You've put in months of training, and now it comes down to the final few days. What you eat and do in the run-up to your half marathon or marathon has a big say in how those miles feel. This guide covers what to eat and do two to three days out, how to handle the day and night before, what to eat on race morning, how to fuel on the course and how to recover after the finish. With example meals and a few lesser-known tips that make a real difference on race day. For the bigger picture on training and nutrition, see our complete guide to endurance training.
Jump to
Carbs to fill your glycogen stores, rest to keep them full.
Gels, sports drink and electrolytes, following a plan you've tested.
Protein and carbs, fluid and gentle movement to recover.
What is a marathon and what is a half marathon?
A marathon is a running race of 42.195km, or 26.2 miles. The distance comes from the Greek legend of the messenger who ran from Marathon to Athens, and was officially fixed in 1921. A half marathon is exactly half that: 21.1km, or 13.1 miles. Recreational runners typically finish a half marathon in 1 hour 45 to 2 hours 30, and a full marathon in 3.5 to 5 hours.
That difference in time shapes your fuelling strategy. Your glycogen stores, the carbohydrate held in your muscles and liver, run low after roughly 90 minutes of hard running. In a half marathon you're often just past that point; in a marathon, well past it. The longer you're out there, the more it matters to start with a full tank and top it up along the way.
What to eat and do in the days before a half marathon
What to do: rest and light movement
The hard work is done. In the final days you're not training to get fitter, you're training to arrive fresh. This is the taper: you cut your training volume while your body recovers and restocks its glycogen.
- Keep runs short and easy, 20 to 30 minutes at most, with a few short strides to keep your legs sharp.
- Do some light mobility work and gentle stretching. Avoid new or hard exercises that could leave you sore.
- Skip heavy strength sessions, long walks and all-day sightseeing on your feet.
- Prioritise sleep. Nerves often mean a restless night just before the race, so the nights before count double. Read our guide to sleeping well for tips.
What to eat: carbs up
Now's the time to shift your meals towards carbohydrate so your glycogen stores are as full as possible. For a marathon, and for most runners in a half marathon too, it's worth it. You're not necessarily eating more, you're swapping some of the fat and fibre on your plate for carbs. Exactly how, and how many grams you need, is covered in our carb loading guide.
Choose easily digested carbs like white rice, pasta, white bread, peeled potatoes, oats and bananas. In the last day or two, cut back on high-fibre foods like wholegrains, beans and big salads to keep your gut settled. Drink water steadily through the day and skip the alcohol.
Example meals, two to three days out:
- Breakfast: porridge made with Ultra Fine Oats, banana and honey, plus a glass of orange juice.
- Lunch: white rice with chicken, a few cooked veg and a mild sauce.
- Snacks: a bagel, rice cakes with jam or a glass of Isotonic Sports Drink.
- Dinner: pasta with tomato sauce and lean mince or tuna, with a couple of slices of white bread.
What to eat the night before a half marathon
What to do the day and night before a half marathon
- A short shakeout run of 10 to 20 minutes at a very easy pace is fine, but not essential.
- Lay out all your kit: clothes, shoes, race number, gels, watch and a layer for the start. Pin your number to your top tonight.
- Check your start time, travel, parking and bag drop so there's nothing to figure out in the morning.
- Charge your watch and phone, and set two alarms.
- Stay off your feet as much as you can. If you're visiting the race expo, keep it short.
What to eat the night before
Make lunch your last big meal, and have a normal-sized, carb-rich dinner that you know well. The classic pasta party works, as long as you don't stuff yourself: you want to go to bed satisfied, not overfull. Eat early enough to digest before bed, and steer clear of spicy, fatty and fried food, and anything you've never eaten before a long run.
Dinner ideas for the night before:
- Pasta with tomato sauce and chicken, with a piece of baguette.
- White rice with salmon and a few steamed carrots.
- Peeled boiled potatoes with lean meat.
- Pancakes with syrup or banana, if that's something you're used to.
Best breakfast before a half marathon
What to eat: two to three hours before
Two to three hours before the start, have an easily digested, carb-rich breakfast you've eaten before plenty of long runs. Keep fat, fibre and protein low so your stomach stays calm. A guide is 1 to 4g of carbohydrate per kilogram of bodyweight in the final hours before the start, depending on how early you eat and what your stomach is used to.
- White toast or a bagel with jam or honey and a banana.
- A bowl of porridge made with Ultra Fine Oats, banana and honey.
- Rice cakes with jam and a glass of juice.
Around four hours before the start, drink roughly 5 to 7ml of fluid per kilogram of bodyweight, for example 350 to 500ml if you weigh 70kg, then sip after that. That way you start hydrated without needing a toilet halfway round. If you usually have a coffee in the morning, that's fine. If you've never had one before a long run, race day isn't the day to start.
What to do: the final hour
- Arrive early, so you're not rushing and the toilet queue doesn't turn into stress.
- Warm up for around 10 minutes: easy jogging, a few dynamic drills and a few short strides. For a marathon you can keep it shorter, as you'll start steady anyway.
- Many runners take an Energy Gel with some water 10 to 15 minutes before the start.
What to eat during a half marathon or marathon: gels, sports drink and electrolytes
Start steady. The biggest race-day mistake is going off too fast on adrenaline, and you'll pay for it in the second half. Stick to the pace you practised in training.
For efforts longer than an hour, 30 to 60g of carbohydrate per hour is a common guideline. In a marathon, runners with a trained gut can aim for 60 to 90g per hour. An Energy Gel delivers 30g of fast-absorbing carbs in a 2:1 glucose-to-fructose ratio, plus sodium and potassium. How many gels you need is covered in our energy gel guide.
| Distance | Example plan |
|---|---|
| Half marathon | Optionally 1 gel just before the start, then 1 gel at 40 to 45 minutes and, if you'll be out for more than 1 hour 45, another at 75 to 80 minutes. |
| Marathon | 1 gel every 30 to 45 minutes, starting at 30 to 45 minutes, topped up with sports drink at the aid stations. |
Always take a gel with a few sips of water. Prefer to drink your carbs? Isotonic Sports Drink combines fluid, 32g of carbohydrate per serving and added sodium, calcium and magnesium. If it's warm or you sweat heavily, pay extra attention to electrolytes, for example with Body&Fit Electrolytes in your bottle or in the days before. Take small, regular sips rather than a lot at once. Test your whole plan on your long runs first, never for the first time on race day.
Half marathon race day tips most runners don't know
8 small things, big impact
They sound minor, but these are exactly the details that go wrong.
The double knot is worth it: laces loosen faster with sweat, rain and thousands of repeated strides. And your shoes shouldn't be brand new, or worn out either: a pair you've done a few long runs in is ideal.
What to eat after a half marathon or marathon
The first hour
After you cross the line, keep walking for a bit instead of sitting straight down, put on a warm layer and start drinking. If you've sweated heavily, replace your electrolytes too. Within one to two hours, eat a combination of carbs and protein. The carbs refill your glycogen stores, and protein contributes to a growth in and maintenance of muscle mass.
Post-race ideas:
- A Perfection Whey shake with a banana, or a refreshing Perfection Whey Lemonade with a bagel.
- Greek yoghurt with fruit and oats.
- Later in the day, a proper meal like rice with chicken and veg or pasta with fish.
The days after
Plan a few easy days after a half marathon, and at least a week without hard sessions after a marathon. Easy walking, cycling or swimming helps loosen your legs, and gentle stretching or foam rolling can feel good. Keep eating and sleeping well. Read more in our muscle recovery guide.
Your race timeline, summarised
What to eat and do, and when
FAQ: what to eat before a half marathon or marathon
What should I eat the night before a half marathon?
A carb-rich meal you know well, like pasta with tomato sauce and chicken or white rice with fish. Eat early, don't overdo the portion and keep it low in fat, fibre and spice.
What is the best breakfast before a half marathon?
An easily digested, carb-rich breakfast two to three hours before the start, like white toast with jam and a banana or porridge with honey. Only eat what you've already tested before a long run.
Should I carb load before a half marathon?
If you'll be running for more than about 90 minutes, a short one to two day carb load helps. For a marathon it's well worth it. Our carb loading guide explains how.
How many energy gels do I need for a half marathon?
Most runners take one to three: optionally one just before the start, then one every 30 to 45 minutes. In a marathon it's usually four to seven, depending on your pace. More in our energy gel guide.
What should I do the day before a half marathon?
As little as possible. A short, easy shakeout run is fine; beyond that, rest, lay out your kit, check your travel and get to bed on time.
What should I eat after a marathon?
Within one to two hours, a mix of protein and carbs, like a protein shake with a banana or Greek yoghurt with fruit, then a proper meal later in the day. And keep drinking.
Finally
On race day there's little to gain from anything new and a lot to lose. Stick to what you've tested in training, start steady and enjoy the miles. The work is already done.
Sources
- Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM (2016). American College of Sports Medicine Joint Position Statement: Nutrition and Athletic Performance. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 48(3), 543-568.
- Burke LM, Hawley JA, Wong SH, Jeukendrup AE (2011). Carbohydrates for training and competition. Journal of Sports Sciences, 29 (Suppl 1), S17-S27.
- Jeukendrup A (2014). A step towards personalized sports nutrition: carbohydrate intake during exercise. Sports Medicine, 44 (Suppl 1), S25-S33.
- Sawka MN et al. (2007). American College of Sports Medicine position stand: exercise and fluid replacement. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 39(2), 377-390.
- England Athletics
- British Nutrition Foundation
Got a half or full marathon coming up? Tell us your goal on @bodyandfit_official 💪
