How to Avoid Hitting the Wall

We have all heard the term "hitting the wall" when it comes to marathon racing. If you've experienced this, then I can guarantee you don't ever want to do so again. If you haven't, well, it's best to avoid it at all costs. Hitting the wall is a surefire way to ruin a perfectly good marathon experience. In fact, it's usually when we are feeling great--maybe a little over-confident--that we are at our biggest risk. In this post, my aim will be to pass along some practical advice for avoiding this experience and go about ensuring your marathon is enjoyable from start to finish.

What is Hitting the Wall?

Here is a very simplified explanation. Hitting the wall happens when your body runs out of stored energy during a long run or race. Your muscles rely on glycogen for fuel, but those stores are limited. Your body will generally hold enough glycogen for about an hour of hard activity in the muscles and the liver. When stores run low, your body switches to burning fat, which is a slower process. This causes a sudden drop in energy, making your legs feel heavy and your pace slow down. Your brain also struggles without enough fuel, leading to mental fog, doubt, and sometimes dizziness. It’s the point where running feels nearly impossible, even if you were strong earlier in the race. It happens fast.

Strategies to Avoid Hitting the Wall

Avoiding the wall start months before you race day. I have 5 strategies that will go a long way towards you completing your race successfully and enjoying every step. Like  anything worth doing, it's worth doing it right. I highly recommend that none of these steps are neglected throughout the training for and running of your marathon. it may seem far off, but putting these practices into place at least 8 weeks in advance will make a difference.

1. Practice What You Will Eat the Night Before a Long Run

Your evening meal before a long run should be carbohydrate-focused. While a post-run meal should include carbs, protein, and fats for recovery, your pre-run meal should focus on fuelling your run. Avoid high-fiber foods the night before; instead, opt for high-GI (glycemic index) carbs like pasta, white rice, white bread, and potatoes.

Try different options and stick with what works. Think about what you'll have access to the night before your actual marathon, especially if you're traveling. You don’t want to experiment with something new before the race. Eat the same meal for a few consecutive weeks as a trial before race day.

2. Practice What You Will Eat the Morning Before a Long Run

The same principle applies to your pre-run breakfast: focus on white carbs and keep fibre low. As with your evening meal, think about the time you will be out racing and ensure you are eating at roughly the same time  you will eat on race morning. Make sure your body is well practiced on your routine.

3. Practice What You Will Eat During Your Long Run

This one is probably more intuitive than the previous two, but it’s just as important. You need to rehearse your race-day fuelling strategy. If you plan on using gels or other energy sources, test them in training. A couple of key things to keep in mind:

• Take your race-day nutrition at the same points in your training runs as you plan to during the marathon.
• You likely won’t run 26.2 miles in training, but you should aim for a long run that lasts as long as your goal marathon finish time (if practical).
• If it’s your first marathon and your goal is simply to finish, aim for a four-hour training run.
• On race day, bring at least two extra gels or other nutrition.

When planning your nutrition, take fuel before you feel like you need it. If you start hitting the wall, it’s too late, and your body will take time to absorb the nutrients. Plan ahead. Stick to your fuelling strategy.

4. Hydration

The best strategy is to stay hydrated every day--not just race day. 

If you avoid drinking water because it makes you pee too often, practice drinking more and getting used to it. There are many health benefits to staying hydrated beyond running.

You should arrive at the start line already hydrated. This means drinking water as part of your daily routine, especially when you wake up in the morning. During the race, my advice is to take some water at every station—even if you don’t think you need it. If it’s hot, take a little extra. If it’s cold, still take something.

5. Electrolytes

Electrolytes help your body stay hydrated and keep your muscles working properly while you run. They include sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. These minerals control fluid balance, muscle contractions, and nerve signals. When you sweat, you lose electrolytes. If they drop too low, you may feel weak, get cramps, or struggle to keep your pace. Maintaining the right balance helps prevent dehydration, supports muscle function, and keeps your mind sharp.

Some gels contain electrolytes, and most sports drinks do as well. Many marathons offer sports drinks at water stations in addition to plain water. On warm days, or if you sweat heavily, it’s important to replenish electrolytes. You can do this with sports drinks or bring your own in the form of dissolvable tablets or chewable blocks.

6. Run Your Marathon at the Pace You Trained to Run Your Marathon

This is one of the most common mistakes newer marathoners make. If you've trained properly, you'll feel strong early in the race—even if you're running faster than your target pace. This false confidence is dangerous.

Let’s say you trained for a four-hour marathon. On race day, you feel great after the taper, and you hit the halfway mark on pace for a 3:30 finish. This should be a red flag.

Some runners do exceed their training pace, but it’s risky. The marathon is 26.2 miles—not 15 or 20 miles. Most runners struggle in the final six miles, and going out too fast makes that struggle much worse.

7. Show Up Mentally Prepared

The marathon is mentally tough for everyone. Make sure you've mentally prepared for the challenge. This includes visualizing success—picture yourself crossing the finish line, receiving your medal, and feeling the pride of accomplishing something difficult.

But also prepare for the tough moments. How will you react when the race gets hard? What will you do if doubts creep in? Plan how you'll push through pain and fatigue. If you do hit the wall, visualize yourself taking fuel, regaining energy, and moving forward. Physical preparation is obvious, but mental preparation is just as important.

Final Thoughts

Avoiding the wall is straightforward if you plan, train, and race wisely. By race day, you should have everything dialed in—nothing left to chance.

Have you ever hit the wall? How did you handle it? What did you do differently in your next marathon? Let me know in the comments!