Hami Mahani

Half Marathon Fueling Plan: What to Eat Before, During, and After 13.1 Miles

A simple, mile-by-mile half marathon fueling plan: what to eat the night before, race morning, during the race, and in the recovery hour after 13.1 miles.

The half marathon sits in a funny spot. It's long enough that you can't fake your way through it on willpower, but short enough that a lot of runners line up with no fueling plan at all — then wonder why mile 11 feels like mile 22 of a marathon.

I'm Hami, founder of 6AM Run, and I've made every fueling mistake there is at 13.1 miles: starting fast on an empty stomach, skipping the aid stations, trying a brand-new gel on race day. Here's the simple plan I wish someone had handed me before my first half. Steal it, practice it in training, and race day gets a whole lot easier.

The Night Before: Fill the Tank, Don't Stuff It

Your muscles store fuel as glycogen, and your job the night before is to top those stores off — not to eat your body weight in pasta.

  • Eat a carb-centered dinner 12–18 hours before the start: rice, pasta, potatoes, bread. Aim for roughly 3–4 grams of carbs per pound of body weight across the full day before the race.
  • Keep it familiar and low-risk. Go easy on fiber, spicy food, and heavy fats the night before. Save the adventurous restaurant for after the medal.
  • Hydrate steadily all day rather than chugging a gallon at 9 p.m. Pale-yellow urine is the goal.
  • Lay out your race-morning fuel with your shoes and bib. Future you, at 5 a.m., is not a great decision-maker.

Race Morning: Breakfast 2–3 Hours Before the Gun

Eat breakfast 2 to 3 hours before the start so it has time to settle. You want 100–150 grams of easy carbs, low fiber, low fat, and foods you've tested on long runs: a bagel with jam, oatmeal with honey, white toast with banana, or a plain sports drink plus a banana if solid food feels impossible.

Coffee is fine — most runners I know, me included, run better with it. Just don't experiment with a triple espresso if you normally drink tea. I break down more race-morning options in my guide on what to eat before a morning run.

During the Race: A Simple Mile-by-Mile Fueling Schedule

Here's the rule that changes everything for half marathoners: fuel early, before you feel like you need it. By the time you feel empty, you're already behind.

  • First fuel at 30–40 minutes (roughly mile 3–4 for most runners), even if you feel great. Especially if you feel great.
  • Then take in 30–60 grams of carbs per hour. For most runners that's one gel, a serving of gummies, or a handful of chews every 25–35 minutes.
  • Mile 7 checkpoint: you should be on your second serving. Set a watch alert if you have to — race brain forgets.
  • Mile 10–11: take your last serving here. It won't fully kick in before the finish, but the ritual (and the small glucose bump) helps your head as much as your legs.

Format matters less than consistency. I compared the main options in gels vs. gummies vs. chews — the best one is the one your stomach tolerates at race pace and that you'll actually take on schedule.

Hydration: Drink to Thirst, Add Electrolytes

For a half marathon, drinking to thirst at aid stations works for most runners. Take a few big sips at most stations rather than stopping dead at one and flooding your stomach. On warm days or if you're a heavy or salty sweater (white crust on your hat and clothes after a run), add electrolytes — sodium especially. I wrote a full breakdown of how many electrolytes runners actually need, with the numbers.

After the Finish: The 60-Minute Recovery Window

You don't need a perfect recovery protocol, but the first hour matters:

  • Carbs + protein within 60 minutes: roughly 20–30 grams of protein and a solid serving of carbs — a recovery shake, chocolate milk, or a real meal all work.
  • Keep sipping fluids with sodium for the next few hours. A salty meal speeds this up.
  • Walk, don't collapse. Ten minutes of easy walking helps more than the couch does.

What I Personally Use (and Why)

Full transparency: I built 6AM Run's products because this is exactly how I run. Before morning long runs and races, I take MARATHON — one scoop, simple, part of my routine for years. During the race I carry Marathon Gummies because I can chew them at pace without the sticky-gel wrestling match. Afterward, it's FINISHLINE for recovery aminos while I make actual breakfast. Brand-name stuff aside: whatever products you choose, test them on at least two long runs before race day. Nothing new on race day is the oldest rule in running because it's true.

3 Half Marathon Fueling Mistakes to Avoid

  • Skipping breakfast because of nerves. Eat something small and plain anyway.
  • Waiting until mile 9 to fuel. That's a bonk with extra steps.
  • Changing products on race morning. The expo freebie is for next week's training run.

Fuel early, fuel on a schedule, and practice it twice before race day. Do that, and the last 5K of your half marathon becomes the part where you pass people — not the part where you survive. See you at the start line. — Hami