🏃♀️A Dietitian’s Guide to Race Day Fueling
From pre-race pasta to mid-race gels, fueling can make or break your race day. This dietitian-approved strategy gives half and full marathoners a simple, step-by-step plan to avoid bonking and keep the energy high. Show up fueled, confident, and ready to crush your goals 🏁.
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🍝 The Night Before: Your Carb-Forward Dinner
Your goal = fully stocked glycogen stores for long distance performance
50-70% of dinner calories from carbs
Moderate protein
Low fat + low fiber (reduce GI risk)
Familiar foods only (now is not the time to experiment) 😅
Hydrate with electrolytes
Great Options:
Pasta, marinara, grilled chicken or meatballs + side of bread
Chipotle-ish burrito bowl: white rice, chicken, mild salsa, no beans, light cheese
Chicken teriyaki with white rice
Pad thai
Plain cheese pizza
Turkey sub on white bread + pretzels
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🌅 Morning of Race Day: Top Off the Tank
You want to start 100% fueled.
Timing:
Eat 2-3 hours pre-race
Optional 15-45 min pre-race: snack with fast digesting carbs
Carb Goals:
60-100 g carbs for a half marathon
75-120 g carbs for a full marathon
Easy Race Morning Meals:
Bagel or 2 waffles with peanut butter, banana, honey
Oatmeal with maple syrup
Hydrate early in the morning – 8-16 oz with electrolytes
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🏃♀️ Mid-Race Fueling: Start Early, Stay Consistent
Once you hit 75-90 minutes, your body needs carbs to keep pace up.
How much?
Half marathon: 30-60 g carbs per hour
Marathon: 60-90 g carbs per hour
Examples:
1 gel = ~20-25 g carbs
3-4 chews = ~20-24 g carbs
12 oz sports drink = ~20-30 g carbs
Timing Strategy
✅ First fuel: 20-40 minutes into the race
✅ Then every 30-45 minutes until finish
Pro Tip: practice in training! Nothing new on race day.
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💧 Hydration & Electrolytes: The Real MVP
General Targets:
4-8 oz fluid every 15-20 minutes
300-600 mg sodium per hour (or more if you’re a salty sweater)
Products Endurance Runners Love:
Scratch hydration
Gatorade Endurance
Nuun endurance
Drip Drop
Check your pee before you leave!! Pale yellow = ✅
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🧠 Train Your Gut Ahead of Time
If gels or sports drinks have ever betrayed you… you are NOT alone.
Practice:
Race morning breakfast on long runs.
Carb per hour goals during training.
Caffeine dose.
Your stomach is highly trainable – give it reps!
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🏁 Finish Strong
Fueling isn’t “extra credit” – it’s how you unlock that strong finish. Give your body what it needs, trust your training, and go crush those miles!!
Save this guide for race day so you can show up fueled, confident, and ready to run!! 🤍
