What to Eat Before a Long Run, Based on How Much Time You Have

A good pre-run meal gives you carbohydrate without leaving your stomach full when you start running. The closer you get to the run, the smaller and easier to digest that food needs to be.

Below, we break down what to eat before a long run based on how much time, which foods to avoid, and how to train your gut before race day.

What to eat before a long run, and how long before

Carbohydrate is the fuel that matters for a long run. The joint guidance from the American College of Sports Medicine, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and Dietitians of Canada puts the pre-exercise target for sessions longer than an hour at 0.45 to 1.8 grams per pound of body weight (1 to 4 grams per kilogram), eaten one to four hours before you start.

For a 155-pound (70 kg) runner that comes out at anything from 70 to 280 grams of carbohydrate, and where you fall inside that range depends almost entirely on how much time you have.

Generally, the closer you get to the start, the smaller the portion needs to be and the simpler the carbohydrate has to be.

Pre-run fueling by time before you start

What to eat 3 to 4 hours before a long run

With three to four hours before you start, you can eat a full meal. This window is most realistic for a late-morning run, an afternoon or evening session, or a race with a later start.

Good options include:

• Oatmeal or porridge with banana and honey
• A plain bagel with jam and orange juice
• Pancakes with syrup and a banana
• Rice with chicken and a light sauce
• Pasta with tomato sauce and bread
• A baked potato with a simple filling

Protein and a moderate amount of fat are usually fine this far from the run, because you have more time to digest the meal.

What to eat 1 to 2 hours before a long run

At one to two hours out the same foods work in smaller portions, with the fat and fibre pulled back. Keep protein modest and leave the wholegrain versions for another meal.

• Two slices of white toast with jam
• Two pancakes with honey
• A small bowl of oatmeal made with water
• A plain bagel on its own
• Low-fibre cereal with a splash of milk
• A small portion of white rice or pasta with a light sauce, which suits an evening run better than cereal does
• A toaster pastry

Wholegrain bread, bran cereal and a large bowl of outmeal are less reliable this close to a run because they contain more fibre and take longer to digest. If your stomach is sensitive, choose lower-fibre carbs and keep the portion small.

What to eat 30 to 60 minutes before a long run

Inside the hour your options narrow to simple carbohydrate in snack-sized portions, with a glass of water alongside to help digestion.

• A medium banana
• Two Medjool dates
• One slice of white toast with honey
• A pouch of applesauce
• An energy gel
• Two rice cakes with jam

A sports drink can be a good option here too, because it brings the carbohydrate and the fluid together in one go, and liquids leave the stomach faster than solid food does.

What to eat if you are leaving in 15 minutes

An early morning run leaves no time for digestion, which is the position most runners are in at the weekend. In this window, the goal is to get a small amount of easy-to-digest carbohydrate without starting with a full stomach, so liquid carbohydrate often works best.

• 8 to 12 oz (250 to 350 ml) of sports drink or fruit juice
• Half a banana
• One Medjool date
• An energy gel

If this window is the only one you ever get, your long runs become the place where most of the fueling happens, which means carrying more with you and taking the first gel earlier than you would after a full meal.

Carbohydrate in common pre-run foods

The figures below cover everything mentioned above, plus a few options that come up often, so you can build a meal or a snack to the gram without weighing anything.

Foods to avoid before a long run

Four groups of food are more likely to cause stomach trouble before a long run:

1. High-fibre foods. Bran cereal, wholegrain bread, beans, large salads and raw vegetables can be harder to tolerate close to a run. Keep them for meals earlier in the day if you know your stomach is sensitive.
2. High-fat foods. Full-fat dairy, fried food, pastries and large amounts of nut butter take longer to digest and can leave you feeling heavy during the run.
3. Large amounts of protein. A steak or a large protein shake close to a run can leave you feeling full and may increase stomach discomfort. A modest amount of protein alongside carbohydrate is usually fine.
4. Sugar alcohols. Sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol and maltitol are common in sugar-free gum, some diet foods and protein bars. In larger amounts they can cause bloating, cramps or diarrhea, so avoid testing them before a long run.

Do you need to eat before a long run at all?

For an easy run of under an hour, you usually do not need to eat first if you feel comfortable running without food. Your stored carbohydrate is enough to support a short easy session.

For longer runs, eating carbohydrate beforehand becomes more useful. Pre-run fueling can improve performance during prolonged exercise, especially when the session lasts well beyond an hour or includes marathon-pace work.

Fasted running can increase how much fat your body uses during exercise, but that does not mean it improves race performance. If you want to include fasted runs, keep them short and easy. Long runs and marathon-pace sessions are better places to practise the fueling strategy you plan to use on race day.

How to train your gut to handle pre-run food

Gut tolerance can improve with repeated practice. In studies of gut training, two weeks of regular carbohydrate intake during exercise reduced gut discomfort and, in some runners, reduced signs of carbohydrate malabsorption.

Here’s what you can do to train your gut:

1. Practise the same fueling plan. Use your planned pre-run meal, drink and gels regularly on long runs so you know how your stomach handles them.
2. Fuel your long runs. Do not save gels and sports drinks only for race day. Long runs are where you test timing and products.
3. Increase carbohydrate gradually. If 30 grams an hour feels comfortable, move toward 45 or 60 over several sessions. Higher intakes take practice, so avoid jumping straight to 90 grams an hour.

FAQ

What should I eat before an early morning long run?

Liquid carbohydrate and a small amount of fruit. An 8 to 12 oz (250 to 350 ml) glass of sports drink or juice, half a banana or a couple of dates. If you can wake 60 to 90 minutes earlier, white toast with jam or honey is the better option.

Is it better to run long on an empty stomach?

For runs beyond 90 minutes, no. Fasted running suits short easy runs, and on the sessions that build marathon fitness it costs you pace and recovery. Eat what fits the time you have, even if that is only a gel 10 minutes before you start.

What should I eat the night before a long run?

A normal dinner built around carbohydrate, with lean protein and a modest amount of fat. Pasta with tomato sauce, rice with chicken, a baked potato with a simple filling or a noodle bowl all work well. Keep the portion familiar and the fibre low.

How much water should I drink before a long run?

Around 12 to 17 oz (350 to 500 ml) in the four hours before you start. Add another 7 to 12 oz (200 to 350 ml) about two hours out if your urine is dark. Avoid drinking a large amount right before the run, since it can leave fluid sloshing in your stomach and make the first miles uncomfortable.