What runners should (and shouldn’t) eat before a big race
“It’s all about the carbs.”
In a few weeks, some of the nation’s fittest people will descend on one of the nation’s healthiest cities for the Boston Marathon.
While you may think runners will flock to the city’s juice bars and salad spots for their pre-marathon fuel, you actually might have better luck finding racers throughout the North End, where pizza and pasta are offered in abundance.
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For pre-race dinners, Boston-based sports nutritionist Nancy Clark, RD, said to focus on carbohydrates rather than protein.
“It’s all about the carbs, so oatmeal instead of eggs, spaghetti instead of salmon, and sandwiches where the bread serves as the meat,” she said.
At the official BAA Sunday pre-race dinner at City Hall Plaza, for example, the menu will include penne marinara and three-cheese mac and cheese.
That said, if you’re a marathon runner—or a future racer—make sure you don’t order anything the night before that’s not already part of your regular eating routine.
“You shouldn’t be changing anything in your diet right before a race,” said Clark, author of Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook and Food Guide for Marathoners.
As a runner, you’ll have spent the past few months learning what works best for your body in terms of digestion before exercise.
“[When] you train for a marathon, you also put your intestinal tract through training,” Clark said.
Apply these rules to your morning-of breakfast, as well, and don’t forget to take a snack for the starting line.
“The biggest mistake people make before the Boston Marathon is eating their normal breakfast at home and not realizing they have another four hours before the marathon,” she said.
She recommended that runners pack a bagel and peanut butter to have right before the race. For another pre-race snack, check out elite runner and Olympic medalist Shalane Flanagan’s Superhero Muffin recipe from her book, Run Fast. Eat Slow.
Heather Mayer Irvine, food and nutrition editor for Runner’s World, also said that it’s most important for runners to keep things consistent right before the race.
“Choose blander food, ones that are low in fiber, fat, and moderate in protein,” she said via email. “Plain toast or toast with a little bit of jam or peanut butter, white pasta with a traditional marinara sauce, a few meatballs for protein, a small bowl of oatmeal (probably not the best decision on race morning because it’s so high in fiber), a bagel.”
Amby Burfoot, 1968 Boston Marathon winner and current Runner’s World writer-at-large, learned this lesson the hard way the year before running his winning race. He consumed a jar of apple butter the night before the marathon, which he paid for in lost time the next day.
“Not a good choice,” Burfoot said via email. “I had to make two gas station bathroom stops the next day—no port-a-potties on the course back then—and lost about five minutes. Otherwise, I ran well, finishing 17th overall, the number I wore in 1968.”
A couple years ago, Burfoot said he had pre-race dinner plans with Ben Beach, who ran his 50th consecutive Boston Marathon in 2017.
“I figure we old guys have to stick together and dine together,” Burfoot said. “We’re eating at a Uno Pizzeria. I’ll have a modest plate of pasta with simple tomato sauce.”
For those who really want to indulge in some sweets before the race, you’re in luck.
“Jelly beans are very high in carbohydrates,” Clark said. “Good for carb loading.”
Photos: The Boston Marathon through the years:
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