HONOLULU -- Many people are injured in the Honolulu Marathon each year, but some of it can be avoided by following a few tips.

Nutrition: Dr. Ruth Heidrich has run her share of marathons and triathlons to know what race preparations work best for her.

Heidrich has run in 46 marathons and 6 Ironman triathlons. She also earned a doctorate in sports medicine.

Heidrich said that the key to her training is constant training. She said that she eats at a constant 80 percent carbohydrate diet with lots of fruits and vegetables.

For race day she also suggested that you bring some fruits on the course in a fanny pack since there will be no food given out on the route. She takes bananas and raisins along. She said that a brown rice musubi would also make good fuel.

University of Hawaii professor of Nutrition Dr. Alan Titchenal said that eating along the race is a good idea, especially for runners who will be on the course for longer than four hours.

Titchenal is an avid marathon runner himself, with 20 races under his belt.

For two to three days before the race, he suggested that runners start loading up on carbohydrates. He said that it would give what Titchental calls "high octane fuel" for your body when the marathon arrives.

Another point he made: don't fill up with too much water in the days before the race. "The excess water can dilute your salt levels, and that can hurt you in the run," Titchental said.

If you're going to get water before the race he said that you should do it about 10 minutes before you start.

On the racecourse, Titchental said that you should drink lots of fluids. If you decide to eat energy bars or carbohydrate gels he said that you drink a lot of water to wash it down, about 10 times the amount that you eat.

Injury Prevention: Another key area of race preparation to be aware of is injury prevention.

Physical therapist Reid Elam said that runners must stretch out and warm up to avoid injuries. At the end of the race you should cool down instead of bringing your body and your run to a halt, according to Elam.

Footwear might sound like an obvious point of importance but there is more to just having running shoes. Elam pointed out that you should have proper running shoes that are not brand-new or worn out.

He said that you should check your insoles to make sure they have not been flattened in your training. For runners who are not going to be the first to cross the finish line, he suggested having family or friends wait on the course to give you a change of shoes or socks.