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Your Safety is Our Top Priority
Our health and safety management team - including TCS Sydney Marathon Medical Director, Hugh Singe, and Sports Podiatrist from The Foot Company, Steph Suber - have crafted clear and practical tips to help make your race day smooth and take you to the finish line safely.
Below is a guide of essential information on hydration, nutrition, sleep and caffeine — the four things most likely to change how your race feels.
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HYDRATION TARGET
PALE STRAW
Pale-yellow, straw-coloured urine is a useful sign that you're adequately hydrated.
Caffeine dose
3-6 mg
Per kilogram of body weight is the advisable dosing range — if you've trained with it.
Aid stations
Not every one
You do not need to drink at every aid station. Drink to thirst instead.
Finish weight
≈ 2% down
A well hydrated runner finishes roughly 2% under their starting weight.
The essentials
Four Things to Get Right
Hydration, nutrition, sleep and caffeine. Each one is a decision you make in training, not on race morning. Read the rule on the left; the reason it matters is on the right.
01
Hydration
Drink to thirst, not to a schedule.
Stay hydrated
Always start exercise hydrated to lower the risk of becoming dehydrated during exercise.
Urine color
Aim for pale-yellow, straw-coloured urine as a useful sign of adequate hydration.
Drink to thirst
This is an effective way to ensure you do not under or over hydrate. You do not need to drink at every aid station.
Do not overhydrate
A mistake inexperienced marathon runners easily make, in the belief that you must consume higher levels of water because of the distance you're running.
Adapt on the day
Be prepared to change your hydration during the race based on changes to your race plan and to conditions on course.
Finish ≈2% lighter
A well hydrated runner will finish a marathon approximately 2% under their starting weight.
02
Nutrition
Have a plan you've already tested.
Your fuelling strategy should be clear prior to race day. It is important to set a nutrition plan that works for you.
Nutrition tips for training and for race day can be found via The Run Down section, and further nutrition tips will be provided via our website in the months before this year's race.
03
SLEEP
Rest is part of the training, not a gap in it.
Rest and recovery are an important component of preparation for achieving your event goals. Ensure you plan enough rest during the lead up to race day.
Event week is exciting, but you need to schedule enough time for rest even with a tapered training program.
04
caffeine
Effective. Just not for the first time on race day.
Why it helps
Caffeine is a popular and effective stimulant that can be used to optimise your event day performance. It blocks adenosine receptors, which results in a reduction in feelings of fatigue.
Dosage
3–6mg of caffeine per kilogram of body weight is an advisable dosing range.
Common mistake #1
Race day is not the time to introduce caffeine to your running routine if you haven't tried it during training.
Common mistake #2
Coffee is not a recommended source of caffeine for enhancing performance. It is a diuretic and can itself counteract the performance benefits.
Side effects
Caffeine use can increase gastrointestinal discomfort and complaints. It can also impair recovery time after exercise by disrupting sleep.
Reconsider or reduce
If you have anxiety, palpitations or are pregnant, then caffeine usage should be reconsidered or reduced.
05
race week
Taper. Don't try to catch up.
You should be tapering your training distance in the last two to three weeks before race day. This tapering period is not a good time to make up for training disruption in the lead up to event day
Tapering allows your body to recover completely from your training to optimise your conditioning for your race.
06
race day
If you're unwell, seriously reconsider starting.
Racing while injured increases the risk of further injury or sustaining additional injuries.
If you are unwell on race day or have been unwell in the lead up to event day, you need to seriously reconsider participation. Particularly if you have any of the following symptoms:
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Diarrhoea
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Vomiting
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Shortness of breath
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Fever
Participating in a marathon if you have been or are unwell, can have significant medical complications. The inflammatory processes that occur due to illness raise body temperature and impair the body’s ability to self-regulate.
If you are unsure if you are well enough to participate on race day, speak to your doctor.
on course
The Event Alert System
TCS Sydney Marathon will implement the Event Alert System (EAS) exclusively as part of its Heat Stress Management Plan.
The EAS is designed to communicate heat stress levels and associated course conditions to event staff, participants, and volunteers in the lead-up to and throughout race day.
Alert levels range from low (green) to moderate (yellow) to high (red) to extreme (black), based on a variety of factors, including temperature, wind, humidity etc.
All event staff, participants and volunteers are asked to familiarise themselves with the EAS colour indicators prior to the event and remain alert for directions from race officials, taking precautions to prepare for varying heat stress indicators. Please keep aware, and if possible, prepare to hear your surroundings (avoid noise-cancelling earphones or headphones) if any official event instructions are made in the case of varying weather conditions.
Event staff, participants and volunteers are encouraged to stay tuned to the EAS status via the colour-coded signs/flags at the TCS Sydney Marathon Running Show presented by ASICS during Race Week and each of the drink stations along the course on Race Day.
before the start
Participant Medication & Devices Drop Off
Drop off medications and medical devices at the Medical Posts located at the Start Venue in your Assembly Area (Purple, Green, or Orange) – look for MEDICAL signs.
A dedicated medical volunteer (wearing a Marathon Medical shirt) will help you.
Participant Instructions
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Bring your medications or devices in a clear or open bag with your race bib number clearly written on it.
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Allow time to drop off items before moving into the start chute.
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The contents of your bag will be visually checked by the medical volunteer.
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The volunteer will record your contact details and make a brief note describing the items.
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Your bag will be sealed in your presence.
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If you do not agree to have the contents visually checked, your items cannot be accepted.
After the finish line
Participant Medication & Devices Pick Up
Location
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Pick up is located at the Sydney Opera House forecourt, after the finish line but before the medal distribution area.
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The exact point is outside the Sydney Opera House Medical Tent, near the tent’s entry/exit.
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No need to enter the medical tent — simply go to the designated pick-up area.
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The area will be signposted with the same style of sign as the drop-off points.
Participant Instructions
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Show the medical volunteer/staff your race bib number.
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Sign the record to confirm you have received your medications/devices.
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Collect your items promptly and continue through the medal distribution area without lingering, so you don’t disrupt your recovery or the flow for other participants.
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