Proper fueling before a run is so important, and can really impact how we feel on a run. It can be tricky to figure out the timing of how long to eat before running as well as what will sit well in your stomach. As morning runner, I’ve found that it works well for me to have a pre-run snack when I wake up and then start my run within an hour of eating. These pre-run snack ideas for runners can be grabbed quickly as you are getting ready to head out the door.
Timing of the pre-run snack
Over the years I’ve found myself running at different times of day. Initially I ran after work in the late afternoon/early evening. I then transitioned to a mix of morning and afternoon workouts. Now I always run in the morning, but the start time of my run can vary based on my schedule.
The one thing I know about myself is I don’t like to eat a huge meal before a run, but I do like to make sure I have something in my stomach. Even if I am starting my run at 4:30 am, I like to give myself a few minutes to have coffee and eat a pre-run snack. Personally, I have found I can run pretty soon after this so I don’t need to give myself time to digest, but everyone is different.
Considerations of your pre-run snack
When considering a pre-run snack I think about a few things: What will sit well in my stomach? What will sound good to me at 5 am or whatever time I need to eat? What will give me sustained energy for my run? What will be easy to eat in the morning?
If you are looking to change up your pre-run snacks, those are some things to consider. You might want to play around with how much you can eat before your run and how soon you can eat before you start running.
What about fasted runs?
A few years ago I wrote a post about trying a fasted run. At the time I wasn’t always eating before a run. Since then I have found that eating something before a run works better for me. Based on what I have read and my personal experience, the benefits to eating something before running outweigh any possible benefits to fasting.
Pre-Run Snack Ideas for Morning Runners
Toast with peanut butter/almond butter
Banana with peanut butter/almond butter
Oatmeal (with mix-ins like nuts, nut-butters, fruit, etc.)
Low-sugar cereal like cheerios
Honey stinger waffle
Superhero muffins from Run Fast Eat Slow
Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Snack Bars
Whole wheat waffle or pancake with nut butter
Trial and error with pre-run snacks
Figuring out what works for you may take some trial and error. As you can see there are a range of foods I included in my list. Some are much lighter snacks and some are heavier. Some include fats and some are mostly carbs. You will also need to adjust how much you eat based on how long you will be running for.
Before having my son I would almost always eat a banana (sometimes with nut butter) or a honey stinger waffle before I ran. That worked for me. After having him, I was pumping before my runs and needed more fuel. I started eating a bowl of oatmeal with PB while I pumped before I ran. Then we found out Grayson had a nut allergy and I stopped keeping PB in the house. Now I make a batch of the chocolate chip oatmeal snack bars and eat those every morning before I run.
They key is trying different things and finding what works best for you! It also helps to have a few different options that you like.
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What are your favorite pre-run snacks?
Can you eat a full meal before you run or do you eat snacks?
Have your pre-run snacks changed over the years?
You’re spot on about “trial and error” – my go-to and reliable pre-run snacks are a banana (if its a 10 – 12km) and anything longer than that, I have my trusty oat porridge. I once experimented with crackers and it didn’t work for me at all. Thankfully, I also find I can run shortly after my snack without any tummy dramas.
It’s good to have a few options that work! And I definitely appreciate not having to wait a long time after I eat to start my run.
I’m not good at doing fasted runs either!
I usually eat a yogurt and have some nuts (and a cup of tea) before a run. This will last me for any run, even very long ones.
My husband, on the other hand, is great at fasted runs. For the longer ones, he will need to take something with him, like a honey stinger waffle.
Do you fuel during a run? I find that difficult.
I do for anything over like 9 miles. I always bring a gel or something like raisins with me. There have been times that I haven’t eaten what I bring, but I always feel better when I do. If i ever train for a marathon again I will also need to train my stomach to get used to fueling on the run!
I used to run fasted on weekdays because I “didn’t have time” to eat. After a string of low energy workouts I tried having a snack and it was a night and day difference. Clif bars work really well for me, though for easy runs I sometimes have something smaller, like a cereal bar.
Bars are such a nice option to have! I’ve done cereal bars too, especially when I realize at the last minute that I need something before I head out.
For my short runs (anything up to 6ish miles), I usually do those in a fasted state. Anything longer, though, I like oatmeal or granola. It really is a trail and error ordeal figuring out what works for each of us LOL
Yes definitely! Oatmeal worked for me for so long, but I’ve gotten a little lazy and I like to grab something that is ready to go.
I’ve been surprised about what fuels me for my runs. At home, it’s usually a smoothie, but when we go to the lake, it’s slim pickings and I usually have 2 scrambled eggs and an English muffin. That works well too!
I remember eating scrambled eggs before my first half-marathon! I think I had cheerios too. I had no idea what I was doing at the time, but it worked out just fine!
I tried running fasted a while back and that did not work for me either. I eat a regular breakfast of eggs usually and then wait about an hour before running. Definitely trial and error!
Yep! I prefer eating eggs after my workout now, just because I don’t usually have much time to cook before I start my run.
great tips and fueling is such an individual thing. For a long run or race, I like to eat at least 2 hours before.
Most of the time I do not run in the morning so it’s a different problem.
I know I can not run fasted.
And my breakfast running or not is exactly the same – oatmeal and coffee.
If I’m eating a meal before I run (like on a race day) I can have it 2 hours before, and then a snack closer to the start.
My go-to pre run snack is a Cliff bar and a cup of coffee. Sometime I have a half of a PB&J sandwich. If I’m doing a long run (over 10 miles) I will have oatmeal because I think it lasts longer.
I do love those superhero muffins!
The oatmeal really does fill you up and seems to last awhile!
What I eat is always changing! I’m with you, although very occasionally I’ll run fasted, it’s not the norm. Although in Winter I tend to run later in the day, so it’s mostly a non issue.
It’s funny, I can run up to about 8-9 miles with fueling during the run, but I need something before the run!
Is Grayson allergic to sunflower seeds, too? Sunbutter can be pretty tasty!
I don’t think he’s allergies to sunflower seeds, but I actually don’t think we’ve tried them. Thats a good idea! Actually his bloodwork recently showed that he’s not allergic to almonds so we have been introducing almond butter. It still makes me nervous though because of potential cross-contamination with other nuts.
There was a really interesting study from Swansea University recently about how carbohydrate omission before a run (fasting or keto) actually impairs exercise performance. It was in the context of intermittent fasting but still goes to show that those pre-run snacks are essential!
Depending on the length of the run, I have anything from a banana or stoopwafel to toast with PB or some combination of those. As I’ve trained my gut, I digest more easily so timing becomes less of an issue as long as I allow 30-60 min.
It makes sense that fasting would impair performance. It’s kind of weird that fasting was such a huge thing at one point (and in some cases still is…) I remember the theory that our bodies would learn to burn fat as fuel, but it makes so much more sense to go into a run well fueled.
Yum.
I normally just eat a tsp of peanut butter or almond butter. I literally get up, get dressed and go out (and if I’m delayed, it’s because I’m feeding and walking the pugs), so no time to really eat. The nut butters aren’t too heavy and don’t sit wrong.
It’s nice to have quick foods like that before a run! Especially when you know they don’t cause your stomach any trouble.
I don’t usually eat first, but I haven’t been running long in a while. When I do, I like PB on a rice cake or graham crackers because it’s quick an easy. A banana stays with me too long. For a race — back in those days — I’d eat PB toast at home and bring a PB sandwich if it was going to be a long wait for the start.
Thats a great idea to bring a sandwich to the race! I hate waiting around for a long time and getting hungry again before the race even starts.
If I’m just running a few miles I usually skip the pre-run snack. Farther than that I’ll have a banana. I’ll also bring along a gel just in case I feel hungry or need some fuel on the run.
If I’m running more than like 8-9 miles I will bring a gel too. I’m not sure how I got out of the habit of eating bananas before a run!
Since I’m not really doing long runs anymore, I usually run fasted or I drink a little bit of pre-workout.
When I was running long i would usually eat a piece of tasted bread with a tiny amount of peanut butter. I once tried oatmeal because I thought it would be great but that run almost ended in disaster, lol.
Haha yea I think oatmeal is something you need to adjust to or give yourself some extra time to digest! It can be good though because it keeps you full for so long.