Make your next run count
Race-morning timeline
Turn your race start and travel time into a practical morning timeline.
Work backwards from the start to see when to wake, eat breakfast, leave, arrive and prepare. Adjust each step to fit your travel plans and the event's arrangements. Save or print the timeline, or choose your race date and download calendar reminders for the morning.
Automatic wake-up and departure times update when you change breakfast, arrival or travel settings. If preparation begins before midnight, the timeline labels those steps with the earlier day so the order stays clear.
Your race-morning timeline
Race starts at 07:30. Times use your local clock.
- Wake up04:00
210 minutes before start
Start your race-morning routine at the planned wake-up time.
- Breakfast04:30
180 minutes before start
Your chosen breakfast time, worked back from the race start.
- Leave home05:50
100 minutes before start
Leave for the venue with 40 minutes allocated for travel.
- Arrive06:30
60 minutes before start
Your planned arrival, before the remaining pre-start steps.
- Bag drop06:45
45 minutes before start
Use this reminder for your planned bag-drop stop.
- Toilet07:00
30 minutes before start
The toilet stop you included in your pre-race schedule.
- Warm-up07:10
20 minutes before start
Begin the warm-up you planned for this morning.
- In start area07:20
10 minutes before start
Be in the start area at the time you selected.
For general information only, not professional advice. Check the official sources below. Use your own judgement and speak to a qualified professional before you act.
A little context
Get more from your result.
The steps, examples and sources
behind this tool.
Plan your race-morning routine
- Enter your local race start time and travel minutes.
- Open the step editor to adjust minutes before the start.
- Leave wake and departure blank to derive them from breakfast and travel.
- Use Save PDF to download the timeline, share or print it. For calendar export choose the race date, then download the reminders.
A worked example
- Start 07:30, travel 40 minutes.
- Wake 04:00; breakfast 04:30; leave 05:50; arrive 06:30.
- Bag drop 06:45; toilet 07:00; warm-up 07:10; start area 07:20.
How this tool works
Defaults are start area 10, warm-up 20, toilet 30, bag drop 45, arrival 60 and breakfast 180 minutes before start. Departure is arrival minus travel time.
Wake time is the earlier of breakfast minus 30 minutes and departure minus 30 minutes. Editing breakfast, arrival or travel recalculates these automatic steps.
The nutrition statement supports a carbohydrate meal 1 to 4 hours before exercise. It does not prescribe this complete routine; all offsets are editable planning defaults.
Steps before midnight are labelled as earlier days. Calendar entries use floating local clock times on the selected race date or preceding dates. Each is a one-minute reminder, not a task-duration recommendation.
A few useful answers
Sources
- Dietitians of Canada, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, ACSM: Nutrition and Athletic Performance (2016 position paper)
Pre-event carbohydrate meal timing of 1 to 4 hours before exercise. Timeline offsets are editable planning defaults.
- RFC Editor: RFC 5545: Internet Calendaring and Scheduling
The iCalendar date and floating local-time event format.
Last checked:
StrideSheet team
We build free running tools: training plans built to your race date, pace bands and race-day plans. Our plans follow published training principles and are a guide, not medical advice.