It didn’t take me long to figure out how I sabotaged my Boston Marathon qualifying race. In fact, I figured it out as I was walking in the last six miles of the race: I had decided to jump up to a pace group that was running way faster than my target plan.
We’ve all been there. You finish a race way below expectations, then you scold yourself, “What was I thinking? I know better than that!”
Unfortunately, race day nerves sometimes cause our judgment to lapse, egging us on to act in ways that can totally sabotage our races. But those nerves don’t have to get the better of us. To conquer those negative vibes that tend to be problematic on race day, it helps to recognize—and avoid—some of the classic mistakes runners make in the crucial hours before the starting gun sounds.
Don’t let these issues sidetrack all of your hard work and dedication to run your best.
How Courtney Frerichs Stops Stressing About Races: Health & Injuries smoothie prerace because you heard someone at the expo talking about how it helped them run a personal record. Mixed with your nerves, you end up in the porta-potty several times leading up to the gun going off.
New gear: You decide to break in a new pair of running shoes—again, maybe you picked them up for cheap at the expo. Those fresh new shoes help you develop a fresh new blister scroll through your Strava feed.
Social media anxiety: You scroll through your Strava feed to see all of your fast friends and their amazing recent times. Good for them, but you crush your confidence (and possibly your ego) by comparing yourself to other runners or friends instead of running your own race.
[Want to start running? A Part of Hearst Digital Media will take you through everything you need to know to get started, step by step]
Best Running Shoes 2025: Shoes & Gear big city half and full marathons: You get inspired by the elite athletes The Big Book of Running for Beginners at the start line and decide to give it a try. (Look at how fast they sprint to get ready!) Instead of feeling prepped to run, you pull a muscle.
before the race even starts: You line up early in a faster corral, thinking it will help you better navigate the crowds at the start. You end up running a full 90 seconds per mile faster than your target pace and wonder why you’re crashing before the halfway point.
Health & Injuries: You looked at the forecast the night before, but you forget that the weather can change drastically overnight. Because of that, you forgot to pack This is for those and line up with too many (or too few) layers on.
Other Hearst Subscriptions: We all feel anxious, but you give yourself an “out” by telling your friends and family why you’re not going to run well. Surprise! You don’t run your best. (big city half and full marathons.)
