Race Week Nutrition: 7 Days Out to the Start Line

A practical guide built from experience & science, not guesswork

Race week has a way of getting into runners’ heads. 

I’ve seen it time and time again — athletes who have trained consistently for months suddenly start second-guessing everything they eat in the final week.

I’ve also experienced that feeling myself: looking at meals differently, questioning portions, and wondering if I should be doing something “more” to prepare. Even as a dietitian who should know what they are doing, those nerves can leave me second-guessing every decision in the lead up to the race; “Should I eat this meal? Should I run again today? Maybe I need to use that new gel on the market?” 

The reality is, race week is less about doing more… and more about doing what you’ve already been doing, just with a bit more intention. 

From working with runners and through my own race experiences, the same patterns keep showing up. The athletes who feel best on race day are not the ones who made drastic changes in the final week — they’re the ones who stayed consistent, topped up sensibly, and avoided last-minute panic decisions. 

This guide reflects that approach. 

What Race Week is Actually For

In practice, nutrition in race week has three main goals: 

• Topping up glycogen stores through carbohydrate intake 
• Maintaining gut comfort and familiarity with foods 
• Supporting hydration and sodium balance 

That’s it. 

Not extreme carb loading from day one. Not cutting everything “just in case.” Not experimenting with new strategies. 

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned — both personally and professionally — is that race week is where runners can either create calm or create unnecessary stress. 

7-5 Days Out: Settling into Taper

This is usually the point where training volume has dropped, but habits haven’t yet shifted. 

From experience, this is where runners often start overthinking nutrition before anything needs to change. 

What I recommend here: 

• Continue eating your normal meals 
• Slightly increase carbohydrate intake in line with reduced training 
• Keep meals familiar and structured 

When I’ve gone into races myself, the most helpful mindset in this phase has been nothing drastic changes yet. You will already be slightly increasing those glycogen stores by maintaining your usual intake while reducing volume. 

Practical approach: 

• Breakfast: porridge with banana & peanut butter 
• Lunch: grilled chicken or tofu sandwich with carrots & hummus 
• Dinner: steamed rice with chicken or tempeh stir fry  
• Snacks: Greek yogurt with granola, nuts & fruit, energy bars, rice cakes & cottage cheese. 

Hydration: 

This is a good time to be consistent with fluids and include electrolytes rather than relying purely on water. 

A simple option is the Hydro Tablets. These can be added to water throughout the day to support sodium balance, especially if you’re tapering but still sweating lightly. Their delicious flavours also help if you are struggling to drink enough fluid throughout the day. 

4-3 Days Out: Intentional Carb Increase

At this stage, I’ve found the biggest difference comes from being deliberate rather than reactive. 

This is where carbohydrate intake gradually increases alongside reduced training load. 

Carb intake typically ranges from ~6-10g/kg/day, depending on the individual and the event distance. 

From both experience and athlete feedback, the key here is consistency across meals rather than trying to “make up” carbs in one sitting. 

What works well: 

• Adding an extra carb source at each meal (or just doubling up on the carb source already there) 
• Including carb-focused snacks between meals 
• Keeping fibre moderate and meals predictable 

Example structure: 

• Breakfast: porridge + banana + honey 
• Lunch: rice (double serving) bowl with chicken/tofu served with a side of pretzels 
• Snacks: bagel with jam; cereal with milk; crackers and hummus 
• Dinner: pasta with a simple tomato sauce & buttered bread 

At this stage, I often remind athletes: you’re not eating differently — you’re just eating a bit more of the same things that already work for you.

2 Days Out: Carb Loading Becomes More Structured

This is where carbohydrate loading becomes more intentional. 

From experience, this is also where runners tend to either under-fuel due to appetite changes or overcompensate and feel overly full. Finding the middle ground is key. 

Carb intake: ~8-12g/kg/day (individual tolerance matters) 

What I’ve consistently seen work best: 

• Lower fibre choices 
• Familiar, easily digestible meals 
• Even distribution across the day 
• Adding in liquid carbohydrates to prevent fullness & bloating 
• Try adding fruit juice or smoothies to your meals 
• Sip on BETA Fuel 80 throughout the day rather than plain water 

Meal ideas: 

• White pasta with tomato-based sauce + lean protein 
• Rice with simple protein and low-fibre vegetables 
• Pancakes with syrup and fruit 
• Low-fibre cereals with milk or yoghurt 

Hydration should remain steady, with electrolytes (& carbs) included rather than relying on large volumes of plain water.

1 Day Out: Calm, Controlled, Familiar

If there’s one day where athletes tend to overthink the most, it’s the day before the race. In my experience, this is where the best performances are often set up — or disrupted. The goal here is simple: Top up glycogen stores without creating GI discomfort or heaviness. 

What I encourage: 

• Keep meals familiar 
• Avoid anything new or experimental 
• Prioritise easily digestible carbohydrates 
• Spread intake across the day rather than front-loading or back-loading 
• Don’t force it to the point of feeling uncomfortably full. 

Example day: 

Breakfast: 2 slices of white toast with jam and honey; Greek yoghurt with banana & granola; orange juice. 
Snack: Oat Energy bar & banana 
Lunch: 2 cups white rice; chicken or tofu; small portion of cooked vegetables; fruit smoothie 
Snack: Bagel with jam & BETA Fuel 80 drink
Dinner: Pasta with a simple tomato sauce; small portion of lean protein (chicken or tofu); minimal or no cooked vegetables; 2 slices white or sourdough bread (recipe at the base of this blog) 
Snack (optional): low fibre cereal with milk 

Hydration should be steady, with electrolyte support if needed.

Race Morning. Keep it Simple.

One of the most common mistakes I’ve seen (and personally made early on) is overcomplicating race morning nutrition. 

The athletes who feel best tend to stick to a routine they’ve already tested in training. 

3–4 hours before: 

• A carbohydrate-rich, low-fibre meal 
• Examples: bagel with jam, oats with banana, toast with honey 
• Sip on BETA Fuel 80 alongside caffeine (if tolerated & practiced) 

Pre-start top-up: A small amount of carbohydrate closer to the start can help top up energy levels – especially if you’ve had to get to the start pens early. 

Some great options include: 

• GO Isotonic Energy Gel – Useful for delivering carbohydrates in a format that’s easy to tolerate without requiring additional water. 
• BETA Chews – helpful as a quick source of energy whilst waiting on the start line. 

Hydration: Be Practical, Not Excessive

Hydration is another area where I’ve seen runners either underdo it or overdo it. The aim is consistency, not extremes. 

From experience: 

• Small, regular fluid intake works better than large, infrequent volumes 
• Electrolytes can support fluid balance, particularly sodium 
• Over-drinking plain water can sometimes be counterproductive as it dilutes the blood and can increase the risk of hyponatremia. 

Electrolyte tablets such as Hydro Tablets can be a practical way to maintain balance without relying solely on water, or choose to combine simple carbohydrates with the salts to nail both aspects using BETA Fuel 80. 

Common Patterns I’ve Seen Over the Years

Across both athletes and personal experience, the same themes come up repeatedly: 

• Runners under-eat earlier in the week and try to compensate late 
• Appetite fluctuates during taper, leading to inconsistent intake 
• Fibre intake is often too high close to race day 
• Hydration is either ignored or overcorrected 
• New foods or strategies are introduced too late 

The athletes who avoid these patterns tend to arrive at the start line feeling lighter, energised, and mentally calm 

Race week isn’t about fixing your fitness or changing your physique. 

It’s about arriving at the start line with: 

• full glycogen stores 
• a settled gut 
• balanced hydration 
• and confidence in your routine 

From my own experience and from working with runners at all levels, the biggest performance gains in race week don’t come from doing more — they come from doing less but doing it well. 

Trust your training. 
Trust your fuelling. 
And keep race week simple – this is the FUN part! 

Night Before The Race: Simple Carb-Focused Recipe

This is one of the most important meals of the week — but it should still be simple and familiar. 

Simple Pre-Race Pasta Bowl 

Method

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions 

2. Heat the sauce separately 

3. Cook or warm a protein source 

4. Combine pasta, sauce, and protein 

5. Add a small amount of olive oil and salt 

6. Serve with toasted bread 

Why this works

• High in easily digestible carbohydrates 
• Low in fibre (if using plain pasta and simple sauce) 
• Familiar, repeatable, and gentle on the gut 
• Easy to portion without overfilling 

Tip from experience: 
Keep this meal slightly smaller than you think. You want to feel satisfied, not overly full, going into race morning. You should have been consuming high-carb meals throughout the day and not feel the need to load up at this one meal. 

For more recipes tailored to athletes, check out my Athlete Recipe Book & Meal Prep for Athletes