Why the Days Before Matter

By the time race week arrives, the hard work is already in the bank. If you have spent the winter ticking off long runs along the Waveney, looping out through Earsham and Ditchingham, or grinding up the gentle rises towards the Norfolk border, there is nothing left to gain from cramming in extra miles. The final few days are about arriving at the start line topped up, rested and confident that your stomach will behave.

Nutrition in the last 48 hours will not transform your fitness, but it can very easily spoil a good race. The two words that matter most are familiar and gentle. Anything you have eaten happily before a long training run is a safe bet. Anything new, rich or overcomplicated is a gamble you do not need to take.

Build on Familiar Carbohydrates

Carbohydrate is the fuel your body reaches for first, and on race day you will burn through it faster than at any other point in your training. In the two days before a marathon, aim for roughly 8 to 10 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight each day. For a 70kg runner that is somewhere between 560g and 700g — which sounds enormous until you spread it across three meals and a handful of snacks.

Keep it simple and keep it plain:

• Porridge made with milk, topped with banana and a spoon of honey
• White rice, pasta, potatoes, sweet potatoes and couscous
• Bread, bagels, crumpets, teacakes and malt loaf
• Rice pudding, fruit juice, dried dates and homemade flapjack

In the final 24 hours, lean towards white rather than wholegrain versions of bread, rice and pasta. They are lower in fibre, which means less bulk moving through a gut that you would rather kept quiet on race morning. If your appetite dips with pre-race nerves, sipping a glass of fruit juice or eating a couple of dates is an easy way to top up without forcing down a full plate.

Moderate Protein — Enough, Not Too Much

Protein repairs and rebuilds, but it is not the priority this week. Around 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight per day is plenty, which for most runners simply means carrying on as normal. Chicken, fish, eggs, milk, yoghurt, beans and lentils all fit comfortably.

The mistake is going overboard. A huge steak the night before a marathon sits heavily, takes hours to digest and leaves no room for the carbohydrates you actually need. A palm-sized portion alongside a generous serving of rice or potatoes is the right balance. If you follow a plant-based diet, keep your usual combinations of beans, lentils and grains rather than experimenting with anything new at this stage.

Fluids: The Quiet Essential

Dehydration creeps up on you, particularly in a spring marathon when the weather can swing from cold and damp to unexpectedly warm. Aim for around two to two and a half litres of fluid a day across the final few days, and a little more if the forecast is mild.

A simple check is urine colour: pale straw is what you are after, dark amber means you need more. Spread your drinking through the day rather than gulping pints at once, and include milk, squash, juice and tea alongside plain water. Try to ease off in the hour before bed so a full bladder does not wreck your sleep. On race morning, around 400 to 600ml in the two hours before the gun is a sensible target — enough to top up, not so much that you are queuing at the first portaloo.

What to Avoid in the Final Days

A settled stomach is worth more than any marginal gain. Give these a wide berth:

• Rich, creamy or spicy meals — curries, heavy cream sauces, deep-fried food
• Large amounts of high-fibre food — bran, beans, big raw salads, cabbage and sprouts
• Anything unfamiliar — new gels, energy drinks, supplements or protein powders
• Alcohol, which disrupts sleep and leaves you dehydrated
• More caffeine than you normally drink, even if you hope it will help on the day

If a Friday night takeaway is usually part of your week, this is the one to skip. A mild stomach upset on race morning costs far more than a missed treat.

The Day Before and Race Morning

Make your biggest carbohydrate meal lunchtime rather than late in the evening. A generous pasta or rice lunch sits far better than a heavy dinner, and it gives your body time to digest properly. Keep the evening meal modest, familiar and low in fibre — something you have eaten before an evening training run and felt perfectly fine on.

On race morning, eat two to three hours before the start: porridge, toast with jam, a banana, or whatever has worked before your long Sunday runs. Sip fluids steadily rather than gulping them down, and resist the urge to try the free samples at the race village.

Treat these final days as a rehearsal of what already works. Do that, and come race day your legs will have the fuel they need and your mind will be free to concentrate on the miles ahead — whether that is a fast flat course or a lumpy loop through the Suffolk lanes.