For races over 90 minutes, nutrition is just as important as training.
The Basics: Why You Need to Fuel
Your body stores ~2,000 calories of glycogen — enough for about 90-120 minutes of hard running. After that, you're running on fumes unless you refuel.
How Much to Take
| Race Duration | Carbs/Hour | Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Under 60 min | None needed | Water only |
| 60-90 min | 30g | Optional gel at 45 min |
| 90 min - 2.5 hr | 30-60g | Gel every 30-45 min |
| 2.5 hr+ | 60-90g | Aggressive fueling from mile 4-5 |
When to Start
Start fueling before you feel hungry. By the time you feel depleted, it's too late — your gut takes 15-20 minutes to absorb carbs.
What to Take
Hydration
The Golden Rule
Practice your nutrition in training. Never try anything new on race day. Your gut is trainable — the more you practice fueling on runs, the better your stomach tolerates it on race day.
FuelFox Advantage
FuelFox generates a personalized fueling timeline that accounts for your race distance, goal pace, expected weather, and even your sweat rate. Use it.