First Marathon Tips: 10 Things You Should Know Before Race Day

Training for your first marathon is exciting, but it can also feel overwhelming. There’s a lot of advice out there — from pacing strategies to fuelling plans — but some of the most important lessons only really become clear once you’ve experienced it yourself.

Having raced several marathons myself, there are a few key things I wish I knew going into my first one. So, to help you feel as prepared as possible, here are my top tips for your first marathon — from practical strategies that can make a big difference on race day to a few small details that are easy to overlook.

1. Start Slower Than You Think You Should

This is probably the tip you’ve heard the most — but it’s worth repeating, as one of the most common mistakes first-time marathoners make is going out too fast.

Race day adrenaline, crowds, and fresh legs can make your goal pace feel easy early on. But the marathon is long, and what feels comfortable in the first 10–15K can come back to bite you later.

Starting slightly slower than your goal pace can help you conserve energy and set yourself up for a much stronger second half. Whereas trying to “bank” time early on will almost always catch up with you towards the end.

2. Practice Your Race-Day Fuelling in Training

Fuelling isn’t something you want to figure out on race day. Getting this right is especially important for long endurance efforts like marathons, where consistent fuelling can make a huge difference in how you feel and perform.

Your body can only store so much energy, so during a marathon you’ll need to take in carbs regularly to maintain your pace and avoid hitting the wall. Staying on top of your hydration and electrolytes is just as important, especially over longer efforts where even small imbalances can start to affect performance.

The key is to practice your fuelling strategy during your long runs so you know what works for you. This helps train your stomach to handle fuel while on the move, figure out how often you need to eat, and how you’ll carry everything on race day. It’s also a good opportunity to test different options — whether that’s gels, chews, drink mixes, or even more natural sources like honey or maple syrup — so you can find what sits well and stick with it.

3. Don’t Try Anything New on Race Day

The golden rule is simple: nothing new on race day.

This doesn’t just apply to your gear — it also includes your fuelling, hydration, and overall race-day routine. Race day is not the time to try new shoes, new socks, a different breakfast, or a new gel you’ve never tested before.

Even small changes can lead to discomfort, blisters, stomach issues, or chafing over the course of a marathon. What works for someone else might not work for you, so it’s important to stick with what you’ve already used successfully in training.

If something hasn’t been tested on a long run, it doesn’t belong on the start line.

4. Prioritize Your Long Runs Over Everything Else

If you’re juggling training with a busy schedule, your long runs should be your top priority.

These runs are where you build the endurance (both physical and mental) that you’ll rely on during the race. They also give you the chance to practice pacing, fuelling, your gear, and running on tired legs.

Speed workouts still have their place, but your long runs are what really prepare you for the marathon distance. Missing the occasional easy run or speed session won’t derail your training, but if you skip too many long runs, your body simply won’t be ready to handle the distance on race day.

5. Plan Your Race Morning in Advance

No matter how organized you are, race morning can feel surprisingly chaotic — especially at larger events. And the last thing you want is to arrive at the start line feeling stressed or rushed.

Give yourself more time than you think you need, lay everything out the night before, and have a clear plan for what you’ll eat, wear, and bring with you. Aim to get there earlier rather than later so you have time to drop your bag, warm up, use the porta potties, and find your starting corral. And if you do have time to spare, take a moment to enjoy the atmosphere.

The more decisions you can remove from race morning, the calmer and more focused you’ll feel at the start line — setting you up for a much better race.

6. Don’t Be Afraid to Walk

For many first-time marathoners, the idea of walking can feel like “failing” — but in reality, taking short walk breaks can be a smart strategy.

Walking at aid stations can help you reset, get fluids in more easily, and give your legs a brief break before continuing. In some cases, this can actually help you maintain a more consistent pace overall.

Some runners even choose to hold a consistent run-walk strategy throughout the entire race, such as 1 minute walking for every 5 minutes running. And, you might find some pace groups applying this strategy too.

Even if you don’t plan to walk, it’s worth staying open to it if you need it. A short reset can be far more effective than pushing too hard and slowing down significantly later on.

7. Don’t Forget to Lube (Seriously)

Chafing is one of those things first-time marathoners don’t always think about — until it’s too late.

Over 42.2 km, even small areas of friction can turn into painful irritation. You might not even notice it during the race, but you’ll definitely feel it later (especially in the shower).

Applying an anti-chafing balm like Body Glide — or even something as simple as petroleum jelly — to areas like your inner thighs, underarms, sports bra lines, and feet can make a big difference.

It might seem like a small detail, but this is one of those things that can quietly ruin your race if you overlook it.

8. Break the Race Into Smaller Segments

Thinking about running 42.2 km all at once can feel overwhelming, especially in the second half of the race.

Instead, break it down into smaller, more manageable chunks — whether that’s two half-marathons, four 10Ks, or simply focusing on getting to the next aid station or kilometre marker.

This becomes especially helpful in the later stages, when the last 10K starts to feel significantly harder and staying mentally focused becomes just as important as physical fitness.

9. Expect Things to Get Hard — and Have a Plan for It

At some point in the race, things will start to feel tough.

Your pace might slow, your legs might feel heavy, and you may need to dig deeper mentally than you expected — this is completely normal.

Having a simple plan for when this happens can help you stay in control. That might mean focusing on your breathing, breaking the race into smaller segments, or reminding yourself why you signed up in the first place.

If you run with music, it can also help to save your most motivational songs for the later stages of the race, when you need that extra boost to get you to the finish line.

10. Focus on Finishing Strong, Not Just Finishing

For your first marathon, the goal is often just to finish — and that’s a great goal to have.

But how you finish matters too. Running a steady, controlled race and finishing strong will feel far better than starting too fast and struggling through the final kilometres.

A smart, patient approach early on can make a huge difference in how you feel in the final stretch — and make the entire race a far more positive experience.

The Bottom Line

Your first marathon is a huge milestone, and while it won’t be easy, it can be an incredibly rewarding experience.

With the right preparation, smart pacing, and a few key strategies in place, you’ll give yourself the best possible chance of having a strong and enjoyable race day.

And most importantly — trust your training. You’ve already done the hard work to get to the start line.