First of all, don’t panic! For helping this here are some tips: First of all: Relax your upper body: Shoulders down, arms loose tension can make it worse. Then regulate your breathing then, go for deep belly breaths, not shallow chest breaths. Inhale for 2-3 steps, exhale for 2-3 steps. Just controlled breathing. Also change your foot-exhale timing: If the stitch is on your right side, try exhaling when your left foot hits the ground (and other way). This reduces the strain on your diaphragm. The what you can try is 0ress and breathe, i mean gently press with your hand where it hurts, and breathe deeply into that spot. Then when this don’t help, you can the pace for a moment: 10 seconds slower per km can be nough to let your breathing settle. (If it’s a longer race of course (10k f.e.) only when nothing helps!) Hydration tip: Sometimes stitches are linked to dehydration or drinking too much at once (it can be). Sip small amounts during (or surely before) the race instead of big gulps, and make sure you’re well-hydrated before the start. Some extra prevention: Avoid big, heavy meals 2-3 hours before racing. (Last meal ideally 3:30-4:00 before) Practise “race-pace breathing” in training. Warm up properly so your diaphragm is ready to work. Hope this helps!

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