Run Smart, Spend Smart: Using Your HSA for Marathon Training, Race Day, and Recovery

Key takeaways:

Common items used to care for your health as you train, complete a marathon, and recover afterward are HSA eligible.
Examples include diagnostic health trackers, braces, foot protection pads, and ice packs.
Using your HSA for these items lets you worry less about marathon expenses, so you can concentrate on getting the best time possible.

Whether you’re gearing up for your first marathon or have a few medals on your mantle, a big race requires a big commitment. Getting ready often means months of training, with multiple runs per week.

But racking up miles is just one piece of marathon prep. Getting proper sleep, staying hydrated, preventing injury, and monitoring health metrics are all essential to success.

Luckily, many of the tools runners rely on to stay healthy are HSA eligible. Here’s how to use your pre-tax dollars to support your next marathon—from your first training run to the finish line.

Before the Race: Training, Injury Prevention, and Preparation

You’ve picked out the perfect pair of shoes and a sturdy water bottle. You’ve mapped out your practice routes. But there are a few more items you might want to add to your training toolkit.

Supporting Sustainable and Healthy Training

These HSA eligible products are great companions as you ramp up your runs.

Fluids first. Cure drink pouches can help you prevent and treat dehydration, and they replace key electrolytes such as sodium and potassium.
Sleep on it. Running sleep-deprived harms performance, and sleep helps your body repair itself. Stay rested with sleep aids and nasal strips.
Track your health. Keep tabs on key health metrics during training with heart rate monitors and diagnostic trackers.

Protecting Your Body

An injury—even a minor one—can set back your training. It’s better to prevent injuries before they happen and stay on top of recovery so you can consistently hit your goals.

Brace yourself. Compression sleeves and braces can provide extra support for injuries or prevent them.
Tape it up. Kinesiology tape reduces swelling and pain by pulling skin away from the tissues beneath it.
Don’t get burned. Apply sunscreen if you plan to catch some rays on your run, and put on SPF lip balm if your route will get chilly.
Get your roll on. Ease tight and sore muscles with foam rollers, massage balls, and percussion managers.
Recover fast. Support muscle recovery and pain relief with hot/cold therapy, Epsom salt, and acupressure mats.
Prepare for anything. Bringing a first aid kit on long runs lets you take care of minor scrapes and sprains and handle emergencies until a medical team can arrive.

Race Week and Race Day: Stay Ready, Fueled, and Protected

This is it. You’ve put in the work, and now it’s showtime.

As you make your marathon day packing list, don’t overlook these go-tos for travel and race readiness.

Travel and Immune Health

Whether you’re traveling across the country or heading downtown for your race, a number of factors can make you susceptible to getting sick: cold weather, flying, and changing time zones, to name a few. Toss some immune boosters in your bag so all that hard work doesn’t go to waste due to illness.

Kill germs on the go. Hand sanitizer is a convenient way to combat viruses when you’re traveling or out on the course.
Ward off bugs. Knock out colds quickly with Zicam lozenges, and keep cold and flu products handy to deal with any sniffles or coughs.

Race Day Essentials

Once you’ve got the mainstays covered, like hydration and nutrition, consider these eligible items that can help you go the extra mile.

Keep your feet pain-free. Blister prevention tape and foot protection pads can make sure your stride stays smooth.
Slip on some extra support. Compression socks can be your best friend in a race. They improve circulation, reduce swelling, and relieve aches.
Eliminate seasonal surprises. Don’t let watery eyes and sneezes get in the way of your record finish. Pick up some allergy meds.

After the Finish Line: Recovery and Long-Term Runner Health

Finishing a marathon is exhilarating, and you deserve to celebrate. But don’t forget to focus on your recovery.

Bouncing back from a race can take days to weeks. However, these HSA qualified items can help speed up the process.

Ice, ice, baby. Ice packs reduce swelling and inflammation. They can also numb painful joints and muscles.
Get your blood flowing. Heating pads and compression boots improve circulation and can ease muscle stiffness and soreness.
Work it out. Massage tools, hot stone therapy, and muscle therapy can also help with circulation, tension, and soreness.

In Summary

A marathon is a long journey, but one that’s plenty worth it. From registering for the race to months-long training schedules and pushing past your limits on race day, it’s an achievement you’ll never forget.

At every stage, remember that your HSA is in your corner, with eligible gear you can save on with pre-tax dollars. You don’t need to log every expense in real time, either. Our Expense Tracker App can help you track eligible purchases for later reimbursement.

In short, your HSA helps you take care of race-related health costs, so you can focus on what’s important: crossing mile 26.2.