Race Day Checklist
From the night before to the finish line. Tap each item to check it off — the checklist resets when you reload.
✅ Race Day Checklist
📅 The Week Leading Up to the Race
0/13Figure out the logistics before race week stress sets in. How long is the drive? Where do you park? Where is T1? Know the answers before race morning — not while stuck in traffic at 5am with a bike on your car.
- 🗺️ Scout the venue — map the drive, find parking, locate T1 and the swim exit
- 🔋 Charge power meter, bike computer, GPS watch, and all devices
- ⌚ Bring your watch charger — verify everything is fully charged race morning
- 💻 Set up bike computer: enable auto-lap for nutrition/hydration reminders
- ⏹️ Disable auto-save on bike computer so it doesn't stop mid-race
- 🏠 Plan to turn bike computer on at home — one less thing to do in T1
- ✂️ Trim fingernails and toenails — do it Monday, not the night before
- 🔍 Inspect tires for wear, cuts, and embedded debris — replace if in doubt
- 🛑 Check brake pads for wear and confirm both brakes engage cleanly
- 🧴 Clean and lube the drivetrain: chain, cassette, and derailleurs
- ⚙️ Test shifting through every gear — front and rear — under light load
- 🔩 Check all bolts: stem, saddle, bottle cages, aerobars if applicable
- 🎉 You made it to race week. Take a deep breath and let it soak in.
🌙 The Night Before
0/10It's the night two nights before the race that matters most. Two nights of decent sleep beats one frantic night of prep. Get to bed early and let the checklist do the worrying for you.
- 📋 Check race start time and wave assignment
- 📍 Confirm venue address and parking plan
- 🎒 Pack transition bag — use this checklist section by section
- 🔋 Charge GPS watch and bike computer
- 🚲 Inflate bike tires (check again race morning)
- 🍌 Prepare race nutrition (gels, bottles, etc.)
- 🍳 Set out race morning breakfast ingredients
- ⏰ Set two alarms, with plenty of time for a relaxed morning
- 👕 Lay out clothes for race morning
- 😴 Get to bed earlier than you think you need to
📝 Registration & Paperwork
0/5- 📧 Race confirmation email (printed or on phone)
- 🪪 USAT membership card (or day license)
- 🪪 Photo ID
- 🖊️ Pen (for waivers)
- 💵 Cash for parking or vendor
Pro tip: Screenshot your confirmation email and download it offline. Remote venues often have poor cell reception at check-in.
🏊 Swim Gear
0/7- 🩱 Tri suit or swimsuit
- 🤿 Wetsuit (if water temp requires/allows)
- 🧢 Swim cap (race cap provided — bring a backup thermal cap if cold)
- 🥽 Goggles (bring a backup pair)
- ⏱️ Timing chip + ankle strap
- 🧴 Body Glide or anti-chafe cream (neck, underarms, wetsuit seams)
- 🛟 Tow float (for warmup swim if applicable)
Pro tip: Keep a backup pair of goggles in the transition bag, not in the car. One bad seal at the start can derail an otherwise solid race.
🚴 Bike & T1 Gear
0/11- 🚲 Bike (tires inflated race morning)
- ⛑️ Helmet (CPSC/ASTM certified)
- 👟 Cycling shoes (or running shoes if using one pair)
- 😎 Sunglasses
- 💻 Bike computer or GPS watch mount
- 🍌 Nutrition on bike (bottles + gels in bento box)
- 💨 CO₂ cartridge + inflator head
- 🔧 Spare tube (correct size)
- 🔧 Tire levers (2)
- 🔧 Mini pump (backup)
- 🔢 Race number on bike (if required)
Pro tip: Check tire pressure race morning, not just the night before. Tubes lose a few PSI overnight in cool weather — a soft tire on the start line is avoidable.
🏃 Run & T2 Gear
0/5Pre-roll your socks inside your shoes during transition setup. Every second of fumbling at T2 is real time on the clock.
- 👟 Running shoes (laces pre-loosened, or elastic laces)
- 🧦 Socks (pre-rolled inside shoes, or skip for sprint)
- 🔢 Race number belt (bib attached)
- 🧢 Hat or visor (optional)
- 🍌 Run nutrition (gels if needed for Olympic+)
🔄 Transition Setup
0/9- 🧻 Small towel (to wipe feet going from swim to bike)
- 🎒 Transition bag for post-race gear collection
- 🚲 Rack your bike in your assigned spot
- 📐 Set up gear in order: left to right or front to back by sequence
- ⛑️ Helmet: open and facing up near the handlebars
- 👟 Bike shoes: velcro/buckles open, placed behind rear wheel
- 👟 Running shoes: laces open, set beside bike shoes
- 🚶 Walk: swim exit → rack → bike mount line → run exit
- 🏳️ Note landmark near your rack
Pro tip: Walk the full transition path: swim exit to rack, rack to mount line, dismount line to rack, rack to run exit. Every single time.
🌅 Pre-Race Morning
0/10"Nothing new on race day" applies to breakfast too. Whatever your long training-run breakfast is, that's what you eat race morning. Familiar food, familiar routine, and you'll feel far more settled at the start line.
- 🍳 Eat breakfast 2–3 hours before gun time (familiar food, nothing new)
- 💧 Sip water steadily — don't chug at the last minute
- 🌞 Apply sunscreen (not on forehead — it drips into eyes)
- 🧴 Body Glide on neck, underarms, inner thighs
- ✍️ Body mark (race staff will mark bib number on arms/leg)
- ⏱️ Attach timing chip to ankle (left ankle by convention)
- 🤿 Wetsuit on (if wearing) — wait until 10–15 min before swim
- 🏃 Warm up: 10 min easy jog + dynamic stretching
- 🏊 Optional swim warmup if available (in the venue water, time-permitting)
- 🌊 Seed yourself in your wave: honest about pace, to the side if nervous
🏁 During the Race
0/7The first discipline always feels harder than expected. Stay conservative, trust your training, and let the race come to you. You've put in the work. Now just execute.
- 🏊 Swim: start conservative, find your rhythm by the first buoy
- ⛑️ T1: helmet buckled BEFORE touching the bike
- 🚴 Bike: start easy for the first 5 minutes — resist the adrenaline
- 🍌 Bike: eat/drink early (after 10–15 min), don't wait until you're hungry
- 🔄 T2: dismount before the line, rack before removing helmet
- 🏃 Run: start 30–45 sec/mile slower than fresh-legs pace
- 🎉 Enjoy the last 200m — you've earned it
🏅 Post-Race Recovery
0/7- 🏅 Get your finisher medal and photo
- 🍌 Eat within 30–45 minutes: carbs + protein (banana + chocolate milk works)
- 💧 Rehydrate — 500ml of water or sports drink in the first hour
- 🚲 Collect your bike and gear from transition
- 🤿 Pack your wetsuit wet (rinse at home with fresh water)
- 📝 Note: what went well, what to improve for next time
- 📅 Register for your next race (do it now, while the endorphins are active)
Pro tip: Register for your next race while still in finish-line gear. The motivation window closes faster than you'd think — endorphins are a limited resource.
🏁 Race Day Execution
⏰ Arrive Early
Target 60–90 minutes before your wave start. Transition setup takes longer than expected, especially the first time.
🚫 Nothing New on Race Day
No new gear, no new food, no new shoes. Race day is not the day to try out the gel flavor you saw at the expo. Every single word of this advice.
📊 Stick to Your Pace Plan
You will feel great exiting the water and T2. You will be tempted to go hard. Don't. Execute your training paces, not your ego paces.
🎲 Expect the Unexpected
Something will not go to plan. A goggle strap snaps. You drop a gel. Your chip feels loose. Stay calm — forward motion is still forward motion.
⏱️ Transitions Are Timed
The clock doesn't stop in T1 or T2. Know your sequence before race day — walk it in transition setup, not during the race.
🎉 Enjoy the Last 200m
The finish chute is yours. Slow down, look around, smile. You spent weeks earning this. Absorb it.