What should you eat when you’re running a marathon?

When you're preparing for a marathon (or any physically challenging event), diet might not be your number one focus. But ability and training can only take you so far, and nutrition will make a huge difference to your overall performance.

In fact, sticking to the right diet before, during and after an event like a marathon can be the key to your success.

If you're on a fitness journey, you might be running away from carbohydrates. But we have good news: Those much-feared carbs are actually one of the things that will keep you running forward!

When your body isn't getting enough carbohydrates, your glycogen fuel stores can become depleted. This means that your body has to rely on fat for fuel, which isn't as efficient and can leave you feeling flat during workouts.

This also applies post-training: If you're not fuelling your body with carbs after workouts, you won't be properly fuelling your recovery.

This doesn't mean you need to go carb crazy. Think about when you need that extra fuel, and when you don't. On non-training days, you don't need to worry about carbs as much. But on training days you should prioritise extra carbs, alongside other key groups like protein.

If you're training for a marathon, routine is key. And when it comes to race day, there's a time-honoured rule: Don't do anything new.

This especially applies to food.

If eating a giant bowl of pasta the night before a long run isn't a normal part of your training plan, don't start doing this the day before your marathon.

Making sure your body is properly fuelled with carbs comes down to what you eat in the days and weeks before the event. This should include a pre-event meal plan that may include extra carbs in addition to a balanced diet with lean proteins, dairy (or alternatives), fruit and vegetables/legumes.

Likewise, your body might struggle to deal with unusually high amounts of fibre on race day, so it's important to stick to (or even reduce) the amount of fibre you consume pre-event.

On the day of the marathon, you might start off with a light breakfast, such as beans on toast or fruit with low-fat yoghurt (or just a simple banana). And remember to drink plenty of water leading up to the race.

For any marathon lasting longer than 90 minutes, you should be consuming around 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrates every hour of the event. This could be a sports gel, sports drink or, if you can carry it, a banana.

Make sure you don't wait until you're feeling fatigued or dehydrated to replenish. Start re-fuelling and re-hydrating around 30 minutes into the event and monitor your energy from there.

It's also a good idea to not rely on anyone else's supplies. Event organisers might offer provisions, but this isn't always foolproof. If you count on a gel at the 18km mark, then realise you've run past the station, you might completely mess up your race plan.

Marathon planning doesn't end at the finish line. It's important that you properly plan out your post-race recovery.

After the marathon, you should focus on the 3 Rs:

• refuel with carbohydrates
• repair with protein
• rehydrate with plenty of fluids (ideally within the first hour following the event).

If you don't properly replenish your body, post-exercise recovery will be more difficult and less effective. Meaning, you may be less likely to achieve your future goals.

A post-marathon meal might include a plate with rice, pasta or potatoes plus chicken, steak or fish (or a non-animal protein).

If you're not heading for a meal straight after the race, consider snacking on some fruit and nuts or a smoothie to tide you over.