As you all may or may not know, I love to combine running and travel (hence the blog name if you were wondering). Out of the 48 half marathons (in 46 states), 1 marathon, 10k, 10 miler, 15k, and three 5k’s I’ve run over the years, only the 5k’s, 10k, and 15k have been local. I’ve traveled more than 2 hours from my home to every single other race and for most races I traveled far enough that I needed to spend the night before the race. That means by now I’ve found what works and what doesn’t work when traveling to a race, at least for me.
I’ve previously published a post on What’s in my Racing (Running) Bag? but there’s so much more to preparing for a destination race or racecation than just what to bring. As I also mentioned in this post on packing a bag for a race, it’s huge if you don’t have to check your bag with the airline if you’re flying to a race. Not only do you save money, more importantly you save time by not having to go to physically drop off your bag before your flight (just go straight to security then your gate) and wait at the baggage carousel after your flight, and you save yourself the stress of worrying about what to do if your running clothes don’t make it to your destination on time.

Even if you absolutely have to bring those four pairs of shoes, 5 dresses, and other clothes that you’ll probably only end up wearing half of and you do end up checking your bag with your airline, you can wear your running socks and shoes and the shirt you plan on racing in so at least you’ll have those things if your bag does get lost. Or another option is to put all of your racing gear in your carry-on bag and make sure the bag is small enough that it will fit under your seat on the plane so it doesn’t get gate-checked. This includes your running watch, belt, armband, earbuds, sunglasses, and hat or visor in addition to your shirt, sports bra, shorts or pants, and socks.
I also highly recommend running with your own hydration during the race if it’s going to be hot and/or a long distance (half marathon or longer). Honestly, I’m surprised more people don’t do this at races. I assume just about everyone trains with some form of hydration so why wouldn’t you want to run the race using what you train with? I guess maybe not everyone trains with hydration, though, or maybe they just don’t sweat as much as I do and don’t feel like they need to run with it. Also, if you run with gels or Gu be sure you put them in your liquids bag (each person is allowed 1 plastic quart-sized bag) because TSA counts them as liquids.
If it’s going to be cold the morning of your race, pack something you can discard just before the race starts like a mylar space blanket or old sweatshirt you needed to get rid of anyway. Those cheap thin gloves (Target sells them) and a Buff are great and barely take up any room in your carry-on and you can easily store them in a pocket or running belt when you warm up during the race. I recently heard of someone taking hand warmers to a cold race start and thought that was brilliant. Believe me, I wish I had this advice at some of my previous races where I was shivering in the cold waiting for the race to start. My advice is if you even remotely think it might be cold or chilly on race day, for instance if you’ll be running in a place where the weather often changes quickly, pack gloves, a warm hat, Buff, and tights or capris. I’ve been burned by summer races in the mountains before and have learned the hard way to do this.

On the flip side, if you’re going somewhere that it will be hot the day of your race, there are some special considerations to take into account. As I mentioned earlier, I recommend racing with your hydration of choice (I like Nuun), which is even more important on hot days. If you’re prone to chafing, be sure to bring your preferred product to prevent chafing (I like Body Glide, which you can find at local running and outdoor stores). I’m also a big fan of Arctic Cool products and their “Hydrofreeze X” technology. You can find athletic shirts, shorts, capris, hats, headbands, and cooling towels on their website and can also purchase bundles of products to save money.
After the race, if you plan on hanging out at the race finish, put a clean shirt, sports bra if you’re a woman, and pair of recovery sandals or other comfy shoes in a gear check bag and you’ll be glad you did. Sometimes races will offer free post-race showers at a nearby YMCA or hotel, which is fantastic if you have to check out of your hotel or Airbnb before you can get back to take a shower after the race, or if you just want to stay close to the race finish for a while before heading back. As long as you plan for this when you’re at home packing for the race, you’ll be prepared. I have a small towel that I bought in Peru that I wish I would have bought for travel years ago. It’s small enough that I can stuff it in my bag without it taking up much space at all but it’s big enough to dry off with after a quick shower. In short, these small, quick-drying towels are perfect to bring along to a racecation.

Traveling to a race doesn’t have to be stressful as long as you plan and are prepared before you ever leave your house. Make a list of all of the things you’ll need for your race plus everything you’ll need before and after the race, and check them off as you pack them. Start packing a couple to a few (depending on your stress level for this kind of thing) days before you’re supposed to leave to make sure you don’t forget anything. It’s also a good idea to lay out your “flat runner” on the floor so you can visualize everything you’ll be running with.
Have you traveled to a destination race or racecation? If so, do you enjoy them? If you’ve never traveled for a race, why not?
Happy running (and travels)!
Donna
I’ve only travelled an hour and a half to my furthest race so far.
I do usually go with arm warmers as they keep me warm and then can just be pushed down.
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I’ve thought about getting some arm warmers. There have been times during races where I think they would have been nice to have. Not sure why I haven’t bought any yet, though.
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I have a couple of pairs now and really like them!
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Thanks for the racecation tips! I hope you had a wonderful time in Lewes. I love that town. I did a 5K there one time – associated with the brewery.
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I did have a fun time in Lewes. The people were all so nice and the town was full of charm and great restaurants as well.
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As much as I enjoy traveling and racing I think each stresses me too much in its own ways to want to combine the two. The only race I ever “traveled” to (a little over an hour) in terms of staying over was the half marathon in Gettysburg. That was more so my dad and I weren’t stuck in the car for a long period of time before the race.
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How did that go (traveling to the race in Gettysburg)? Too stressful to want to do it again?
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I liked the convenience of being able to wake up in the hotel and get ready and be literally steps from the starting line. It also meant we could shower when we were finished before having to check out of our room. The downfall was sleeping in an unfamiliar bed, there was a noise off and on (pipes?) that woke me up at times. I got enough sleep to do fine in the race, but I always feel I sleep best in my own bed.
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There are definitely pros and cons to traveling to a race. Being just steps away from the race start is a big plus. One thing I left off my post that I should have included and it’s made a big difference with how well I sleep in strange places is I always bring ear plugs with me and often use white noise to drown out distracting noises, whether it’s a fan in the room or a white noise app. Every night when I’m home I sleep with a fan, so when I travel, it’s no different for me as far as needing that to help me sleep.
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I’ve traveled to all my halfs. NY is a relatively big state, so most things are more than 2 hours away. 🙂
Since we usually make it a vacation, and it might include hiking, depending on where we go, I almost always check a bag if we’re flying, but the race gear is in a carryon for sure. I may pack a lot, but I almost always use what I pack!
I’ve also been burned a few times with not packing enough options for race day in terms of outfit, because weather forecasts suck. Being under or over dressed is not fun.
It is stressful getting out the door (making sure all the dogs’ stuff is ready, packing my own stuff, cleaning) — but in the end, it’s always worth it!
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I’m glad to hear your experience has been a good one! It is stressful getting out the door but I totally agree it’s worth all of the hassle involved. I think it does get easier the more you do it, too. I almost go on auto-pilot when it comes to packing for a race now because I’ve done it so many times.
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I’m not sure I ever go on auto-pilot. I should, but even after about 20 halfs, I still find it rather nerve wracking.
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