{"id":8767,"date":"2025-06-12T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-12T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scienceinsport.com\/sports-nutrition\/half-marathon-guide\/"},"modified":"2025-06-12T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T00:00:00","slug":"half-marathon-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scienceinsport.com\/sports-nutrition\/half-marathon-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Half Marathon Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

Running a half marathon is demanding and a must for those with the goal of completing a full marathon. For these runners, or those who are looking to improve their PB, nutrition plays a pivotal part in endurance performance and can be the difference between a good and a great time.<\/p>\n

Training Nutrition<\/u><\/strong><\/h3>\n

When training for a half marathon, there will be numerous training runs that last under 90 minutes where you can usually rely on taking on an electrolyte drink and 1-2 energy gels. However, running 13.1 miles will be different for many people and require an increase in intensity for the desired performance outcome. For this reason, it is important to get accustomed to your race day nutrition:<\/p>\n

Morning fuel<\/strong>: Your breakfast will be one of the most important meals you consume and will ensure you are fully fuelled when you cross the start line, so make sure you are comfortable with it and it works for you.<\/p>\n

On the go feeding<\/strong>: Fuelling while running is key, so get confident at consuming fluid and gels whilst running at pace.<\/p>\n

Carbohydrate intake<\/strong>: Fuel for the work required throughout your training weeks(1)<\/sup>. During short or low intense sessions, reduce carbohydrate intake. However, it\u2019s important to practice your race-day fuelling plan during longer sessions, so that your body adapts to the work. Here, you should practice taking in 60-90g of carbohydrate per hour(2)<\/sup>.<\/p>\n

Sweat rate<\/strong>: How much you sweat will dictate how much fluid you need to take-in. Aim to not lose any more than 2-3% of your body mass to maintain hydration and be ready to train the next day(3)<\/sup>.<\/p>\n

Recovery<\/strong>: The faster you recover, the better quality your training will be and the more adaptations you will get. See the Post Training\/Racing: Recovery section at the end of the guide for more information.<\/p>\n

BELOW IS AN EXAMPLE NUTRITION GUIDE TO FOLLOW AROUND YOUR TRAINING<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Pre TrainingDuring<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Hydration<\/td>\nEnsure you are fully hydrated. Drink 500 \u2013 1000ml of fluid at least 4 hours prior to your training run. Use GO Electrolyte<\/a> or Hydro<\/a> to increase fluid retention.<\/td>\nWork out how much you are sweating (per hour). Try not to lose more than 2-3% of your body mass through sweating .For longer sessions over 1 hour, run a circuit that stops by your house. This will allow you to re-hydrate. Use Hydro<\/a> and\/ or GO Electrolyte<\/a> to replace electrolytes lost through sweat.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Energy<\/td>\nWhen preparing for a run over 10km increase carbohydrate the day before. Use GO Energy<\/a> between meals to increase glycogen stores, practicing for pre race carbohydrate loading.<\/td>\nFocus on electrolyte and fluid intake for shorter runs. For longer runs, aim to take on 60-90g of carbohydrate per hour. This can come from 3 GO Isotonic Gels<\/a> or a combination of GO products. Find the ones that work for you!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Recovery<\/td>\nEnsure that you rest well between runs as this is where adaptations take place. Overtraining is common in endurance runners. Aim to get the same amount of sleep each night throughout your training period.<\/td>\nN\/A<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Caffeine<\/td>\nA pre training GO Caffeine Shot can help decrease your perception of fatigue and increase concentration during your runs. Take 30 minutes before your session.<\/td>\nN\/A<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Race Day Nutrition<\/u><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Always make sure that you practice your full race day nutrition routine well before race day itself. Follow these tips, guidelines and examples and smash your PB!<\/p>\n

Pre Race<\/strong><\/p>\n

Carbohydrate loading:<\/strong> Our muscles can store up to 400-500g or around 2000kcal of glycogen to be used as energy. Glycogen is the main fuel you will use during your race and is stored when you consume carbohydrate. Unlike longer races, half marathon \u2018carbohydrate loading\u2019 should focus on increasing carbohydrate intake in the 24 hours before the race and the pre-race breakfast. Unlike traditional \u2018carbohydrate loading\u2019, you don\u2019t necessarily need to increase carbohydrate intake in the 48 hours before the race, but aim for 3-5g of carbohydrate per kilo of your body weight as shown in the table below.<\/p>\n

Breakfast:<\/strong> Have breakfast 2-3 hours before the race. This should be part of your \u2018carbohydrate loading\u2019 regime as your glycogen stores decrease over night. This should involve normal breakfast foods with around 1-3 grams of carbohydrate per kg of body weight as shown below:<\/p>\n

Dinner (night before)Breakfast<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n