20/11/2025
Getting Ill Before a Race? Here’s What Endurance Athletes Need to Know 👇
There’s nothing more frustrating for an endurance athlete than getting ill right before a race.
And with the recent change in weather here in the UK, the questions have already started:
❓ “Can I still train?”
❓ “Can I still race?”
Here’s the simplest self-check you can use…
The Neck Check 🧠➡️🏃♂️
A quick rule of thumb that helps you decide whether training is sensible:
✅ Symptoms ABOVE the neck?
Runny nose, sore throat, sneezing, mild headache.
→ You can usually train, but keep intensity LOW.
→ No big miles. No hard sessions.
Trying to smash sessions with “above-the-neck” symptoms risks dragging the illness out and costing you MORE training time.
❌ Symptoms BELOW the neck?
Chest tightness, productive cough, fever, muscle aches, fatigue.
→ No training. No racing.
Your body is already under stress — adding endurance load can push you backwards.
A 2016 study by Van Tonder et al. looked at endurance athletes who ignored the neck check and raced while symptomatic.
Key findings:
🔹 Athletes with below-the-neck symptoms in the 8–12 days before a race had double the risk of a DNF.
🔹 When athletes were educated about the neck check, more made the smart decision not to start (DNS) — reducing risk and protecting long-term performance.
This aligns with what we see in practice: racing with systemic symptoms rarely ends well.
Bottom Line 🧵
👉 If it’s above the neck, reduce intensity and be sensible.
👉 If it’s below the neck, don’t train or race — protect your long-term performance, not just this one event.
👉 When in doubt, speak to a healthcare professional.
