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On the surface it’s amazing. You have secured a bib for your dream destination race. But getting the bib and navigating a foreign registration site is the easy part. How are you getting there? Where are you staying? Do you have a medical certificate? What are you going to eat? Traveling for a destination race opens the door to a whole new world of potential mistakes runners might make.

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I spent 2023 running a half marathon every month in a new country. I learned a lot of things the hard way, and I want to help you avoid my mistakes. Traveling to a foreign country for a half marathon or marathon is one of the most rewarding decisions you can make. It unlocks the city from a perspective that most tourists won’t get and it allows you to learn about the running culture wherever you are. But there are still challenges. I hope this list can help you identify some of the most common mistakes to avoid when traveling for destination races.

1) Not Booking Accommodation in Advance

How big is the race you signed up for? 10,000 runners? 20,000? It’s a safe bet to make that at least a quarter of the runners signed up for this race will be traveling in and needing to get hotels. They may also be bringing family and friends. All of these people will be descending on your race city alongside the normal flow of tourists. Hotel prices are going to go up. 

For the best prices, book your accommodation as soon as you secure your bib. If it does happen to slip your mind, try to aim for at least four months in advance. When the 12-week training programs start, the race will become top of mind for everyone. Those who have been procrastinating or just forgot about the race will rush to book and prices will skyrocket.

2) Booking Your Flight to Arrive the Day Before

I was traveling to Hamburg for the Blankeneser Half Marathon and the worst possible thing happened. My connecting flight was canceled. Not just mine, half of Munich airports. I waited in a two hour line to talk with customer service and was luckily able to secure the last flight of the day from Munich to Hamburg, but imagine if I had been just ten people back in that customer service line? I wouldn’t have arrived in Hamburg until the next day. 

Now, if that had happened it would have been annoying. It would not have been catastrophic. I always travel at least 2 days in advance of my race. Adding a buffer day allows me to lose the worry and what ifs? 

It also guarantees that I will be able to pick up my bib. In Malagá, despite arriving on Friday, I still found myself racing to the expo to grab a friend’s bib after she had car troubles. There are plenty of races that don’t allow for same day bib pickup, find out in advance of race day if yours is one of them.

3) Counting on a Cafe for Breakfast

Staying in a hotel can make it difficult to plan ahead for your pre-race meals. While I sometimes grab food at a grocery store, I have in the past relied exclusively on Google to tell me which restaurants are the best to get breakfast at before my race. 

Don’t rely exclusively on Google. The restaurant could be closed or not have the food you want and jeopardize your race. There’s nothing wrong with using Google to find potential restaurants, but make sure you go in person to confirm the hours, and the menu before your race day.

4) Thinking You Can Get Supplies When you Arrive

Bring everything with you from home. Especially energy gels. I know it can be challenging to fit them in if you are flying carry on only, but do it. There are two main risks with planning to buy something in your race country. 

The first risk is that they simply won’t have the product. Yes, it might be there according to Google, but that doesn’t mean it actually is. 

The second risk is what if the product is there, but different. It’s very common when traveling between the US and EU to find products that use the same name, but are vastly different. This is typically because of Food and Drug regulations, but can also come down to local expectations and preferences.

Unless you will be okay without the item at all, do not risk your race day on the idea that they might have the product.

5) Over-exerting Your Legs While Sightseeing

I’m still guilty of this, I know I need to stop and slow down but visiting a new place is so exciting! You know what else is exciting? Having legs that still feel good in mile 20.

Create an itinerary for your travels that revolves around walking only moderate amounts. You don’t want to spend all day sitting down, but you can make things better for yourself by aiming for a nice mixture of walking around and sitting down. 

One of my favorite go-to’s is to just sit down in a park and people watch. It allows you the time to quiet your mind and focus before the big day.

6) Forgetting Gear

Make a list and write down every item you want to run with at least a week in advance. I suggest a week, so that if you forget something on your first go through, you have time to add it. There is nothing worse than arriving at your destination race and realizing that your hat, watch, or international plug converter is at home. 

None of these items will ruin the race for you, which is why they tend to be the ones that get forgotten after you pack your running shoes.

7) Not Staying Hydrated

I’ve seen people complain online about how hard it is to find water in Europe, but I never realized how true it was until I was trying to drink enough water for a race in France. I kept being given the smallest little glasses. 

I recommend making your first stop at a convenience store and buying one of those massive 1.5L bottles to carry with you. Yes, it’s annoying to bring that around, but your body will thank you later. Also – you’ll naturally want to drink lots of water when your alternative is carrying the heavy bottle around.

8) Skipping a Shake-out Run

It can be so tempting when you are faced with a time crunch to explore a new city to skip your shakeout run, but please don’t. Your legs are going to be tight after getting crammed inside the airplane and they will want to move.

9) Expecting the Same Things as Your Home Country

This probably isn’t your first race and you should know what to expect, but there are still going to be lots of small differences. Research your race country ahead of time to learn about what to expect. Don’t just look at your own race, but every race the organizers put on. 

You can also join local running groups on FaceBook or Instagram. During the Lisbon Marathon in October, 2023, race organizers moved the start time up by two hours the day before the race. They then posted it around the expo center. They did not send out emails or texts to runners until 4 hours later, when lots of runners had already gone to bed. The result was many people traveling in missed the start time, or had rushed mornings as they tried to figure out what was happening. Alternatively, word quickly spread in the local running groups about the new start time. 

If you Google “city name” + running club, you will be able to find a few groups to join before race day.

10) Not Reading Race Reviews

This feeds into point nine. Reading the race reviews can help you understand both the course and organization. Coming in from out of town means you won’t be able to truly prepare or run the hard bits of the course ahead of time. Use other people’s experiences to help combat that. 

I post all of my race reviews including details about the course, the crowds, and refreshments.

11) Forgetting to Check for a Medical Certificate

This may just be a French problem, but let’s talk about it. Some races require runners to get a medical certificate signed by a doctor stating you are fit to run. I recommend checking the FAQ or Rules section of your race website to see if this will apply to you. In that section they will most likely also have an example form that you can bring to your Doctor. 

Some races also allow for runners to alternatively sign a liability slip stating that they will not sue if something goes wrong on the course. You can email the race organizers to find out if yours will allow that.

12) Not Sleeping Before Your Race

Time zones are a runner’s worst enemy. If you’re traveling from far away I suggest arriving far enough in advance that your body will have time to adjust (about one day per hour difference). However, if you can’t do that just go to bed early the night before your race. Even if you just have to lie awake staring at the ceiling, be in your hotel room. 

13) Booking a Noisy Hotel

Speaking of hotels, this is a crucial mistake that runners can make at destination races. When you are searching for your hotel, make sure you find one that isn’t loud. I say “isn’t loud”, instead of quiet, because people probably won’t leave a review if the hotel is quiet. Humans tend to leave reviews for negatives, over positives. If the hotel is very loud, you are sure people will be complaining of “thin walls”, “loud guests” or “street noise”. If you only see one review mentioning that, you are probably okay to book, but if you see lots? Be aware that this may not be a good hotel for you.

If you are looking to stay in a hostel I would suggest searching for hostels that are not listed as “party hostels”. If you have a bit more cash, I would even suggest a pod hostel. I have stayed in these for several races, and find it is the perfect compromise of a hotel room and hostel. They are a little pricier than traditional hostels that sleep eight, but for me, a good nights sleep before the race is worth it.

This list can be summarized as “pay attention to the little things”. You probably won’t forget your running shoes, but there is so much more that goes into a successful race day abroad. I’ve also created a packing and preparation list just for runners to avoid making destination race mistakes on their own trips.

I have also created a FaceBook group for women runners to connect and find travel partners for races.