Unsure how to fuel your next 10K race? Eating enough of the right foods ahead of your race, including the night before and on race morning itself, can help to boost your performance and contribute to a more enjoyable running experience.
While it isn’t as far as a half marathon or marathon, the 10K distance should not be underestimated and is still no mean feat. To feel strong and energetic throughout your 10K race, your body needs to be stocked up on glycogen, which comes from fuelling your body with the right nutrition.
We’ve consulted an expert to dig into the details.
What should you eat the night before a 10K race?
According to SiS sports nutritionist Emma Barraclough, runners should aim to eat a carbohydrate-rich meal the night before a race. ‘This could be pasta, rice, potato or cereal based,’ she suggests. ‘Some lean protein is fine to include, but try to avoid anything too high in fat, such as cheese sauces, pastry and cream, which can sit heavy in the stomach and be slow to transit through your gut.’
The main goal is to top up the stores of glycogen in your muscles and liver and feel as comfortable as possible the next morning.
However, you shouldn’t just be thinking about the food that you’re eating – taking on enough fluids is equally important. ‘Make sure that you are hydrated the night before, using your urine colour as a guide,’ says Barraclough. ‘It should be straw-coloured. Avoid alcohol, which can cause dehydration and deplete your muscle glycogen stores.’
Also, if you’ve stayed nicely hydrated in the days before a race, there’s no need to drink loads on the morning of your race. In fact, many runners prefer to not drink anything in the hour leading up to a race to avoid the risk of needing a mid-race toilet stop.
What should you eat for breakfast on race day?
Barraclough recommends that you eat your breakfast roughly two to three hours before your starts, as this will give your body enough time to digest it. It’s also worth noting that race day is not the moment to experiment with a brand-new breakfast. By eating a familiar breakfast that you regularly eat before training runs, you’ll make your life easier by avoiding the risk of developing an upset stomach mid-race.
‘Again, this meal should be carbohydrate-based and, ideally, include some high-glycaemic carbohydrates,’ says Barraclough. ‘Good examples include cereal, porridge with jam or honey, toast with jam or cereal bars with yoghurt and fruit. This, again, is to help top up your muscle glycogen levels.’
It’s also worth taking on some electrolytes. ‘Aim to drink at least 500ml of fluid from waking to the start of the race,’ says Barraclough. ‘The body will better retain a drink with sodium in it; electrolyte tabs like SiS GO Hydro are an option for this.
A cup of coffee might help, too. ‘If you are an experienced 10K runner and want to push for a PB, it might be worth thinking about taking caffeine before running,’ she adds. According to a 2021 paper published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, caffeine has proven to be a performance enhancer when it comes to aerobic endurance activities, providing moderate to large benefits.
However, there are caveats. As Barraclough says: ‘Some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others, so ideally you should be a regular caffeine user [coffee or tea drinker] and have tried it a few times in training. A dose of around 150mg one hour before the race [roughly equivalent to two espresso shots] is a good level to start at; up to 300mg as an absolute daily maximum.’
Do you need to fuel during a 10K race?
The good thing about the 10K, unlike longer distances, is that you probably don’t need to worry about having a mid-race fuelling strategy.
Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition Best Garmin deals – so unless your 10K is likely to take over an hour and a half, you shouldn’t need to take on any fuel along the way. ‘If you have adequately fuelled your body the evening and morning before the event, you should have enough stored energy in your body to run your 10K without requiring any extra fuel during the run,’ notes Barraclough.
What should you eat before training runs?
While training runs do not necessarily have the same high stakes as a race, they are the important building blocks that help you to get to the start line in good shape. So, to get the most out of your training runs, you still need to be fuelling well – before and after.
If you’re pushing it hard in training, with your heart rate above 65% of your maximum, for example, you need some carbohydrates in your system at the start. ‘Regardless of the time of day that you run, try to have a carbohydrate-rich snack two hours before your run if you want to run at your best.’
You’ll also want to aim to eat within 30 minutes of finishing your run to quickly restore your glycogen stores and help your body to recover.
‘If you’re running during a lunch break, make sure that you hydrate well during your morning at work – and always ensure that you have eaten breakfast,’ says Barraclough. ‘You’ll also need to eat a balanced lunch to help your recovery afterward. This meal should be a combination of carbohydrates and lean protein, such as chicken salad wraps, a tuna pasta salad or a jacket potato with cottage cheese. Again, make sure that you rehydrate well afterward as well.’
Rick Pearson is the senior editor at Runner’s World UK. He’s been with the brand since 2017 and loves testing PB-friendly shoes for on and off road. Rick is a sub-three marathoner and occasionally likes to remind people of this on the Runner’s World podcast, which he co-hosts. He once raced a steam train over 14 miles (he won, narrowly) and a horse over a marathon (he lost, comfortably).
