Why consider real food and not gels (or similar)?
Having now run a good number of trail marathons and a few ultras, I’ve become increasingly interested in ‘real food’ alternatives to sports gels for fuelling long runs (typically runs over 4 hours in duration).
Gels are great for a quick boost of energy when you are running a shorter distance at a higher intensity than an ultra.
If you’re generally running marathon distance or shorter, definitely consider energy gels and chews as easy, quick-access nutrition options for running.
>>> Read our Best Energy Gels For Running guide for our recommendations for the best energy gels and chews.
However, after a few hours I found a few problems with relying on just gels or chews:
- You get sick of the sugary sweetness
- The quick boosts are followed by a ‘sugar crash’ that then needs dealing with
- Sometimes what your body needs is not just sugar, but salt
So yes, while you can run an ultra on just gels (I managed more than 8 hours on the c.46k Transgrancanaria Marathon with around 11-12 gels) I wouldn’t recommend it.
Bananas: nature’s perfect running food?
After working that out, I moved on to bananas, or a combination of banana and gels. Bananas are my first choice of real food for trail running.
Call for comments
Over to you! What real foods do you choose for long runs? Have you tried any of these recommendations?
I’d love to hear your views on what works, how you carry your food (as some are not the most portable!) and also if we’ve missed any great options you swear by!