If you’re running a half-marathon, you’ll need a fuelling and hydration plan to ensure optimal performance in the event and stave off fatigue. This means working out what, how much and when to eat and drink in the weeks before your race as well as stocking up on carbohydrate in the days leading up to the event. Carbohydrate is an important fuel for half-marathon. However, your body can store only about 500g (as glycogen), enough to sustain about 90 minutes of running at half-marathon pace. Consuming carbohydrate during the event will therefore help you maintain your pace and delay fatigue. Everyone’s needs are slightly different. However, there are a few general rules that will help you devise your individual fuelling plan.

Training Runs: early preparation

Use your long training runs to practice taking in carbohydrate and fluid. Doing so will help maintain blood sugar levels, provide your muscles with extra fuel and delay the development of fatigue.

For your training runs of 1 – 2 hours, 30g carbohydrate per hour is enough. Start consuming them 30 – 45 minutes into your run. If you normally run on an empty stomach, eating and drinking may feel uncomfortable initially. But getting used to the feeling of having food and drink in your gut while running will ultimately benefit your performance.

Gut problems are common during long runs, but it is possible to ‘train’ your gut to digest food on the move. Start with small amounts then increase gradually the amount and frequency so your gut becomes better at digesting and absorbing food while running.

Practice makes perfect

Once you have a rough idea of which foods and drinks to consume, aim to do two or three long runs using the same fuelling schedule you plan to use in the race. Simulate race-day conditions as far as possible, running at the same time of day as your half-marathon, consuming the same foods and drinks at the same frequency you plan to take them during the race. Making it as realistic as possible will help ensure there won’t be any surprises on the big day. Fuelling on the move can be tricky so you’ll need to practise drinking out of bottles or cups (whichever you plan to use on race day) and eating foods while running.

In the weeks leading up to the event

Now is the time to experiment with different foods, drinks and sports nutrition products during runs of 1 – 2 hours. You’ll find that certain products sit better in your stomach and make you perform better (or worse) than others. The difficulty is knowing the right carbs to choose. In general, whole foods, such as bananas, dried fruit, rice cakes or oat bars, take longer to digest than sports drinks, bars and gels. Some runners favour whole foods at the start of a long event and sports nutrition products in the latter stages.

In the days leading up to the event

Full carbohydrate-loading isn’t necessary for a half-marathon, but it’s a good idea to begin the race with full glycogen stores. Even if you anticipate a sub-90-minute finish time, you’ll likely reach a point when your glycogen stores run low and cause fatigue. Taper your training (reducing your training volume) the few days before your race and increase your carbohydrate intake during the final 24 – 48 hours. Include larger-than-usual servings of rice, oats, potatoes, sweet potatoes, pasta or bread in each of your meals. Add a couple of extra carbohydrate-rich snacks, such as bananas, oat bars or bagels.

The day before the event

The carbohydrate you consume the day before your race will be stored as glycogen in your muscles and liver, and then used to fuel your muscles during the race.

• Consuming most of your carbohydrate in the early part of the day is a more effective way of filling glycogen stores than consuming a big meal in the evening.
• Over-eating carbohydrate the evening before a race can make you feel heavy, bloated and lethargic on race day, as well as disrupt your sleep.
• Avoid anything that may cause stomach problems or irritate the bowel in the 24 hours before the race. You may already have a good idea of what disagrees with you. Common culprits include certain spicy and high-fibre foods. On the other hand, if you’re normally fine with these foods, then there’s no need to avoid them.

What to eat on the morning of the event

Plan to have a high-carbohydrate, low-fat breakfast 2 – 4 hours before your race start time. This helps top up liver glycogen stores, sustain blood sugar levels during the race and ward off hunger. Good options include porridge, muesli, granola or bagels with jam.

Ensure that you are properly hydrated by drinking 5 – 10 ml fluid/ kg of body weight in the 4 hours before the race. After that, sip just enough to quench your thirst, but don’t overdrink otherwise you’ll be forced to make an early pitstop!

What to eat 15 – 30 minutes before the start

Some runners like to consume an additional 20 – 30 g carbs 15 – 30 minutes before the start. The idea is to raise blood sugar levels and provide fuel for the first part of the race. Suitable options include a banana, sports drink or gel. However, if you don’t feel like consuming anything just before the race, then do not force yourself to eat!

Nutrition for during the event

• Start fuelling about 30 – 45 minutes into your event. Use the same fuelling and hydration strategy you practiced during training.
• Take your own fuel – always stick with what you trained with. Check the location of water stations on the course beforehand so you can plan where and when to hydrate. Some race organisers provide food at feeding stations on the route but only consume what’s provided if you have practiced with it in training.
• You should have a good idea how much you need to drink from your training runs: drinking between 400 – 800 ml fluid per hour will likely prevent dehydration as well as over-hydration.

Post-event nutrition: recovery

Hydration:

After your race, prioritise rehydration. Water will replace fluid losses while sports and recovery drinks also provide carbohydrate to replenish depleted glycogen stores, and electrolytes to aid fluid retention.

Food:

You’ll also need to include carbohydrate and protein in your post-race meals to replace fuel stores and repair muscle damage – plus plenty of fruit and veg for their antioxidant benefits. Good options include milk-based drinks, smoothies, yogurt with granola and berries, a colourful stir-fry with tofu, noodles and peppers or a spinach frittata with potatoes.

Summary: Your race strategy

Every runner has different nutritional needs, so it is essential to try different fuelling options during training and practice your race strategy before your half-marathon.

• Ensure you begin your race fully stocked with glycogen and properly hydrated.
• Take the fuel you plan to consume in a belt or in your pockets.
• Follow the same fuelling and hydration plan you trained with but be prepared to change if conditions change (things don’t always go to plan!).
• Some runners like to add caffeine to their race-day schedule – studies show caffeine may reduce the perception of fatigue and enhance endurance – but not everyone is a ‘responder’. Use it only if you’ve trained with it and noticed its benefits. It takes about 45 minutes to peak in your body and its effects last several hours.

 

If you enjoyed this post and want to find out more about running nutrition, then check out my book, The Runner’s Cookbook. It features more than 100 delicious recipes to fuel your running. With a foreword from five-time Olympian Jo Pavey, the book also provides practical nutrition advice on fuelling before, during and after running, guidance on hydration and supplements, weight loss tips, how to recover from injury, and how to prepare for 5k, 10k, half marathons, marathons and ultra races.