Amateur runner to racer: How to ace your first race

Words by Robert Birnbaum. Photography by Niklas Niessner.

If you’re a regular runner, entering a race – of any distance – is often the catalyst to discovering what you’re really capable of. Nothing raises the heart rate like pinning on a race number. It’s not always about your time at the finish line. It’s more often about your consistency of training, showing up when it counts, supporting friends, and feeling connected to like-minded runners, running for their own reasons and striving for their own personal bests. 

The OAC Europe’s athletes live for the challenge. Years of experience have taught pros like 1500m runner Fabiane Meyer how these moments bring out the best in them: “I tap into added motivation and energy when I’m under pressure. It’s an opportunity to challenge yourself, to surpass yourself, and to test your limits.”

Austria’s reigning indoor champion over 3000m, Sebastian Frey, dubs races “the ultimate opportunity to show the results of all the hard work in training.”

“Running at a big race, I feel tense and excited. I feel nervous, but somehow relaxed because I know one thing: anything can happen on race day.”

It’s this race day adrenaline that excites the pros and appeals to amateur runners, too. Most big races see far more amateurs at the start line than elites – albeit without the global attention. Among the 30,000 participants of the famous major, Boston Marathon, only about 350 elites have signed up to race in 2024. Even though the world record stands at 2:00:35, the global average finish time for the 42.2 km distance comes in at 3:48:20. The takeaway? For most amateur distance runners who make up the majority of the field, the goal is to make memories, not break records.

Races are not just for pros

Sophia Krauss, 29, is a runner, who races for the fun of it. She took up running as a student to improve her stamina. Later, when she found the right local running group, she fell in love with the sport, and signed up for her first race.

“My running group always talked about their goals. Then a friend convinced me to do a race with her.” Sophia smiles when she recalls her first competition.

“It’s a liberating feeling, because you’ve been working towards this one moment for so long. You’ve prepared well, now it’s time to enjoy the ride. As soon as the gun goes off, you can’t change anything anyway. You just enter the flow of the crowd and leave all worries behind.”

“There’s nothing better than seeing thousands of people come together, to reach a shared destination. Strangers cheering you on from the crowd, they’re screaming your name, motivating you. It’s a special feeling. 

The Power of Two

Your first race can be nerve-racking.  Pre-race-nerves or feeling out of place among seasoned runners is natural. Sophia negates that by bringing a run buddy along for the ride.

“If somebody’s insecure about their first race, I’d say: ‘Come on, let’s do it together.’ That’s how I did it with a friend – we trained together weekly and stood side-by-side at the start line. I think the hardest part of your first race is doing it by yourself. Having a buddy who can tell you what to expect after a certain distance, how you might feel, takes your mind off your fears so you can simply focus on running.”

Make your first race a win

As an experienced runner, Sophia knows that no two days are the same. Goal times can be a great source of motivation. But: “You’ll have good and bad days – so I don’t hyperfixate on certain goals and recommend you keep an open mind,” she advises novice racers.

“What you can control and definitely should test in training is your race day nutrition. What do you need, what can you stomach, and what you can’t.”

“The day before race day calls for as little movement as possible and a calm mind – drinking loads of tea helps me to achieve the latter. What helps even more is something like a pasta party with other people running the race. It distracts you and stops you from obsessing over every little detail.”

Distraction is a key part of race prep. OAC pro Sebastian Frey agrees: “There will always be a little tension, but over the years I’ve learned to control my nerves. It’s critical to keep a level head, to not think about the race too much. This way I don’t put too much pressure on myself. Instead, I focus on maintaining my routine, believing in my strengths, and trusting in my ability to do my best.”

Conversely, athletes like Fabiane Meyer find that doing the opposite – actively choosing to dedicate their full focus on upcoming races, helps: “I write down my race plan, I visualize my success, do breathing and relaxation exercises, reflect on the past few weeks of training and focus on the things I can control.”

Finding the right race

Big, performance-focused events are great for bucket list ticks. But mid-sized, community-focused events are often the sweet spot for newbies – and seasoned – runners, looking to add less pressure and more fun to their sporting calendar.

Sophia explains how one of these alternatives might be the ideal first race – the SportScheck RUN, Germany’s biggest and longest-tenured city run series.

“Most people there just want to make it to the finish line, without having to navigate too much traffic. It’s the perfect running event to get your first race under your belt. It’s for people who want to experience the vibe of the running community. Everybody warms up together, and they all share the same goal: having fun.”

Ambitious runners can also race for PBs at the 11 RUNs in Germany: races from 5km, 10km to a half-marathon distance, and offer a challenge for all competitive runners.

With the right event, a comfortable running outfit and a training plan to get started, you’re ready for whatever your first race has in store. Once you’ve collected a couple of finishing times, it might even be time to train for your first half-marathon. Perhaps your first marathon isn’t as far off as you think. Just remember that however you choose to race, there’s eventually always a race that chooses you.