Wondering what to eat before a 10K? Whether it’s your first time around a local course or a big push for a shiny new 10K PB, eating the right foods the night before – and on race morning itself – can help to improve your performance and make for a much more pleasant experience.
While it might 'only' be 10k, that doesn’t mean you should run on empty – lining your stomach with the right nutrition can be key to preserving the glycogen levels in your body. So, let's dig into some of the detail...
What to eat the night before your 10K run
When it comes to pre-race fuelling, carbs really are king. So, for your evening meal on the night before a race, stick to a carb-based plate. ‘This could be pasta, rice, potato or cereal based,' suggests SiS sports nutritionist Emma Barraclough. '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 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.
You also want to be sipping on plenty of fluids. ‘Make sure 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 the race. In fact, many runners favour not drinking anything in the hour leading up to a race to avoid the risk of needing a mid-race toilet stop.
What to eat for breakfast
Barraclough advises eating your breakfast roughly two to three hours before the race start, to give your body time to digest it – though always stick with what works for you, preferably something tried and tested. 'Again, this meal should be carbohydrate-based, ideally with some high-glycaemic carbs included' says Barraclough. 'Good examples include cereal, porridge with jam or honey, toast and 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.
And 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. The effects of consuming caffeine have been shown to provide moderate to large benefits for aerobic endurance activities, according to a 2021 paper published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.
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 I need to fuel during the 10K race itself?
Quick answer: probably not. Your body has enough stored glycogen for around 60-90 minutes of running at 55-75 percent of your maximal heart rate, so unless your 10K is likely to take over an hour and a half, you shouldn't need to take on any fuel mid-run. '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.’
What should I eat before my 10K training runs?
If you’re running a 10K in training, you still need to think about how you’re going to fuel your run – both before and after.
If you’re pushing it hard in training – for example, with your heart rate above 65% of your maximum – you need some carbohydrates in your system at the start. ‘Regardless of what time of day you run, try and have a carbohydrate 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 recover.
‘If you are running on a lunch hour, make sure you have kept yourself well-hydrated during the morning at work. And always make sure you have eaten breakfast. You'll also need to eat a balanced lunch to help your recovery afterwards. This should be a combination of carbohydrates and lean protein, such as chicken salad wraps, tuna pasta salad or jacket potato with cottage cheese. Again make sure you rehydrate well afterwards.’
