I knew you'd kill it!

Re: socks, I second the Injinji. I won't wear anything else for runs longer than about 10 miles. I put body glide all over my toes, heels, and balls of my feet then put the socks on. I do not get blisters. I wear the wool ones in the winter, and even when my feet are wet I don't get blisters.

Oh, changing your socks after about 20 miles doesn't hurt either. Since most big races accommodate drop bags, just put a fresh pair in your drop. I know people that also change shoes in a race (although this is usually 50 m or longer).

There's also some (probably cockamamey) theory out there that low sodium can lead to more blisters (somehow affecting the skin). Could be bunk. Since I don't have a problem, I haven't looked into it much. Maybe some medical pro-fessional here can comment on this!