Here are some insights about why you should run a dress rehearsal race as you prepare for your next big trail running race.
We spend a ridiculous amount of time, money, sweat, planning and probably a little too much mental energy preparing for our goal races. Training plans, shoes, nutrition, travel, hotels, crew plans, gear bags, the list goes on. So why would we show up on the biggest day of the year and just hope everything works?
That’s where the tune-up race comes in.
A tune-up race is basically your dress rehearsal. It’s where you get to screw things up before they actually matter. And I’d highly recommend doing it at a smallish, grassroots style race where you can immerse in the community vibe that continues to make trail running at one end of the spectrum while it goes gangbusters at the other end.
Getting ready for a big 100K or 100 miler? Use a dress rehearsal race to figure out what gear actually works when you’ve been running for hours. Is that new vest comfortable at mile 30, or does it feel like a medieval torture device? Does your nutrition plan actually agree with your stomach? Can you eat the things you planned to eat when it’s hot, humid and your body has decided it no longer wants anything resembling food?
You can also practice the little things that become big things in an ultra. Learn how to move through an aid station without setting up camp. Fill your bottles. Grab food. Take advantage of ice when it’s available and don’t be the person who runs through an aid station with empty bottles because you thought you’d“just make it to the next one.” Practice getting in and out efficiently.
Have a crew? Even better. A tune-up or dress rehearsale race lets them learn what you need and, perhaps more importantly, what you don’t need. Practice communication. Practice your drop bags. Practice traveling to a race, finding the start, figuring out parking, sleeping somewhere that isn’t your own bed and dealing with those pre-race nerves that somehow make you question every training decision you’ve made for the last six months.
And yes, you can even practice getting lost.
My Recent Dress Rehearsal
I used Southern Fried 50K on August 15 as a tune-up for the IAU 100K World Championship coming up on September 20 in Spain. Southern Fried isn’t about a giant production or a ton of fanfare. It is course markings, a few aid stations, runners, volunteers and a fantastic award—a frying pan. Honestly, what more do you need? It was a perfect low-key, low-pressure race where I could test everything out and be OK with making mistakes.
The biggest thing I learned from the race was to not get caught up in racing. The plan was to ease in and get progressively faster in order to finish strong, putting special attention on not rushing through aid stations and making sure I had enough water and ice, given the temperatures got up to the 90s. Those are things I’ll have to execute in Spain next month, so it was a good opporunity to go through a live dress rehearsal in an actual race.
What makes races like Southern Fried special is the people behind them. Vikena Yutz puts an incredible amount of love into the sport and into her races. Her own racing history is impressive, but what stands out even more is her commitment to growing the sport and supporting women in ultrarunning. We can’t do enough of that.
Local races like Southern Fried deserve our support. Race directors aren’t getting rich putting these things on. They do it because they love trail running, they love the community, and they want to give us a place to go suffer happily with a bunch of other weirdos.
It’s low-key fun, exactly what trail running should be.
“At its heart, Southern Fried is my little nod to old-school ultrarunning,” Yutz says. “I love races that are simple, challenging, and centered around the runners and the community that forms around them. I also love having the opportunity to show people how beautiful Columbus, Georgia, is. The RiverWalk is such a great place to run, and I think people are often surprised by just how pretty the course is. Creating a race that brings runners here, challenges them, and hopefully sends them home with some good stories and new friends is a big part of why I keep doing it.”
So before your big goal race, find a tune-up at a small regional race relatively close to where you live, if possible. Treat it seriously, but have fun with it and engage with the community that oozes from everyone there. Use it to practice the things you’ve spent months working so hard to perfect. Test your gear. Test your nutrition. Test your crew. Test your nerves. Test your race-day routine. Make mistakes when the frying pan is the prize, not when the world championship is on the line.
The beauty about small regional races is that they exude passion and community, even though the amenities can feel pretty basic. But that forces you to have your wits about you and rely on yourself and your preparation, with a positive mindset, your gear organized and ready to execute your fueling and nutrition strategies.
The goal is simple: when the big day finally arrives, nothing should feel completely new.
You’ll appreciate the contrast when you arrive at your higher-profile goal race, but hopefully you’ll be able to tuck away some of what you loved about the small race and keep it close to your heart.
After going through your dress rehearsal at the soul of the sport, you’ll be unfazed on opening night on the big stage.
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