What to Eat the Morning of a Half Marathon

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One of the most common race day questions is “what to eat the morning of a half marathon”? The question is often asked as if there is magic in the answer, magic that will propel you above and beyond a normal run. Proper fueling absolutely IS a secret ingredient to performance success, but the solution has less to do with a narrow focus on race day morning, and a broader focus on what you’ve been eating UP UNTIL race day morning. THAT is what can affect your performance the most. There’s no “shortcut” to knowing what to eat the morning of a half marathon. The truth is if you train properly, you’ll already know the answer! And spoiler alert – it varies from person to person. The goal of this guide is to not just tell you what to eat the morning of your half marathon, but what to eat ALL THROUGHOUT your training plan, as well as help you know HOW to create your OWN nutrition and fueling plan. Because that is what really matters.

Disclosure: Below are some affiliate links-these are all products I highly recommend. I won’t make any recommendations on this page that I haven’t tested or personally used! Enjoy this guide on what to eat the morning of a half marathon!

Table of Contents

What to Eat the Morning of a Half Marathon

What you eat the morning of a half marathon should mimic what you have been eating before ALL of your training runs, especially your long training runs. There’s no one magic meal out there – but there there are general guidelines.

4 parts of a the best runners foods and runners diet — *4 crucial parts of a runners diet – your half marathon morning meal should resemble this!*

I’ll say again that you cannot afford to wait until the morning of to dial in your nutrition. It needs to happen throughout your half marathon training plan, especially the week prior to race day. However, since we’re talking about the morning of your half marathon, your pre run meal should consist of about 50% carbs, 25% protein, and 25% fruits/veggies. It is assumed you’ll get a little of the necessary good fats mixed in.

Here’s a few examples of my “go to” pre race breakfasts:

You can also use this checklist below to “mix and match” and build your own breakfast ideas for the morning of your half marathon race. Here’s some of the best foods in each category of crucial runner foods:

Did you find this checklist helpful? Then check out my complete “Runner’s Diet: A Beginner’s Guide to Nutrition and Fueling”, which contains even more helpful fueling tips as well as actual food and meal ideas!

It’s important to note here that “carb-loading” does not mean gorging. You don’t need to do anything immensely extra on race day morning. Just do what you’ve been doing to fuel for all your long runs. The key is “carb-loading” the right way throughout your training, and in the week prior. You don’t need to gorge on any one particular meal, but instead just look for ways to get the necessary carbs you need into each meal, in normal doses, with a focus on healthy carbs.

It’s like the analogy of putting gas in your car. Your car needs gas, not water. Your body needs gas as well, not diluted or “empty” calories and carbs. And just like putting gas in a car, your tank can only hold so much. If you keep putting gas into a car once it’s full, it’ll just spill out and waste. Likewise, your body can only hold so many carbs. There is no need to eat an entire pizza the night before a half marathon, followed by 3 times the size breakfast you would normally eat for a training run. “Carb-loading” should be viewed more as the quality versus the quantity of food!

Now you have your ideas, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Take a deeper dive into just why nutrition is key not only on race day morning, but throughout your training!

Want to learn more about how you should be fueling throughout your training plan for the maximum results, including what categories of foods runners need, actual percentages of each category, as well as some actual example meal ideas?

I’ll also discuss fueling DURING your runs. WHEN to fuel, HOW MUCH to fuel, actual fueling examples, and what to avoid.

Learn the key to recovering properly – basically WHEN and HOW to re-fuel after a run. And why it’s important to take it seriously.

Recap with all the actual breakfast fueling meal IDEAS for the morning of your half marathon race!

The Science Behind Nutrition and Fueling for Runners

Why is the question of what to eat the morning of a half marathon so common? Because we hyper-fixate on race day morning, and understandably so. We want things to go smoothly. But the truth is by this point, you need to feel confident in trusting your training, and that includes your fueling training.

Having a fueling plan was regrettably one of the last things I learned to implement in my years of long distance running. And I wish I had put more of a focus on it earlier, as it makes a huge difference. It’s just like the analogy of gas in a car. You have to have something in the tank, and it needs to be what your body actually needs to run at its best. If you put water in a gas tank, you’d have way worse results. It’s a similar analogy to what you put in your tank before a run.

Your body runs its best when you give it certain percentages of certain food categories, consistently. This is especially true when you are training at a high volume. It’s not only what you eat though, it’s when.

In simple terms, when you run, your body is using up your carb stores (glycogen stores) primarily. These are what need to be replenished during a run. But there are other components that need to also be in play outside of when you are actively running.

What to Eat BEFORE Your Training Runs

What you eat before your runs impacts your actual run more than you may think. That is why you’ll have a certain advantage if you just go ahead and make nutrition and fueling a consistent focus throughout your training block, whether you’re following a 12 week half marathon training plan, a 20 week half marathon training plan, or some other similar time frame.

What Categories of Foods Do Runners Need?

Here are those 4 categories of foods again:

CARBS
PROTEINS
FRUITS/VEGGIES
FATS

Carbs are for energy, endurance, and stamina
Proteins are for muscle building and repair
Fruits and Veggies are for vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants
Fats are the building blocks for various bodily functions

So how do you create a simple and consistent nutrition plan while you are training for your half marathon? Aim to implement meal plans that follow these general percentage guidelines as much as possible.

50% carbs
25% proteins
25% fruits and veggies

Also be mindful of getting in a few tablespoons of healthy fats, such as nuts, seeds, oils, avocados, etc., each day. For me, that’s healthy fats in a salad dressing, or putting nuts or chia seeds on fruit, yogurt,or oatmeal. Or a toast with avocado. Or peanut butter on just about anything. Here’s a visual of what these percentage breakdowns look like:

So when I say carbs, am I talking about a pizza? After all, it’s got carbs and maybe some pepperonis on top – could that count as the proteins? Unfortunately, there’s a better way. Don’t get me wrong, I still eat pizza, but not as often. I don’t solely rely on it before a long run anymore. And there’s definitely better ways to fuel. The checklist I shared earlier provides a handful of better fueling ideas for each of the 4 categories of foods that runners need: carbs, proteins, fruits/veggies, and fats.

What to Eat DURING A Run

So now you know what to eat before your training runs, what about during your runs? This can be more individualized in terms or what, when, and how often, but luckily there are a few general guidelines that can be helpful.

WHEN to Fuel During a Run

Assuming you invested in a good, energy rich, nutrient rich breakfast (or lunch, or even dinner) before your run, then you’ll have some carb stores (glycogen stores) ready at your disposal for your run. Here’s a few key things first though.

You don’t need to gorge or overdo it! Remember that gas tank in your car analogy? It still applies here. If you continue to just pour gasoline into the tank, at some point it just spills over and is wasted. Just fill your tank. Basically, your body will get topped off with carbs at a certain point. Eating that entire pizza will not give you more to run off of. A good healthy proportioned meal (you should learn to know what that is for you during training) is sufficient. No, it’s not your meal before that is responsible for carrying you all the way through a training run or even your half marathon race. That’s why we’re talking about how to fuel during the race. But the meal before does get you started off on the right foot. And rest assured, I’ll provide some actual breakfast meal ideas for the morning of your half marathon race later. For now, back to fueling during your training runs (so you learn and know what works for you by the time your half marathon race rolls around).

Timing matters – for best results, eat your pre-run meal 1-3 hours before you actually start running. Two hours before is the sweet spot for me personally. This was something I tended to struggle with for a long time. I felt I needed to top off with food immediately before a run, and would sometimes find myself gorging on food 5 minutes before I started running, thinking that would give me an extra dose of fuel. I had to learn to trust my training, and that included my fueling and nutrition plan. A targeted, intentional meal 2 hours before a run really will be sufficient to get you started out the gate. That doesn’t mean I don’t sometimes have a quick snack before some runs, but I know that I don’t HAVE to. To be clear, the science says fill your tank a couple hours in advance. It does you less good to do so immediately before a run. HOWEVER, some people do feel more comfortable with a small snack in their bellies right before a run. Learn what works for you, while learning to trust your training.

When to START Fueling During a Run

So you had an intentional meal before, now when do you need to actually start fueling during a run? This can vary from individual, and training will help you tell, but most runners can go for about 60 – 90 minutes on their glycogen stores, before needing to begin re-fueling. This timeframe can be affected by the pace and intensity of your run. If your pace is faster and it’s therefore a more intense run, it might be closer to 60 minutes.

To summarize: ~ 60 to 90 minutes into a run

What about if your run lasts less than an hour? Generally speaking, you shouldn’t need to fuel during those runs. But as always, continue to pay attention to what works best for you.

How OFTEN to Fuel During a Run

So once you’re past that initial 60 – 90 minute window, how often do you need to fuel during a run? Generally speaking, every 30 – 60 minutes. Again, this comes down to pace and intensity. Sometimes it’s every 30 minutes for me, and sometimes it’s every 45 minutes. Rarely do I last a full 60 minutes without regretting it later.

How MUCH to Fuel During a Run

Now you’ve learned a little about the timing, so how much do you need to actually fuel with during a run? We’re talking about carbs here, because carbs are what is getting depleted during a run. Your body will burn through those glycogen stores (carbohydrates) first. So how do you replace them? With CARBS!!!

How much? About 30 – 60 grams of carbs per hour.

This can vary of course. If you run a little slower, it’s probably closer to 30 grams of carbs. A faster pace probably is closer to 60 grams.

What does 30 grams of carbs actually look like?

About 1 and a half energy gels
2 bananas
3 dates
A box of raisins

One last thing to keep in mind is the duration of your run. While the 30 – 60 gram rule can apply to a majority of runs, if you’re going for a really lengthy run, like more than 2 or 3 hours, you’ll probably want to up that carb intake to closer to 60 – 90 grams of carbs per hour. If you’re preparing for your half marathon race, you’ll likely be running for more than 2 hours. Learn what works for you during your training, especially as you progress with more distance and volume during your half marathon training plan.

Example On the Go Fueling Ideas

There’s been plenty of long training runs and actual half marathon races where I wished I could just carry a sub sandwich along with me to fuel on continuously! That entire pizza comes to mind again too. But when it comes to fueling during a run or race, you need to consider a few practical things:

Easy to carry / compact / lightweight
Energy and nutrient dense (think carb replenishment)
Sounds good!!! It needs to actually sound good to you if you’re going to use it. Forget what other people swear by, test it out for yourself and make sure your fueling plan sounds good to you!
Consider your aid stations. When it comes to actual races, there will likely be stocked aid stations. They may have what you need, and you have to carry less. But check beforehand to make sure that’s a reliable source for you. And don’t solely count on it. Make sure you have your own self-sufficient plan, and be pleasantly surprised if you can also utilize what’s at the aid station. Gels are typically pretty standard offerings.

So aside from the potential aid station offerings, what are some good “on the go” fueling ideas that I personally love? Check out this list:

Like the convenience of energy gels, but don’t like the store bought options? Curious about how to make your own DIY energy gels and squeezes, like date based energy gels with maple syrup, dates, orange zest, and cinnamon? You can get a whole list of DIY energy gel recipes in my “Runners Diet: Nutrition and Fueling for Beginners“.

What to Avoid on a Run

Knowing what NOT to do is sometimes just as important as knowing what to do. While this all largely boils down to knowing what works for you during training, here’s a few basic pointers of what to avoid on a run:

Too much of these can sometimes cause problems:

Fiber
Caffeine
Fats
Electrolytes
Processed sugars
Alcohol – not recommended before or during a race for obvious reasons

I’d recommend knowing your tolerance of these before race day. If you run fine after a cup of coffee with breakfast, no problem. You may actually prefer your morning coffee. Know how much fiber you can tolerate on a long run. Personally, fiber rich meals are some of my favorite fueling meals, but I’ve learned what my limits are.

Finally, don’t try anything new on race day! Stick with what you know works for you from your training. Resist the urge to try out that cool sounding supplement or snack from the excitable runner next to you minutes before the start of your race!

How to Recover Properly

If this isn’t a priority in your training, it needs to be! Don’t you want to feel better after a long run? Of course. And bounce back quicker? Of course.

Don’t skip recovery. I fondly remember when I once did a “last man standing” style trail run at night. I ran from 7pm to midnight before tapping out. When I got home, the last thing I wanted to do was fix myself a recovery meal. I just wanted to shower and sleep. And I did just that. The following week I was sick, nauseous, and just plain “off” in many aggravating ways. My entire week’s worth of workouts, including runs, were a wash.I have never made the mistake of getting lazy with recovery since.

Why do you need to make recovery a priority? Because you need to replenish your stores and help your body repair. For this reason, your recovery nutrition should focus on carbs and proteins primarily. Carbs to replenish, proteins to repair.

Not sure which are the best protein-rich foods? Get your checklist here!

Immediately following a run (longer than ~ 60 minutes), have a recovery snack or meal that is around 75% carbs and 25% proteins. Or think of it as a 3:1 ratio in terms of carbs:proteins, especially for higher intensity workouts.

When I say immediately, I mean within 30 minutes of finishing a run (or any intense workout, including your half marathon cross training days). Even if it’s something simple and quick, like a glass or chocolate milk (a personal and convenient favorite of mine) or protein shake. Do not skip this! Within 30 minutes of finishing.

Assuming you’re implementing a focused and intentional nutrition plan throughout your training block, you can follow this up or pair it up with a similar meal at the appropriate time, if you’re not having a meal within 30 minutes of finishing.

Aside from nutrition, recovery also can include:

Stretching, foam rolling, or massaging
Plenty of sleep (you actually need more than 6 hours!)
And continuing to prioritize nutrition!

Quick Recovery Snack Ideas

Here’s a few favorite recovery snack ideas:

Chocolate Milk – my #1 go to
Protein Shake
Banana with honey and chia seeds
Trail mix with nuts and dried fruit (I love dates, apricots, and pineapples)
And there’s many more…

You can get even more quick, simple, recovery snack and meal ideas in my “Runner’s Diet: A Beginner’s Guide to Nutrition and Fueling”!

What to Eat the Morning of a Half Marathon

Here’s that recap of meal ideas for what to eat the morning of a half marathon! Like I said, there’s no one magic answer that will propel you to running stardom. Just trusting your training, and knowing what worked for you in training.

Remember your 4 categories, and your percentages.
Keep your carb levels in mind, but don’t overdo it or gorge.
Remember to hydrate consistently.
And keep in mind what to avoid (you should know this by now through training trial and error).

That being said, here’s a few of my favorite breakfast meal ideas before a half marathon race!

You can mix and match these as well, or combine certain players. For example, sometimes I’ll do a bowl of oatmeal with peanut butter and chopped apples, paired with a scrambled egg toast.

What even more meal ideas for runners? Including lunch and dinner inspiration? Check out my “Runner’s Diet: Nutrition and Fueling for Beginners” for all your running meal recipes! Examples include:

Lunch Roasted Sweet Potato Rounds
Lunch Loaded Cottage Cheese
Dinner Stir Fry
Dinner Loaded Quinoa
And more!

There you have it – not only do you have tips on what to eat the morning of a half marathon, but throughout your entire half marathon training plan! A complete blueprint for nutrition, fueling, and what to eat in preparation of your half marathon! Because it’s not just about race day morning, but a consistent running lifestyle!

Looking for a specific half marathon training plan? Check out some of my most popular plans!

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What to Eat the Morning of a Half Marathon

What to Eat the Morning of a Half Marathon