Race Day Breakfast

Every athlete has different pre-race and breakfast rituals. If you are still finding your optimal pre-race fuelling, here are some guidelines (depending on how much time you have to digest your food).

Whatever you plan for race day, be sure to practice it before your long training sessions.  Don't try anything new on race day!

Below, we list how many grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of your body weight you’ll need to consume pre-race; they are meant as a guide (and therefore, there is a range); you will need to practice to find what your body can tolerate and what works best for you.

You’ll need to study the nutritional information on packets and stick with mostly carbohydrate products. A simple internet search ("how many carbs in a banana") will help you learn more about how much to eat. Avoid fibrous foods like corn or broccoli. Normally, they are fine but can cause stomach upset during a race.

Choose volumes according to how much time you have pre-race:

If you choose to eat your breakfast 4 hours pre-race:

• Carbohydrate: 3-4 grams per kg (body weight). If you weigh 70kg = 175-280 grams of carbs.
• Fluid: 5–7 ml/kg. If you weigh 70kg = 350-490 ml.
• Sodium and Electrolyte: Consume 450–1120 mg (according to sweat rate) of sodium per litre from a sports drink, salt capsules or small amounts of salty food to stimulate thirst and retain consumed fluids.

OR If you choose to eat your breakfast 3 hours pre-race:

• Carbohydrate: 2-3 grams per kg (body weight). If you weigh 70kg = 140-210 grams of carbs.
• Fluid: 4–6 ml/kg. If you weigh 70kg = 280-420 ml.
• Sodium: Consume 450–1120 mg (according to sweat rate) of sodium per litre from a sports drink, salt capsules or small amounts of salty food to stimulate thirst and retain consumed fluids.

OR If you choose to eat your breakfast 2 hours pre-race:

• Carbohydrate:1.5-2 grams per kg (body weight). If you weigh 70kg = 105-140 grams of carbs.
• Fluid: 3–5 ml/kg. If you weigh 70kg = 210-350 ml.
• Sodium: Consume 450–1120 mg (according to sweat rate) of sodium per litre from a sports drink, salt capsules or small amounts of salty food to stimulate thirst and retain consumed fluids.

OR If you choose to eat your breakfast 1 hour pre-race:

• Carbohydrate: Around 1 gram per kg (body weight). If you weigh 70kgs = 70 grams of carbs.
• Fluid: 2–4 ml/kg. If you weigh 70kg = 140-280 ml.
• Sodium: Consume 450–1120 mg (according to sweat rate) of sodium per litre from a sports drink, salt capsules or small amounts of salty food to stimulate thirst and retain consumed fluids.

(For US conversion, use these calculators: grams to US ounces OR kilograms to pounds.)

Example Breakfast - 3-4 hours before race start:

• Overnight oats (150 grams oats, scoop of protein powder, 240 ml milk, 1 tablespoon chia seeds, 1 tablespoon peanut butter, 1 tablespoon maple syrup). About 170 grams carbs/45g protein/16g fat. 
• Coffee and electrolyte drink

Useful Links

Race Day Nutrition Plan for Endurance Events (less than 3 hours)

Race Day Nutrition Plan for Endurance Events (3+ hours)

Fuelling Options

Nutrition Logistics

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