How many gels do you eat during a marathon?

Pinch the top of the cup to create a spout...and to prevent fluid from overflowing while you are moving/sipping from the cup.re: bonking. You're going to bonk or have muscle cramps if you don't pace yourself well (go out too fast). If the fitness/training isn't there it doesn't matter how much you can eat and drink...you're going to be slowing down in the second half for one reason or another.You will also bonk if you are pushing your limits to get a PR and don't take in any calories. You are going to need calories. Whether it is 200 kcal/hr or 300-400 kcal/hr depends on your body weight, metabolism and running economy/efficiency. Whether you get them in a liquid form (sports drink) and/or a "gel form" (or some other solid form) depends as not all products are created equal - and some people can stomach stuff better than others. It also depends on what pace/velocity you are running at and how limited blood flow is to your GI tract as well as how hard you are breathing.I took 5 gels at Boston in 2015 (also had special "elite" fluid bottle/tables...but those were filled with a very low calorie, watered down electrolyte mix). See what products the marathons have at the aid stations (usually a race sponsor) and practice with that. Also being able to carry gels (or any calories) in your shorts pockets can be key. When I ran 2:16 I only took 4 gels, but was drinking a watered down carb-based sports drink as well. 4 gels in some good short pockets don't bounce around too much and don't feel too heavy...totally worth it. At some point there is probably going to be a fine line in the last 5-10km where you might feel like puking and bonking at the same....but that just means you're running hard!

Banner wrote:

Ok so Elites like Feb get handed lovely bottles at convenient places, that's fine for them but us joggers have to make to with tiny paper or plastics cups...I find getting anything out of these and into my mouth impossible when running and I run slow! Anyone have any tips? Do you down it in one? Take sips?

Excellent tips, thank you. Also want to apologize for my typos..as you can see I can barely type on a phone let one handle a paper cup at MP! ;)

Anybody ever taking accelerade as their fueling drinking during the marathon?

3 marathons, all between 2:30 and 2:35 at ages 42, 43 and 45.

4-5 gels.

5, 10, 14 and 18 miles for sure, and also at 22 miles for the last 2 marathons.

I bonked in my first marathon (2:35) at 22 miles or so. It was awful, and my stomach tolerates gels without issue, so I figure that I might as well overdo the gels since there is no downside for me and I never want to feel that bonking feeling again.

I carry 4 with me (two in zip pocket in the back of my racers, one under my watch band, one in my hand or stuffed in that zip pocket depending on how I feel) and pick one up on the race course when they hand them out, usually at 18 or so. I could probably get away with carrying 3 and grabbing 2, but I figure if I miss the station for some reason, I can probably make due with 4, but only 3 might be dicey.

Also, I will tell you that I never really want to take that last gel, not even in NYC in 2014 when it turned out that I needed it. The thing is, if you wait until you feel that need it, it is too late because it will take 15 minutes or so after consuming the gel for it to hit your blood stream. No one wants to feel that way for 15 minutes in the late stages of the marathon.

So my conclusion is to consume them in practice and if you have no GI issues or other distress, err on the side of one too many rather than trying to get it jusssssst right.

rcjason says "Make sure you eat at least one gel every 45 minutes during your marathon for optimal performance"

Stay tuned! More 26.2 tips coming soon!

3 gels at miles 7, 14, 20. 3:05 at Boston.

When you take the gels, be sure to chase with water, not Gatorade.

I take 4 gels or 400 calories in energy chews and I alternate between Gatorade and water at the stations. This works fairly well and I don't bonk. Practice this on your long runs and see how your stomach handles it. Some people need more. Some need less. You'll figure it out.

3 gels: 7,13,19 miles

Alternate small drinks of water and Gatorade at each station

2:37

800 dude wrote:

Inconsistent wrote:

Are you bonking, or just getting fatigued and fading at the end? Big difference but people saying bonking all the time when it really is just poor pacing or lack of endurance.

Agreed, though bonking isn't really binary. It's not like you're just cruising along and suddenly the fuel is gone. As fuel stores run low, perceived exertion increases, even before your'e really depleted. Taking adequate carbohydrate ensures that your brain doesn't sabotage your performance.

It was pretty binary for me one time. I went from 8:20 mile pace to walking in the space of about a hundred yards in my second marathon. It just all of a sudden felt like all the life was sucked out if me. Or maybe it was the heat. 5 weeks later I ran another marathon and the bonk was more gradual like you described

Does anybody know if most elites chose a bottled drink or do they do a combination of both a drink and gel?

I agree except for maybe the last part. If you mean take one more with you than you need then I agree but one does not want to take one too many and vomit. I too take 4 or 5 gels during the race and take one shortly before the race. I read elsewhere that one can digest the calories in one gel in approximately 30 to 45 minutes. Slower runners may be able to take more. My 3 races have been between 3:10 and 3:25. I typically take one water cup and one Gatorade at each aid station if it is hot like it was at Boston this year. With Boston having the aid stations so close together I may not have taken Gatorade at each. I drink some of the water and poor the rest on my head and down my back. I wish the Gatorade was diluted because I have trouble drinking it straight after a while in a race. I eventually almost regurgitated the Gatorade at one station so stopped taking it and took two water cups and poured a whole one over my head and down my back. I am not sure why some races hand out gel when there is no water nearby. Many like me find they need to take water to wash down the thicker gels. I will hold onto a gel until water is available. I'll skip Gatorade when I take a gel. Runners may not want to take any Gatorade if they take enough gels. I too have missed gels at stations. I prefer my Clif Shot vanilla gel over of the other flavors I have tried. I think the vanilla is very easy on my stomach. Some runners may not want to risk taking whatever gel flavor they can manage to grab at an aid station. I also like the lower cost of the Clif Shot vanilla flavor when I bought a box of them on Amazon.

I have shorts with slim side pockets that will hold two gels each. But I did not like the weight of two gels bouncing as I ran. On a training run I did try using a safety pin to hold two gels on the outside of my shorts and then rolled them to the inside of my shorts. For Chicago I think I will put one gel in each of the two pockets and two on the waist band safety pins.

It comes down to take as much gel and/or Gatorade as your stomach can handle within reason.

How to at:

3/4 of a Cliff bar or power bar...old style plain 20-30 minutes before start

2-3 gels normally 3/4 of each every 10-12k... I struggle with eating a full one...

"no caffeine" Gu's they make me cramp weird' since I drink more coffee than anyone you have ever met I promise.

2:30guy

I've never finished strong but also never bonk. Just fade at 20...

I read some scientific article in Medline that suggested 60 to 90 gr of carbs per hour for a 2-3 hour effort at a regular pattern.

I took in total 8 gels, each with 22g of CH, 3 of them with 50mg of caffeine.

During the 15 minutes before the start:

2 gels diluted in 200ml of water

Then one gel every 20 minutes after 40 minutes, so:

40min

1h

1h20min with caffeine

1h40min

2h00min with caffeine

2h15min with caffeine

2:29:12

PB at 41 y/o

A few cliff blocks before the race

1 Gu at mile 7 (from shorts pocket)

1 Gu at mile 14 (stapled to side of shorts and folded over to the inside)

1 Gu at mile 21 (also stapled to shorts)

Drink water at every refueling station

2:28 finish time. Training was a bigger factor, but taking more fuel definitely helped me take time off of my previous PR. Running is the ONLY endurance sport where many athletes don't seem to understand the importance of fueling during long competitions.

6

2 at 10, 2 at 14 and 2 at 19

Nice link to an advert...

3 gels with 45mg caffeine each

1 at 45 minutes, 1 at 90 minutes, 1 at 120 minutes

2:35

I support 4-5 gels or so. I've also taken 1 15-20 minutes before the start. Last two marathons in the mid-2:40s.

Do folks take gatorade/an electrolyte drink the entire marathon with gels or some mix of water/gatorade?

I do one gel on the start line, then one every five miles (~30 minutes) or so, depending on the water station.

For a cool marathon I would have Gatorade at those stations only, maybe more for a warmer race. Though I go in VERY hydrated.