What is best to eat before running a half marathon?

March 2nd, 2008 | by DistanceRunner |
jw asked:


I’ve been running to lose weight and now find that I don’t know what or how to eat before a long run.

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  1. 11 Responses to “What is best to eat before running a half marathon?”

  2. By c00k13m0n573r on Mar 4, 2008 | Reply

    Eat a banana, to help you to not cramp up. Eat something like a bagel or toast or something like that. Drink water.

  3. By koolgurl94 on Mar 8, 2008 | Reply

    not too much carbs like bread
    water
    light snacks

  4. By dontknowtguy on Mar 9, 2008 | Reply

    Pasta its slow release properties are great and eat the right type and you will lose weight!

  5. By VickyPollard on Mar 10, 2008 | Reply

    I know soccer is not the same as a marathon, but when my brothers played, their coaches always told them to eat pasta, something high in carbs, but nothing too heavy to weigh them down (the night before).

  6. By spannerjockey02 on Mar 13, 2008 | Reply

    Make sure you drink plenty of water about an hour before you start your run. As for food, things like Bananas are great. I used to do training for a swim squad every morning, and we were litteraly made to eat bananas before we got in the pool. Full of Potasium and things like that. Any fruit is a winner, and it will give you energy naturally. Maybe try a museli or soemthing before going if you want something a little more substantial

  7. By wiji on Mar 13, 2008 | Reply

    water thats all

  8. By bodhisalva on Mar 15, 2008 | Reply

    prepare a smothy in a blender.
    one banana,one apple,a spoon of protein powder,in 16oz.of almond drink.
    try new recipies.

  9. By dapolbear on Mar 17, 2008 | Reply

    Congrats on changing your lifestyle.

    Long runs 10K and longer can be very taxing on the body. You should start to hydrate with lots of water 7-10 days before the run. Watch your salt intake. Increase your protein intake slightly for a day or so before the race.

    On race day, don’t starve. Eat complex carbs, a banana, stay away from fats.

    Most of the time drinks like Gatorade contain too many salts depending on the race conditions. Mix it 1/2 and 1/2 with water during the race and have fun.

  10. By amzyviet08 on Mar 19, 2008 | Reply

    I am a runner and a Varsity soccer player. To my knowledge and athletic training, eat a peanut butter sandwich, if you are not allergic to it. Peanut butter sticks in your body and provides nutrients to help you run for a long while. Also just like everyone said, eat bananas and carbs. try not to drink too much water before running but do stay hydrated couple hours before running. Do not drink too much water during your run or else u feel that water bloating up in your stomach. Gatorade is good also

  11. By portlandia on Mar 19, 2008 | Reply

    Eat what you normally eat before you normally run…there should not be any difference in how you run in training vs. how you run in a race…if you are training correctly

  12. By Oquendo_fan on Mar 21, 2008 | Reply

    Try a few different things to see which ones don’t agree with you when you run. Nothing worse than heartburn or stomach issues while running. Personally, I eat a sandwich made of peanut butter, honey, and banana slices before any run over 10 miles.

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