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Eat a carb-rich dinner the night before, and a familiar, low-fiber breakfast two to three hours before the start. The closer you get to the start, the smaller and simpler the food gets, and nothing you eat should be new.
This guide covers your dinner, your race-morning breakfast, the last hour before the start, coffee, and the foods to avoid.
Pre-race eating at a glance
| When | What to eat | How much |
|---|---|---|
| The night before | Carb-rich dinner, low in fiber and fat | A normal plate, with carbs as the main part |
| 2 to 3 hours before | Familiar breakfast, mostly carbs | Bigger before a half or a marathon, light before a 5K or 10K |
| 30 to 60 minutes before | Soft or liquid carbs | A banana, half a sports drink, or a few dates |
| 15 minutes before | Optional gel, for races over 90 minutes | One gel with water |
Whatever distance you race, remember two golden rules: eat nothing you have not already eaten before a long run, and leave yourself time for the bathroom before the start.
What to eat the night before the race
Dinner the night before replenishes the carbohydrate stores you will use in the race. Make carbs the main part of the plate, keep the portion normal, and go easy on fiber, fat, and anything spicy.
Five simple dinners that work the night before a race:
- Pasta with a tomato sauce and chicken
- White rice with grilled chicken
- Baked potato with turkey
- Noodle soup with chicken and a plain bread roll
- Couscous with white fish
Skip the alcohol, because it may cost you sleep on the night you need it most. We also recommend leaving out beans, lentils, cabbage, and large raw salads. They are good food on an ordinary evening, but the night before a race they can give you gas and a heavy stomach.
If you are preparing for a half marathon or a marathon, increase the carbohydrate share of your meals during the final day or two before the race. Spread the extra carbs across meals and snacks instead of trying to eat one huge dinner.
What to eat on race morning
2 to 3 hours before the start
Breakfast is the meal you build your race morning around. Eat it two to three hours before the start. That gives your stomach time to empty, and it leaves room for a bathroom stop before you line up.
Keep it mostly carbs, and keep fiber and fat low, because both slow your stomach down and both are the usual reasons runners queue for the porta-potties on the course.
Five breakfasts that work on race morning:
- A bagel or white toast with honey or jam
- Oatmeal or cream of rice made with water, with a banana
- Rice cakes with honey and a banana
- Pancakes or waffles with syrup
- A smoothie of banana, juice, and oats
Drink with your breakfast, then take 7 to 10 oz (200 to 300 ml) of water or a sports drink about half an hour before the start. Sip it, and do not force down more than you want.
30 to 60 minutes before the start
Half an hour out, anything you take is a small top-up—half a sports drink, a banana, or a few dates.
Before a half marathon or a marathon, some experienced runners take a gel, because it is an easy way to put some fuel in early. Test any gel on a long run before you use it in a race. Before a 5K or a 10K, you can skip it, because the race finishes long before your stores run low.
What to eat before an early morning race
If your race starts early, and a proper breakfast three hours before means getting up at four in the morning, do not do that. You will lose more from broken sleep than you gain from the extra food.
Eat something small 60 to 90 minutes before the start, such as a banana, white toast with jam or honey, or half an energy bar you have used in training.
You can also split it. Have a few bites when you wake up, then take a sports drink or a gel 15 to 30 minutes before the gun.
Whatever you choose, practice it. Use two or three long runs to rehearse the same food at the same time of day, and you will know by race week how your stomach handles it.
If you are traveling to the race, pack your breakfast from home. Hotel restaurants rarely open early enough, and race morning is not the right time to find out that the local store sells none of your usual cereal.
Coffee and caffeine before a race
If you normally drink coffee before training, use the same amount on race morning. Caffeine can improve endurance performance, but larger doses also increase the risk of jitters and stomach problems. Test any race-day caffeine plan in training first.
If coffee sends you to the bathroom, drink it early enough that the trip happens at home, before you leave for the start.
If nerves stop you eating
Plenty of runners cannot eat solid food before a race, and forcing it down only makes the nerves worse. Drink your carbs instead: a sports drink, a carton of juice, or a fruit smoothie goes down when toast will not. Sip it across the hour before the start, in small amounts.
If you regularly run short races without breakfast and feel good doing it, you may not need a full meal before a 5K or 10K. A small carbohydrate snack is enough.
Before a half marathon or a marathon, get something in, even if it is liquid, because your stores start to run low at around 90 minutes.
6 foods to skip before a race
- High-fiber foods, including beans, lentils, cabbage, bran cereal, and large raw salads
- Fatty or fried food, from bacon and sausage to anything cooked in oil
- Dairy, if you already know it unsettles you under race effort
- Spicy food at dinner the night before
- Alcohol
- Anything you have never eaten before a run, including the free samples at the expo
The bottom line
Eat a carb-rich dinner the night before, with a normal portion and no alcohol, and increase the carbohydrate share of your meals during the final day or two before a race longer than 90 minutes.
On race morning, eat a familiar breakfast two to three hours before the start, mostly carbs, low in fiber and fat, and drink 7 to 10 oz (200 to 300 ml) about half an hour before the gun.
In the last half hour, keep it to a small top-up before a long race, and nothing at all before a 5K or a 10K.
Write your race-morning plan down, and eat exactly that before your next long run to find out whether your stomach agrees with it.
FAQ
What should I eat the night before a race?
A carb-rich dinner in a normal portion: pasta with a simple sauce, rice with chicken, or a baked potato. Keep fiber, fat, and spice low, skip the alcohol, and leave out beans, cabbage, and raw salads. Before a half marathon or a marathon, eat a little extra carbohydrate across the final day or two before the start.
What should I eat 2 hours before a race?
Something familiar and mostly carbs: a bagel with honey, oatmeal made with water, or toast with a banana. Keep the fiber and the fat out, and drink water alongside it. If two hours feels too close to the start for your stomach, eat earlier or make the meal smaller.
Should I run a race on an empty stomach?
Before a 5K or a 10K, yes, if that suits you. Before anything longer than 90 minutes, eat something, even if it has to be liquid, because that is the point where your stores start to run low and your pace fades.
Is coffee okay before a race?
Yes. Caffeine can improve endurance performance. If you already drink coffee before running, use an amount you have tested in training and take it early enough to allow time for your normal bathroom routine.
What should I eat before an early morning race?
Eat something small 60 to 90 minutes before the gun: a banana with honey, white toast with jam, or half an energy bar. You can also eat a few bites on waking and take a sports drink or a gel 15 to 30 minutes before the start. Rehearse your choice on two or three long runs first.
