Shoes   While it may be tempting to treat yourself to a new pair of shoes for the big race, stick with the old tried and true. Many runners retire their shoes after they have logged between 400 and 600 miles. An ideal pair of marathon racing shoes will have logged 200 to 300 training miles and have been tested on several long (2 to 3 hours) runs without any problems. The same is true with your socks. Make sure you wear a pair of socks that you have worn successfully on several long training runs. Blisters are a major cause of marathon drop outs.

	What to Bring to the Start

Every year five minutes before the start there are some runners who are in a complete panic because they have forgotten to bring something essential. While race officials are prepared to assist you with many of these items, they probably won't have a spare pair of running shoes on hand. Don't forget to use the free gear shuttle to get any of your extra stuff from the start area to the finish.