Figuring out what to eat before a marathon could make or break your race. The right balance and amount of nutrients can keep you out of the porta-potty, ensure you don’t bonk on the course, and even speed your recovery afterward. To get the best insights, we spoke with NYC-based licensed dietitian Amy Stephens, to break down everything you need to know about pre-marathon fueling-from the importance of breakfast timing and carb loading to race-day meal planning, foods to avoid, and even whether your pace, body size, and weather conditions should influence what you eat.
Why Pre-Marathon Nutrition Is Important
Endurance running can take a toll on your body. A marathon will use up your fluids, electrolytes, and stored energy (glycogen), plus break down muscle tissue. You may have even noticed this on your long training runs: If you don’t eat enough beforehand and fuel on the go, inevitably, you’ll begin to feel tired and start to slow down as the miles add up. Training is the perfect time to practice your pre-marathon nutrition strategy and experiment with how different foods affect your running performance. Use each long run as a rehearsal so that, come race day, you don’t have any surprises.
Most seasoned marathon runners know the race doesn’t really begin until the last 10K. Think of the meal before the race as fuel for your last 10K. The goal of race fueling is to eat enough to preserve those precious glycogen stores and use them up at a slower rate.
Long-Term Nutrition Plan
A long-term nutrition plan would have you consuming a variety of meals full of veggies, healthy fats, and whole grains. Foods that are rich in nutrients, such as quinoa, sweet potatoes, and nut butter.
Carb Loading: Maximizing Glycogen Stores
Carb loading requires a bit of thought, there’s more to it than a pre-race pasta feast the night before. Focusing on carbohydrate-rich foods helps maximise glycogen stores before the marathon. Carbohydrates also play a crucial part in adequate hydration, with every gram of stored glycogen accompanied by four grams of water. If you want to get your marathon nutrition right, timing matters.
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When to Start Carb Loading
Start carb loading 3-4 days before the marathon, gradually increasing carb intake while reducing fat and fiber consumption. For three days before your marathon, you’ll generally want to bump up your carb intake to about 70-80 percent of your total calories at all your meals and snacks (while still taking in a bit of protein).
What to Eat
While pasta and bagels are great options, other excellent choices include peeled potatoes and sweet potatoes, brown or white rice, smoothies, corn, applesauce, pretzels, and quinoa. Eat plenty of carbohydrates like pasta with marinara sauce or a large baked potato the evening before.
What to Avoid
Experts generally recommend limiting fat and fiber during this time, which can lead to gastrointestinal (GI) problems like bloating or diarrhea on race day. That means skipping things like croissants and doughnuts, as well as beans and cruciferous veggies, even though some of those are high in carbs. Be sure to avoid trying new or spicy foods that could cause gastrointestinal distress before or during the race. Stick to familiar options that you know your stomach can tolerate.
The Night-Before Meal: Fueling Up Responsibly
The perfect night-before meal should consist mainly of simple, easy-to-digest carbohydrates like pasta, white rice, potatoes, or bread to top off your glycogen stores. Add a small portion of lean protein such as grilled chicken, tofu, or eggs-but only if you’re used to it-to help keep you satisfied without overloading your digestive system. Eat a carb-heavy meal with moderate protein, fat, and fibre the night before a marathon. Pasta with marinara sauce or a large baked potato with grated cheese are great options.
Avoid heavy sauces, spicy foods, and too much fat, which can interfere with sleep or cause GI distress on race morning. It’s essential to moderate fiber intake to avoid digestive issues during the race and stay adequately hydrated. Stick to familiar foods that agree with your stomach, and aim to eat your well-balanced pre-marathon dinner 2-3 hours before bed to allow for proper digestion.
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Your body can fully digest a meal in about two hours. Stomachaches usually come from eating too close to the start, so you’re running and trying to digest food at the same time.
The Morning Of: Simple Carbs and Timing
When considering what to eat before the race, you want to stick with simple carbs and a bit of protein the morning of. Don’t eat a new food. The earlier you eat, the more you can eat. And, the more you weigh, the more you eat. Use this information as you are training to see what your gut can handle when planning what to eat before a marathon.
Get up and have breakfast early enough-ideally, three to four hours before you start the race-so your body will have time to digest what you eat. You should eat the same foods before the marathon as you do before a long run. Also, runners should have most of their carbs about 1.5-2 hours before the race.
What to Eat
Stick with the same easy-on-the-stomach carbs (plus a bit of protein) that you’d normally eat before a long run. For example, your pre-marathon meal might look like instant oatmeal and a hard-boiled egg, a bagel with peanut butter and honey, or an English muffin with jam and juice. You might also make a smoothie with yogurt and a banana. Then, just before making your way to the starting line, you can top off your carb stores with a ripe banana, some candy, or an energy gel.
Whether you are trying to BQ or just finish the race, you want foods to digest and convert into usable energy quickly. Simple and familiar is the name of the game the morning of your marathon. Eat simple carbs (for energy) with a little bit of protein (for tissue repair).
Read also: Training for a Half Marathon
What to Avoid
Avoid foods that are hard to digest. This includes high-fiber foods that can make you gassy and bloated. Avoid high-fat foods and protein, which slow digestion and release energy more slowly. So, do not eat beans, lentils, or high-fiber cereals before your marathon. The longer a food sticks around in your gut, the more likely it will cause diarrhea, bloating, or gas.
Hydration: Staying Properly Hydrated
Hydration is also important, especially on the final day before the race (particularly because your body needs extra water to store all that glycogen). You’ll know you’re drinking enough if you never feel thirsty and your urine has just a light yellow hue. You’ll also probably want to add in some electrolytes with a sports drink or electrolyte packet to help your body absorb and hold onto those fluids.
Of course, make sure you’re continuing to hydrate: There’s no need to chug, but you should slowly drink about 0.1 ounces of fluids for every pound of body weight (or 5-7 milliliters per kilogram of body weight) starting at least four hours before the race, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. This can come from plain water, an electrolyte drink, and even coffee (as long as you know your body can handle caffeine).
Caffeine: A Performance Enhancer
Coffee is definitely a performance enhancer. Studies show caffeine gives runners pep in their step. Be sure to test this before race day if you’re not a coffee drinker. Some people get GI distress with coffee, or it makes them need to use the bathroom a lot.
Fueling During the Marathon: Maintaining Energy Levels
Sports dietitians broadly recommend taking in anywhere from 30-90 grams of carbs per hour, based on the intensity of your race pace, weight, and other variables. Just know that you may need to train your stomach to digest those higher amounts while running (without getting nauseated or gassy), so this is something you’ll want to practice on your weekly long runs. The ACSM recommends 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour. Some runners may tolerate 90g, while others may experience GI upset. Eating during the marathon provides your body more energy and the muscles the nutrients it needs to maintain your pace. Again, experiment with it and find what works best for you.
You can get these carbs through energy gels, sports drinks, bananas, raisins or even candy. Remember: It will take your body a little time to access the carbs from mid-race snacks, so you’ll want to eat them regularly rather than waiting until fatigue sets in. Experts typically recommend having something every 30-45 minutes. Ideally, you will have practised eating while running on your weekly long runs.
Post-Marathon Recovery: Replenishing and Repairing
Within half an hour of crossing the finish line, you’ll want to eat about 20 grams of protein and 80 grams of carbs. This will help restock your glycogen levels and jumpstart your muscle repair and recovery. Eat a meal within 1-2 hours after running. Ideally, eat a meal with plenty of carbohydrates and protein. Your body is likely in the red - it needs fuel to repair and recover.
If you don’t have an appetite for solid foods just yet, try drinking some chocolate milk or a smoothie. Once you sit down for a full recovery meal, choose foods that are high in carbs and protein, as well as antioxidants and omega-3 fats. Some dietitian-recommended ideas include pasta with chicken and veggies, a turkey avocado sandwich and fruit, or a baked potato with steak and veggies. Meanwhile, keep drinking ample fluids, including electrolytes. Drink plenty of water and, even better, rehydrate with electrolytes. This will help with the cramping and improve recovery by helping you rehydrate.
It can take up to 48 hours before your body is able to replenish the glycogen that was used up during the race, so don’t ignore your hunger cues following the race.
Common Marathon Nutrition Mistakes
If you’re training for a marathon, here are a few nutritional mistakes to avoid:
- Don’t wait until the week before the marathon to begin thinking about carbs or other nutritional strategies you intend to use for the run. Use your entire training period to test the effects of the foods you eat, including when and how much you eat.
- Don’t wait until you feel tired or hungry during the race to replenish your glycogen stores. Carb up regularly to keep your muscles fueled.
- Don’t just “wing it” when it comes to your pre-race dinner or breakfast. If you’re traveling to a destination marathon, research restaurant options beforehand, or consider bringing tried-and-true favorites like a bagel and peanut butter along with you.
- Don’t neglect electrolytes! While your muscles are using up glycogen, you’re also sweating out electrolytes-especially sodium.
- Don’t try new foods or routines on the day of the marathon.
Additional Tips for Proper Marathon Nutrition
- Calories: You can burn a significant amount of calories while running, so you’ll need to increase portion sizes or add more snacks into your day to stay properly fueled during training.
- Carbohydrates: Lean on carbs throughout marathon training. The rest of your diet should be made up of lean protein and healthy fats.
- Mealtimes: Don’t skip meals. Try to keep to a regular eating schedule to keep your blood sugar stable and avoid extreme hunger.