T’is the day before the Dublin Marathon 2022. As such we would like to wish all Blackrock A.C. participants the very best for tomorrow!

You’ve put in months of training just to get to your marathon, but what you do the night before a race can have a big impact on your performance the next day. 

Track Blackrock A.C. Athletes

Please click here to access the official Irish Life Dublin Marathon tracker. 

Below is a list of Blackrock A.C. athletes taking part. We acknowledge there may be some missing for whatever reason, however, thanks Gerry Flaherty and Rob Asher’s meticulous hard work, most are definitely here 🙂
Please be mindful when searching for Irish names or those with other accents. Leaving out apostrophes and including fadas for example normally works. 

Andrew Flynn
Ayse Aksoy
Barry Thornton
Brian Canavan
Bryan Sheils
Carmel Higgins
Carmel Higgins
Charlene Carty
Ciarán Ó hUallacháin
Clare Lord
Conor Foley
Cristín Scollard
Dara Kilmartin
Darren Keane
David Graham
Dermot Hughes
Emily Lyons
Emma McGrane
Eoghan Hughes
Fergus Collis
Ger Fitzgerald
Ger O’Toole
Gerry Flaherty
Grainne Deasy
Grainne Grennan
Hugh Hunt
Igor Pashchenko
James Curran
James Dowling
Jamie Kennedy
Janel Gleich
Jennifer Flynn
Joe Duignan
John Sheehy
Karen Mcgeough
Kathrin Riordan
Mark Kilcoyne
Miguel Flores
Niall Murphy
Owen Kelly
Pat O’Brien
Patricia Forde
Patricia O Neill
Paul Hunt
Peter Bredin
Pierre O Conghaile
Richard White
Rob Asher
Róisín Sullivan
Ronan O’Neill
Ruairi McGowan
Sarah Conroy
Séamus Mac Giolla Phádraig
Sean O’Mahony
Sinéad Howard
Ted Burke
Tiernan Downes
Valeria Sofia

We’ve listed some tips from marathoners and long-distance runners on matters such as what to eat to sleeping advice in order to help you prepare as much as possible for your race.

What to Eat

You may have learned from training that what you eat the night before a long-distance run will affect your performance the next morning. This is especially true if you have a sensitive stomach, but it can apply to any runner.

• DO eat what you normally would the evening before a long run.
• DO opt for carbohydrate-rich options.
• DO hydrate well and consume plenty of water (but don’t go crazy).
• DON’T choose greasy, spicy, gassy, or high-fiber foods.
• DON’T drink alcohol.
• DON’T stuff yourself silly and overeat.

Prepare for the Morning

The morning of the race is typically very early, especially if you have to factor in shuttle times, eating a proper breakfast, and getting to the starting line on time. That’s why it’s a good idea to prep everything you need the night before. Setting out your gear beforehand helps to avoid a half-asleep panic attack in the morning because you can’t locate your bib or running shoes. Remove unnecessary stress by preparing everything you can prior to hitting the hay.

• DO practice your evening routine before your long runs and replicate what works well on race day.
• DO lay out everything you need for the morning, including your bib, clothes, shoes, breakfast, water, anti-chafe salve, etc.
• DO make a checklist that you can use to make your routine as easy and brainless as possible.

Sleeping Advice

Though pre-race nerves may make it tough to get a restful night, sleep will have a major impact on your energy level and overall performance on race day. Try to be as well rested as possible in order to feel physically and mentally prepared to complete your marathon. If you show up to the race exhausted, then it will negatively show in your running.

• DO ensure you get plenty of rest in the days leading up to the race, and get extra sleep two nights before the big event. You might not sleep very well the night before the marathon.
• DO try to go to bed as early in the evening as possible the night before.
• DO practice breathing exercises and other calming routines when you fall asleep each night during the weeks leading up to the race. This will provide you with strategies to relax the night before the event when you may feel anxious.
• DON’T stress if your sleep is subpar the night before the race; you are not completely doomed. As long as you have given yourself plenty of rest in the week leading up to the event, you should be fine.

Dublin City Marathon is one of the best supported in the world, so go out tomorrow and enjoy!

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