Marathon - no gels/food?

[adventurer2020]

Has anyone got experience of running a marathon (looking at c. 4 hours ) without eating anything or taking any gels? They never seem to sit right with me but I also have never run that far! Marathon isn't til October so I have time either way. TIA 😊

I'm a Jeffer and do my long runs on 10 minutes running/2 minutes walking, so I eat a little bite of flapjack and have a swig of water on each walk break. In my running days I used to have a gel every 45 minutes.

Try different types of gels it’s not a one size fits all 💩

My running coach says fuel is essential and to have 60g carbs per hour especially if you want to achieve a good finish. I don't know anyone who exercises hard for hours and doesn't take something, even something like jelly babies.

I hated gels at first but I persevered until I found ones I didn't mind. I also like the cliff energy blocks but gels are better in terms of more value for a smaller volume. I've just got some kendal mint cake to try to mix it up and I also take an energy drink with me on anything over a 10K. The veleforte chews are nice and really easy to eat but they also get really sticky so I found them difficult to get out during my run.

Try different brand gels (I like the high 5 ones, the aqua ones are less gel like but the caffeine ones are horrible, very bitter!) I've also just got some SIS beta fuel, more carbs per gel so I need less in total, good for those who get sick of the gels. 40g of carbs Vs 23g for a standard high 5 one.

Experiment in your training. I have run 4 marathons with a slightly different fuelling technique in each.

1 gel I can handle, more than 1...,no way. There are runners who can have 5 or 6 with no bad effects, and some wouldn't be able to tolerate that.

I liked sweets (maom stripes, extra strong mints, jelly babies), a banana if you can find a friend to pass you one mod race, water with some electrolytes and a trail / muesli type bar have all worked well.

And overnight oats ready for when you finish.

Can't stand gels but have been using the Saturday app and make my own hydration solution instead. Got me through a 4 day ultra in good shape and use it for all longer runs now

I can't stomach gels! 🤢 when I've done marathons the most I've ever run with is a couple of bags of mini bags of haribo. Otherwise I just make sure I've eaten/drank well in the couple of days beforehand and don't feel the need for anything during the race.

Have you tried the energy sweets? Hi5 do nice gummies.

Tailwind is your friend, mix it up and drink it. I used it for my first marathon but really should have doubled the doses I used in hindsight.
subsequent marathons I used Maurtens gels (very weird consistency, I chew them) with water, and some Kendal mint cakes. They are a game changer. You can just dissolve them in your mouth if you’re literally too tired to chew.

I've heard so much about Tailwind... but it means you have to carry it with you on the day? Or can you somehow dissolve it at a water station?

One of the good things about races (for me) is not having to run with my vest on. Running far without carrying extra always feels liberating to me. I always carry water training, for anything over about 8 miles, but I hate having it for a race (I never race with it).

People ran marathons way before the gels were invented. Nakd bars or protein bars, sweets, electrolyte drinks or water with berocca in all give a good energy boost.

They did... but gels are a great way to get the carbs your body needs into your system quickly and efficiently.

Nakd bars have about 15g carbs, whilst gels have 25-30g. That's a big difference. Bars are harder to eat on the go, plus they need digesting. So you're making your body work harder and use the resources you need to run to digest food. And you don't feel the effect of the carbs as quickly (and they won't last as long).

Nakd bars are indisputably nicer than gels. Absolutely no argument there. But they are not an efficient way to fuel a marathon. And Berroca has no carbs in it, so will be useless as fuel. Handy afterwards maybe, but not during.

Added to which, you're supposed to take on 30-60g carbs an hour on a long run/race, so in a 4hr marathon that's 8 Nakd bars! Nice as they may be, no-one wants to eat 8 of them in that time (or carry them round).

Gels aren't very nice. But if you're training for/running a marathon, it's worth finding one that works for you (or equivalent chews etc). They are all much better than real food for that purpose.

If you're training for/running an ultra, then that's different...

I hate gels too. I use PowerPoint Powergel energy shots (raspberry flavour). They are chewy sweets but soft enough to swallow quickly and have a decent flavour not too artificial.
Unless you are running very slowly like run /walk you will need something!
The only alternative may be to have water bottles with you and drop some tablette into the water to create an energy drink that you can sip

Same here, I have a hydration vest with my phone, water, gels, tissues in for my own long (10+) mile runs but running without carrying anything is partly what makes me run faster in a race! For a half I just carry 1 gel in my hand, until about 8 miles when I eat it. I do have a gel belt for marathons

My first marathon (sub 4 hours) I did with 5 jelly babies to fuel me, (1 every 5 miles) but now I would take on more fuel. It is trial and error with gels, some are more palatable than others. Or sweets (jelly babies or haribos, or sport specific ones) or sports drinks.

I pre-made it and carried it for the first marathon, second one I pre-made a 500ml bottle for my husband to hand me at mile 24 and it was magic. I could feel it in my legs!
You could certainly carry the sachets if you were sure you were getting bottled water so you could give it a shake . I emailed Tailwind for ideas and they suggested making it into a syrup consistency to take either . You could use those refillable gel containers. I think Kendal Mint peddle them.

Another marathoner who can't stomach gels without issues.

For me it's the artificial sugar that makes me want to hurl, however I struggled with the volume of things like flapjack to get enough fuel in me.

Therefore I've had the best results of a bit of real food (to line the stomach) followed by chews.

So on the hour, every hour I have a Soreen (30g carbs), run with it in hand and have a few bites over 10-20 mins. Then over the rest of the hour, I need to have at least 4 Cliff Shot Bloks to get me enough. And repeat until finished!

Really good to see good reviews for Tailwind on here, I'm keen to try that next as I'm a thirsty runner and happy to carry water!

I might give tailwind a go, from reading this!

Gels make me heave and I can't chew sweets properly.

I currently use energy blocks from Luchos. They're a weird consistency, kinda of like a jelly sweet but softer combined with a soft sugar cube- I usually get the lychee flavour and I actually look forward to them and it keeps me going 😂 (plus they're wrapped in banana leaf so no plastic 🥰).

Maurten hydrogel are a bit more "chewy" if the texture is an issue, they're not as sweet as some brands. Expensive, but they're pretty gentle on the GI system.

Hi 5 aqua gels are just like a swig of squash, so another option.

I'm another who likes torq.

There are some good solid options around - shot bloks are the classic but I think pretty much all endurance fuel brands do some now. But stay away from protein/oats ones. You want easy to digest stuff.

I also like some of the drink mixes that are about - take a running vest and load up your flasks and you're all set.

I did, I can’t stand gels, and running and eating just gave me indigestion and a bad stomach. I did have some jelly babies for the end in my bag but all I wanted was the apple they gave when I finished. I just took the water as and when and finished in about 4.10 I think

@unicornpower did you eat a big breakfast / dinner beforehand?

Jelly babies! Although by the end I never want to see another one ever again 😂

I'm In the same boat, marathon training and only up to about 20k now so new to this! Has anyone tried the decathlon gels/jellies?

The jellies are awful I'm afraid! I can eat most things but the flavour and texture just made them really hard to get in, like nasty fruit pastilles, tough to chew.

Not tried the gels.

Oh no, I've just bought a couple of packs ha ha. Think I'll start with Maurten instead so. Thanks 🙌

Another vote for Maurten. I can’t abide the hi5/SiS gels but these just taste like sugar tablets. Very mild and don’t mess up my tummy

I like Maurten as well, good choice. Bit spendy though!

They are that!