I have a marathon next month and its on a Sunday so I have to work the next day. I’m 5 hours from the event and was going to drive to and from the race. I’m a little concerned about jumping into a car after a marathon and driving for 5 hours back home.
The other alternative is flying to the race and not worrying about the travel but that’s about $450 round trip.
Too dangerous to drive 5 hours after a marathon?
Pay a friend to come with you
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1997 Great Floridian. Right after I finished, I drove straight through to Philadelphia. Not smart.
Don’t be a baby. It’s no big deal. I’ve done it many times, including
Buffalo Springs - 9 hour drive immediately after race, 3x including once solo.
Ironman Flordia - 10 hr drive leaving at roughly 7am on Sunday morning after hanging out at finish till midnight, however, I finished the race at just after 7:30 (not a good day). This was also done solo.
Anecdotally, there is some risk of DVT/PE from sitting immobile after a marathon and all that comes with it (dehydration, minor muscle damage, etc.) If you do, wear compression and get out of the car and walk around every hour or so, and keep the legs moving while driving.
FTR, I had PEs in 2012, I believe from a 5 ish hour drive home after Wildflower half iron. Correlation is not causation, but there have been studies done that the majority of people getting DVTs were endurance athletes.
an hour, after a marathon, and that was bad enough. Though I’ve found compression tights immediately afterwards for the rest of the day really helped on a long drive the next morning (from IM AZ drive to San Diego, Im Kansas 70.3 drive to Denver, and IM Boise 70.3 drive to Denver)
I finished Ironman 70.3 Mont Tremblant right around 2pm. Within 30 minutes after crossing the finish line, I was in my car driving to New York City. I got home at 11:00pm, after about 9 hours of driving. Went to work at 8am the next day.
Would I do it again? Yes, but I would run faster so I could get out earlier.
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6 hours drive after a 70.3 race, as I waited for the awards and WC slot. It was a tough ride, as I drove down the day before the race. Took a nap along the way and was fine. As long as you’re not a surgeon, you’ll be fine. COMPRESSION wear, for sure. I’ve also shared driving non-stop florida to chicago day after 70.3s. E-stim helped while not driving…
when i was about 12, my dad drove our family to the marine corps marathon 7 hours from ohio. he didn’t want to pay for an extra night in a hotel so on marathon sunday he ran the race, we did some sight seeing on the mall so he could “loosen up” the legs, then he drove us 7 hours home to ohio.
my dad is a tough son-of-a-bitch.
10 drive after 1st 1/2 IM. Would not recommend. 12-14 hours after marathon, as passenger. 5 hours is a local event!
I have a marathon next month and its on a Sunday so I have to work the next day. I’m 5 hours from the event and was going to drive to and from the race. I’m a little concerned about jumping into a car after a marathon and driving for 5 hours back home.
The other alternative is flying to the race and not worrying about the travel but that’s about $450 round trip.
Too dangerous to drive 5 hours after a marathon?
I left Des Moines after Hy-Vee and drove 19 hours straight to get home. I think I spent about $450 at Dunkin Donuts along the way 
8-9 hours after the cat 2 Battenkill race a couple years ago. Over 80 mile road race that is partially on dirt roads. I also got to the start line late and had to TT the first 10 miles to close a 1-2 minute gap on a 150 rider peloton.
I ended up so zoned out on the ride home that I very nearly ran out of gas- my car said “0 miles” on the range meter for several miles until the next exit with a gas station!
-Physiojoe
You probably won’t fall asleep. BUT you will be super stiff and sore by sitting in a car for 5 hours after the race. Being stuck on a plane will be shorter but probably worse. If you have to drive, GET A MASSAGE AT THE END OF THE RACE IF AVAILABLE and stop ever hour or so and stretch and eat and hydrate well.
I drive home after races all the time, usually 2 to 3 hours because I live in the middle of nowhere. Marathons and 70.3 tris and under and It has never been a problem. I am never “tired” after a marathon, just sore depending on the course. BUT You have to know your limitations, your personal mileage may vary.
5 years ago I ran my first ultra (50 mile trail race) I drove home after because it was a Sunday and I had to work the next day. THAT was a bad idea. An almost 4 hour drive was brutal.
in canada…it s everyone s reality to have to drive 5h + after a race… I pack lots of salty food and enjoy the drive…stop often!
Alright, I’m convinced. The drive won’t be so bad. I’ll look forward to eating lots of junk food on the way home!
14+ hours from New Orleans to Chicago after 5150 NOLA. I did let my GF drive for a few hours. Wasn’t so bad until like midnight when it started to rain and I started to get a bit tired. But I made it!
I drove home the day after the Great Floridian back in 1997, from central Florida to Houston Texas. I had less than $100 in cash and no credit card so that had to buy gas as well as food for me. Got home after about a 15/16 hour drive with no food. Lots of caffeine to keep me going.
After driving from Ontario to BC over 4 days for IMC in 1998 I drove to California the day after the race as I started chiropractic college 2 1/2 days later.
It definitely sucked every time I had to get out to refuel!
After Redman in 2012 I drove to South East Michigan from Oklahoma City.
1025 miles in about 15 hours
Don’t do it. I had planned to drive only 2.5 hrs home after tremblant 70.3 – nope. My legs were worthless. Ended up getting a hotel room. Ymmv, it was a very long day for me out there.