Hitting the Wall: What It Is and How to Stop It Ruining Your Race

Imagine this: You’re deep into your run, miles beyond the halfway point. Your legs feel like they’re made of concrete, each step heavier than the last. Your breathing is laboured, your energy drained, and suddenly, every instinct in your body screams at you to stop. The finish line feels impossibly far away, and doubt starts creeping in. This is hitting the wall.

It’s not just exhaustion—it’s a complete shutdown of body and mind. Your glycogen stores are depleted, your muscles scream for relief, and your mind struggles to fight off the overwhelming urge to quit. Every runner fears this moment, but understanding why it happens—and how to push through—can be the key to finishing strong.

Male trying to push through the wall

Why do we hit the wall?

Hitting the wall may feel like a mental battle, but it’s actually a physiological response. Scientists have found that it’s caused by the depletion of glycogen, your body’s main energy source.

During long runs, your muscles rely on stored glycogen, but after 90 minutes to two hours, these reserves run low. Your body then switches to burning fat for fuel—a slower, less efficient process—leading to extreme fatigue and sluggishness. Even your brain, which also depends on glycogen, starts to slow down, making every step feel harder.

The good news? With the right strategies, you can delay or even prevent hitting the wall.

Before the race:

Eat Smart to Prevent Hitting the Wall

Proper nutrition in the days leading up to your race is essential to prevent hitting the wall. Consistently eating the right foods before both long training runs and race day helps train your body to efficiently use energy stores. Research shows that carbohydrate loading can significantly improve endurance performance. Correctly fuelling up your body before the race can increase your endurance by 2-3%. Although this may not seem like a lot 2-3% could be the difference between you hitting the wall and not finishing your half marathon.

Runners tip: In the days before your race, try swapping a regular snack for a carbohydrate-rich option. For example, replace a high-fat snack with a banana or a slice of whole-grain bread. This simple adjustment helps maximise glycogen stores, providing sustained energy on race day.

Here are a few examples of snacks to eat

Consistency and Planning: Your Best Defence Against the Wall

A well-structured training plan is crucial for marathon success. Runners who follow organised training schedules tend to perform better and reduce the risk of hitting the wall. The percentage of people that don't finish their marathon is 7.27% which most likely a lot of them did not train seriously or well enough.

Key components of an effective training plan include:

• Gradual Endurance Building: Increase your weekly mileage progressively to enhance stamina and allow your body to adapt to longer distances.

• Race Pace Familiarisation: Incorporate runs at your intended race pace to help your body become accustomed to the specific demands of race day. Sometimes at the end of your long run you could run a KM at race pace just to test your body out while it is fatigued. This will help you avoid hitting the wall as it will replicate how you will feel later on in your race.

By systematically building your endurance and integrating race-pace runs, you can better prepare your body for the marathon's challenges and minimise the risk of hitting the wall.

During the race:

Pace yourself

At the start of the race, excitement is at an all-time high. The crowd is cheering, fellow runners are full of energy, and the adrenaline rush is intense. It’s easy to get caught up in the moment and start too fast, running with the pack instead of sticking to your own strategy.

Don’t fall into this trap. Pushing too hard in the early miles can lead to burnout later, increasing the risk of hitting the wall. Instead, stay disciplined and stick to the race pace you’ve trained for. Trust your training, conserve energy, and focus on running your race—not anyone else’s.

By pacing yourself wisely, you’ll have the strength and endurance to finish strong when it matters most.

Don't fall into this trap and exhaust yourself at the start

Keep Hydrated and fuelled

Maintaining proper fueling and hydration during your run is essential to prevent hitting the wall. Consuming energy gels and sports drinks provides your body with readily available carbohydrates and electrolytes, helping to sustain energy levels and delay fatigue, ingesting these supplements during long runs offers muscle fibres an alternative carbohydrate source, reducing the risk of glycogen depletion.

Hydration Guidelines:

• Pre-Run: Consume approximately 500 to 600 ml (17 to 20 fl oz) of water or a sports drink 2 to 3 hours before exercise.

• During Run: Aim to drink 4 to 6 ounces (120 to 180 ml) of fluid every 15 minutes throughout your run. This equates to approximately 250 to 500 ml per 5 kilometres, depending on your pace and individual sweat rate.

By adhering to these fuelling and hydration strategies, you can maintain energy levels, prevent dehydration, and reduce the risk of hitting the wall during your run.

Mental Preparation: Staying Focused and Motivated

Running a long-distance race is just as much a mental challenge as it is a physical one. One of the biggest mistakes runners make is overthinking how much distance is left, which can make the race feel overwhelming. Instead of fixating on the full distance, break the race into smaller sections or mini-races to make it feel more manageable.

A great way to stay motivated is to set checkpoints throughout the race. At each one, give yourself a small reward—whether it’s an energy gel, a sip of your favourite sports drink, or just the personal satisfaction of ticking off another milestone. Having a loved one wait for you at certain points can also give you a boost of encouragement when you need it most.

Runners tip: Running with a partner or pacer can help keep you accountable and push you through tough moments. Sometimes, just having someone by your side makes all the difference in staying strong and finishing the race without hitting the wall. There is also a possibility of finding someone before the race that has a similar race pace target as you and sticking with them.

These 2 helping each other through the marathon

Still Hitting The Wall?

Even with the best preparation, hitting the wall can still happen. When it does, don’t try to push through—it’ll only make things worse.

Stay calm and listen to your body. Slow down, walk if needed, and take deep breaths. Stretch to relieve tension and if you’re low on energy, refuel with a gel or sports drink.

Mentally, break the rest of the race into small goals. Adjust your pace, stay focused, and remind yourself that this moment will pass. Finishing strong is better than burning out completely!

We can all finish races like this using these tips!