What does it mean to DNF a race? What about to DNS in track? Running has a lot of lingo that can get confusing, so we’ll give you a quick summary and help you know when to make the call.
Fall racing season has arrived, which means for many the months of suffering through hot, humid runs is about to pay off…unless you’re noticing a little tightness here or a sharp pain there.
In fact, over 120 of the 725 US marathons are in October with the biggest weekend being October 13th…all of that is to say in the coming weeks we sill see moments of triumph, tears of anguish, and a wide range of reasons behind pushing through to the finish line regardless of the pain or pulling out to prevent injury.
What Does DNS Mean in Track?
DNS is short hand for did not start. (Yup, same DNS as NASCAR…we all like to go fast in an oval.)
In other words, you registered for the race, maybe even picked up your bib, but chose to not to actually cross the start line. Or maybe you registered, got hurt a few months out and knew there was no chance of getting to the start line.
No matter the reason, a DNS can be really frustrating and a HARD decision.
I believe learning when to DNS and DNF is the mark of an intelligent runner. It’s often much harder to say no, than to just keep pushing when you need to stop.
Below we’ll give you a list of questions to work through whether not starting is actually the best decision you could make.
ONE BODY, MANY RACES – this is the mantra that I cover with our runners so often. Know that starting and making an injury worse just means the day and that training cycle are all detrimental to your progress.
What Does DNF Mean?
DNF is short hand for did not finish.
Any time you crossed the official start line, but due to injury, illness or other factors do not make it to the finish line before the cut off time.
That’s right, even if you finish say the Amsterdam marathon in 6 hours and 30 minutes because the cutoff was 6 hours, your race results will say DNF.
How to know when to quit a race (or not start)?
Deciding when to pull out of a race in advance and when it’s just race week taper crazies can be emotionally draining.
We want so badly to get the hard earned result of our work that sometimes we override common sense.
Part of the problem is a belief that “it’s what we runners do, we just push through“.
Sighhhhhh
No.
Certainly during marathon training, you learn a whole new level of discomfort and it can be too easy to ignore what’s really a problem.
A few of the questions to ask yourself if you are trying to decide whether to DNF a race, play it safer and DNS the race or to keep pushing.
- Has a doctor told you not to race?
- Will you miss a major life event or will it cause major home front issues?
- Have you missed a lot of training leaving you ill prepared?
- Have you been seriously ill in the week leading up to the race, causing dehydration? (Think GI distress, flu, other illness that really wiped you out, not just sniffles)
- Will finishing mean creating long term injury? { I chose not to do this 10 years ago and was sidelined for 6 months…try to put your ego aside.}
- Have you been training for a high performance goal at a future race? Will finishing compromise that goal?
- If things are going wrong, can you try another race very soon? (this is easier with shorter distances or if you stop early in a marathon)
- Is quitting just the best momentary option? (meaning what if you take a walk break, you take in some fuel and regroup)
- Is it your body or your head ready to stop?
- Are you getting the most from yourself or letting yourself off the hook due to fear?
Learn more about distinguishing discomfort from pain >>
Once you’ve made the tough decision about your race, it’s entirely normal to go through a wide range of emotions from relief, to anger, to regret.
What to Do After You DNF a Race?
There are lots of acronyms for DNF to help us mentally get past it: “Did nothing fatal” to “Do nothing foolish”, but in the end just like the marathon itself is a roller coaster of emotions any decision around it will be as well.
Allow yourself to go through those emotions and then come out stronger.
Recovery
Realize that even a DNF took a toll physically and emotionally, give your body time to recover rather than jumping in to an intense training schedule.
Complete guide to post race physical and mental recovery>>
Talk
Open up to someone who has been there and done that. It always helps to hear that others have had to do it too. Remember you are allowed to have all the feelings about this!! Give yourself a few days to process and then start to plan for what’s next or how to prevent this next time around.
New goals
Get refocused on your next goal, this is going to help you get out of the funk quicker! Training puts you back in motion so you aren’t waiting for motivation. It allows you to get back to that consistency and those endorphins. But what you might need more than anything is a shift in goals.
Especially if you’ve been focused only on the marathon, it’s time to consider some other options for a bit. This is often the best way to get that PR!
Race medals worth the entry >>
Analyze
What went wrong within your control? Take a look at how you can adjust your training, if you need to do more cross training or would you benefit from a coach?
Remember the race is just a blip in you overall training, enjoy the entire process of training and what happens on race day will hold far less importance.
Have you ever had to DNS or DNF?
Have you ever pushed through and regretted it later?
What to read next?
- 4 Hour Marathon Training Plan
- Runner Strength Training Plan – often key to avoiding a DNS
- Understand Common Track Running Protocol
GREAT tips! I have done all of the above. My decision is usually made on whether or not I would be causing further in jury. I DNF my first marathon because I had the flu for a few days leading up to the marathon, and halfway through I realized I was getting dizzy and was severely dehydrated. And just a few weeks ago I cut down from the full to the half because I injured my arches by not breaking in new orthotics. With two other marathons on the docket I didn’t want to prolong recovery. Even though it’s a hard decision to make, I always keep long term goals in mind over shorter ones.
Agreed, I want to run for many years not one race!! I think that’s a hard perspective for a lot of us to have…but it’s worth it.
I have yet to enter my first race. I DNS a half marathon because I did not feel ready. Today I decided to DNS a 5k race in two weeks that includes a steep incline up a mountain side because I know for sure I am not ready. I am registered for a third race in 8 weeks on Thanksgiving day. The route of The Thanksgiving Pilgrimage Run is easier and on flat terrain and I feel certain I will be ready. However, today a runner I know totally guilt-tripped me and said I should do the mountain race in two weeks. They said I could walk the steep incline part, and that the purpose of the run was not to have “fun” but to confront my fears. Well, I disagree, but this criticism from someone who is a runner stung. Comments welcome. I think the third time is the charm and I am looking forward to my first run as something fun and special because it will be on Thanksgiving.
We all run for our own reasons. no one has to run, we choose it. It does sound like you might need to consider how you’re thinking about these races?? Are you putting pressure on yourself for a certain outcome? If you did have to walk the whole thing would that be just horribly unfun or would be it ego? I think that’s something we all fall in to!
I DNF’d my first marathon. I was supposed to run NYC in 2016 and ended up deferring to 2017. I pushed through training u til I just couldn’t and I knew in my gut what the Dr was going to tell me. He looked you me straight in the eye and said, if you’re ok possibly never running again after this race then go ahead….So we still went to NYC and watched. The goal is to be the crazy old lady running. So I ran my first marathon in NYC in 2017 and BQd. Luckily ran Boston in 2019 and it’s so crazy to think that was the last in person Boston. That first major injury that caused my DNF really changed my perspective.
This kind of stuff is always difficult – it’s a fine line sometimes.
I’ve never DNF’d, but certainly thought about it several times, lol. The closest I came was at a recent half marathon when, at about mile 4, I suddenly got what felt like a bad cramp. I immediately stopped, stretched, rubbed, etc, and then started to run. Still hurt. Stopped again. Got all bothered and mad, thought about just walking back, and then just decided “just run”. Curiously, it was painful at first, but once back up to speed it was OK for the rest of the race. It wasn’t a cramp, though, and it did cost me a few weeks of training while it resolved.
The other instance was back in the fall when I got a lower leg muscle strain several days before a half marathon. I had plans for the following months (including a full marathon BQ attempt three months later) and I figured running hard for 13.1 wasn’t going to help AT ALL. But in these pandemic days, the race had a virtual option and the RD allowed me to switch. By the very last day allowed to run the virtual my leg was OK and I ran the actual course with my wife as support crew on her bike. So technically a DNS, but maybe a gray area, lol.
Oh, and I managed that BQ three months later. So, it was the right choice!
Hi Amanda. There is another option that I used once. Dropping to a shorter distance. I was registered for the Melbourne marathon two years ago, but picked up a strained Achilles about six months prior. As I was recovering and building the training up again really slowly, it became clear that I was not going to be marathon fit for the big race. If I tried, I would end up with another injury.
But I would be fine for the half marathon. So I dropped to the shorter distance and had one of the greatest running experiences I ever have.
Melbourne is a huge event and the half had over 10k starters. It finishes with a lap inside the main city sports stadium.
I’ll add one tip: When you DNS due to an injury, consider going to the event and working as a volunteer. I’ve done that more than once. It’s a great way to sample the festivities and give back to the race community. It’s better than staying at home feeling sorry for yourself! Also, some races will give a discount to next year’s event if you work as a volunteer this year.
I love this tip!!