Every experienced runner has a race morning routine so rehearsed it runs itself. Every first-timer has a story about pinning their bib on in a parking lot. The difference is not luck. It is a checklist.

Start the night before. Lay out your full kit: shoes, socks, shorts, shirt, watch, and the bib already pinned to the front. Put your post-race layer and some small cash in a bag by the door. Charge your watch. Set two alarms, because race morning is not the day to test your reliability.

The morning itself

Wake up early enough to eat without rushing, two to three hours before the gun if you can manage it. Eat the breakfast you trained with, sip water, and give your body time to wake up fully. Arrive at the venue at least an hour early; queues for toilets and bag drops are the only reliable prediction in running.

Warm up gently: ten minutes of easy jogging, a few strides, done fifteen minutes before the start. Then find your corral, take a breath, and look around. The nerves are normal. The checklist is done. Everything left is the fun part.