A Runner’s Guide to Race Fuel
(9 min. read)
Fuelling your body with the right food and drink will not only boost your performance but reduce your risk of injury, and shorten your recovery time. Taking care of what and when you eat should be seen as part and parcel of your running, whether you’re training for an event or not. But with the multitude of options available – from fancy gels, specific fruit and veg to sports drinks and vitamins – it’s difficult to decide what the right choice is for you and your running goals.
To help you prepare for a race, we’ve put together four top tips to plan your fuel consumption for optimal performance and recovery on race day.
Race Day Prep - How to Incorporate Fueling into Training
When people ask how to fuel for a race, typically, the question centres on the 24 hours before, during, and after the race. But some of the best answers start weeks if not months before race day.
If you still have time to incorporate the following fueling practices into your training and race prep regimen, give them a try:
Running Fuel Practice & Testing
Because every athlete has a unique body, your response to various fueling practices will be unique to you. Experimentation during the training phase is key. After all, you don’t want to deal with any nasty surprises on race day.
Start with the basics. Grab an assortment of gels, bars, jellybeans, bananas, chews and sports drinks. If your race has sponsored fueling stations, you’ll definitely want to test out those brands and products, as you might be able to race without your own supplies if you respond well to them.
Depending on the planned pace and duration of your race event, you may additionally want to feel out the ideal role and timing of caffeine and salt in your fueling regimen.
And don’t forget water - training to maintain proper hydration based on likely race conditions will come in handy on race day.
Prepare With Fueling Supplies
Training with your planned fuel or carrying equipment is a part of not doing anything new on race day. Look into race rules regarding allowable equipment, and try out fanny packs or water bottle options as you train.
You might not be carrying a seven-course meal with you on race day, but you should still feel comfortable executing a race pace with whatever size and shape fuel load you’ll be carrying during your event.
Keep in mind that if your race has fueling stations with free goodies that work well with your system, you might not need to carry anything at all.
Plan Your In-Race Fueling Strategy as Part of Studying the Race Course
As you prep for your race, you’ll want to do training runs that mirror course conditions as closely as possible. This can include a test run in which you fuel with the same materials at the same intervals as made available through sponsored race day fueling stations.
This is the surest way to know if you’ll have adequate sustenance for top performance or if you should bring your own too.
Each of the above prep methods can boost your confidence and ensure you’re ready to fuel for race day.
Timing is also an important part of incorporating fuel into your training - to fully test your response to the most common in-race fueling techniques; you may skip ahead to the What to eat before running section of this post to learn some practices to simulate during your training runs.
And if you’re reading this a little late to plan everything in advance, don’t worry. Race officials and fellow runners will have your back, and you’ll be able to apply everything you learn next time.
What to Eat Before Running
If you’ve ever tried to make reservations at an Italian restaurant on the night before a local marathon, you’ve likely already noticed that pre-race fueling is a tradition that permeates the culture of endurance sports. In particular, sharing an evening meal among friends, laughing between bites of a big plate of pasta is a preferred ritual among distance runners.
But aside from this social aspect, what pre-race fueling methods are actually helpful to performance?
Like anything else you do with or to your body, results vary from person to person, but the following practices tend to contribute to better results on race day:
Carb-Loading is Beneficial (and Fun!)
Those big plates of pasta do have a use after all. For any race where your pace and distance will require over 90 minutes of continuous exertion, loading up on carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, bagels, rice, and fruit for 1-3 days leading up to your event will help you power through the latter portions of your course.
And while sharing a nice carb-friendly dinner with your friends and family is not strictly necessary before a planned run at shorter distances such as a 5k or 10k, we won’t spoil your fun. Just remember your legs might not need the extra help.
Hydrate Starting A Few Days Early
There’s no need to overdo it on water, but it’ll help on race day if you spend the preceding 1-3 days maintaining a state of adequate hydration (you’ll know you’re in good shape when your urine is only lightly colored).
Breakfast is the Most Important Meal of Race Day
Unless you’ve found through the course of your training that you have an extremely nervous stomach, you’ll want to eat at least a light breakfast on race day, one to four hours before your start time.
Shoot for a carb-based meal that’ll sit well, with some protein added in. Oatmeal, a bagel, or some cereal with a banana, honey, and/or a little peanut butter should do the trick. Even a small pre-race snack (such as a handful of blueberries) in the hour before you hit the starting line can help you down the line. You won’t enjoy running hungry.
Pre-Race Fuels to Avoid
In addition to your own personal preferences and considerations regarding foods that get along well with your tummy (bear in mind that race day nerves can churn your stomach), you’ll want to stay away from anything fried, fatty, or creamy. Think light, and avoid anything that’ll weigh you down or conflict with your in-race fueling regimen.
And just as important as any of the above pre-race fueling tips: planning for a pre-race evacuation. You’ll want to make a quick stop at the bathroom before the clock starts ticking.
How to Fuel During Running
As soon as you cross the start line, you should expect your body to expend as much energy as it takes to get you across the finish line. If you’re running as many miles as a marathon, you’re going to need to recharge your batteries throughout.
If you’ve already followed the above-listed advice for Race Day prep and What to eat before running, you should already have a pretty solid in-race plan, all the fueling supplies you’ll need to carry with you, and a not totally empty belly.
When the start signal goes off, stick to the following guidelines:
Long Run Fueling Strategy: Start Early and Maintain Regular Intervals
If you wait until you’re hungry or tired to take your first fuel, your body could be playing catchup for the rest of the race.
Individual needs for caloric intake will vary, but you’ll want to set an hourly goal - between 30 and 60 grams of carbohydrates is usually good - and take fuel at regular intervals of 30, 20 or even 15 minutes.
That means your first intake should happen around 15-30 minutes into the race, whether you feel tired or not. If there’s no opportunity to grab fuel from an official race course station, you might want to start with a few gels in your hand just to make sure you’ll have an early opportunity.
Chase Food with Water
Whether you’re munching a bar or squeezing a gel, wash it down afterwards to help dissolve your solid foods a little more easily. Any small function you can make easier for your body to handle will help you focus your available energy on racing.
Pro tip: squeeze the top of your water cup to funnel more water into your mouth than down your shirt.
Alter Your Plan Based on Conditions
You’ll need about the same amount of calories regardless of what the weather is, but hydration needs can vary widely with conditions.
Is it raining? If so, you might not need to carry that extra water bottle. Chilly day in early Spring? You won’t feel as thirsty as you would running in the summer months. Consider changing your food and water fueling cadence based on conditions.
Sensible Bites
Not everybody can run and eat gracefully, and that’s okay. If you’ve experimented with different types of fuel (see the Race Day prep section for more details on this), you should have gained a level of comfort with the actual logistics of fueling for your preferred regimen.
When it comes to deciding what to eat during a marathon race, just think safety first. Make sure it’s small, compact and easy to carry, as well as paying as much attention to your chewing as you would to your breathing - you don’t want anything going down the wrong pipe.
No matter what specific fuel keeps you running best, it’s best to incorporate fueling into your plan for competing in your race event.
How to Refuel After Running
Whether you’ve placed, hit a new personal best or just finished, completing a race is worthy of congratulations.
It’s also a worthy excuse to get some food back into your body. After all, you’ve just pushed yourself, and your body is depleted.
So if you’re wondering what to eat and drink after running, remember the following:
Celebrate Responsibly (With Water)
Many racers like to enjoy a post-race beer (or two, or…), and some races even hand out drink tickets or host a finish line barbecue.
While we’d hate to spoil anyone’s fun, it is important to know that alcohol can have a dehydrating effect - and in your body’s post-race state, dehydration is a particular concern.
Make sure you counter the effects of any post-race celebrations with sufficient water intake or an isotonic solution balanced with electrolytes.
Snack Early
Sometime within the first half-hour of finishing your race, you’ll want to get at least a light snack in. The good news is that since you’re no longer currently running, your snack doesn’t have to be squeezed from a tube or the product of an officially licensed sponsor.
Treat yourself to a good old fashioned apple, granola bar, or other solid, healthy food.
Sit Down to a Nice, Balanced Meal
You’ve just burned through a good amount of calories, and chances are your in-race fueling regimen has been more about replenishing your energy stores than adding nutrients.
Now’s the time to fix that.
Sit down to a nice meal with plenty of lean protein, veggies, complex carbs, and good fat. Think poke bowl or chicken burrito salad. Eat as much as you want. You’ve earned it.
There you have it, everything you need to know to make sure you’ve got the right fueling strategy to get you through your run.
If you’re in the middle of training, gear up. Good luck and happy running!
