Race week: a practical checklist

Nothing you do in the final week will make you fitter for race day. Plenty of things can leave you more tired. Treat the week as preparation.

Training

Research on tapering in endurance sport points the same way: reduce how much you train, and keep some of the intensity. A widely cited meta-analysis found the best results from cutting training volume substantially over about two weeks while keeping intensity and frequency. In practice that means shorter sessions, a few brief efforts at race effort, and nothing that leaves you sore. The training planner builds this taper in automatically.

Seven days out

• Read your event information and the athlete guide for your race. Start times, check-in windows and bag rules differ between venues.
• Read the current rulebook, or re-read it.
• Check your shoes and kit. Race in things you have trained in.

Two or three days out

• Do a short session with a few minutes at race effort and a light touch on two or three stations.
• Plan your travel to the venue with time to spare.
• Eat and drink normally. This is not the week for experiments.

The day before

• Rest, or do a very easy 15 to 20 minutes to stay loose.
• Pack: kit, shoes, a layer for before and after, food and drink you know, your ticket or registration details, and ID if your event asks for it.
• Write down your pacing plan and your wall ball split.

Race morning

• Eat a familiar meal with enough time to digest it.
• Arrive early enough to check in, find the start and warm up without rushing.
• Warm up gently: easy jogging, a few faster strides, some squats and lunges.

Afterwards

Walk, drink, eat, and take several easy days. Official results are published by the organiser; our race calendar links to each event's official page.