Share with another athlete
Race Week Case Study: Fuelling for a 1:33 Half Marathon
1:33 half marathon.
The race was Sunday, so I tapered my training and stayed off my legs as much as possible.
But one thing I didn’t taper?
My fuelling. 👇
When you're preparing to race a half marathon at a strong pace, the goal isn't just to arrive at the start line with fresh legs.
It's also about arriving fuelled, recovered and ready to use the energy you've built up.
Here's what my race week looked like.
WEDNESDAY — LAST BIGGER SESSION
My final bigger session was:
2 minutes on, 1 minute off at half-marathon pace.
It was a chance to practise both the pace and my fuelling strategy before race day.
I had a Salted Caramel RED-Scue bar before the session.
For longer sessions, I'll sometimes have a bar during too, particularly when I'm running straight in from work.
Vanilla Cinnamon is my favourite for this, but I switch between the flavours depending on what I fancy — Orange, Lemon, Salted Caramel or Chocolate.
Afterwards, I made sure I fuelled again rather than leaving a big gap before eating.
Because the session doesn't finish when you stop running.
Recovery is part of the training too.
THURSDAY–FRIDAY — TAPER THE TRAINING, NOT THE FOOD
Training was reduced, including a full rest day on Friday.
I prefer this to taking a rest day immediately before a race because I don't like feeling too sluggish going into race day.
But while my training reduced, my food didn't.
I kept meals, snacks and carbohydrates consistent.
Rather than trying to eat one huge meal, I focused on regular fuelling throughout the day.
Less training didn't mean I suddenly stopped needing energy.
My body was still recovering from the training block and preparing for race day.
So my rule was simple:
Taper the training, not the food.
SATURDAY — KEEP IT FAMILIAR
Saturday was an easy run with some strides.
Then I had a RED-Scue bar straight afterwards to start recovery.
Nothing new.
Nothing experimental.
Just continuing with the foods and fuelling habits I'd already practised.
Because the day before a race isn't the time to completely change your nutrition.
RACE MORNING 🏁
The race started at 5:30am, so breakfast needed to be realistic.
A few hours before the start, I had my Vanilla Breakfast Jar.
I'd already practised eating it, so there was nothing new on race morning.
And it was particularly useful because I didn't have a kettle or cooler bag.
No overnight oats.
No kitchen.
No complicated preparation.
Just something I'd prepared beforehand and could eat before heading to the start.
DURING THE 1:33 HALF
During the race, I had a gel around the middle.
It worked during the run, but I didn't feel particularly great afterwards.
So next time, I'd personally opt for something more food-based.
And that's an important part of fuelling too.
You don't have to stick with something simply because it's marketed as "race fuel."
Your race fuelling needs to work for you.
Practise it in training.
See how you feel.
Adjust.
Then trust it on race day.
MY FUELLING GUIDE 👇
🍽️ EVERYDAY
3 meals + 2–4 snacks
Roughly every 3–4 hours, rather than leaving long gaps between eating.
🏃♀️ BEFORE
A carbohydrate-focused meal or snack 1–4 hours before, depending on the individual and what you tolerate.
⚡ DURING
For longer sessions and races, around 30–60g carbohydrate per hour can be a useful starting range, with individual needs varying.
For a 1:33 half marathon, you're racing for well over an hour, so having a plan for carbohydrate during the race can be relevant even if you're not running a marathon.
🔄 AFTER
Carbohydrates + protein to support recovery and replenish energy stores.
And importantly, don't leave a huge gap before eating.
🏁 RACE WEEK
Taper the training, not the food.
THE BIGGER LESSON
A 1:33 half marathon isn't just about what happens during those 13.1 miles.
It's also about everything you've done beforehand.
The training.
The recovery.
The sleep.
The taper.
And the fuelling.
Race week isn't the time to suddenly slash your food because you're running less.
Your training load is reducing because you're preparing your body for the race.
Your fuelling still has a job to do.
So rather than thinking:
"I'm training less, so I should eat less."
Think:
"I'm training less, so I'm giving my body the chance to recover and prepare."
Keep the meals.
Keep the snacks.
Keep the carbohydrates.
Keep practising.
And arrive at the start line knowing you've fuelled the work you've put in.
Taper the training. Not the food.
There is no one perfect race-day strategy.
Some athletes prefer gels.
Some prefer chews.
Some prefer more food-based options.
The important thing is finding what you tolerate, enjoy and can consistently use — then practising it before race day.
Fuel the training. Fuel the taper. Fuel the race.
