Runners- do you eat DURING a 1/2 marathon?

CALake

I know that it's common for marathoners to eat or at least do the gels during a full marathon, but how about a half? I'm signed up to run my first 1/2 in Orlando next weekend. Do I pack a bag of almonds? A Clif bar? Gel? Nothing? I haven't been training with any food, but I've also only run up to 10 miles at the longest.

Any advice?

dettiot

I'm doing my first half in April and I'm a bit curious about this, too!

melaniecheeks

You don't have to. If you find you've been training fine without fuelling along the way, then it's probably not necessary.

Something small which provides energy quickly is best - jelly beans or jelly babies are popular.

cuinboston2014

Whatever you haven't done in training do NOT do at a race!! It can affect your stomach.

I typically don't eat anything at all for a half. For a full I will have maybe one gel because my stomach simply can't handle it - no matter what brand, timing, etc.

You should trust your training If you haven't needed it yet, you won't need it for the last three miles. Your adrenaline will carry you through. Half marathons are such an exciting race distance that you will forget you haven't run further than 10 miles. And you should have a solid mileage base.

If you drink gatorade during longer runs I might suggest drinking gatorade at every other water stop. I also can't stomach gatorade during a race typically but I force myself to drink one or two small cups during the course of a full marathon.

Everybody is different but most running advice is not to do ANYTHING new the day of a race! But make sure to refuel right after. Good luck - I hope you have an amazing time

CMorning99

I do not. I have some sort of "running bar" about 30 min prior to the run. By the end I am hungry but I dont feel weak during the race.

CarsonRuns

I take a gel at the one hour mark. I know this won't bother my stomach because I've tested it in training runs. Does it help? Not sure, but it doesn't hurt.

Do whatever works for you. The human body is fully capable, when properly trained of running a half marathon without any additional fuel.

ckspores1018

If you haven't been fueling during your long runs I wouldn't start now. If race day is next week it is too late to start experimenting with that. Do what you've been doing and practice fueling on long runs in the future.

jasonpclement

I recently did a half marathon, and I had no issues completing it w/o any special intraworkout nutrition. I did take a sip or two of gatorate that they passed out at the drinking stations. My wife also did the half marathon without intraworkout nutrition.

Best of luck everyone!

HikerRR50

pickles

IronPhyllida

I used not to - actually probably ran about 10 halves with only water. Then I discovered Cliff Shot Bloks, had one every 2 miles and felt a massive difference. Ran a PB (personal best) on the two that I took them on.

So they work for me, but try them out on a training run as Carson suggests, nothing worse than trying it out on a race and you feel sick...

Best of luck!

BigMech

I did all my training and ran my half in October without eating anything during the run. If you haven't been eating anything while training, I wouldn't do it during the race. I did all my training without carrying water, so I took it easy on the water stops too.

IronPhyllida

pickles

Really......? Yikes

sdreed25

I used gels during my half but as others have said I used them during training runs to assess any negative effect on me, so if you plan to then try them in training first. I sued mine but the half was also giving them out at the half way stage so I tried that one and it was horrible! Lesson learnt!

Oh and I second the Cliff Shot Bloks as also a great thing

lizfreakinm

I always had one gel at around 9ish miles when I did half marathons. Of course I always trained with gels as well, so it was ok on my stomach. So I would suggest just running in the half the same way you trained.

If you have awhile until the half, then try using gels or whatever during a practice run and see how it goes. However, I would not just eat some kind of food/gel during the half if you haven't done it before.

Hope this helps!!! :]

haroon_awan

It isn't generally recommend to eat solid food during a half marathon unless you are running rather slowly. You will not see, for example, Mo Farah, waving to you as he is munching on a banana causally while he passes the halfway mark when you haven't broken the 100m point.

That said, there are "energy" gels, sweets, drinks etc you can take. Some are provided to you from companies sponsoring the race if it is a big event.

There are better strategies that can be employed, such as the original carb load; the carb loading strategy from the 80s or the new approach taken by researchers at the University of Western Australia. There are even the low carb, high fat phases being used, but this is very complex strategy and is NOT recommended for non-professionals and those without an experienced coach and nutritionist.

When I have time I can send you links to them if you would like.

ccburn5

Ran my final long warm up run (13.1) for my 1st half coming up in a week. I tried the Power Ade gel before hand along with a banana and a water bottle and it really seemed to help. I plan on getting a second one to eat around mile 7-8 for the actual event.

BrianSharpe

Whatever you haven't done in training do NOT do at a race!! It can affect your stomach.

^^^^ This.......typically in a half marathon I'll use 2 gels (even then I'm not convinced they're "necessary" but they do give me a bit of a mental boost) - one at about 45 minutes in and one a 1.5 hrs or so.

If you can't determine which brand of gels the race may be handing out bring your own (I make my own......3 parts honey, 1 part molasses, a pinch of salt and a bit of water in a gel flask......and it's a fraction of the cost of commercial gels)

Legs_McGee

I don't eat or drink anything during a half.

rassha01

Whatever you haven't done in training do NOT do at a race!! It can affect your stomach.

I ran my first half in October with 2 shots of water and 1 shot of the Gatorade being handed out and felt fine the whole time.

Runs4Wine

Whatever you haven't done in training do NOT do at a race!! It can affect your stomach.

Everybody is different but most running advice is not to do ANYTHING new the day of a race! But make sure to refuel right after.

^^^ Exactly.

Like any race do not do anything new. If you haven't needed it during your training runs, do not start now. The time to figure this out - whether you need it and what works best for you is on your training runs.

I personally found I needed something starting around mile 8 - I cut up clif bars or pack sports beans. It helps give me that spurt of energy to finish. I also carry water but stop and grab sips at the water stations as needed.

I do not drink gatorade on runs as I find it upsets my stomach.

JTick

My friend is a regular marathon-er and he runs 13 miles every weekend...I've asked him this same question in the past. He said on his 13 milers, he'll take a banana, some gels, and a pack of Reeses. He said the bananas and Reese's are his favorite because they don't require chewing...you can just mash them in you mouth and go. He doesn't always eat all of that, but they are there in case he starts to feel weak.

I would just try taking something with you in your training runs and see how you feel. I, personally, know that my blood sugar can drop at the weirdest times, so I always have food with me even when I'm not running. I'd rather carry something in my pocket and now use it than get stuck with the shakes 3 miles from home.

donrdon

I'll take a gel for around the 7 mile mark, I also do the same on all my long runs so it's just my regular routine. Don't wait to try something different on race day, you need to find out what works for you beforehand.

davemunger

For you, for this race, no, since you haven't done it in training. If you don't typically eat before your workouts I wouldn't recommend it either, but ideally (that is, assuming you have practiced it in training) you would eat a small breakfast about 2 hours before the race, take a gel or drink some gatorade 15 minutes before, then eat a gel or drink gatorade about once every 45 minutes.

I always carry a gel or two to eat during a half and usually end up consuming just one at about the 7-8 mile mark. But I run the half in under 90 minutes -- if you are more typical and take 2 - 2.5 hours to complete a half you would probably consume at least 2 gels during the race.

fittertanme

as long as you have a normal breakfast and let it rest for 2 hours that should be ok as a half marathon is only about 3 hours for at a streach but maybe take a small pack of sweets/jelly babies so not not get to bad so good luck and have a great run

KeithAngilly

A (Accel 2nd Surge) gel on the starting line and one half way through, as well as some gatorade along the way. I practiced this well in advance. It's not necessary, but, from everything I have read, it is a worthwhile practice, in terms being able to run faster.

SonicDeathMonkey80

If I'm racing the HM, I will pop a Gu or some Sport Beans around 45-60 min in to get that mental and slightly physical boost for the last 4-5mi. If I'm doing a long and easy, I won't eat anything.

Doctorpurple

I ate the gels and I feel like they helped especially during the last 3 miles.

QuietBloom

Of course! Anything over 8 miles, you are going to need to start replenishing glycogen. Take a couple of GUs. I think I did one every 40 minutes while racing.

ETA: I see some people advising that they took 'nothing' but water and some Gatorade. A cup of Gatorade is not 'nothing'. It has sugars and electrolytes.

jeffrodgers1

I usually eat some 5-6 fig newton cookies immediately before the race and have some sports beans during the race.

Fig Newtons are a decent blend of complex and simple carbs.

The sport beans are jelly beans formulated to include some of the electrolytes you lose during your run.

For a half marathon, I use a small package of sport beans and eat a couple every 2 miles or so.

I know many runners who can do without during a half... but at 220 lbs, I need the extra carbs.

Your best approach is to find out what works for you during training and stick with it. Race day is a heck of a time to find out something doesn't work

Unknown

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QuietBloom

Race how you train. Change nothing.

She hasn't trained specifically for a 1/2 and has done 10 miles at the most.

OP, next training run, try an energy gel to make sure it won't upset your stomach. Trust me, bonking during a race is nasty. I would say bring SOMETHING or at the very least, drink some Gatorade at an aid station along the way.