakfast you have tried before a long run, 1 to 4 hours before the start: the closer to the gun, the smaller it should be. Lay your kit out the night before and pin your number on so the morning is easy. Never try new food or caffeine on race day.
The working
A 9am start
Breakfast 3 hours out is 06:00, so the alarm goes at 05:45. Leaving at 07:35 gives 40 minutes of travel and 45 minutes at the start for bag drop, the loos and a warm up.
Breakfast
What to eat
- Something you have tested before long runs
- Mostly carbohydrate: porridge, toast and jam, a bagel
- Lighter and earlier if your stomach is nervous
- Coffee if you usually have it, not if you do not
How much
Carbohydrate and caffeine
The ACSM joint position suggests 1 to 4 g of carbohydrate per kg in the 1 to 4 hours before a long event: about 1 g per kg for each hour. At 11 stone (69.9 kg) and 3 hours out that is about 210 g, three or four bagels with jam, or less if your stomach is nervous. If caffeine is part of your training, the ISSN position stand finds 3 mg per kg about an hour before helps most people: about 210 mg at 08:00 for a 9am start.
The night before
Make the morning easy
| Do | Why |
|---|---|
| Pin your number on | one less job |
| Lay out kit, gels and shoes | no searching at 5am |
| Check travel and parking | roads close for races |
| Go to bed at your usual time | one bad night does not spoil a race |
Read with care
What this cannot tell you
- Travel delaysAdd extra for road closures and queues.
- NervesPoor sleep the night before is normal and rarely matters.
- Medical needsDiabetes: plan race morning with your care team.
Questions
Common questions
How long before a race should I eat?
Most people eat 2 to 4 hours before.
What time should I get up for a marathon?
Usually 3 to 4 hours before the start.
Is it bad to not sleep before a race?
One poor night rarely affects performance; the week before matters more.
Sources
- Thomas DT et al. Nutrition and athletic performance: joint position statement. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2016
- Guest NS et al. ISSN position stand: caffeine and exercise performance. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2021
- NHS: how to get to sleep
Last checked 21 October 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.
Before you push on
New to exercise, or got a heart, lung or joint condition? Have a word with your GP or practice nurse first. Stop and get help if you feel chest pain, faintness or unusual breathlessness, and call 999 if it is severe.
Related
Related calculators
- Running fuel calculatorGrams of carbs an hour, and how many gels.Open
- Race day hydration calculatorA safe drinking range for your race.Open
- Training days to race calculatorDays, runs and long run Sundays before your race.Open
- Marathon pace calculatorEven pace for your marathon finish time.Open
- Kilometre split calculatorRunning total at every marker for even pacing.Open