Top tips to fuelling a training regime for the marathon

With the London Marathon on the horizon, we caught up with some of our team and running enthusiasts to spill the beans on how they stay fuelled for longer.

Charlie, our retail manager, and seasoned marathoner conquered Edinburgh, London and Berlin’s marathons. His most recent was Paris with a personal best of 3:29! Lizzie, our head of nutrition, smashed the London Marathon in 2022 and degree apprentice Lucas is gearing up for the Manchester marathon in April. These three know their stuff when it comes to staying fuelled and energised during training:

Pre-race prep
Lucas swears by carb-loading 3-4 days before race day. He said “stocking up on pasta, a classic carbonara is my go-to!, helps me to load up those glycogen stores”.

Breakfast of champions
“Breakfast is so important when training to make sure you’re refuelling” says Lizzie. Her go-to is peanut butter and banana on sourdough, while Lucas fuels up with a hearty bowl of porridge three hours before start time. He said: “I always pair it with a coffee and 500ml water to kick my brain into wake-up mode!” Charlie is on the porridge hype too, adding honey and blueberries for that extra boost.

Fuelling up mid-race
Most energy gels contain maltodextrin which provide glucose to your blood stream as an easily absorbable form of carbohydrate. Charlie recommends SIS or maurten for that quick glucose hit, but he’s also a fan of the sweet stuff – Candy Kittens or Percy Pigs are a personal favourite!

Staying hydrated
Depending on weight and tendency to sweat, average consumption should be 500ml-1 litre of water per hour. Lucas suggests adding salt tablets to your water pack to replace lost sodium, while Lizzie reminds us to keep sipping water throughout – don’t wait until you’re thirsty. Charlie purchased a hydration vest – “it’s a gamechanger and a great way to keep yourself hydrated during those long training runs”.

Post-race refuel
Lizzie stresses the importance of refuelling after those long runs, even if you don’t feel hungry. As Lucas wisely puts it, “indulge a little – you’ve earned it!”

So, there you have it. Fuelling tips straight from the pros. Time to lace up those trainers and hit the pavements!