Marathon Meal Plan - Saturday

Overall dietary guidelines:

Contrary to previous beliefs, the week before the marathon isn’t all about piling on the pasta. In fact, to maximize carbohydrate (fuel) stores before the race, runners only need to start ‘fuelling up' or ‘carb-loading' two or three days before the race (three days if you prefer a slower increase in your daily intake). Read more in our guide to carb-loading.

Earlier in the week, it may be useful to start including snacks to train the gut in preparation for increased carbohydrate intake in the days leading up to the race. 

As a general rule, what you eat should be different depending on the training demands for that day (or when you are preparing for the race itself) to promote sufficient fuelling and recovery. Discover what to eat on different training days with our training meal plans for runners.

We’ve included examples of the race training program from the London Marathon to plan your nutrition for this day.

Saturday training:

Gentle stretching
* Beginner's guidelines as recommended by the London Marathon.

Saturday nutrition:

It's the day before the big race. Whilst carbohydrates are still the priority to fuel for the race ahead, it's important to stick to the foods you know – now is not the time to start experimenting with extra spice or fatty dishes, which may cause a stomach upset.

Often the biggest mistake is trying to eat too much the day before and feeling uncomfortable on the morning of the race – stick to your normal routine here (only have a dessert or an evening snack if you usually have one), so you're up and ready to eat breakfast before the race.

Breakfast

Crunchy granola with berries & cherries
Make your breakfast a fruity feast – this recipe is full of satisfying texture and goodness.

Morning snack

Fruit, oat & seed bars
A tasty twist on flapjacks with a luscious layer of apricots inside.

Lunch

Rice & bean enchiladas
Filling and great value for money, try these Mexican-inspired vegetarian wraps for a speedy and spicy supper.

Afternoon snack

Spanish tomato bread with Jamon Serrano
These tasty tapas snacks are ready in just five minutes.

Dinner

Bacon & mushroom pasta
A simple one-pan pasta dish with bacon, mushrooms, and pesto – ready in under 30 minutes.

Dessert/evening snack (optional)

Brilliant banana loaf
Perfect for using up over-ripe bananas, this is a seriously moreish treat. As mentioned, only eat a dessert or evening snack if you usually do in order to feel comfortable on race day tomorrow.