Race day toiletries fit into two small kits: one for before the start (sunscreen, anti-chafe balm, plasters, tissues, hand gel) and one for after the finish (a towel, something to wash with, flip-flops and dry clothes). Race morning is nervy enough without digging through a full wash bag in a start pen. So pack little, pack it the night before, and check what your race offers at the finish.
This article is part of our runner's hair and body care guide. Travelling to your race? Start with the marathon travel packing list, then come back for the bag you carry on the morning itself.
What race day toiletries do you actually need?
Fewer than you think. Everything in this table is there because a health source or a race organiser recommends it.
| Item | When | Why it's in the bag |
|---|---|---|
| Sunscreen, SPF 30 or higher | Before the start | At least SPF 30, reapplied after sweating |
| Anti-chafe balm or petroleum jelly | Before the start | A lubricant lets skin slide, not rub |
| Plasters | Before and after | Cover a blister with a soft plaster |
| Tissues and hand gel | Toilet queue | At least 60% alcohol when there's no soap and water |
| Towel and flip-flops | After the finish | Wear flip-flops in changing rooms and showers |
| Something to wash with | After the finish | Consider showering straight after a workout |
| Dry clothes and socks | After the finish | Change into warm, dry clothes quickly |
What should you put on before the start?
Sunscreen first, anti-chafe second, and nothing you haven't already tried on a long run. The standard health advice is a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 and at least 4-star UVA protection, and it needs reapplying after sweating, even if the label says water resistant. A marathon is hours of exactly that. So put it on before your kit goes on, and keep a small tube for the start area. More in running in rain, heat and cold.
Then there's rubbing. Put simply, moisture is the enemy when it comes to chafing, and a lubricant such as petroleum jelly on the spots that tend to rub lets things slide. You know your spots: the seam that's fine for 10 kilometres and very much not fine at 30. Our piece on chafing after a long run covers the aftercare. For feet, the usual advice is well-fitting shoes and moisture-wicking sports socks to prevent blisters, and a soft plaster or padded dressing if one appears anyway. Hence the plasters.
That leaves the toilet queue. Forty minutes to the gun, a long line of portable toilets, and the paper ran out a while ago: tissues fix that. For your hands, public health guidance is that soap and water is best, and that when there isn't any you can use a sanitiser with at least 60% alcohol. Sanitiser may not work as well on greasy hands, so wipe off any balm first.
How does bag drop change what you pack?
It decides how big your finish kit can be, and every race does it differently. At the TCS Amsterdam Marathon, clothing is stored for free in tents outside the Olympic Stadium, and loose items of clothing can't be taken into the stadium. At the BMW Berlin Marathon, clothing drop-off is only possible for runners who booked it when registering. The Baloise Antwerp 10 Miles offers a free bag drop with a numbered sticker. And the 20 km de Bruxelles has a free cloakroom in the Royal Military Museum, with paid lockers nearby.
Four races, four systems. So read your own race's page and pack for the strictest version: one small, closed bag with nothing valuable in it. That bag gets stacked with thousands of others. If a shower gel cap pops open in there, it does so onto the dry clothes you'll be dreaming about at kilometre 35. That's when a solid bar makes sense to us: one bar for hair, body and face, with nothing in it that can leak.
Shampoo, body and face wash, all in one bar. Cooling, refreshing and designed for those always on the go.
Whatever you wash with, the bigger win is a simple bag: dry clothes on top, wash things in a side pocket, and a bin bag for the wet kit that comes off later.
Will there be showers after the finish?
Sometimes, so check before you pack a towel. The BMW Berlin Marathon has changing rooms and hot water showers in the start and finish area. The TCS Amsterdam Marathon has limited dressing rooms with showers at Sporthallen Zuid. The Baloise Antwerp 10 Miles has changing tents, and they have no showers.
If your race has them, use them. Dermatologists' advice on workouts and breakouts is to consider a shower immediately after exercise, and the medical advice for marathon finishers is to keep moving for a few minutes and change into warm, dry clothes quickly. Bring flip-flops too. The standard health advice is to wear them in changing rooms and showers, and not to share towels, because walking barefoot in those places is one of the ways you can catch athlete's foot.
What a race shower won't give you is time. There's a queue behind you and nowhere to line up three bottles. One bar for hair, body and face means one thing in your hand and one thing to put away.
Shampoo, body and face wash, all in one bar. Keep your hair and skin healthy on the go. Monoï-infused scent with a touch of vanilla. Designed for those always on the go.
And if there's no shower, or the queue is hopeless? Get dry and changed first. The dermatologists' fallback when you can't shower is to at least consider changing out of your workout clothes. So pack a small towel, a dry top, dry socks and something warm. Anyone who has stood around in a wet vest after a finish line knows how fast the shivers arrive.
As the founder of a brand that sells bars, I'll be honest: at a finish line with no showers, our bar is no use to you. A dry T-shirt is. The bar waits for the hotel.
For that first proper wash, see should you shower right after a run. If it's hours away, try how to wash your hair without a shower.
How do you pack it so it survives the day?
Split it in two the night before: a pocket kit that stays with you until the start, and a finish kit that goes into bag drop.
The finish kit is the one that gets damp. A sweaty cap, a wet towel and soaked socks end up next to your wash things, so give each a home: a bin bag for kit, and a ventilated tin or mesh pouch for a bar so it can dry again (see how to store a soap bar). Flying home with hand luggage? A solid bar isn't a liquid at airport security, which is one less thing to think about on tired legs. We explain why in can you take soap on a plane.
Shampoo, body and face wash, all in one bar. Cooling, refreshing and designed for those always on the go.
Back home, empty the bag the same evening, however loudly the sofa is calling. Your cap gets its own wash, covered in sweaty caps and headbands.
Summary
Race day toiletries are two small kits. Before the start: sunscreen of at least SPF 30, a lubricant on the spots that rub, plasters, tissues and hand gel. After the finish: a towel, flip-flops, something to wash with, and warm, dry clothes. Bag drop and showers differ per race, so check your organiser's page and keep the bag small, closed and leak-free.
Frequently asked questions
What toiletries should I bring to a marathon?
Before the start: sunscreen, anti-chafe balm, plasters, tissues and hand gel. Afterwards: a towel, flip-flops, something to wash with and dry clothes.
Does every race have a bag drop?
The rules differ. At the BMW Berlin Marathon, clothing drop-off is only for runners who booked it at registration, while the TCS Amsterdam Marathon has a free service. Check your race's own page.
How do I stop toiletries leaking in my race bag?
Pack one small, closed bag, with dry clothes on top and wash things in a side pocket. A solid bar has nothing in it that can leak.
Do I need different toiletries for a trail or multi-day race?
The basics are the same, but you carry them for longer. See trail and ultra races: staying clean on multi-day events.
Should I put sunscreen on before a race?
If the sun is out, yes. The standard advice is at least SPF 30, reapplied after sweating, even when it's labelled water resistant.
How do I prevent chafing on race day?
Before the start, put a lubricant such as petroleum jelly or an anti-chafe balm on the spots that tend to rub, so the skin slides. And use nothing you haven't already tried on a long run.
Can I use hand sanitiser instead of soap at the race toilets?
Soap and water is best, but when there isn't any you can use a sanitiser with at least 60% alcohol. It may not work as well on greasy hands, so wipe off any balm first.
Are there showers at the finish of a marathon?
It depends on the race. The BMW Berlin Marathon has changing rooms and hot water showers in the start and finish area. The changing tents at the Baloise Antwerp 10 Miles have no showers.
What should I do after a race if there are no showers?
Get dry and changed first. Pack a small towel, a dry top, dry socks and something warm, and keep the proper wash for later.
Do I need flip-flops for the showers after a race?
Yes, bring them. The standard health advice is to wear flip-flops in changing rooms and showers and not to share towels, because walking barefoot there is one of the ways you can catch athlete's foot.
Sources
The facts in this article are based on the sources below, checked in October 2026.
- Sunscreen and sun safety. NHS, 2026.
- Skin Protection: Tips To Prevent Chafing. Cleveland Clinic, 2025.
- Blisters. NHS, 2023.
- Hand Sanitizer Guidelines and Recommendations. CDC, 2024.
- Athlete's foot. NHS, 2024.
- Is your workout causing your acne?. American Academy of Dermatology, accessed 2026.
- Medical advice. London Marathon Events, 2026.
- More info. TCS Amsterdam Marathon, 2026.
- Race day for runners. BMW Berlin Marathon, 2026.
- Practical info. Baloise Antwerp 10 Miles, 2026.
- General. 20 km de Bruxelles, 2026.
