Sub-3 running’s golden rule: nothing new on race day

The training is done, you’ve tapered and you’ve visualised race day. You’re a bit on edge, desperate to optimise your chances of success and get that elusive sub-3. The urge to innovate and experiment is strong, and with mileage low, you’ve got more time than usual to scroll through marketing emails from running brands or browse shiny new kit online.

Then comes the marathon expo - an overwhelming array of glossy shoes, unfamiliar supplements, brightly packaged gels that promise rocket fuel and compression gadgets that look like medieval torture devices. All of it is designed to make you question your setup, your plan and your choices.

And it doesn’t stop there. The morning of the race, you’ll see a club mate stacking pancakes and maple syrup like a Jenga tower in the hotel breakfast room. Another might be doing some wild-looking dynamic stretches in the holding pen. All of a sudden, you start wondering whether your carefully rehearsed routine is good enough.

This is where a lot of runners go wrong. The pressure of race day, combined with taper boredom, can make even the most disciplined athlete start tinkering. You begin second-guessing your plan and chasing marginal gains at the last possible moment. But that opens the door to unpredictability, and race day is not the time for mishaps.

Repeat after me: nothing new on race day.

This includes:

• No super shoes straight out of the box. Nothing new on race day.
• No exotic items from the breakfast buffet, however tasty they look. Nothing new on race day.
• No supplements bought at the expo (and definitely no bi-carb unless you like the sound of explosive diarrhoea at mile 15). Nothing new on race day.
• No new tops or shorts that haven’t been tested for chafing. Nothing new on race day.
• No gels you haven’t already tried on at least one or two long runs, including the ones they hand out on the course. Nothing new on race day.
• No fresh-out-the-wrapper blister-free socks. Nothing new on race day.
• No brand-new cap that turns out to trap heat like a pizza oven and gets hurled into a bush at 2km (speaking from experience). Nothing new on race day.
• No sunglasses that bounce with every step like a bobblehead. Nothing new on race day.
• No creams or sprays you’ve never applied before. Allergies aren’t fun. Nothing new on race day.
• No last-minute stretches or warm-ups you saw on YouTube, but especially the mass participation ones at the start line (there's a sound reason why the faster runners never participate). Nothing new on race day.

There’s huge scope for experimentation in sub-3 training. You should try different shoes, test a range of gels, tweak routines and play around with breakfast strategies. That’s what the training block is for. But by race day, the hard decisions should be done, the routine should be set and your body should be familiar with everything you’re going to throw at it.

So if you’re tempted by that miracle product, that flashy singlet or that weird-looking coffee gel your mate swears by, ask yourself one question.

Have I trained with this?

If the answer is no, the answer is simple: nothing new on race day.