Marathon Nutrition: Fuel your Body Best on Race Day

Congratulations, the relentless work has been done and you finally made it to race day! You whizzed through your training cycle well-fueled after polishing up on what to eat when training for a marathon. And, now that elusive start line is here! But, what about marathon nutrition for race day itself?

While the notion of racing a marathon may seem daunting, your race-day marathon nutrition plan doesn’t need to be. Having a race day nutrition plan is important for every runner at every skill level. If you feel like you need a starting point or perhaps a refresher on proper fueling strategies during a marathon. Let’s dig in to marathon nutrition!

But first, the role of carbohydrate loading

Be confident in your training plan that got you to the actual race start. And, I want you to be as equally as confident in your carbohydrate (“carb”) loading as part of your prep for the big day. Because what you eat prior to race day is arguably just as critical as what you eat during the race. Carb loading is an important strategy for runners to use so they are adequately fueled heading into a big race. 

This strategy involves consuming higher amounts of carbs than normal approximately 1-3 days prior to the race start. If this sounds daunting, don’t worry, we have a whole carb-loading guide post for you! 

As you get race ready, consider planning your carb load in advance and avoid experimenting with new foods during your carb load and also on race day. Let’s save that excitement for after the race.

What to eat the night before a marathon

Similar to carb loading, consider experimenting with your standard pre-race meal on the evenings prior to your longest long runs to ensure your body tolerates the meal well. This will help increase confidence in your food choices heading into race day. Low-fiber, relatively lower-fat foods will be best to help minimize the potential for gastrointestinal upset. Here are a few examples of what to eat the night before a marathon:

• Vegetarian sushi with soy sauce, an extra side of white rice and an applesauce pouch
• Low-fiber spaghetti noodles with ground turkey marinara and a breadstick
• “Breakfast for dinner” with pancakes and maple syrup, orange slices and apple juice.
• Baked salmon with a salted baked potato and banana slices
• If traveling- tuna packet with microwavable rice and fruit juice
• If dining out- grilled chicken with rice, a dinner roll and a glass of lemonade

Shameless plug for my personal pancake recipe here!

If you are traveling to a destination marathon, consider packing a few carb-rich easy staples that are portable. Convenience items such as: bagels and bread, microwavable noodles and rice, macaroni and cheese cups, dry cereal, and individual oatmeal packs are great options. For most runners, these foods are both easy to pack and easy for your body to digest- a win win. If dining out, it is important to review menus beforehand to ensure that you are choosing restaurants wisely. Or consider staying in an overnight accommodation that has a kitchen accessible and you are able to prepare your own meals and snacks.

Marathon Nutrition: what to eat race-day morning

Each individual is very different in what foods work well on race day morning but the parameters of what to include are generally the same. At least 2 hours prior to the race start, you want to optimize carbohydrate, sodium and fluid intake. If your body requires more time to digest the meal adequately, setting an early alarm. It may be necessary to wake up at least 3 hours prior to the start of the race to simply allow enough time. Morning meal ideas to consider include:

·         Cream of rice cereal with maple syrup and Skratch hydration beverage

·         Toast with salted almond butter and honey and Tailwind hydration beverage

·         Pre-made pancakes topped with maple syrup and juice mixed with UCAN

·         If traveling- brown sugar oatmeal packet with an applesauce pouch and Skratch hydration

·         If you are eating hotel breakfast- low-fiber bagel with peanut butter and jelly, a banana and  glass of orange juice

Should you have coffee before a marathon?

We can’t talk marathon nutrition without discussing coffee. You may have heard that coffee and other caffeinated beverages can provide a quick boost in energy prior to running. The effects of consuming coffee and caffeine varies largely depending on the individual. If you are used to consuming caffeinated beverages such as coffee or caffeinated tea, it may be a good option to get you energized early on race day morning.

Furthermore, if you consumed coffee prior to your runs throughout the marathon training cycle and tolerated the caffeine well, then it is likely safe to go for it. Moderation will be key with coffee. In addition to prioritizing beverages that contain carbohydrates and sodium so you’re adequately hydrated and well-fueled prior to the race.

Research shows caffeine can increase alertness and increase time to exhaustion though this is more pronounced in non-caffeine users than in regular consumers. Some runners find a modest morning cup of joe can help produce a bowel movement prior to race day though again. This is something that you must experiment with prior to race day to avoid any un-welcomed surprises.

Marathon nutrition: what to eat

Adequate practice and preparation are key for what to eat during a marathon. Ideally you have practiced this on most, if not every, long run throughout your marathon training cycle. For most runners the recommendation is to aim for:

• 60-90 g of carbohydrates per hour,
• 200-500 mg of sodium per hour, potentially more if you’re a salty sweater
• and 5-10 oz of fluids every 15 minutes during the race (potentially more if the weather is hot, humid or at elevation)

Simple carbohydrates such as energy gels, sports drink beverages are the most convenient options for hitting these nutrition goals.

Common energy gels, blocks, and beverages available are:

• GU
• PowerBar Sport
• Jelly Belly sports
• Honey Stinger
• SIS
• Spring Energy
• Hammer gel
• Huma
• Perpetum
• Maurten
• Tailwind
• Skratch
• Gatorade
• UCAN

This is not an exhaustive list as there are many other sports nutrition options available. Also, serving sizes and carbohydrate amount per serving varies largely, which is important to remember when you are choosing a fuel that works well for you. 

If you are overwhelmed simply looking at this list, consider working with a sports dietitian to better identify which product(s) work best for you. Dried fruit, candy, a banana, and breakfast energy bars are other high-carb fuel options if you desire more solid foods. Though, these options are not nearly as portable or convenient.

Depending on which products you opt for, timing will be essential to hitting your nutrition goals while racing. Every 15 minutes while racing, it may be best to have a sports beverage or at least part of an energy gel. Taking large gulps of liquids and sports beverages at once may cause increasing “sloshing” or stomach cramps versus smaller, more frequent sips. Trial and error is important prior to race day to see what works best for you.

While it can be difficult to meet these fluid and nutrition needs while running, handheld water bottles, a fuel belt or even a hydration vest can be a useful tool for helping to carry this nutrition on the go.

Congrats, you made it to the finish

While your race-day preparation and execution may seem wildly daunting and overwhelming, it doesn’t need to be. Ideally it helps to work with a sports dietitian to better understand your individualized nutrition plan.

There is no one-size-fits all approach to race day nutrition recommendations, which is why I have my 1:1 nutrition coaching program. For most individuals, it requires a lot of trial and error, and my dietitian team and I are well-versed in streamlining this process to get you dialed in and feeling really confident about your marathon nutrition.

If you are struggling to put the pieces of the puzzle together, reach out and we can take the second guessing out and help you have a great, enjoyable marathon day.