Race day checklist

How to use the race day checklist

Forgetting one item, a race number, a timing chip, a pair of shoes, can end a race before it starts. The checklist above builds a complete packing list for your event: choose the type of race, switch on the conditions that apply, and tick items off as they go in the bag. Your ticks are saved in this browser, so you can pack over a few evenings. When you are done, print it or copy it to your phone. It is part of the free LeCoach cycling calculators.

The list covers eight event types: road races and criteriums, gran fondos and sportives, time trials, gravel races, mountain bike races, indoor (virtual) races, running races and triathlons. Weather switches add cold and wet kit or heat items, and a travel switch adds accommodation, bike transport, chargers and hand-luggage reminders for an overnight trip.

The week before

A good race day starts days earlier.

• Seven days out: check your bike thoroughly, or book it in for a service. Replace worn tyres, chains and brake pads now, not the night before, so you can ride on them first.
• Five days out: confirm entry, start time, parking and course details. Download the course to your bike computer.
• Three to four days out: reduce training volume but keep some short race-pace efforts. Our article on the best race opener workouts has options.
• Two days out: for events over 90 minutes, increase carbohydrate intake. Many riders aim for 8 to 12 g per kg of body weight per day in the final 36 to 48 hours before long events.
• The day before: short ride with a few openers, pack using this checklist, and eat a carbohydrate-rich dinner you know agrees with you.

Read more on how to reduce training before an event in tapering for cycling events.

Race morning

1. Eat breakfast 2 to 3 hours before the start: about 1 to 2 g of carbohydrate per kg of body weight, low in fat and fibre, and something you have eaten before a long ride.
2. Arrive early. At least 60 to 90 minutes before the start for most events, more for triathlons, where transition closes well before the gun.
3. Pick up your number and chip first, then set up the bike.
4. Check tyre pressure with a floor pump.
5. Warm up. The shorter and more intense the race, the longer and harder the warm-up: 20 to 30 minutes with a few efforts at race intensity for a time trial or criterium, 10 to 15 easy minutes for a gran fondo.
6. Small snack and water in the last 30 minutes if your stomach allows.

Plan your fuel before you pack it

The checklist reminds you to pack gels, bars and bottles. How many depends on your race length, sweat rate and gut training. The race nutrition calculator gives you carbs, fluid and sodium per hour and per 20 minutes, and the sweat rate calculator tells you how much you actually lose. Then count gels and bottles from those numbers.

Event-specific notes

• Road races and criteriums: spare wheels to the neutral service or pit if allowed. Pin your number on the correct side.
• Gran fondos and sportives: know where the feed zones are and what they serve. Carry enough food to get between them, plus a little extra. A rear light is often required.
• Time trials: check your start time and get to the start ramp early. Have your aero position and equipment checked against the rules if there is a bike check.
• Gravel and MTB: carry a chain quick link, plugs and enough sealant. Repairs are on you.
• Indoor races: update the app and trainer firmware the day before, calibrate, and have a backup internet connection. A towel and two fans are part of your kit.
• Running races: pin your number on the front, check the bag drop closing time, and use anti-chafe balm.
• Triathlons: lay out transition in the order you will use it, check where bike-in and bike-out are, and walk the route from the swim exit.

Common mistakes

• New kit or food on race day. Use only what you have tested in training.
• Packing on race morning. Pack the night before, when you can still fix what is missing.
• Skipping the warm-up for a short, intense race.
• Forgetting the post-race bag. Dry clothes, recovery food and a drink help you recover and travel home in comfort.
• Relying on memory. Experienced racers forget things too. That is what a checklist is for.

LeCoach plans your taper and race week around your event date, so you arrive at the start fresh, and you can ask the coach anything about your race-week routine.