The Runner's Journal race-day tool
Race day preparation, built around your goal.
Use this free race day preparation planner to turn your distance, target time, course and fuelling preferences into one practical plan. Get taper dates, pacing options, route-aware splits, a gel schedule, hydration guidance and a printable packing list built around your race.
Build my race-day plan ↓Nothing new.
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01 Personalised planner
Build the plan you will actually use.
Fill in what you know. Only the race distance and target time are required. Everything else makes the result more specific.
Final step Send and open
Where should we send your plan?
Enter your email to open the full plan below and keep the key details in your inbox.
Plan Ready
Your race-day plan
Pacing plan
Your pacing strategy
See every split
| Split | Pace | Cumulative | Course | Fuel |
|---|
Taper
Your final training days
Race morning
Your start-line countdown
Fuel
Your carbohydrate plan
Hydration
Your fluid guide
Packing list
Pack once. Check twice.
0 of 0 packed
Your ticks are saved on this device.
Race pace calculator
Find the pace behind your goal.
Calculate kilometre or mile pace and create even splits before building the rest of your race strategy.
Your target
Calculate race pace and splits.
Choose a distance, then calculate from either finish time or pace.
02 Pacing strategies
Choose the strategy the course deserves.
The best race strategy is not automatically the fastest-looking one. It should match the route, conditions, your recent training and how confident you are that the goal pace is realistic.
Controlled start
Run the opening 5 to 10% slightly calmer than average goal pace, settle through the middle, then increase effort only if you still have control.
- Good for PB attempts and first-time longer races
- Protects against adrenaline and early congestion
- Creates the possibility of a small negative split
Even pace
Keep each kilometre or mile close to the same target pace. Small variations are normal, but the overall effort should remain smooth.
- Works when the target is well tested
- Easy to monitor with course markers and manual laps
- Less suitable in hills, strong wind or heat
Even effort
Allow pace to slow uphill or into a headwind, then regain time gradually when the course helps. Do not sprint descents to force the average back immediately.
- Best with an official GPX elevation file
- Useful for hilly road races and trail events
- Prevents one climb from becoming an early time trial
Use controlled start when you are unsure, chasing a PB or racing the distance for the first time. Choose even pace for a flat course and a target confirmed by training. Choose even effort when elevation, wind, heat or trail terrain will make identical splits misleading.
| Race phase | Controlled start | Even pace | Even effort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening 10% | Slightly slower than average goal pace | Ease onto goal pace without surging | Stay calm and follow terrain, not watch panic |
| Middle | Settle at goal effort and protect rhythm | Hold consistent splits and relaxed form | Trade pace for effort across climbs and wind |
| Final quarter | Increase gradually if breathing and form allow | Hold first, then race the final section | Use remaining effort where terrain permits |
Avoid banking time. Starting substantially faster than goal pace spends energy at the least useful point of the race. A realistic plan may include a few slower early seconds, but not an opening effort you already know is unsustainable.
03 Tapering
Reduce the load, not your readiness.
A taper is a planned reduction in training load before a race. The aim is to lose fatigue while keeping the rhythm and confidence you built in training.
Reduce volume by roughly 20 to 30%. Keep a few short, controlled efforts at race pace.
Shorten the final long run and reduce easy mileage. Keep intensity familiar, not exhausting.
Reduce volume progressively. Your final hard session should build confidence, not create soreness.
Cut volume across two to three weeks while retaining normal run frequency and small amounts of intensity.
Keep
- Your usual running days where possible
- Short reminders of race pace
- Easy movement and normal sleep routines
- Food and fuel you have already practised
Reduce
- Total running volume and long-run length
- Heavy strength work that creates soreness
- Long intervals and sessions with slow recovery
- Extra training added because you feel restless
Avoid
- Trying to gain fitness in the final week
- Testing new shoes, gels or supplements
- Turning every easy run into a fitness check
- Panicking over normal taper heaviness
04 Race nutrition and hydration
Fuel early enough to stay ahead of the fade.
Race-day nutrition should be a repeat of what worked in training. Use duration, grams of carbohydrate and your own tolerance, rather than copying somebody else's number of gels.
Make carbohydrate easy to reach.
For longer races, build familiar meals around rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, oats, cereal, noodles or wraps. Eat enough overall and spread intake across meals and snacks rather than relying on one enormous dinner.
Eat normally, just a little earlier.
Choose a familiar meal with carbohydrate, moderate protein and a lower amount of fat and fibre if those are known gut triggers. Good options include pasta with a simple sauce, rice with chicken or tofu, or a baked potato with a familiar filling.
Top up without experimenting.
Guidance supports 1 to 4g carbohydrate per kg of body weight in the 1 to 4 hours before exercise. Match the portion to the time available. Try porridge with banana and honey, a bagel with jam, cereal and milk, toast, rice pudding or a low-fibre wrap.
Pack recovery before you leave.
Start with fluid, carbohydrate and roughly 20 to 30g protein when practical. A recovery shake and banana, yoghurt with cereal, a milk drink and sandwich, or a normal meal can all work. The best option is one you will actually want to eat.
Arrive fuelled from normal meals. Water may also be unnecessary during a short race in cool conditions.
Start near the lower end if fuelling is new. A half marathon plan should be based on expected finish time, not distance alone.
The higher end normally needs gut training and a mix of carbohydrate types. Do not jump to 90g per hour for the first time on race day.
When to take energy gels
Start before you feel low.
For a race lasting longer than about 75 to 90 minutes, a practical first gel is often around 20 to 30 minutes in, followed by regular doses based on the carbohydrate in each product. Waiting until you feel empty is usually too late.
Take a standard gel with water unless it is specifically labelled isotonic. If you use a carbohydrate drink, count those grams towards the same hourly total.
Turn grams into timing
45g per hour target + 25g gels + no sports drink
One gel roughly every 33 minutes.
60g per hour target + 25g gels + no sports drink
One gel roughly every 25 minutes.
60g per hour target + 20g per hour from drink
40g per hour remains, so a 25g gel is needed roughly every 37 minutes.
Alternatives to gels
A gel is only one delivery format.
Use the nutrition label to count actual carbohydrate. Portion sizes vary widely between brands.
- Energy chewsEasy to split into smaller, frequent doses.
- Carbohydrate drinkCombines fluid and fuel, but still needs to fit your hydration plan.
- Jelly sweetsInexpensive and familiar, although less compact than gels.
- Banana piecesOften available at longer events and usually around 20 to 25g carbohydrate per medium banana.
- Soft bars or wafflesUseful at slower paces or in ultras when chewing is comfortable.
- Rice cakes or baby potatoesA savoury option for long and trail events. Practise carrying and eating them first.
Small pre-start top-ups
A banana, white toast with jam, a small cereal bar, chews or part of a familiar sports drink can work when breakfast was early. Allow time for your stomach and include the top-up in your total plan.
Hydration without guesswork
Use a training run to estimate sweat rate: body mass lost in kg, plus litres drunk, minus urine produced, divided by hours. Use it as a guide, not a target to replace every drop.
Caffeine
Caffeine may help some runners, but it can also increase nerves or gut urgency. Use only a dose and source already tested, and count coffee, gels, chews and drinks together.
Fuel the whole race, not each product separately. Sports drink, gels, chews and food all contribute carbohydrate. Add them together by hour so you do not accidentally double the plan.
05 How to run a PB
Make free speed from better decisions.
A personal best still depends on fitness, but pacing, positioning, course knowledge and small logistical choices can prevent avoidable time loss.
Set A, B and C goals.
Use a recent race or training benchmark to keep the A goal realistic. Give yourself a strong B goal and a process-based C goal so one difficult section does not turn into abandoning the race.
Warm up for the distance.
For a 5K or 10K, use an easy jog, mobility and a few short strides. For a half marathon or marathon, conserve energy with a shorter familiar warm-up and gentle movement near the start.
Protect the opening 10%.
Congestion and adrenaline make goal pace feel easy. Judge the first section by control, not excitement, then settle when the field opens.
Use course markers as well as GPS.
Instant GPS pace can jump around buildings, trees and bends. Use lap pace or manual laps at official markers, then make small corrections rather than sudden surges.
Run the shortest sensible line.
Look ahead through bends and avoid unnecessary weaving. Do not cut across runners or cross barriers, but remember that wide corners add distance over a long race.
Plan aid stations before the race.
Know where water and fuel appear. Move gradually towards the correct side, take what you need without stopping suddenly, then settle back into rhythm.
Break the race into jobs.
Use simple phases such as settle, hold and compete. Focus on the next kilometre, landmark or gel rather than carrying the whole remaining distance at once.
Race late, not early.
Before increasing effort, check breathing, posture and cadence. If they are controlled in the final quarter, build gradually. A sudden surge usually costs more than it gains.
Keep the goal time flexible and race by effort. A PB target set in cool, still conditions may not be appropriate.
One imperfect night does not erase training. Keep the normal plan, avoid panic caffeine and focus on the routine you can control.
That can happen when training volume falls. Avoid testing fitness with an unplanned hard session.
06 Race day packing checklist
Pack for before, during and after.
Your personalised result creates a checklist you can tick and save. Use this master list to catch the less obvious items before race morning.
Race access
- Race number, collection email or QR code
- Timing chip and safety pins or bib magnets
- Photo ID, payment card and a little cash
- Travel ticket, parking details or road closures
- Start pen and bag-drop label
- Emergency contact details
Wear and carry
- Tested shoes, socks, top and bottoms
- Sports bra or base layer if used
- Watch, pace band and charged phone
- Fuel arranged in the order you will take it
- Medication you normally carry
- Headphones only if event rules allow them
Comfort and weather
- Anti-chafe balm and blister plasters
- Sunscreen, cap and sunglasses
- Throwaway warm layer or rain poncho
- Tissues, wipes and period products if needed
- Hair ties, gloves or a buff
- Waterproof bag for phone and dry clothes
After the finish
- Sliders or flip flops for swollen feet
- Dry socks, loose top and warm layer
- Recovery drink or snack with carbohydrate and protein
- Water and a familiar salty snack if useful
- Wet wipes and a small towel
- Meeting point, return ticket and power bank
Lay everything out in the order you will use it and take one photo before packing. It is a quick way to spot the missing watch charger, bib, socks or post-race shoes.
07 FAQs
The questions that appear when race day gets close.
Practical answers on tapering, breakfast, gels, toilets, warm-ups, pacing and what to do when conditions change.
When should I start tapering before a race?
A practical starting point is 4 to 7 days for a 5K, 7 to 10 days for a 10K, 10 to 14 days for a half marathon and 14 to 21 days for a marathon. Training history, fatigue and race priority can change the ideal length.
Should I stop running during my taper?
Usually no. Most runners benefit from reducing volume while retaining familiar run frequency and small doses of intensity. Complete rest can leave some runners feeling flat unless illness, injury or unusual fatigue makes rest necessary.
How many gels do I need for a half marathon or marathon?
The answer depends on finish time, carbohydrate target, the carbohydrate in each gel and any sports drink used. The planner calculates this from grams per hour, spaces the doses and adds one spare rather than using one fixed number for every runner.
When should I take my first energy gel in a race?
For a race lasting longer than about 75 to 90 minutes, a first gel around 20 to 30 minutes is a practical starting point for many runners. Continue at intervals that match the carbohydrate in the product and the hourly target you have already practised.
How many grams of carbohydrate should I take per hour?
A common guide is about 30 to 60g per hour for races lasting roughly 60 to 150 minutes. Longer races may use up to 60 to 90g per hour, but the higher end normally needs progressive gut training and a mix of carbohydrate types.
What can I use instead of energy gels?
Carbohydrate drink, chews, jelly sweets, banana, soft bars, waffles, rice cakes and small potatoes can all contribute. Use the nutrition label to match the required grams and test the texture, portion and packaging while training.
What should I eat for breakfast before a race?
Choose a familiar carbohydrate-led meal 1 to 4 hours before the start. Porridge with banana and honey, a bagel with jam, cereal and milk, toast, rice pudding or a low-fibre wrap are practical examples. Portion size should reflect the time available and your tested tolerance.
Is even pacing or a negative split better?
Even pacing can work well on a flat course. A controlled start with a small negative split can protect against early adrenaline. On a hilly course, even effort is usually more useful than forcing identical split times.
Should I try to bank time early?
Deliberately running much faster than goal pace early usually increases the risk of slowing substantially later. Time is better protected through a controlled start, realistic effort and a pace adjustment for hills, heat and congestion.
Do I need to drink at every water station?
Not automatically. Station spacing, weather, sweat rate and expected duration matter. Use aid stations to support a practised plan, but do not force fluid beyond your needs or drink enough to gain body weight during the event.
How early should I arrive before a race?
Around 60 to 90 minutes before the start works for many large events, but transport, security, bag drop, toilet queues and start pens can require longer. Work backwards from the organiser's instructions and add a calm buffer.
Should I run the day before a race?
Some runners feel better after a short easy shakeout with a few relaxed strides, while others prefer rest. Repeat what has worked before and avoid turning it into a fitness test.
How should I warm up for a 5K, 10K, half marathon or marathon?
A 5K or 10K usually benefits from an easy jog, familiar mobility and a few short strides. For a half marathon or marathon, use a shorter warm-up and gentle movement so you arrive warm without spending unnecessary energy.
How can I reduce the chance of stomach or toilet problems?
Keep the previous evening and race breakfast familiar, allow enough time before leaving, know where the toilets are and avoid a sudden increase in fibre, fat, caffeine or carbohydrate. Practise the full breakfast and fuelling schedule on long runs.
What should I eat the night before a race?
Choose a familiar carbohydrate-led meal with moderate protein and an amount of fat and fibre you know you tolerate. Eat at a normal time and avoid making the meal unusually large.
Can I use a GPX file to plan race pace?
Yes. Upload the organiser's official GPX file and the planner will estimate elevation by split and redistribute your target time for a more even effort. GPS elevation is imperfect, so treat the result as a guide rather than an exact instruction.
What if race day is much hotter than expected?
A goal based on cool-weather training may no longer be realistic. Slow the early effort, use the organiser's safety guidance, adjust fluid and cooling plans, and stop if you develop symptoms of heat illness.
Should I wear new shoes or kit on race day?
Avoid untested shoes, socks, clothing, belts and fuel. Use race day to repeat combinations that worked in training, not to discover whether something rubs or upsets your stomach.
Will one bad night of sleep ruin my race?
One disrupted night does not erase the training completed beforehand. Keep the morning routine familiar, avoid compensating with untested caffeine and focus on pacing, fuelling and decisions you can still control.
What should I eat after a race?
When practical, combine fluid, carbohydrate and roughly 20 to 30g protein. A recovery shake and banana, yoghurt with cereal, a milk drink and sandwich or a normal meal can all work. Pack something you know you will want to eat.