Overview

You can't outrun a bad diet — but you also don't need to overthink this. Good nutrition for runners comes down to eating enough of the right things at the right times to fuel your training and recovery.

Golden Rule: Eat real food, eat enough, and don't try anything new on race day.

Daily Nutrition for Runners

The Big Three

Macronutrient	Why Runners Need It	Good Sources
Carbohydrates	Your primary fuel for running — stored as glycogen in muscles	Rice, pasta, bread, oats, potatoes, fruit
Protein	Repairs and rebuilds muscles after training	Chicken, fish, eggs, beans, lentils, yoghurt
Fat	Long-lasting energy source, essential for health	Nuts, avocado, olive oil, oily fish

How Much?

Training Level	Carbs	Protein	Fat
Light training (3–4 runs/week)	5–7g per kg bodyweight	1.2–1.4g per kg	1g per kg
Moderate training (5–6 runs/week)	6–8g per kg bodyweight	1.4–1.6g per kg	1g per kg
Heavy training (6+ runs, high mileage)	8–10g per kg bodyweight	1.6–1.8g per kg	1g per kg

Example: A 70 kg runner doing moderate training needs roughly 420–560g carbs, 98–112g protein, and 70g fat per day.

Pre-Run Fuelling

Timing	What to Eat	Examples
2–3 hours before	Balanced meal with carbs, some protein, low fat	Porridge with banana, toast with peanut butter, rice with chicken
1 hour before	Light carb snack	Banana, energy bar, toast with jam
30 min before	Small simple carbs if hungry	Half a banana, a few jelly babies
Nothing?	Runs under 60 min on an easy day are fine fasted	Water is enough

During Your Run

Run Duration	Fuelling Needed	What to Take
Under 60 min	Nothing — just water if thirsty	Water
60–90 min	Optional — 30g carbs per hour	Energy gel, jelly babies, banana
Over 90 min	Essential — 30–60g carbs per hour	Gels, energy drink, sweets, flapjack pieces

Important: Practice your race fuelling in training. Never try a new gel or food on race day — your stomach needs to be used to it.

Post-Run Recovery

The 30–60 minutes after a run is your recovery window. Your muscles are primed to absorb nutrients.

What to Eat	Why	Examples
Carbs + Protein (3:1 ratio)	Replenish glycogen and repair muscles	Chocolate milk, yoghurt with granola, chicken wrap
Within 30 min	Quick snack to start recovery	Banana + handful of nuts, protein shake
Within 2 hours	Full balanced meal	Pasta with meat sauce, rice bowl with veg and protein

Race Week Nutrition

Carb Loading (2–3 Days Before Race)

Carb loading isn't about eating mountains of pasta. It's about increasing the proportion of carbs in your diet while slightly reducing fat and fibre.

Day	What to Do
3 days before	Increase carbs to 8–10g per kg. Reduce fat and fibre slightly
2 days before	Continue high carbs. Keep meals familiar
Day before	High-carb meals. Avoid high fibre, spicy food, and alcohol
Race morning	Your tested pre-race meal, 2–3 hours before start

Race Day Eating

Meal	Timing	Example
Breakfast	2–3 hours before start	Porridge with honey and banana, or toast with jam
Pre-race snack	30–60 min before	Half banana or a few jelly babies
During race	As per your fuelling plan	Gels at planned intervals (practiced in training)
Post-race	Within 30 min	Whatever's at the finish line + a proper meal within 2 hours

Hydration

When	How Much
Daily	Aim for pale yellow urine — roughly 2–3 litres per day
Before a run	500ml in the 2 hours before
During a run (under 60 min)	Sip when thirsty — don't force it
During a run (over 60 min)	150–250ml every 15–20 min
After a run	500ml in the first 30 min, then keep sipping

Electrolytes: For runs over 90 minutes or in hot weather, add an electrolyte tablet to your water. Sodium, potassium, and magnesium help prevent cramps.

Common Nutrition Mistakes

Mistake	Problem	Fix
Not eating enough	Low energy, poor recovery, increased injury risk	Track your intake for a week to check
Trying new food on race day	Stomach cramps, nausea, toilet emergencies	Test everything in training first
Avoiding carbs	Carbs are your primary running fuel — you need them	Embrace carbs — they power your runs
Skipping post-run food	Slow recovery, more soreness, increased fatigue	Always eat within 30–60 minutes of running
Overcomplicating it	Stress about food hurts performance	Eat real food, eat enough, keep it simple

What's Next?

Fuelled and ready to train:

Follow the Half Marathon Plan with your nutrition dialled in
Add Strength Training to complement your running
Check our Nutrition Reference Card for a quick cheat sheet

Nutrition for Runners🔒

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