SGIM Race Week, Day by Day: From Easy Runs to Race Morning

The hard part is done. The long runs and the 5am alarms are behind you. Now there is one week left, and it is a strange one: you are told to do less just when your legs feel most restless.

Here is your complete day-by-day plan for SGIM 2026 race week: what to run, what to eat, when to collect your race pack and how to get to the start line, from Monday 30 November to race morning. For fees, refunds and what changed this year, see our BYD Singapore International Marathon 2026 guide.

Running SGIM? Shake out with us on Wed 2 Dec at Marina Bay. Save your free spot

SGIM Race Week at a Glance

Why Race Week Is for Doing Less

Most runners know they should taper. Fewer trust it. One large study of recreational marathoners, by Barry Smyth and Aonghus Lawlor at University College Dublin, looked at the training of more than 158,000 runners. Strict tapers, where training drops week by week, were linked with faster finishes than relaxed ones.

• Longer Tapers Did Better: Tapers of up to 3 weeks were associated with better performance than shorter tapers.
• The Payoff: A strict 3-week taper came with a median finish-time saving of 5 min 32.4 s, or 2.6%, compared with a minimal taper.
• Most People Get It Wrong: 64% of runners in the study used the less disciplined kind.

So if your legs feel twitchy on Tuesday, leave them be. A hard session this late will not make you fitter by Sunday, but it can leave you tired for it.

Your SGIM Race Week, Day by Day

This plan is built around the marathon on Sunday. If you are running the half or the 10km, look for the notes for your race in each day.

Monday 30 November and Tuesday 1 December: Easy Runs, Early Nights

• Running: Keep runs short and easy. If strides are already part of your training, a few at the end of a run are fine. If you have never done them, this is not the week to start.
• Admin: Find your confirmation email and save the confirmation slip with its QR code to your phone. You need it to collect your race pack.
• Your Pen: The letter printed beside your bib number is your start pen. It was set by the finish time you gave when you registered, and it cannot be changed now.
• Getting There: If you are racing the half on Saturday, or you live far from the early trains, book a ShareTransport shuttle seat now. It costs $12 per person and runs on 5 and 6 December.

Wednesday 2 December: Shake Out with Us

The free ATHLO+ Shakeout Run starts from Harry's Esplanade in the evening, with the exact time to be announced. It is an easy 5km along Marina Bay, passing the Merlion and Marina Bay Sands before heading back. It is a community run by ATHLO+, not an official BYD Singapore International Marathon event.

• Keep It Easy: Coach Laura Norris is clear that a shakeout run does not improve fitness. Run at a pace you can chat at, and let the people around you set the mood, not the pace.
• Stay Afterwards: Food at Harry's afterwards is at your own cost, and ATHLO+ members get a Harry's discount. There is a lucky draw, and a bag deposit will be provided.
• For 10km and 5km Runners: Wednesday is two days before your race, which is when many runners do a shakeout anyway.

Read more in our guide: What is a shakeout run?

Thursday 3 December: Race Packs Open

Race Pack Collection runs at Arena Park, The Kallang, 5 Stadium Drive, from 11am to 10pm on Thursday. The nearest MRT station is Stadium (CC6), Exit B.

• What to Bring: Your confirmation slip (digital copy preferred) and photo ID, either a driver's licence or a passport.
• Collecting for a Friend: One person may collect up to two race packs on behalf of others. They need each runner's confirmation slip and a completed authorisation form.
• Keep the Deposit Bag: If you paid for bag deposit, you must use the deposit bag issued at collection. Personal bags will not be accepted for deposit.
• Don't Linger Too Long: The Race Expo is at the National Stadium, with brands, shopping and food, and entry is free. Enjoy it, but RunnersConnect warns that standing for hours can leave your feet swollen for the next day's run.

Friday 4 December: First Race Night

• 10km and 5km Runners: The Standard Chartered 10km flags off at 8.30pm and the 5km at 9.30pm, both from the F1 Pit Building, finishing at the National Stadium. You may also collect your pack on Friday morning.
• Getting There: Trains run to their usual hours on Friday. Use Promenade (Exit A), Nicoll Highway (Exit B), Esplanade (Exit A) or City Hall (Exit C).
• Marathoners and Half Marathoners: Race Pack Collection is open from 11am to 11pm. Start eating more carbohydrate today (see the food section below).

Saturday 5 December: Half Marathon Morning, Last Day for Race Packs

• Half Marathoners: You flag off at 4:30am from the F1 Pit Building. There will be no early train services on Saturday, so take the shuttle bus or book a ride early. The cut-off is 3 hours 45 minutes.
• Marathoners: If you shake out today, RunnersConnect suggests running in the morning or early afternoon, 18 to 24 hours before your race. Keep it short and easy.
• Last Call for Packs: Saturday is the last day, with collection from 10am and the last entry into the Race Pack Collection Hall at 6PM. All uncollected race packs will be disposed of.
• Tonight: Lay out your kit (see the checklist below), set two alarms and go to bed early.

Sunday 6 December: Marathon Morning

• Trains: Selected sections of the North-South, East-West and Circle Lines open early, with first services from 2.30am at 15-minute intervals. Rides are free for everyone during that window.
• The Last Free Trains: The last complimentary departures leave at 4.30am from Bukit Batok, Jurong East, Tanah Merah and Serangoon stations.
• Arrival: The organiser recommends arriving at least 1 hour before your flag-off time. For a 4:30am start, that means 3:30am.
• Bags: Drop your bag at the Gear Bag Deposit Counters at the start, and collect it at the finish.
• Cut-Off: 7 hours. Runners who do not finish in time do not receive the finisher medal, the Finisher Tee or an official time.

What to Eat in SGIM Race Week

Carb Loading: For the Half and the Full

The International Society of Sports Nutrition describes the modern way to carb load: reduce training for three to four days while eating a very high-carbohydrate diet, 8 to 10 g per kg of body weight a day, for one to three days. For a 60kg runner, that is 480 to 600g of carbohydrate a day: think rice, noodles, bread and kaya toast, not an extra plate of fried chicken.

The ISSN links carb loading to prolonged endurance competitions. It suggests carbohydrate-rich snacks or meals in the hours before exercise lasting more than 90 minutes. For a 5km or a 10km, your usual meals are enough.

Drinking: More Is Not Always Better

Singapore researchers weighed 1,887 runners before and after races in the tropics. 6% finished heavier than they started, a sign of drinking too much. Among the runners admitted to the medical tents, the researchers found more cases of overhydration than dehydration. Drink normally in race week, and on race day, follow the drinking plan you used in training.

Nothing New on Race Day

RunnersConnect's list of day-before mistakes includes new shoes, untested gear and heavy unfamiliar food. That includes the free sample at the expo. Save it for Monday.

The Night Before: Your Kit Checklist

• Race Bib: Pin it to the front of your top. You must have your race bib on to enter the course, and the timing chip is on the back of the bib, so do not fold it.
• Deposit Bag: Pack it, with your bag sticker on the designated area. Leave valuables at home.
• Shoes and Socks: The pair you have already run long in.
• Race Fuel: The gels and drinks you trained with, counted out for your race.
• Getting There: Your train route or shuttle booking, and your confirmation slip, just in case.

Need gels, electrolytes or a race belt? See our race-day kit.

SGIM Race Week Questions

• Can I collect my race pack on race day? Only if you are racing the Friday evening 5km or 10km, which allows collection on Friday morning. Everyone else should collect the day before their race.
• Are there early trains for the half marathon? No. The free early MRT service runs only on Sunday 6 December. Book a shuttle bus or a ride for Saturday.
• Can I change my start pen? No. Pens are set by the predicted finish time you gave at registration.
• Should I run the day before my race? Many runners do a short, easy shakeout. If you normally rest before a long run, rest. Our shakeout guide explains how long and how slow to go.

Shake Out with ATHLO+ in Race Week

Join the free ATHLO+ Shakeout Run on Wednesday 2 December at Harry's Esplanade, and meet the runners you will be lining up with on the weekend. Save your free spot