Endure Weekly
Drop-Bag Strategy Race Prep

What to pack for a hundred-mile race.

Five drop bags, one starting vest, one crew bin. The full strategy — what to put where, why each thing is there, and the small items most runners forget. Tested across dozens of finishes.

By drop bag

Five drop bags. Each one specific.

The mistake most first-time hundred-milers make is identical drop bags. Each one should serve the section it covers.

№ 01

Mile 0 — Mile 25

The vest you start in

  • Two soft flasks (250–500ml each), pre-filled with sports drink
  • 6–8 gels for ~120 minutes of fuel (more than the first aid distance suggests)
  • 1 bar (Maurten Solid 225 or Spring rice cake)
  • 1 stick anti-chafe (Body Glide compact)
  • Salt tabs for 4 hours (4–8 tabs)
  • Whistle (some races require)
  • Phone in waterproof sleeve
  • Compact rain shell if forecast suggests
  • Race bib pinned to vest, not shorts
№ 02

Mile 30 — Mile 55

Drop bag at Mile 30 (typical first major aid)

  • Refill: 6–8 gels, 1–2 bars, salt-tab packet
  • Backup pair of socks
  • Lube refill (Trail Toes packet)
  • Sunscreen stick
  • Spare hat (if first one is sweat-saturated)
  • Sunglasses if forecast clears or sun direction shifts
  • A small plastic bag for trash
№ 03

Mile 55 — Mile 75

Drop bag at Mile 55 (mid-race, often crew aid)

  • Long-sleeve baselayer (Patagonia Cap Cool LS or wool)
  • Headlamp + spare batteries (mandatory if night running)
  • Backup headlamp
  • Beanie for night
  • Thin gloves
  • Refill: 6 gels, 2 real-food items, salt-tab packet
  • Backup running shoes (half-size up if feet swelling)
  • Backup socks (third pair)
  • Anti-chafe + Trail Toes for foot inspection
  • Toothbrush + paste (the morale move)
  • Small note from someone who loves you (read at mile 60)
№ 04

Mile 75 — Mile 95

Drop bag at Mile 75 (the dark patch zone)

  • Hot soup or broth in thermos (if crew is here)
  • Real food: mac and cheese, mashed potatoes with salt, broth-soaked bread
  • Backup buff or balaclava for cold
  • Rain shell (real, not wind shell — use it if wet)
  • Thicker gloves for night cold dip
  • Refill: 4 gels, 1 bar, electrolyte replacement
  • Caffeine source (Spring Awesome Sauce, gel with caffeine, Coke)
  • A new pair of socks (the foot care moment)
№ 05

Mile 95 — Mile 100

Final aid station / mile 95

  • 1 caffeinated gel for the final push
  • Refill of one soft flask
  • A clean shirt for the finish photo
  • Race bib still pinned + visible
  • Headlamp still working (some sub-24 finishes happen at sunrise)
  • Phone with battery for the finish photos

The crew bin

What your crew needs in the car.

Crew is the hidden 30% of any 100-mile finish. The bin lives in the car, gets restocked between aid stations, and runs the show.

  • Folding chair with arms (the chair matters)
  • Cooler — Coke + ice + water + ginger ale
  • Thermos with chicken broth (hot)
  • Real food: 4–5 of runner's favorites + 2 surprises
  • Backup race nutrition (extra of every gel/chew the runner uses)
  • Foot-care kit: Trail Toes, scissors, blister tape, anti-fungal powder
  • Three sets of clean socks
  • Two sets of running shoes (one half-size up)
  • Long-sleeve, mid-layer, rain shell, puffy
  • Beanie + gloves + balaclava
  • Two headlamps for crew + extra batteries
  • Wet wipes (a lot)
  • Trash bags
  • Phone charger + cable
  • Aid-station map with cutoffs printed
  • A copy of the race plan
  • A folding table or tarp to lay out gear
  • Coffee for crew
  • Real lunch for crew (crews under-eat)

The five tips

Things everyone forgets.

Real lessons from runners who've packed dozens of these. Most are 30-second additions; all are race-savers.

  1. i.

    Tag every drop bag with bib number AND aid station name.

    Big writing. Tape over it. The volunteer sorting bags at 4 AM will thank you, and your bag will end up where you left it.

  2. ii.

    Pack the bag for the conditions you'll arrive in, not the conditions at the start.

    Mile 75 in late afternoon = drop the rain shell into mile 55. Mile 75 at 3 AM = drop the puffy into mile 55. Match the bag to where the runner will be when they reach it, not where you are when you pack.

  3. iii.

    Triple your race-fuel supply.

    Most runners under-fuel because they ran out of the food they trained on. The cost of "too much" is zero; the cost of "too little" is a DNF.

  4. iv.

    One pair of fresh socks per drop bag, minimum.

    Sock changes save more 100-milers than any single piece of fueling advice. Trail Toes goes on with the new socks.

  5. v.

    The note from someone who loves you, in the mile 60 bag.

    Sealed in a plastic bag. Read it at the aid station, sit for 60 seconds, drink a Coke. The cheapest morale boost in ultras.

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