What to Eat Before a Long Run (and When to Eat It)
- megan clements
- Aug 14
- 3 min read
Eat 2 to 3 hours before your long run, and make it high in carbohydrate, low in fibre, low in fat, and easy to digest. That's the short answer. Get those four things right and you'll turn up with more energy, better quality training, and a much lower risk of hitting the wall.
Here's exactly how to do it.
What should I eat before a long run?
Keep it simple. A few reliable, tested options:
White toast, banana, and a spoon or two of honey
Plain bagels with honey or jam
A bagel, a banana, and honey
Bread and bagels are packed with easily digested carbohydrate that tops up your muscle glycogen stores. Bananas add extra carbohydrate while staying gentle on the stomach. Honey gives you a quick source of energy without leaving you feeling overly full. Together, they hit every mark: high carb, low fibre, low fat, easy to digest.
How much should I eat before a long run?
Portion size should scale with your bodyweight, not be identical for every runner. A 55kg runner and a 90kg runner heading out for the same long run don't need the same breakfast, treating them the same means one of you is underfuelled and the other is unnecessarily full before you've taken a single step. As a rough guide, smaller runners need less bread and honey than heavier runners to hit the same relative carb intake.
How long before a run should I eat?
2 to 3 hours before, for a standard training long run. On race morning, that gap often stretches to 3 to 4 hours between breakfast and the start line, that's normal, and the only real difference between a training morning and race morning.
What foods should I avoid before running?
Anything high in fibre or fat, both take longer to digest and are far more likely to cause stomach issues mid-run. Steer clear of high-fibre cereals, wholemeal or seeded bread if you're prone to stomach issues, fried or greasy food, large portions of nuts, beans, lentils, and spicy food.
Do I need to drink water before a long run?
Yes. Aim for 400 to 600ml of water in the two hours before you run. If it's warm out, you're a salty sweater, or you're expecting to sweat heavily, add an electrolyte.
Do I need a carbohydrate drink before running?
For most shorter long runs, no, your breakfast is enough. But on your biggest marathon training runs and on race day, a carbohydrate drink (Maurten Drink Mix 320 provides roughly 80g of carbohydrate per bottle) earns its place. It doesn't replace breakfast, it adds to it, letting you top up your fuel without feeling overly full before you set off.
Should I have a gel before I start running?
Not if you've eaten breakfast 2 to 3 hours before, no. Start fuelling on the run itself instead. The exception is race day and your biggest key sessions, where a gel in the final 5 to 10 minutes before the gun tops off what your carb drink started.
Want this built around your exact numbers?
This guide covers the general rules, but every runner's needs shift with bodyweight, goal race, and how their gut actually responds on the day. That's exactly what 1:1 coaching is for, a fuelling plan built around your body and your race, not a generic template.
