Provisioning and Nutritional Recommendations for the Marathon race

In order to run and successfully complete the distance of 42 kilometers of the Marathon, runners should have followed a complete training plan and a healthy diet. We also should have taken enough rest and taken into account hydration and nutrition during the race.

Along the race, and also at the finish line, runners will be offered liquid and solid provisioning points every 5 kilometers, and two more special points with gels. In all the provisions in the Valencia Marathon, runners will find bottled water (33 cl) and Powerade isotonic drinking glasses (15 cl).

Next, you will be provided with nutritional information per unit, so runners will know exactly how many Carbohydrates (CHO) have to take in the race. It is much more important than we think.

During the whole race and from the first provisioning point, you have to take Carbohydrates and hydrate properly. Do not skip any point.

Do the calculations, so that every hour you take between 30/60 grams of CHO.

• Drink water in each provisioning point, between 25 and 30 cl of liquid (if possible, in a regulated manner and not all at once).
• Remember that the Powerade you will be given in the provisioning points contains CHO (about 8 grams for each bottom of a glass, which is about 15 cl). So it will be added to the possible gel you may take.
• From the provisioning at Km 25 to the finish line, there will be fruit in each point. There will be bananas and dried apricots.
• Bananas: 1 unit is approximately 22 grams of CHO. Every 1/3 of banana 7 grams
• Dried apricots: 1 unit (9 grams) contains 5 grams of CHO
• At Km18 and 29 there will be Enervit gels. Each packet (25 grams) contains 17.8 grams of Carbohydrates.
• In addition, in the finish line there will be water, isotonic drink and fruit to help runner’s recovery.

[vcr_note note_color=”#f89e28″ text_color=”#040404″ radius=”5″]Other Recommendations[/vcr_note]

Sunday temperatures are expected to be between 20-22 degrees maximum, according to the history of recent years, so it will be hot. However, do not forget to check the weather forecast closer to the race.

Salt is very important to avoid dehydration. Gels and Powerade already contain salt, but an extra capsule for every hour of running is recommended and always taken together with at least 20 cl of water (never alone).

Caffeine increases performance, but no matter how much you take, you will not perform better. The equivalent of a cup of coffee before the race and at most the equivalent of two during the race can help you to be more active and perform better (beware of those who cannot tolerate it because it may cause diarrhea).