Race-day kit checklist
A half marathon is long enough to punish a bad decision and short enough that you'll remember exactly which one it was. A seam that rubbed at mile four. A gel you couldn't reach. A jacket you carried for 13.1 miles and never wore.
None of that is bad luck. It's kit and fuel that were decided on the morning rather than rehearsed in training. Thirteen miles doesn't demand much equipment, which is precisely why the few things you do carry have to be right — there's nowhere for a mistake to hide.
This checklist works through both halves of the problem: what goes on your body, what travels with you, and what you take in along the way. Follow it and race day should feel like a session you've already run, because in every meaningful sense you will have.
The rule that makes the rest of the list work
Nothing on this list should be new.
Not the shoes, not the socks, not the belt, not the flavour of the gel you're planning to take at mile nine. Race day is the worst possible place to discover how something behaves under load, and "it felt fine in the shop" is not the same test as "it felt fine at 90 minutes with a heart rate of 170".
The practical version of this rule: your final long run before the race should be a full dress rehearsal. Same kit, same storage, same fuel, same timings, ideally the same time of day. Anything that annoys you on that run gets fixed or dropped. Anything you didn't test doesn't come.
Feet first: shoes, socks and lacing
Most half marathon discomfort starts below the ankle, and almost all of it is preventable.
Shoes should have somewhere between 30 and 60 miles in them — worn in, not worn out. New shoes haven't moulded to your foot; shoes with 500 miles have lost the cushioning you're relying on in the closing miles. If you race in a lighter shoe than you train in, run in it at least twice at race pace first.
Socks are the single most overlooked item on race day, and the one with the most direct line to how the last three miles feel. Feet swell as the miles build. A sock that bunches under the arch, slips at the heel or presses a raised toe seam against your skin has 13 miles to turn a small irritation into the reason you stopped enjoying yourself.
Look for a close fit through the arch and heel, cushioning where impact actually lands rather than uniform padding, and a low-profile toe seam. STRYQ's running socks are built around that balance — targeted terry cushioning, breathable mesh zones and a shaped heel that keeps the sock where you put it. Whatever you choose, race in a pair you've run long in, and pack a second dry pair for afterwards.
Lacing deserves thirty seconds of thought. Set the tension you like, tie it twice, and tuck the ends. If your feet tend to swell, leave the top eyelet slightly looser than feels natural at 7am — it won't feel loose at mile ten.
Dressing for the start, not the forecast
UK race mornings are almost always colder than the day that follows, and start pens involve a lot of standing around. Dress for the temperature you'll be running in once you're warm, then add something disposable for the wait.
Conditions at the start |
What works |
|---|---|
0–5°C |
Long sleeve base layer, shorts or leggings, gloves, hat, throwaway layer over the top |
5–10°C |
Long or short sleeve top, gloves you can stuff in a pocket, throwaway layer |
10–15°C |
Short sleeves or vest, nothing extra once you're moving |
15°C+ |
Vest, minimal coverage, plan for more fluid rather than more clothing |
Rain |
Nothing waterproof unless it's cold too — wet and warm is fine, wet and flapping is not |
Anti-chafe balm on the usual places costs thirty seconds and saves the last three miles. Apply it before you dress, not as an afterthought at the start line.
What to carry — and where to put it
Most half marathons have water on course, so you're not carrying fluid to survive. You're carrying the small things: phone, key, card, and your fuel for the race.
That's exactly the job a running belt does well. The STRYQ Running Belt uses a 360-degree layout across breathable stretch fabric, so instead of one loaded pouch swinging on your hip, the weight spreads around the front, sides and back. There's an internal key hook, and no external buckles to press against you when you're breathing hard.
Three things to get right:
1. Size it properly. Measure at belly button level with a flexible tape and use the size guide rather than your usual trouser size — snug, not tight. A belt that's slightly too big will move once it's loaded, and the instinctive fix of yanking it tighter usually makes the rubbing worse rather than better.
2. Decide the order before you set off. Put the gel you'll take first where it's easiest to reach, and keep the later ones somewhere else. It sounds fussy until you're at mile nine, tired, patting the same pocket three times. Keep used wrappers in one designated spot so you can tell full from empty by feel.
3. Run with it loaded at least once. Same phone, same number of gels, same everything, over the same sort of distance. If it moves, check the size and the weight distribution before you tighten it — a heavy item at the back and small ones spread around the front behaves very differently from everything crammed into one pocket.
Belt or vest for 13.1 miles?
A vest is the better tool once you're carrying flasks, layers or several hours of food. For 13.1 miles with aid stations on course, a belt is usually all the storage you need — and there's less of it against your skin on a warm morning.
The honest test: lay out everything you plan to take. If it's a phone, a key, a card and a few gels, take the belt. If you're adding fluid, a spare layer and three hours of nutrition, you want a running vest instead. Don't overload a small storage product to make it do a bigger product's job.
Planning the fuel: the numbers that actually apply
For a half marathon, most runners are out for somewhere between 1:20 and 2:30. Aim for 45–60g of carbohydrate per hour for a steady effort, rising towards 60–90g if you're racing hard and your stomach is trained for it.
That maths is simpler than it sounds once you know what each product carries:
Fuel |
Carbs |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
45g |
High-carb lemon gel, 220mg sodium — one sachet covers an hour at the lower end of the range |
|
30g |
Raspberry, 150mg sodium, caffeine-free — a bigger hit than a standard gel, in a familiar format |
|
22g |
Date, lemon & ginger — compact, easy to slot between bigger gels |
|
22g + 75mg caffeine |
Coffee & maple, for the second half |
|
22g + 75mg caffeine |
Tart cherry, if coffee flavours don't appeal late in a race |
|
Up to 44g |
Useful when you'd rather chew than squeeze |
Three workable plans, depending on how you like to fuel:
Two-gel simplicity (sub-2:00, ~45g/hr): Limon at 35 minutes, Limon again at 75 minutes. Two sachets, two decisions, done.
Steady thirds (~2:00–2:15, 55–60g/hr): Rosso at 25 minutes, Rosso at 60 minutes, Limon at 95 minutes.
Mixed textures: Mela chews across miles five to seven, then Doppio at 25 for a caffeine hit, then 30g carb Rosso at 80 minutes for the closing.
Take your first gel earlier than instinct suggests — inside the first 30 minutes. Fuelling before you feel empty is the whole point; once you've dipped, you're chasing it for the rest of the race. Don't leave caffeine until the last third of the race. It can take up to 45 minutes to feel the full benefits so time it wisely.
A note on water: take small sips at the stations rather than trying to drink a full cup at pace. If a station falls awkwardly relative to your gel timings, move the gel rather than the station.
Every Veloforte gel is made with real fruit and dual-source carbohydrates rather than maltodextrin and synthetic sugars, and the range is Informed Sport certified. That matters most on race day, when your stomach is already dealing with adrenaline, pace and a warm start pen.
The morning itself
Breakfast, 2–3 hours out. Something familiar and carb-led. Overnight oats do the job without asking anything of you at 5:30am. If a bowl feels like too much, an energy bar is easier to get down — Avanti carries 36g of carbohydrate from dates, pecans and almonds.
Coffee, if coffee is normal for you. Race day is not the day to introduce it or remove it.
Sip, don't gulp. An electrolyte drink in the hour or two before the gun — Passo if you want 22g of carbs alongside 275mg of sodium, Solo if you'd rather have 350mg of sodium with no added sugar.
One last gel option. Many runners take one 15 minutes before the start. If that's your plan, practise it.
Lay the kit out the night before. Number pinned, socks on top, belt loaded.
What goes in the drop bag
Assume you'll be colder, wetter and hungrier than you expect at the finish.
Dry top and dry running socks
Loose shoes or flip-flops
Small towel
Something to eat for the walk back - like our 20g protein crunch bars with added 5g collagen
Nova Recovery Protein — a 3:1 carbohydrate-to-protein ratio, built for the hour after you finish
Cash or card, and your phone charger if you're travelling
Five mistakes worth avoiding
Carrying a jacket you'll never wear. If you wouldn't put it on at mile three, don't take it.
New socks. The most common cause of a race-day blister and the easiest one to avoid.
Fuelling late. Waiting until you feel low means you're already behind.
Overtightening the belt instead of redistributing what's in it.
Changing several things at once. Shoes, socks, storage and fuel all at the same time means you learn nothing when something goes wrong.
The one-page version
Wear: tested shoes · running socks · shorts or leggings · top for the start temperature · anti-chafe balm · throwaway layer
Carry: running belt · phone · key on the internal hook · card · race fuel in the order you'll use it
Fuel: breakfast 2–3 hours out · electrolytes sipped before the start · 45–60g carbs per hour on course · recovery inside the hour
Bag: dry top · dry socks · loose shoes · food for the walk back
How many gels do I need for a half marathon?
At 45–60g of carbohydrate per hour, most runners need two to four gels for a half marathon depending on pace and gel size. Two sachets of Limon cover a sub-two-hour race at around 45g/hr; three of Rosso covers a similar window at a steadier drip.
Should I carry water for a half marathon?
Usually not, if the race has aid stations. Check the course map for station placement, then decide. If stations are sparse or the day is warm, a soft flask in a belt or vest is worth the extra weight.
Do I need a running belt or will pockets do?
Pockets work if you're carrying one gel and a key. Once you add a phone, a card and three or four sachets, a belt spreads the load and stops things moving — and it means you always know where each item is.
When should I take my first gel?
Inside the first 30 minutes. Fuelling steadily from early on holds your energy far better than waiting for a dip and trying to recover from it.
What should I eat the night before a half marathon?
Something carb-led and familiar. This is not the meal to experiment with, and it doesn't need to be enormous — what you eat across the whole of the previous day matters more than one large plate. Prioritise simple carbs over fibre and fat.
Can I take energy gels without water?
Veloforte gels have a smooth texture designed to be taken without water, so they're easy to use on the move. Small sips still help them go down comfortably.
