First Marathon Tips!

Hey there!

I'm doing my first ever marathon next Sunday (Edinburgh) and wondered if you could give me any first-timer advice/top tips?!

Also, I've been running my long runs with a water bottle filled with Lucozade Sport and a sunglasses bag in my other hand with essentials (Lucozade jelly beans/Shot Bloks, lip salve, keys). Is it okay to take your own stuff on marathon day or is it frowned upon? Checked the route map and gel is only at 2 water stations after the 20 mile mark, plus would be worried that the type they handed out would make me feel sick as some have in the past!

Thanks!

Linda

I took my own stuff Linda but In a Nathan neoprene belt which fitted nicely into the small of my back - I managed to fit gels, jelly beans, blister plasters, tissues and mobile on it. I wouldn't fancy carrying a case for 26 miles but if you trained with it you may be ok.
I ran my first marathon with a water bottle containing lucozade mixed half and half with water but last time I did without it because it was cumbersome after a while and there were drinks stations every mile (and to be honest I couldnt face another sip of it after about 17 miles!)

Tips would be
Having a decorators suit and or bin bag for the start
Covering everything in body glide or vaseline
Not wearing, eating or doing anything new on the day
Starting slower than you want to or feel like
Savouring every moment - it is a massive achievement and when you look back on it you will think time flew by (though perhaps not at the time!)

Hope you really enjoy it

All good advice there. You can usually run with whatever you want - I've never yet read any race rules that say you can't take your own water, gels, nibbles, elastoplast, tissues etc. (Just about everybody will have their own supplies of something or other with them.) And how you want to carry them is up to you. The only big rule for Edinburgh that I'm aware of is no iPods/headphones, for safety reasons.

Don't think of trying any new gels on the day, but even so it's worthwhile picking up the free ones at the feed stations. You can hold on to them and try them out on a training run at a later date.

I've just checked the weather forecast and it's looking good. Cool but not too cold, dry and sunny, supposedly not too windy though I've heard parts of the course are always windy no matter what. I'm really looking forward to it! Hope you have a great race. Good luck!