What To Eat Before the Fun Run

Written by Sprout Cooking School & Sprout Health Studio

Race day has nearly arrived, you have done the training, and now you just need to deliver on the day. You know you need to eat before the run, but you know you’ll be nervous, you think to yourself, “this is supposed to be a fun run!”

To ensure you have a successful run and get the most out of your training, follow these five tips for effective prerace nutrition.

The day before make sure you drink at least 35ml per kilogram of body weight plus replace any fluids lost during exercise.

The morning of the run try to drink to replace fluid losses from urine and also from sweat during warm ups. Aim for approximately 500ml of fluids the morning of the run.

Don’t try anything new the day of the run. Always stick to tried and tested prerace meals or make sure you trial your meal plan before the run.

Carbohydrate will be your primary energy source for the run so think toast, cereal, fruit, yoghurt and juice.

Ideally you would consume a normal main meal 3-4 hours before your event followed by a snack around two hours before and then two smaller snacks one hour before and then a final snack just before your event. However, the City to Bay is a morning event, and not many people will be willing to wake up at 3am to commence their meal intake. So instead try to consume:

1. The night before:A carbohydrate rich dinner the night before for example pasta, lasagne, or risotto
2. Two hours before the run:A high carbohydrate, moderate fibre and low fat breakfast such as two or three Weet Bix with milk and fruit, or two pieces of wholemeal toast with a low fat spread and small cup of fruit salad.
3. One hour before:A high carbohydrate and moderate to low fibre snack such as a banana and fruit juice, or muesli bar and glass of cordial.
4. 15 minutes before:A high carbohydrate and low fibre snack such as 300ml of Gatorade and 4-5 lollies.

However depending on your sweat rate and weather conditions you may require additional hydration. Sports drinks can provide a bonus of carbohydrate for a little energy boost but water should be able to meet your fluid requirements for this relatively short run.

Whatever you do, just remember, this is a fun run and not the Olympic games. Have fun, enjoy the day, support others and take in the great atmosphere.

Happy fun run! 🙂