The London Marathon: Packing Checklist

London Marathon kit sack, with number on the outside, containing:

To wear at the start

  • Shorts or leggings
  • T-shirt or running vest
  • Socks
  • Shoes
  • Sports bra
  • Running number and safety pins
  • Bin liner to keep warm and dry
  • Old t-shirt for the start
  • Watch

Accessories

  • Micro-pore tape or plasters for nipples
  • Vaseline for moving parts
  • Ventolin (if you are asthmatic)
  • Energy drink or gels
  • Empty, wide-neck bottle for under bin-bag peeing at the start
  • Mobile phone (switched off)
  • Toilet roll
  • Spending money

For after the run

  • Dry t-shirt
  • Sweatshirt
  • Track suit trousers
  • Fleece
  • Fresh socks and underwear
  • Shoes
  • Food (eg banana, recovery bar)
  • Blister plasters (eg Compeed)

Some tips for packing your bag in Greenwich

  1. Turn off your mobile phone. A ringing bag is an invitation to thieves.
  2. Don't overload the bag. The bag can tear, and the contents spill out and get lost. And you will not want to lug a heavy bag after the run.
  3. The most likely point for the bag to break is the drawcord neck. Be careful with it, and if necessary consider reinforcing it with tape.
  4. Avoid fragile items (eg cameras) or squashable items (eg bottles) as the bags get tossed around and squashed under other bags. If the contents burst, you will not have warm dry clothing to put on.
  5. Take some disposable clothing (eg old t-shirts, bin liners) to wear after you have handed in your bag but before you start.

(Thanks to Stewart Paterson for these suggestions).