The best thing about counting down the last days before the Irish Life Dublin Marathon is that participants have all the hard training already done. At least it should be, because this is no time for any cramming or binge-training ahead of Sunday’s early morning start. No time for any second thoughts either.
For all the 22,500 runners who have signed up, however, there is still time to undo some of that hard training. So, it doesn’t matter if you’re trying to win it, or simply trying to finish it – these are some of the essential dos and don’ts in the week before any big city marathon which can ultimately help make the difference between triumph and disaster.
Do start tapering right back on the training, reducing it down to easy and slow runs only. Then nothing more than a jog on the day before. Do pay more attention to eating well, sleeping well, and hydrating well. Every runner has their own favourite method of carbo-loading, just go easy the evening before. And don’t chance anything different.
Do start familiarising yourself with the Dublin Marathon course, even if you’ve run it before. Whether you’re mapping it out in 26.2 miles, 42.2km, or 138,336ft, the 45th staging of the event will follow the same course as last year. Starting on Leeson Street Lower, shortly before arrival at St Stephen’s Green, it finishes later on Mount Street Upper, just beyond the Pepper Canister Church.
RM Block
The most testing part of the course comes between miles 20 and 22, around the hilly Clonskeagh and Roebuck Roads. But don’t panic! From there it’s a straight downhill along Foster Avenue, and then a (more or less) flat run to the finish.
Do plan on getting to the start line in plenty of time – at least an hour beforehand, and allow for a gentle 10-minute-or-so warm-up. Each of the 22,500 runners will have their own ambitions, but the same running rules apply to all. There are five different start times beginning with wheelchair participants at 8.40am, followed by four major waves, each at 20-minute intervals. Wave 1 (Orange) starts at 8.45am, Wave 2 (Green) at 9.05am, Wave 3 (Blue) at 9.25am and Wave 4 (Purple) at 9.45am.
Wave positions are allocated by your predicted finishing time, and while moving up to a faster wave is not allowed, do feel free to move down a wave if you’re no longer confident about your predicted finish time.
The four baggage areas will be in Merrion Square North, with access via Merrion Square West or Lincoln Place. Each area has designated opening times according to runners’ colour-coded race numbers. Only bags that show the official baggage label displaying runners’ race numbers will be accepted.
Don’t try parking anywhere near the start or finish areas, as most final approaches will not be accessible by vehicular traffic. All runners and spectators are advised to use public transport where possible, with both Luas lines expected to be operating as normal.
Do give yourself plenty of time to pick up your race number. This can only happen in person at the Dublin Marathon Expo, set up at RDS Simmonscourt on Friday (12pm-7pm) and Saturday (9am-6pm). Do remember to bring some form of ID (passport, driving licence, student card, etc).
The actual cut-off time for number collection is 6pm on the Saturday, so don’t be late. The Expo will also have lots of different running brands selling their latest super-shoes and fancy gear, but don’t go wearing these on race day. Well-worn running shoes and socks only.
Don’t dare think about giving away your race number. Or go looking for one. Dublin has a strict zero-tolerance policy for number swapping outside the official transfer window, and accurate participant information is vital in medical emergencies. Any runner found to have transferred, sold or swapped a number outside the official period will be disqualified from Dublin Marathon Group events.
Don’t worry about any need to bring your own drinks and gels supply, unless an essential part of your own routine. The Dublin Marathon has ample refreshment stations – 10 in total – but do look at the map and note where exactly they are. Lucozade Sport is provided at the 9.5-, 13-, 19- and 22-mile marks, and High5 energy gels at the 16- and 22-mile marks.
Do consider following one of the designated Dublin Marathon pacers. If you’re confident about your target finish time, the pacers run at a steady effort throughout, aiming to finish a few seconds under each time band. Pacers are allocated to each wave as follows: Wave 1 – 3:00, 3:10, 3:20; Wave 2 – 3:30, 3:40, 3:50; Wave 3 – 4:00, 4:10, 4:20; Wave 4 – 4:30, 4:40, 4:50, 5:00.
There’s no requirement to sign up to any pacing group in advance. Just turn up at your wave start, look for the pacing runners wearing large balloons, then run as steady as they go.
Do make time for breakfast on Sunday morning, leaving ample time for digestion too, ideally about two hours before your wave start. Munching on a banana or two just before the start is grand, but again, don’t chance anything different – regular caffeine consumption levels included.
Don’t forget that summertime ends and the clocks go back one hour at 2am on Sunday, effectively giving you an extra hour in bed before the run. Finally, don’t forget the most important piece of advice for running a marathon: it’s not the distance that kills, it’s the pace.
Good luck!
