برچسب: Complete

• Start time: 11:03 AM, April 27, 2025
• Temperature: 20 °C, no shade
• Hydration stops: I utilised ever water station and kept 1,000ml on me
• Crowd/atmosphere: Non-stop! …and electric—especially along Tower Bridge

Your Complete Long Run & Marathon Kit List

Although I’ve not run a marathon before, I’ve run plenty of half marathons and am pretty clued up as a runner in general. 99% of the kit I used, I already owned which meant I could spend my money on feeding my raging marathon appetite!

I created a PDF version of this entire list too so feel free to download the long run kit list to use for your next long run or marathon.

Clothing & Weather Layers

Above you can see my full kit choice on the day. A lot of people asked me how I could wear leggings in the heat and my main answer was, these were what I trained in.

We all know there should be nothing new on race day so changing to shorts would’ve been a big risk I didn’t need to take. Also, the material of the leggings is sweat wicking so it actually kept me very comfortable throughout.

Personally, I would take the heat over rain any day but it could be useful to have some waterproof trainers in your rotation just in case you end up with a rainy day.

Accessories & Gear

I had my watch set up to notify me of timings for my run/walk intervals which was super useful. I wore my headphones the whole way round the course but never actually turned them on so if you’re running London – leave them at home.

I had one AirTag in my bag just so I could keep an eye on it and carried one on my person so my mum could track me from the comfort of home.

Nutrition & Hydration

With the weather turning out to be very hot (by running standards), it was super important to hydrate well in the lead up to race day and also during the event.

I carried two 500ml flasks of water with me – one plain and one with electrolytes containing 1000mg of sodium (as recommended when I used the Precision Hydration Fuel & Hydration Planner).

I also utilised every water station on the course; drinking some and pouring some over my head and body to help me keep cool.

As I had quite a late start, I had some food before I left home and also packed some overnight oats which I ate while waiting for my start. I knew it was going to be a long day without a proper meal / food so wanted to make sure I was well fuelled from the very beginning.

I used a takeaway container and disposable spoon which I dumped in the recycling after use. Alot of the nutrition and products I used can be found in my Marathon Training list on my Amazon Storefront.

Here are some more thoughts and tips for running in hot weather.

Safety & First Aid

Based on my long runs, I knew the areas that were at risk of chafing for me so I mitigated those using Wild deodorant as an anti chafe balm, a plaster on my toe that always blisters and KT tape under my bra straps and also to support my lower back which I had pulled in the week leading up to marathon day.

I also doused my toes in athletes foot talc to help soak up any sweat during the event and carried tissues for the toilet / to blow my nose or for any other reason.

I applied sunscreen to all the visible areas of my body and carried lip balm too.

Race Essentials

Ever since discovering triathlon belts, I’ve used them for all events – including cycling – as they’re just much simpler than trying to attach a bib to your top / jersey. Find them in my duathlon kit list on Amazon.

I also wore old trainers to the start of the event to save wearing my race day shoes for even longer than I had to. These got donated to charity along with the extra layers I wore to get to the start.

Post Event / Long Run Essentials

I signed up for the new Green Wave this year which meant no bag drop. We did however have the option to drop a bag at the finish line the day before, and I took advantage of that in the end.

I didn’t end up packing too much in there, but I’m very glad I packed my recovery shoes (OOFOS – can’t beat them!) and a change of clothes – including my finishers shirt to show off with my medal. of course. The wet wipes came in handy to help me freshen up before jumping on public transport to head home, so I highly recommend.

Extra Tips For Race Day

Here are a couple extra things to think about / pack for race day:

• Pack a couple paracetamols in your race vest as if you do need any from the First Aid at the event, you’ll need to stop and fill in paperwork. I ended up needing them due to some unforeseen foot pain so I’m glad I had them with me.
• Wear waterproof mascara because you’re gonna cry, sweat, run through showers if it’s hot and / or get rained on.
• Save your caffeinated gels / snacks for a kick in the final stretch of the race. I took mine somewhere around mile 16 to give them time to hit my system. Worked a treat. But make sure you practice with caffeine in training.

You can read more about my race day experience where I share all the things more important to me than my finish time.

Anything I’ve missed off this long run / marathon day kit list?!

Elle