What should you actually do before a marathon?

And how do you stay calm, confident, and in control on race day?

In this episode of The Runna Podcast, Coach Ben and Anya guide you through your entire marathon race day - from the night before to the start line, through the race itself, and into post-race recovery.

Whether you're running London, Boston, your first marathon or your fiftieth, this episode is your complete marathon race day guide. We cover how to prepare, what to eat, how to pace, and how to stay in control so you can avoid common mistakes and enjoy the experience.

Ben and Anya share practical coaching tips and personal routines, breaking down exactly what to do (and what not to do) so you can arrive at the start line feeling calm - and finish feeling proud.

In this episode, we cover:

🎒 Pre-Race Prep: What to Do the Day Before a Marathon

🍝 Carb Loading: What to Eat Before a Marathon

🌅 Race Morning Routine: What to Eat & When to Wake Up

⏱️ Marathon Pacing Strategy: Why Starting Slower Leads to a Stronger Finish

🏁 Post-Race Recovery: What to Do After a Marathon

From laying out your kit to pacing and fuelling right, this episode walks you through race day step-by-step - so you can stay calm and run your best race.

📥 Download Your Free Marathon Race Day Checklist:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Sq8og6BVKLNbNdgSo_6U-nOnfNZ3B_WI/view?usp=drive_link

🎧 Follow along for new episodes every Friday with Olympians, World Record Holders, and inspiring voices form the running community.

🎁 Try Runna FREE for 2 weeks with code PODCAST26: https://web.runna.com/redeem?code=PODCAST26

And if you’re just getting started, our New to Running and Return to Running plans are totally free 💛

📺 Watch the full episode → youtube.com/@therunnapodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

**Please note, this episode contains discussion of drug addiction, substance misuse, and suicide, which some listeners may find upsetting. If you or someone you know is struggling, please seek professional support.**

"Discipline is the only thing that will set you free"

He beat opioid addiction. Then ran a 2:29 marathon at 50.

Ken Rideout is the fastest masters marathon runner in the world - and this week, he brings his story of addiction recovery, discipline, and complete reinvention to The Runna Podcast.

This isn't just a running tips episode. It's a story about what it takes to rebuild your life from scratch - and how running became the framework that made it possible.

Ken didn't just get clean - he replaced chaos with consistency, turned pain into purpose, and became living proof that it's never too late.

In this episode:

🧠 The mindset behind taking risks vs playing it safe

🏃‍♂️ What really happened in his NYC Half debut

📊 His pacing strategy - and where it went wrong

⚖️ The biggest mistakes runners make stepping up to the half

🚀 Why just starting is the hardest - and most important - step

Whether you're a runner chasing a big goal, struggling with consistency, or need some proof that reinvention is possible - this one's for you.

🎧 Follow along for new episodes every Friday with Olympians, World Record Holders, and inspiring voices form the running community.

🎁 Try Runna FREE for 2 weeks with code PODCAST26: https://web.runna.com/redeem?code=PODCAST26

And if you’re just getting started, our New to Running and Return to Running plans are totally free 💛

📺 Watch the full episode → youtube.com/@therunnapodcast

And you can find Ken’s new book here: Everything You Want Is on the Other Side of Hard: Amazon.co.uk: Rideout, Ken: 9781529956030: Books

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"It's a home Olympics. The goal is to WIN."

So why did a 2x Olympic medalist choose a race where success wasn't guaranteed?

Grant Fisher joins us the day after his half marathon debut at the United Airlines NYC Half - where he ran 1:00:53, one of the fastest American-born debuts ever. But this wasn't a perfect race. He went out hard, took risks, and learned more because of it.

This is a real-time look at how an Olympian approaches a new distance - the pacing decisions, the mindset under pressure, and what it all means for his long-term pursuit of Olympic gold.

In this episode:

🧠 The mindset behind taking risks vs playing it safe

🏃‍♂️ What really happened in his NYC Half debut

📊 His pacing strategy - and where it went wrong

⚖️ The biggest mistakes runners make stepping up to the half

🚀 Why just starting is the hardest - and most important - step

Whether you’re running your first half marathon or chasing a PB, this is a rare insight into how elites train, race, and avoid the mistakes most runners make.

🎧 Follow along for new episodes every Friday with Olympians, World Record Holders, and inspiring voices form the running community.

🎁 Try Runna FREE for 2 weeks with code PODCAST26: https://web.runna.com/redeem?code=PODCAST26

And if you’re just getting started, our New to Running and Return to Running plans are totally free 💛

📺 Watch the full episode → youtube.com/@therunnapodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.