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Run, buddy, run: How to hype up your marathoner friends
So, your friends love marathons. Show up for them as their hype buddy. They’ll thank you for the extra water and motivation
So, your friend is running a marathon. Naturally, you want to be supportive. But cheering from the sidelines on race day is only half the job. Training starts anywhere between 16 to 20 weeks earlier — that’s nearly five months of pre-dawn alarms, long runs on unforgiving city roads, cancelled plans, sore legs and the kind of mental gymnastics usually reserved for bad breakups. They’re going to need a hype buddy.
No, you don’t have to start running yourself. You don’t even have to understand what a pace, split or negative split is (insert Confused Math Lady GIF here). This is how to show up for your marathoner friend — before, during and after race day — without pulling a hamstring.
Meet them halfway. Sneha Shah, run coach at SohFit Mumbai, says her friends often help her along her 20km runs by showing up with water and gels packed with carbs and electrolytes to keep her fuelled. “Some even start their own shorter runs to meet me at some point with refreshments. If I’m passing a neighbourhood where a friend lives, they meet me in their cars with water.”
Training for a marathon is physically exhausting and mentally brutal. Scheduling post-run hangouts can help keep your friend’s spirits up. While training for the Berlin Marathon, held in September 2025, Shah says it was nice to end her runs with coffee hangouts. “It instantly made me feel better, and also helped me process the distance I’d covered.”
Stick to early curfews. Shree Shetty, who is running the Mumbai Marathon on Sunday, and completed HYROX and the Devil’s Circuit last year, says this is the most underrated form of support. “Training for a marathon is a huge lifestyle adjustment: Early mornings, long runs, proper nutrition and a lot more sleep.” This means fewer late nights, fewer spontaneous plans and absolutely no “just come for one drink”. Her friends adapted. “We meet earlier in the day, or we wind things up early.” Also, don’t mess with a runner’s food choices. If they don’t want that cocktail or more dessert, let it go.
Channel your love into gifts. “Hydration belts, shorts, tank tops — and if you’re really close, new running shoes are the ultimate,” Shah says. Race day prep starts the night before. This means two things: Sleep and carbs. “My friends love sending food,” Shetty says. “Pasta is a great idea. Runners love pasta.” Shah lists the essentials you’ll need to keep handy for your friend on D-Day: Electrolytes, water, gels, bananas before the race. A jacket and post-run shoes after.
Make them silly signs. “At an all-women’s race, our guy friends held up the stupidest signs just to make us laugh,” Shetty says. One read: Run fast — your ex is behind you. During a half-marathon, a friend cheered her on with this sign: On a scale of 1 to 10, you’re a 13.1. “Funny signs make us laugh and know that people are yelling and rooting for us.” Shah’s friends often go the emotional route by referencing her daughter. Their signs read: Go Mama, Ivana is watching you. “Any mention of my daughter gives me a huge burst of energy,” she says.
Know where you stand. (Hint: It’s not at the finish line.) “The hardest part is around the 80% mark,” Shetty says. “That’s when you’re exhausted and mentally done.” For a half marathon, that’s around the 18-kilometre mark. For a full marathon, it’s the final five kilometres — when legs hurt, spirits dip and seeing a familiar face is just what you need to keep going. “At the Mumbai Marathon, spotting friends on Pedder Road — the hill right before the last five kilometres — gives you a massive boost,” Shah says. Many races now have tracking apps where you can follow your friend using their bib number. Or just ask them to share their live location on WhatsApp and do some light stalking for a good cause.
From HT Brunch, January 17, 2026
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