Running a marathon can seem daunting. Here are health tips from 10 local runners -- nine men who've run ever single one, and one woman who has only missed one -- on handling the Baltimore Marathon.
"During the race, eat and drink before you think you need to. Once you get thirsty or hungry, it's too late. Your performance will drop because it takes about 20 minutes for the electrolytes to kick in." Michelle Prieto, 33, of Baltimore
"On training runs, consume only what you're going to eat during the race. Know what you're putting in your body, so you don't spend all of our time throwing up, or in a Port A Potty." Mike Trott, 47, of Joppa
"Make sure you've done one of your longer training runs in the clothing you're going to wear on race day, so you won't have chafing issues." Prieto
"Put Band-Aids on your nipples and vaseline between your thighs. They'll thank you for it." Peter O'Neill, 50, of Lutherville
"Don't take the race too seriously. You want to finish but you're not going to win. If you need to walk a bit, then walk. Don't push it to the point of hurting yourself." Hugh 'Skip' Carr, 46, Westminster
."Keep putting one foot in front of the other. It sounds flippant, but that's what it's all about. Keep moving, even if you're walking, because once you stop, it's very hard to start again." Robert Olsen, 71, of Fells Point
"Wear a good pair of shoes in which you've run at least 100 miles. Never wear new shoes for a marathon." Prieto
"Don't wear too many clothes because your body heats up in a long distance run. On a 55-degree day, new runners start the race with jackets on. At four miles, you see clothes laying all over the ground. They've had a rude awakening." Lewyn Garrett, 54, of Northwest Baltimore
"Don't wear the marathon shirt that you're given before the race because you don't know if it will irritate your skin." Garrett
"Commit that you're going to finish, and you will." Daniel Broh-Kahn, 48, of Phoenix