What runners need to prepare before Tien Phong Marathon

The late start time and hot weather at the race in Tuy Hoa on March 31 required runners to be well prepared in terms of clothing, nutrition, cooling and mentality.

Tien Phong Marathon is a long-standing race with its own characteristics, making it a traditional challenging race. This year's race - the 65th in history - taking place this weekend is no exception. According to the announcement from the organizing committee, the FM distance (42.195km) will start at 4:34 am, 3 hours later than the usual start time of this distance in other races. The fact that two distances with many athletes - FM and HM (21.0975km) - start at the same time also creates a crowded scene, easily causing overload at the first water stations. This reality requires careful preparation according to the following categories.

National athlete and current Vietnamese women's marathon record holder Hoang Thi Ngoc Hoa trains in Tuy Hoa on March 28. Photo: Tien Phong Marathon

Skin

When it comes to clothing, the first thing many runners often think of is to be willing to spend a lot of money on "super shoes" - these carbon sole shoes have elasticity to help "smooth feet" and easily achieve KPIs when entering the race. However, other clothing factors cannot be neglected. The more difficult the race, the better the support "tools" must be, so that you can enter the race most comfortably.

A running cap with an adjustable waistband that protects your head from direct sunlight and keeps it cool is a must. Runners should choose specialized running caps that are lightweight, close-fitting, and still breathable.

Sunglasses are an indispensable part. In addition to helping runners take beautiful photos, this accessory also helps protect eyes from UV rays and reduce glare. When the eyes are relaxed, the body is also comfortable, reducing the risk of heatstroke and hallucinations after many hours of continuous high-intensity exercise in the hot sun.

Gloves that hug the shins and biceps help protect against the sun and reduce the impact of harsh weather. In fact, runners often get tired arm muscles and sometimes cramp their arm muscles before their calf or thigh muscles, so wearing gloves is essential.

Running clothes, in addition to looking good in photos, must be specialized running clothes, breathable, light, help the body feel comfortable and not overheat when running. There is nothing worse than a soaked race shirt or pants that make you chafing, hindering your stride to the finish line.

Nutrition

According to AccuWeather 's forecast, the temperature in Tuy Hoa on March 31 will range from 24-34 degrees Celsius. With this temperature and the early sun, it is even more important to replenish water and electrolytes . You need to remember the "rehydration" and electrolyte replenishment milestones, for example every 2 km or a certain time, to avoid missing anything. Lack of water and electrolyte replenishment may not have obvious consequences at first, but it is likely to make you miserable, even "collapse" at the end of the race. In addition, runners should also avoid taking in too much water at the same water station at the same time, because this will cause you to have hip pain while running. A small tip that runners can remember is to take small sips of water or hold water in your mouth until it is wet and then spit it out to trick your body into not feeling thirsty.

Runners also need to bring energy drinks or foods such as energy gels and protein bars to replenish their bodies during the run. As well as water and electrolytes, you need to replenish your energy regularly, and you can alternate fresh energy such as watermelon and bananas from stations to keep your body from running out of energy.

Cooling

According to the organizers, Tien Phong Marathon 2024 will have 22 water stations and 4 shower stations along the route. This high density will help reduce the risk of dehydration during the race. However, runners still need to note the following points.

First, you need to plan for getting water and cooling down during the race. Before reaching the water station, the organizers will place a notice board 100m to 200m in advance, so athletes need to proactively observe, avoid rushing to get water or worse, skipping the water station.

How you get water at the station is also important. If you are running at a high pace or in a group, getting water without wasting time is very important. Water stations at races nowadays rarely provide enough small water bottles, so you need to practice getting water from paper or plastic cups. A popular technique today is to slow down gradually when you reach the station, use your fingers to pick up the cup, take small sips and gradually speed up again. But you need to remember to throw the used cup in the right place to support the organizers in the process of cleaning and cleaning the streets after the race.

Runners should also proactively bring cold pads or wet towels to cool down their bodies while running and keep them from overheating. A multi-purpose towel will be very useful in this case. You can wrap it around your hands, neck or put it in a water belt and dip it in water to cool down when passing through the organizers' water stations.

Runners need to take advantage of water stations and rain stations to cool down on the race track, to cope with the hot weather. Photo: VnExpress Marathon

Race mentality

This year's tournament will gather more than 12,000 athletes, in which the FM and HM distances start together, with such a large number of participants, it will be a big challenge for runners who want to achieve good results this time. Therefore, you need to prepare yourself a good strategy for the race. Keep a calm mind when starting, warm up the first 1-2 km of the race to gradually pass the runners in front and run to the target pace. Get to the starting line early, at least 30 minutes to have time to warm up thoroughly and avoid rushing, leading to nervousness and high heart rate before the race.

In terms of elevation, the FM course this year has a total elevation of 137 meters, the HM course is 91 meters, and the 10km course is 47 meters, according to the organizers. The main slopes are located on two bridges over the Da Rang River at Hung Vuong Street and Nguyen Tat Thanh Avenue. According to the runners present here, these bridges are relatively long and gentle, so they will not be too big of a challenge in the race.

The challenge this time is mainly the high temperature and strong wind of the coastal city. According to the forecast, the temperature on the race day will be 32 degrees Celsius with a wind speed of 23km/h. The relatively late start time of the race will also be an unpleasant experience for the athletes in this race, when the sun has risen since 5:30 am. In addition, with the FM distance, the race route will have to go through Tuy Hoa airport and the outskirts of the city with relatively open terrain, the sea wind will definitely make you lose more energy than expected.

Therefore, runners need to control the race well . You can choose negative (gradually faster) or positive (gradually slower) tactics depending on your ability, but the important thing is to be really flexible. When the temperature rises, the sun is bright and the sea breeze is harsh, the discomfort will increase very quickly with each kilometer, so trying to stick to the plan is not necessarily a good thing. You should also use the wind-hiding strategy to ensure that you can go through the open running distances without spending too much energy. Or you can also join a group, constantly changing the pace leader so that you can reach the finish line safely and achieve your goal.

A highlight of the running route is the 3km section before the finish line, which the advance runners said has flat terrain and smooth roads, very suitable for the finish line, an opportunity for runners to "burn" themselves out, trying to accelerate to the finish line to reach the target.

It never hurts to prepare well before a race. Always listen to your body and adjust your running method to suit you best. You have trained hard for months, organized your work and traveled a long way to stand at the starting line, so race calmly, enjoy the race and the moment of reaching the finish line.

Ice Cream Cup

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