Here’s everything you need to know about fueling up before the race so you’re ready to run your best.
By Pamela Nisevich Bede, reviewed by Namrita Brooke, Ph.D., R.D.N. Sports Dietitian & Nutrition Advisor
If you want to run a great first 5K or your fastest 5 kilometres, then you should never underestimate the power of food. The proper prerace fuel will help you stay energized throughout the race, without leaving you with stomach cramps or sending you sprinting for the bathroom.
So what’s best to eat before a 5K? Follow these seven fueling tips to figure out what’s best and set yourself up for PR success.
1. Stay Hydrated
It’s best to sip water regularly throughout the days before the race. Avoid pounding the fluids right before the starting gun; this could you leave you feeling sick to your stomach or needing to take a break from the race to hit the bathroom. You want to start hydrating days before running—not minutes.
Wash down your prerace meal with plenty of fluids, aiming for 17 to 20 ounces two to three hours before the race. It’s okay to have coffee, tea, or a sports drink as part of your pre-event hydration strategy if you regularly drink those fluids before running and they don’t upset your stomach.
2. Skip the Carb Load
The practice of carb-loading (increasing your intake of carbohydrate-heavy foods while cutting back on protein and fat in the days before a race) is geared toward events of 90 minutes or longer. And more than likely, you’ll be done with your 5K long before that!
For a 5K, you likely have enough fuel already stored in your body—and topping them off with a carbohydrate-based prerace meal will help you do that—to race your best without risking running out of energy.
3. Eat a Light Prerace Breakfast
If your race is in the morning, consume a 200- to 300-calorie meal one to two hours before the race. The majority of the calories should come from familiar, easy-to-digest carbs. But keep the meal low in fiber and fat, as both take a long time to digest. Aim for less than 10 grams of fibre per serving (or less if you have a sensitive stomach); limit fat to 5 to 10 grams.
It’s also a good idea to stay away from spicy foods, which could upset your stomach.
Experiment with different foods before training runs so you know what works (or doesn’t work) for your system, and there will be no surprises on race day.
Here are a few ideas you can try.
- Bagel with a small peeled apple plus 8 ounces of sports drink
- English muffin topped with 2 tablespoons of jam and a piece of fruit
- Bowl of oatmeal topped with fruit and brown sugar
4. Afternoon Race? Eat Light and Healthy
If your race is in the late afternoon or early evening, what you eat at breakfast and lunch will have a big impact on how you feel during the event. For breakfast, focus on carbs with some lean protein. You might try oatmeal with fruit, low-fat yogurt topped with fruit and granola, or a bagel topped with a scrambled egg and some fruit on the side. Cereal is a great bet, but avoid high-fiber cereals (those with more than 5 grams of fiber per serving).
At lunch, avoid high-fat and high-protein items. You might have a cup of pasta tossed with some marinara sauce, plus a cup of skim milk. (Skip the cheese and buttery garlic bread.) Or you might try a turkey sandwich (hold the mayo and go easy on the veggie toppings) with a side of pretzels and a bottle of water.
Avoid eating until you’re stuffed and try to finish your meal about two hours prior to the start. You don’t want to arrive at the starting line still feeling too full.
5. Have a Prerace Snack If You’re Hungry
If you feel hungry on the way to the race, have a small snack of 100 to 150 calories that quiets your hunger without filling you up. You might grab a small banana or a handful of animal crackers. Or have some energy chews or an energy bar for quick fuel that’s easy to digest. Choose one that is high in carbohydrates and has less than 10 grams of protein and fat. Wash it down with a couple sips of water or sports drink.
6. Make Time for a Pit Stop
Plan to arrive at the race with enough time to hit the bathrooms before the race begins without feeling rushed. Arriving at least one hour before the starting gun fires should give you plenty of time.
7. Don’t Do Anything New
Whatever you consume, make it something that’s worked for you during your regular training runs. It should be something that makes you feel energized but doesn’t leave you with an upset stomach. Don’t try anything new; you don’t want your first 5K to be derailed by a pit stop.
