Race Day Nutrition Planner — Gel Schedule & Carb Targets
Plan your complete race day nutrition: total carbs needed, exact gel timing schedule, and fluid intake targets based on race distance and pace.
Pace: 5:41/km
Your Gel Schedule — take with 200ml water
First gel — start early, before you feel hungry
at 7.9km mark
Gel 2
at 14.1km mark
Gel 3
at 20.2km mark
Gel 4
at 26.4km mark
Gel 5
at 32.5km mark
Gel 6
at 38.7km mark
* Start fuelling at 45 minutes — before you feel like you need it
Get your 11 race day gels
NorthLine Gold Standard — 22g dual-source carbs, no GI upset
Why Race Nutrition Planning Matters
Most runners who "hit the wall" do so not because they're unfit — but because they failed to fuel. Glycogen depletion at mile 20 is entirely preventable with a pre-planned nutrition strategy.The Core Principle: Fuel Before You Need It
Your gut requires ~20 minutes to absorb carbohydrates from an energy gel. If you wait until you feel slow or fatigued, you're already 20 minutes behind. Fuelling must be proactive, not reactive.How Many Carbohydrates Do You Need?
| Duration | Target Carb Intake | | :--- | :--- | | Under 60 min | None required (water only) | | 60–90 min | 30g/hr minimum | | 90 min–3 hr | 60g/hr | | Over 3 hr | 60–90g/hr (dual-transporter gels) |The Dual-Transporter Advantage
Standard glucose-only products allow ~60g/hr of carbohydrate absorption. Gels using a glucose:fructose blend (2:1 ratio) — such as the NorthLine Gold Standard range — unlock absorption of up to 90g/hr by utilising two separate intestinal transport proteins simultaneously.This matters most in races over 2.5 hours, where the cumulative carbohydrate deficit from using a single-transporter product becomes performance-limiting.
Gel Timing Protocol
* Start fuelling at 40–45 minutes — before glycogen stores begin to deplete * Take a gel every 30–40 minutes after that * Always consume with 150–200ml of water (never with a sports drink — too much sugar at once) * Last gel 20–30 minutes before finish — allows absorption to complete before the lineQ: Can I train my gut to absorb more carbs? A: Yes. The gut is trainable. Consistently practising fuelling during long training runs increases intestinal carbohydrate absorption capacity. Athletes who never fuel during training often experience GI distress on race day. Practice your exact race-day strategy in training.
Q: What if I can't stomach gels? A: Chews, real food, sports drinks, or bananas are alternatives. Solid foods are slower to digest and less reliable at race intensity. If gels cause GI issues, try consuming them more slowly over 2–3 minutes rather than all at once.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How many gels do I need for a marathon?
A: Most runners need 5–7 gels for a marathon. A 70kg runner taking 90 minutes needs roughly 1.5g carbs/kg/hr, requiring approximately 1 gel every 30–35 minutes from the 45-minute mark. This calculator gives you a personalised schedule based on your exact pace and weight.
Q: Should I eat breakfast before a marathon?
A: Yes — a carbohydrate-rich breakfast 2.5–3 hours before the start. Aim for 1–2g of carbs per kg bodyweight: oatmeal, white toast, banana, or rice cakes with honey. Avoid high-fat, high-fibre, or unfamiliar foods that may cause GI distress.
Q: What happens if I miss a gel during a race?
A: Missing one gel by 5–10 minutes is unlikely to have a significant impact if you've been consistently fuelling. However, missing two consecutive gel windows can create a meaningful glycogen deficit that presents as severe fatigue, loss of pace, and cognitive fogging — the classic "wall." Resume fuelling immediately.
Verified Data Sources & Authority References
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