“What do you eat during a race?”
It’s a common question, yet the answer is never straight-forward.
Race nutrition depends not only on the length of the race, but any number of variables like terrain, weather, and your personal preferences.
There are, however, a few strategies and rules I like to follow when planning out my race day nutrition. In today’s episode of Trail Talk, I share my basic approach for fueling a marathon on up to a 100-mile ultramarathon.
Here’s what I covered in today’s show:
- How many calories should you eat per hour?
- Why I stick to mostly energy gels (even during an ultramarathon)
- Consuming real foods from an aid station
- When I switch from a handheld to a two-bottle pack
Technical Trucker Hats: Stock is running low! Pick up yours today.
Listen to the episode here:
Click here to download the file.
Or subscribe and download on:


I ran a road marathon a few years ago that advertised gels at several aid stations, so I didn’t bother carrying any of my own. I regretted that when some of the gel stations that were advertised ended up not being on the course and I didn’t find a gel until the midpoint of the race, which was about an hour later than I wanted to start taking them. Ever since that experience, I’ve always carried most or all of the gels I think I’m going to want during a race so that I don’t end up getting harmed if the race organizers don’t deliver.