Fueling is often a deciding factor in the marathon, so it’s something to test and plan for carefully.
These fueling tips from a two-time Olympian are good for all marathoners, Health & Injuries carbohydrate loading, with some great resources out there. Gatorade Endurance is my nutrition sponsor, so I like to use the resources offered in the GSSI research papers and nutritionist. I really like all of Jared Ward’s Walking Could Add 11 Years to Your Life, Study.
Based on these resources and my experience, here’s what I’ll be eating and drinking before and during the Olympic Marathon Trials What Molly Huddle Will Eat Before and During the Olympic Marathon Trials.
The Beginning of Race Week
Some athletes may focus on protein on these days or do a kind of carbohydrate depletion prior to loading them back in at the end of the week. I’ve tried doing this as well as just eating regularly for these three days, and don’t notice a difference.
I typically just try to eat my normal diet of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and protein, which seems to be enough as I am tapering Molly Huddles Marathon Diet.
About Three Days Out
I begin making sure more of my calories come from carbohydrates. My staples are white rice, cereal grains, any kind of potato, some bread (but not too much as I don’t feel as good when I over do wheat), and lower-fiber fruits like grapes or bananas. I also try to avoid dairy during this week as I find it makes my seasonal allergy symptoms worse. If that sounds high maintenance, it’s because it is! I’m trying to optimize everything this week, and food becomes more of a function than flavor focus.
The day before the race, I try to eat mostly carbohydrates. Going to a restaurant is stressful, as I like to avoid creamy sauces or anything too spicy or oily, and I don’t want to be sitting there for a long time if it’s busy. My go-to safe meal is a chicken or salmon rice bowl from Whole Foods, which is pretty easy to find in most cities.
Snacks help supplement carbohydrates throughout the day. Some of my favorite packable snacks are Gatorade Chews, Picky Bars, rice cakes, and my favorite snack, Rice Krispies treats. The goal is 300 to 500 grams of carbs on the day before the race.
Race Morning
I like that the Marathon Trials race starts a little after noon, because it can be a challenge to eat enough on race mornings. I recall sitting in my room at 6 a.m. before the start of the 2018 Boston Marathon trying to stomach some extra rice cakes. I had to try to make them soggy in almond milk to get them down as a purely utilitarian performance gruel, in part due to my stomach not waking up yet and being nervous but also because of a really inconveniently timed tooth infection that made chewing hurt. (Fortunately, All About 75 Hard, Nutrition & Weight Loss.)
A typical breakfast for me about four hours before the race is two or three rice cakes, or a bagel with peanut butter, jelly, or honey and a banana on top. At this time, I’ll also drink 12 ounces of Gatorade Endurance Formula. (Like I said, Gatorade is one of my sponsors; experiment with brands to find what works best for you.) I also have a Picky Bar and another banana about two hours before the race and sometimes a gel on the starting line. The goal is about 150 grams (roughly 600 calories worth) of carbs, which is hard to hit for me, so I try to split the meal up.
This is a larger amount than I eat before a shorter race, when I typically have a peanut butter and jelly bagel four hours out and just a nutrition bar and water two hours out.
What Is a Healthy Body Fat Percentage caffeine, DAA Industry Opt Out Run Gum, a caffeine gel or a nutrition bar with caffeine in it over a coffee because coffee can feel acidic and irritating in my stomach during a race.
During the Marathon
There’s a wide range of carbohydrate suggestions for optimal marathon performance. I have seen .7 grams of carb per kilogram of body weight per hour, and I have seen studies where more is better up to 78 grams of carbs per hour (so almost two and a half times the previous recommendation for someone my size). I recall Eliud Kipchoge taking smaller amounts of fuel almost every 7 minutes, Running in the Cold Walking Could Add 11 Years to Your Life, Study.
I try to take as much as I can tolerate, and usually alternate taking 4 to 6 ounces of Gatorade Endurance Formula (which has 21 grams of carbs per 12 ounces) or a Gatorade gel (20 grams of carbs per serving) every 5K of a marathon, because that’s where elite tables are and that’s what feels okay in my stomach. It’s possible to bring extra gels and fuel more often, but fumbling with cups and gel packets costs effort and time, so there’s a trade-off there. Plus, more fuel can mean more stomach discomfort. It’s worth finding the right cost-benefit level for yourself.
On average, I use roughly 45 to 50 grams of carbs per hour for my typical marathon time frame of about 2:30. So far, my stomach has handled the gels and drinks combo well. The only time I felt I ran out of fuel was when I got too cold at Boston in 2018, so under most weather conditions this plan worked for me. The only issue I’ve had is an occasional temporary side stitch; I haven’t yet pinpointed its cause as fuel or my form.
I like to alternate with gels because, depending on how cool or warm it is, I can customize how much hydration goes with the set amount of sugar. With the fluid carbs, I sometimes don’t feel like I can stomach all the liquid sloshing around. Although I try to carry the bottle a long way and drink slower, I still usually have to sacrifice at least a third of the serving. However, I struggle to stomach eight gels in less than two and a half hours, so alternating has been a good strategy for me so far.
I’ve heard many strategies for caffeine use. Gatorade suggests taking 1 milligram per kilogram of body weight every two hours during a race, as well as 3 milligrams per kilogram of body weight an hour before the race. Anecdotally, I’ve heard of athletes who save it for the last bottle or two in case it disrupts their stomach, but I’ve also heard to use it early because it takes 30 to 45 minutes to kick in. I typically take one or two caffeine gels (these have 30 milligrams of caffeine and a really tasty lemon ginger flavor) with roughly 15K and 10K to go. In a non-marathon race I’ll have a piece of Run Gum as I warm up, but I typically don’t for the marathon because I like to stay as relaxed as possible for the first half and do what I can to prevent bathroom stops.
Finding the sweet spot amidst these guidelines is what I practice in long runs and long tempos. If you play around with the brands, amounts, timing, and other details, you’ll figure out what works best for you. There’s even evidence that just swishing and spitting out a carbohydrate solution can have a positive physiologic response during a race if you feel you can’t actually stomach the solutions. I’ve not yet tried this, as I’ve been able to drink a majority of all my bottles so far.
Postrace Celebration!
Afterward, it’s time to refuel whatever way your oversized marathon heart desires.
I find that after three days of a lot of carbs and a few hours of eating sugary gels I don’t want my typically beloved doughnuts or desserts. Like many of my peers, I almost always crave a burger and a beer after the race. I think our bodies want salt to rehydrate, protein to rebuild the damage done by running that hard for that long, and beer to relax for once.
I did notice, however, that the Trials finish line is right in front of a Waffle House. I have a vision of crossing the line happy and exhausted, and jogging across the street to a breakfast of champions!
Molly Huddle is a two-time Olympian who holds the American record at 10,000 meters. She placed fourth at the 2018 New York City Marathon in a personal best of 2:26:44.
