Your City2Surf prep and recovery guide: Everything you should (and shouldn’t) do before and after the big race

There are 90,000 runners currently stretching out their hammies ahead of Sydney’s iconic City2Surf jaunt on Sunday.

But the training is far from over. There are last-minute things you should (and shouldn’t) do to get yourself through the 14km race the country is watching. So hop off the foam roller for a couple of minutes and read our guide.

The night before

Fuelling your body before a big race is a no-brainer – but if you’re confused about what exactly to fuel it with, 28 By Sam Wood founder Sam Wood has you covered.

The trainer (and former Bachelor, in case you think he looks familiar) says ultimately what’s going to get you over that finish line is prepping your body the night before with simple, carbohydrate-rich foods, such as pasta, white rice or sweet potato.

“It might be pasta, it might be rice – just a dense carb meal that’ll have a slow sort of energy release for you the next morning,” Sam explains.

The key is to avoid heavy, greasy, spicy or super-fatty foods that sit in your stomach as these will almost certainly make their presence known throughout the duration of your run.

Read more

The best running shorts whether you like high-rise, low-rise, compressive, or loose fit

And as appealing as an after-dinner bev to calm the racing nerves may be, alcohol should be considered strictly off-limits in the lead up to the big day – lest you wake up groggy or end up running while nursing a hangover.

The morning of

Rise, shine and fuel your bod!

For prospective fun runners, it’s best to avoid eating anything too big or heavy the morning of the race. But you do need to eat.

“It’s not a marathon. So you’re not going to run out of your carb stores anywhere near as much as you would doing a four or five-hour event,” Sam tells nine.com.au.

“So it might be some rice cakes with some banana and honey, it might be a couple of slices of bread with some banana and honey or peanut butter, it might be a small bowl of oats.”

Keeping it low-fibre and low-fat can also prevent cramps or stomach aches, while sipping around 200 to 400ml of water steadily – stopping about an hour before the race – ensures you’re not sloshing or hunting for the loo during the 14km dash.

Read more

Gadgets you’ll need Monday to help you recover from the City2Surf

Sam also emphasises the cutoff time before an event matters – there should be a window of at least 90 minutes to two hours before the event where nothing further is consumed.

During the run

At around 14 kilometres, most runners finish the job in an hour or two – meaning food mid-race is not strictly necessary.

But Sam advised that if you’re needing a little pick-me-up on the track – lollies, bananas or sports gels are generally your best bet.

He also recommended taking advantage of the course water stations if you feel thirsty, but to stop short of forcing down massive amounts of fluid.

After the finish line

Before you dive head-first into the celebratory beers – as tempting as it may be to do so – there are key recovery steps to tick off first.

“I do see the people sitting down at bars in Bondi with the medals around their neck and a big smile on their face, and part of me thinks ‘what a great way to do it,’” Sam admitted.

“But if you’re going to have post-race beers, the key is to rehydrate and refuel first.”

Once again, carbs, water and electrolytes are the order of the day.

“Your carbohydrate levels will be really depleted, so I’d be getting some rice in or some bread in, whatever it might be.”

And if you’re mindful of ensuring you can walk the following day, immediate post-race stretches and re-fuelling are essential to recovery.

“I think the biggest problem is people stop, sit down and then drink, which means you’re thinning out your blood when your muscles are trying to recover, and they’re pretty fatigued.

“Your legs are all bent, and you’re not getting nice blood flow to get rid of all the waste products, the lactic acid et cetera.”

He stressed the importance of prioritising a gentle cooldown, a gentle stretch and rehydration above all else. Engaging in static stretches of calves, hamstrings, quads and hip flexors for 20 to 30 seconds when your muscles are still warm is key.

In short: save the heavy celebratory pub lunch or beers for after you have properly recovered.

Parting advice

Four words: Stick with what works.

Though Sam has plenty of recommendations for fuelling up for the event, he says that ultimately, what works best is sticking to what you know.

“You should have practiced with what feels best in your stomach, both the night before and the morning of because it’s quite a personal thing.”

Some can feel lethargic and heavy if they eat too much, while others can get lightheaded and shaky if they don’t eat enough.

He described finding the perfect balance as “a fine art or trial and error” explaining that every good endurance athlete avoids messing with their pre-established formula on race day.

Happy racing! May the finish line come swift, and the process remain (relatively) painless.