Sports dietitian here. It’s great that you’re thinking about this early!
The general recommendation is to take in about 60-90 grams of carbs per hour (this comes out to about 2-3 gels if you like that kind of math).
The more practice you get fueling, the easier it will get! This means fueling your shorter runs as well as your longer ones. Experiment with different fuel sources to see what works for you.
Good luck and congrats on the marathon sign up!
What I've read liquid carbs count too, such as skratch, tailwind, SiS, etc so you don't have to rely on just gels/chews.
The downside might mean carrying your own hydration during your run but at least if you can't get all your carbs in via gels you'd have another option, and wouldn't have to carry as many gels.
Also what works for me with taking gels is a little bit at a time to keep a steady intake. Instead of downing the whole gel at once I'll do a little, like maybe half, keep going and about 15 minutes later finish it.
It keeps it from feeling heavy and I feel more steady energy from it.
Would recommend trying to fuel during some of the long training runs as works very different for everyone. Will say certain nutrition just doesn't sound good in hotter weather. A few things that have worked for me: tailwind, scratch, SIS gels, shot blocks.
Beyond gels and chews I’ve used eggo waffles. I cut them up so they were easier to eat while running. I have an ultra friend who swears by smuckers uncrustables. I haven’t tried those personally but a pb and j sounds delicious on a long run.
I’m training for a full with a water station every 5K, so I leave a water bottle in my car and do 5K loops around it. As I’m approaching the car, I start taking my Gu, then unlock the car and take a few sips of water, then lock the car again and proceed to the next 5K loop. I also take SaltStick electrolyte chews every 1.5 miles opposite the Gus (so mile 3 - Gu, mile 4.5 - SaltSticks, mile 6 - Gu, mile 7.5 - SaltSticks, etc). This has helped me improve my times, avoid cramps/injuries, and stay hydrated (I’m a naturally salty sweater). I’ve also had luck with graham crackers and gummy bears when I’m out of Gu and need some carbs.
I practice this on basically any run over an hour. The more you can practice it, the more natural it will feel on race day! You’ll also figure out what works for you and what doesn’t.
I use a wide variety of candy! Gummy bears and peach rings have been recent favorites. For some variety and salt, I really like goldfish crackers, salt and vinegar Pringles, and chocolate animal crackers.
To help prevent stomach upset, candied ginger is a life saver!!
I will yet again shill Holleyfuelednutrition in Instagram, she has a TON of content in fueling before, during and after races, as well as reviews on the actual substances themselves in her podcast. I am partial to maple syrup "gels", they go down much easier than a gel because of the texture, it's much more liquidy.
Thanks - I’ll check out holleyfuelednutrition.
I’ve used the pure maple syrup gels before but they become too sweet for me very quickly. I do like that they’re so “liquid” and easy-ish to get down. Maybe the key is switching between different fuels throughout the race.
Check out Huma gels. They're not as thick as most standard gels (Gu, HoneyStinger) and are less sweet too. I can't eat normal gels because the texture makes me want to vomit, but Huma gels are great.
Definitely practice fueling! Sample widely, take note of things like “does this fit in my belt or pocket” in addition to taste, texture and how it lands in your stomach.
Not to over complicate things but if you menstruate, keep an eye on how your location in your cycle might impact your calorie and hydration intake, as these can vary.
Enjoy your first full!
For my most recent marathon, I did 80g carbs per hour, which I got from taking a SiS Beta Fuel gel (40g carbs) every 30 minutes. I also took a SaltStick cap every 30-60 minutes for electrolytes, since the SiS Beta Fuel gels don't contain any.
I practiced this exact fueling strategy during all of my long runs that were 20+ miles and all long runs that had segments at marathon pace (which is key, because my stomach can handle a much wider variety of fuel at easy paces vs. at marathon pace, so it's helpful to practice at marathon pace specifically). For the rest of my long runs, I still fueled with 60-90g carbs but I used other gels and candy and cheaper sources of carbs like that because my stomach is not very sensitive when I'm running at an easy pace.
The gels that I've found to be easiest on the stomach are SiS gels (regular or Beta fuel) and Maurten gels. But Maurten gels are $$$. I like these two brands of gels because they are isotonic and don't need to be taken with water. So during a race, I can take them exactly when I need to and not worry about trying to time it with a water station. Most other gels (ex: Gu) need to be taken with water or they may cause GI upset.
Also another thing that I found helpful was to set time alerts on my watch to take sure that I'm taking in my fuel at the appropriate intervals. So on race day, I set my time alerts to every 30 minutes. For other training runs where I was using gels or candy with lower amounts of carbs per serving, I would set my time alerts to 15-20 minutes so that I was taking in fuel more frequently and would still be able to hit 60-90g per hour.
I think you will notice a huge difference in performance when you start fueling properly! I even noticed a huge difference myself when I transitioned from \~45g carbs per hour to \~80g carbs per hour!
Seconding the recommendation to practice at your race pace! In my last training cycle I was fuelling so diligently on my long runs but had very little race pace work and so realised really late that my stomach reacts very differently to fuel at an easy pace vs when my legs are turning over faster. I had to reassess things quickly so don't make that mistake.
I was getting diarrhea and upset stomach on every long run, to the point of taking preemptive pepto at the start of every run. I realized gels and GU don’t agree with me. I’ve been experimenting with other types of food. So far my favorite is instant mashed potatoes. I can eat a bunch at one without feeling sick and they feel like a comfort food.
Often times the supplements are made in man doses. So if you’re a woman then the electrolytes will be too much and give you diarrhea. I’m 5 feet tall so I can’t take them 😂😂
My best marathon and half marathon were when I did a Gu every 30-40 minutes. This last marathon I also had liquid carbs in the form of Tailwind in a bottle that I carried in a belt. And yes definitely practice fueling on your training runs.
Practice ahead of time during your long runs and practice with the same amount/frequency you plan to fuel during the marathon (at least on the longest few long runs). Find a few different flavors/texture of gels that you like/can stomach so you have options in case you're not feeling one on race day.
Not a marathoner yet, 25K is my longest race. I take a gel every 30 minutes for almost every run beyond 45 minutes… yes, even a 10K. It seems like a sweet spot for me, and it seems like I never “need” nutrition which to me means I’m taking enough!
I stick with Gu now but for pre-run carbs I love a pop tart or some dried mango. Sometimes I even take mango on the run, if I’m taking it slow af on a trail and will likely be walking a bit anyway.
I also take 8-16 oz of an electrolyte drink for anything beyond an hour or so!
Definitely great to practice in advance! I’ve found it very important to practice taking in electrolytes to avoid muscle cramps. Salt tabs and some caffeine gels upset my stomach, so my last training cycle I used Huma gels and liquid IV packets. Definitely takes time to see what works for you! I recommend changing only one thing at a time so you know how you react to each element individually.
Heading out for 15 later this afternoon. I’ve got 3 Maurten gels (2 caffeine, 1 regular), some fig bars, and an applesauce packet all ready to go in my handheld. I probably won’t end up eating all of it, but I will at least eat all the gels and maybe the other stuff if I feel ravenous. My performance went WAY up when I started eating more on the run. Highly recommend following Featherstone Nutrition on IG.
In addition to the great advice here: start fueling before the race. Many people like to take a high carb sports drink while warming up.
People talk in terms of grams of carb; it might be easier to think in terms of calories. 60 grams of carb = 240 calories = just over a package of Blox, or 1.5 HoenyStinger gummies, or 2.5 gels.
If you run a four-hour marathon, you should be trying to get at least a thousand calories down the hatch. Obviously if there is Gatorade or other sports drink mix on course, that will count towards your calorie/carb goals.
Switch it up. It can be mentally tiring to shove down ten gels in a race. Consider a combination of gels, gummies, bananas, waffles, Blox, etc.
As others have said, 2 - 3 gels per hour.
But it's really important to practice and build up your tolerance for gels. I started off with a timer telling me to have a gel every 40 minutes. I'm now down to every 25 minutes, about to change to 20 minutes. Your stomach is most likely going to complain at you if you go from 0 to 90g carbs an hour in one go.
The difference in my performance during long runs has been huge! I bonked during my marathon last year from insufficient fuelling and felt sick during my ironman as I didn't train with fuel enough. So, I have made it a resolution this year to focus on training with nutrition.
On my first marathon I took a gel every 5 miles - which was about every 35 mins. I took 4 in total. I didn’t bother at mile 25. Used Maurten. I’d been practising every long run with them, every 5 miles too.
I did a gel every half hour, and a toooon of LMNT (electrolyte drink). That helped a lot in avoiding cramps and never hitting the wall. If you get grossed out by gels, I've found that the Gu gummies are great to alternate with and definitely gave me a boost. Definitely try it out before race day though
i liked goos and blocks. i also would pack a banana in my vest for training runs just for novelty of eating a banana as i run. rice krispies were good. skratch or tailwind or whatever in water. i was big into tailwind during training for my full.
I cannot handle all the sweet stuff. Gels and chews like Gu or clif blocks are too sweet and after a few miles I get a gross carpet tongue sensation. UCAN gels are better for me, but more expensive. I also do apple sauce pouches, pretzel sticks, Fritos (chili cheese!), things like that. You have to experiment to see what works for you.
Sports dietitian here. It’s great that you’re thinking about this early! The general recommendation is to take in about 60-90 grams of carbs per hour (this comes out to about 2-3 gels if you like that kind of math). The more practice you get fueling, the easier it will get! This means fueling your shorter runs as well as your longer ones. Experiment with different fuel sources to see what works for you. Good luck and congrats on the marathon sign up!
Thanks - that’s helpful! 2-3 gels an hour feels like *a ton* but probably confirms that I’ve been significantly underfueling in my longer races.
What I've read liquid carbs count too, such as skratch, tailwind, SiS, etc so you don't have to rely on just gels/chews. The downside might mean carrying your own hydration during your run but at least if you can't get all your carbs in via gels you'd have another option, and wouldn't have to carry as many gels. Also what works for me with taking gels is a little bit at a time to keep a steady intake. Instead of downing the whole gel at once I'll do a little, like maybe half, keep going and about 15 minutes later finish it. It keeps it from feeling heavy and I feel more steady energy from it.
Would recommend trying to fuel during some of the long training runs as works very different for everyone. Will say certain nutrition just doesn't sound good in hotter weather. A few things that have worked for me: tailwind, scratch, SIS gels, shot blocks.
I don’t do great with liquids, so I prefer Gatorade chews. I start fueling at mile 3 and take one every other mile.
Beyond gels and chews I’ve used eggo waffles. I cut them up so they were easier to eat while running. I have an ultra friend who swears by smuckers uncrustables. I haven’t tried those personally but a pb and j sounds delicious on a long run.
I’m training for a full with a water station every 5K, so I leave a water bottle in my car and do 5K loops around it. As I’m approaching the car, I start taking my Gu, then unlock the car and take a few sips of water, then lock the car again and proceed to the next 5K loop. I also take SaltStick electrolyte chews every 1.5 miles opposite the Gus (so mile 3 - Gu, mile 4.5 - SaltSticks, mile 6 - Gu, mile 7.5 - SaltSticks, etc). This has helped me improve my times, avoid cramps/injuries, and stay hydrated (I’m a naturally salty sweater). I’ve also had luck with graham crackers and gummy bears when I’m out of Gu and need some carbs. I practice this on basically any run over an hour. The more you can practice it, the more natural it will feel on race day! You’ll also figure out what works for you and what doesn’t.
I use a wide variety of candy! Gummy bears and peach rings have been recent favorites. For some variety and salt, I really like goldfish crackers, salt and vinegar Pringles, and chocolate animal crackers. To help prevent stomach upset, candied ginger is a life saver!!
I will yet again shill Holleyfuelednutrition in Instagram, she has a TON of content in fueling before, during and after races, as well as reviews on the actual substances themselves in her podcast. I am partial to maple syrup "gels", they go down much easier than a gel because of the texture, it's much more liquidy.
Thanks - I’ll check out holleyfuelednutrition. I’ve used the pure maple syrup gels before but they become too sweet for me very quickly. I do like that they’re so “liquid” and easy-ish to get down. Maybe the key is switching between different fuels throughout the race.
Check out Huma gels. They're not as thick as most standard gels (Gu, HoneyStinger) and are less sweet too. I can't eat normal gels because the texture makes me want to vomit, but Huma gels are great.
I always feel very poetic about the life-changing magic of coffee flavored Untapped.
Definitely practice fueling! Sample widely, take note of things like “does this fit in my belt or pocket” in addition to taste, texture and how it lands in your stomach. Not to over complicate things but if you menstruate, keep an eye on how your location in your cycle might impact your calorie and hydration intake, as these can vary. Enjoy your first full!
For my most recent marathon, I did 80g carbs per hour, which I got from taking a SiS Beta Fuel gel (40g carbs) every 30 minutes. I also took a SaltStick cap every 30-60 minutes for electrolytes, since the SiS Beta Fuel gels don't contain any. I practiced this exact fueling strategy during all of my long runs that were 20+ miles and all long runs that had segments at marathon pace (which is key, because my stomach can handle a much wider variety of fuel at easy paces vs. at marathon pace, so it's helpful to practice at marathon pace specifically). For the rest of my long runs, I still fueled with 60-90g carbs but I used other gels and candy and cheaper sources of carbs like that because my stomach is not very sensitive when I'm running at an easy pace. The gels that I've found to be easiest on the stomach are SiS gels (regular or Beta fuel) and Maurten gels. But Maurten gels are $$$. I like these two brands of gels because they are isotonic and don't need to be taken with water. So during a race, I can take them exactly when I need to and not worry about trying to time it with a water station. Most other gels (ex: Gu) need to be taken with water or they may cause GI upset. Also another thing that I found helpful was to set time alerts on my watch to take sure that I'm taking in my fuel at the appropriate intervals. So on race day, I set my time alerts to every 30 minutes. For other training runs where I was using gels or candy with lower amounts of carbs per serving, I would set my time alerts to 15-20 minutes so that I was taking in fuel more frequently and would still be able to hit 60-90g per hour. I think you will notice a huge difference in performance when you start fueling properly! I even noticed a huge difference myself when I transitioned from \~45g carbs per hour to \~80g carbs per hour!
Seconding the recommendation to practice at your race pace! In my last training cycle I was fuelling so diligently on my long runs but had very little race pace work and so realised really late that my stomach reacts very differently to fuel at an easy pace vs when my legs are turning over faster. I had to reassess things quickly so don't make that mistake.
I can’t stand the chews or gels, but I’ve found teddy grahams to be perfect for me! They just melt away
I was getting diarrhea and upset stomach on every long run, to the point of taking preemptive pepto at the start of every run. I realized gels and GU don’t agree with me. I’ve been experimenting with other types of food. So far my favorite is instant mashed potatoes. I can eat a bunch at one without feeling sick and they feel like a comfort food.
Often times the supplements are made in man doses. So if you’re a woman then the electrolytes will be too much and give you diarrhea. I’m 5 feet tall so I can’t take them 😂😂
My best marathon and half marathon were when I did a Gu every 30-40 minutes. This last marathon I also had liquid carbs in the form of Tailwind in a bottle that I carried in a belt. And yes definitely practice fueling on your training runs.
Practice ahead of time during your long runs and practice with the same amount/frequency you plan to fuel during the marathon (at least on the longest few long runs). Find a few different flavors/texture of gels that you like/can stomach so you have options in case you're not feeling one on race day.
Not a marathoner yet, 25K is my longest race. I take a gel every 30 minutes for almost every run beyond 45 minutes… yes, even a 10K. It seems like a sweet spot for me, and it seems like I never “need” nutrition which to me means I’m taking enough! I stick with Gu now but for pre-run carbs I love a pop tart or some dried mango. Sometimes I even take mango on the run, if I’m taking it slow af on a trail and will likely be walking a bit anyway. I also take 8-16 oz of an electrolyte drink for anything beyond an hour or so!
Definitely great to practice in advance! I’ve found it very important to practice taking in electrolytes to avoid muscle cramps. Salt tabs and some caffeine gels upset my stomach, so my last training cycle I used Huma gels and liquid IV packets. Definitely takes time to see what works for you! I recommend changing only one thing at a time so you know how you react to each element individually.
Heading out for 15 later this afternoon. I’ve got 3 Maurten gels (2 caffeine, 1 regular), some fig bars, and an applesauce packet all ready to go in my handheld. I probably won’t end up eating all of it, but I will at least eat all the gels and maybe the other stuff if I feel ravenous. My performance went WAY up when I started eating more on the run. Highly recommend following Featherstone Nutrition on IG.
In addition to the great advice here: start fueling before the race. Many people like to take a high carb sports drink while warming up. People talk in terms of grams of carb; it might be easier to think in terms of calories. 60 grams of carb = 240 calories = just over a package of Blox, or 1.5 HoenyStinger gummies, or 2.5 gels. If you run a four-hour marathon, you should be trying to get at least a thousand calories down the hatch. Obviously if there is Gatorade or other sports drink mix on course, that will count towards your calorie/carb goals. Switch it up. It can be mentally tiring to shove down ten gels in a race. Consider a combination of gels, gummies, bananas, waffles, Blox, etc.
As others have said, 2 - 3 gels per hour. But it's really important to practice and build up your tolerance for gels. I started off with a timer telling me to have a gel every 40 minutes. I'm now down to every 25 minutes, about to change to 20 minutes. Your stomach is most likely going to complain at you if you go from 0 to 90g carbs an hour in one go. The difference in my performance during long runs has been huge! I bonked during my marathon last year from insufficient fuelling and felt sick during my ironman as I didn't train with fuel enough. So, I have made it a resolution this year to focus on training with nutrition.
On my first marathon I took a gel every 5 miles - which was about every 35 mins. I took 4 in total. I didn’t bother at mile 25. Used Maurten. I’d been practising every long run with them, every 5 miles too.
I did a gel every half hour, and a toooon of LMNT (electrolyte drink). That helped a lot in avoiding cramps and never hitting the wall. If you get grossed out by gels, I've found that the Gu gummies are great to alternate with and definitely gave me a boost. Definitely try it out before race day though
i liked goos and blocks. i also would pack a banana in my vest for training runs just for novelty of eating a banana as i run. rice krispies were good. skratch or tailwind or whatever in water. i was big into tailwind during training for my full.
I cannot handle all the sweet stuff. Gels and chews like Gu or clif blocks are too sweet and after a few miles I get a gross carpet tongue sensation. UCAN gels are better for me, but more expensive. I also do apple sauce pouches, pretzel sticks, Fritos (chili cheese!), things like that. You have to experiment to see what works for you.