You’ve trained hard for the big dance. And by now, you’ve put in all (or most) of the work. But when it comes to the week leading up to your 26.2-mile journey, lots of questions can pop up, including what to eat before a marathon.
It’s important to have a nutrition plan for the week leading up to the race, and even for the morning of the marathon. This will not only provide the perfect complement to your taper, but it will also get you to the starting line ready to run your best.
To guide you to the line healthy and strong through the finish, here’s what to eat the week of a marathon, including when to start carb-loading, How to Master the Marathon.
For reference, 400 grams of carbs might look like: 1 cup of?
During most weeks of marathon training, your muscles never have a chance to fully reload with glycogen. Runners and other endurance athletes simply need to back off on training for a few days, and the muscle enzymes responsible for restocking glycogen will gradually begin to store more carbohydrate, Health & Injuries.
About five to seven days before your scheduled race, make sure you’re consuming at least 3 grams of carbohydrate per pound of bodyweight during this time period to meet your needs, and space that carb intake out throughout the day. For example, a 130-pound runner would need to consume around 390 grams of carbs while a 180-pound runner would aim for 540 grams of carbs.
And seriously, don’t run too much. The taper exists for a reason. We know it’s hard to relax How to avoid an upset stomach come race day.
All About 75 Hard oatmeal loaded up with 1 cup of strawberries, 1 cup of milk, and 2 tablespoons of slivered almonds for breakfast. For lunch, three soft flour tortilla tacos Nutrition & Weight Loss snack could be an apple plus 30 small crackers with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter topped with your favorite sauce, with a side of garlic bread pasta The Spring Marathons of 2025.
What should you eat the morning of the marathon?
Boosting carbohydrate intake to about 4 grams of carbohydrate for every pound of bodyweight about three to four days before your race will further increase your glycogen stores. That’s 520 grams of carbs for a 130-pound runner and 720 grams of carbs for a 180-pound runner.
That said, this doesn’t mean loading up on calories with carb-rich foods on top of what you already eat; it means taking in the same amount of calories but getting a larger percentage of those calories from carbohydrates. The key is to back off on fat and protein.
Be aware that for every 1 gram of carbohydrate stored in the body (as glycogen), there is approximately 2 to 3 grams of water retained, so you may see your weight creep up a little, but this is normal water weight. It’s only temporary and nothing to worry about.
How to avoid an upset stomach come race day?
Before your marathon, you want to eat high-fiber foods Nutrition - Weight Loss, whole grains, and large amounts of fibrous vegetables about two to three days prior to a race, as doing so can help you avoid GI distress.
Research from the Australian Institute of Sport shows that eating a lower fiber diet can help lighten the weight of material in the intestines. This may help you avoid the need for an urgent midrace pit stop that would otherwise add time to your race.
than those who skimped?
How to Better Pace a Marathon Based on Effort breakfast or prerun race meal about two to four hours before run time. Having a prerace meal supplies extra carbs to top off glycogen stores, particularly in the liver, which will help steady blood sugar levels during the race.
Aim for 0.5 to 1 gram for every pound of bodyweight (about 65 to 130 grams for a 130-pound runner or 90 to 180 grams for a 180-pound runner). Eat the higher range if you have four full hours to digest.
Back off on fats and keep protein to about 15 grams or fewer—both nutrients take longer to digest. A study from the University of Minnesota found that for novice marathoners, eating a high-carb prerace meal was an important predictor of finishing times. Runners who ate ample carbs ran faster than those who skimped.
Anything to keep in mind when it comes to eating during marathon?
In the weeks leading up to the marathon, you should have been testing different fueling strategies to find what works for you. During the race, put your training to work: Fuel up with at least 30 to 60 grams—and up to 90 or 100 grams if your gut tolerated it during training and you’re planning to race hard—of easily-digestible carbs per hour (spread it out, such as every mile or every 30 minutes).
Fluid intake should also go according to training, keeping the temperature in mind—sweat losses will be less in cooler weather. Just avoid over consuming fluids, which might slosh around in your stomach, and sip slowly when you do take in water or other liquids.
If you feel yourself starting to fade during the second half of the race (and who doesn’t?), try a hit of caffeine (30 to 50 milligrams) from an energy gel, chew, or drink. Studies show this modest amount helps boost alertness and may provide a second wind.