What to Eat Before Race Day & How to Stick to Your Plan While Traveling

Whether you’re flying across the country or driving a few hours away, traveling for a race adds an extra layer of complexity and stress, and nutrition is often the first thing to slip.

Knowing what to eat before race day and how to stick with your plan while traveling is key to showing up to the start line fueled and confident. Read on for my top tips for handling nutrition when traveling to a race! 

What to Eat Before Race Day When Traveling

#1. Plan Ahead, Don’t Wing It

Race week is not the time for last-minute scrambling or trying out a whole new fueling strategy. I've traveled to more races than I can count over the last two decades, and let's just say I learned this lesson the hard way.

When you’re planning what to eat before race day, please don’t just focus on the event day itself or wait until you arrive to think about the rest of your nutrition. It's essential that you think through this in advance, because your performance relies heavily on how you fuel in the days leading up to your race.

First, think through the travel day itself. This often falls within 1-3 days of your race, and you should be carb-loading if you're doing an event longer than 90 minutes. Consider what you will have access to, and what you need to bring with you to carry out your fueling plan while you're on the go.

If you have access to a kitchen where you're staying and plan to cook most of your meals, grocery shop soon after you arrive. Make sure you have enough snacks or other food to hold you over until you get everything you need, and if you have dietary restrictions, you may feel more comfortable bringing key non-perishable food items with you (e.g. gluten free pasta).

If you're staying in a hotel, research restaurants nearby and make dinner reservations in advance, especially the night before a larger race. Getting delivery is another great option if you don't want to go out! It can still be helpful to bring or buy familiar foods and snacks you know sit well in your stomach, since most hotels have mini-fridges, microwaves, and hot water kettles.

For more details on what to eat before race day, check out my carb loading blog post. 

#2. Bring Trusted Fuel With You

You can't control race-day weather, but you can control your gear and snacks! Pack everything you need for race-day gear early so nothing gets left behind.

If you’re carb loading on your travel day, bring along carb-rich foods you’re familiar with rather than relying on whatever you might find at the airport or a convenience store.

#3. Know What to Eat Before Race Morning 

Your race morning fueling strategy depends on the start time of your race. For example:

• 7am start: A carb-rich breakfast 2 hours before, plus a small carb top-up right before the start

• 10am start: Add a second breakfast or extra snack to avoid running low on energy

Once you know your race start, you can work backwards to figure out what time you need to wake up, when you need to eat breakfast to have enough time to digest, and when you need to head out the door (plus the timing of any other meals/snacks).

This blog post on what to eat before a long training session or race gives more details on what types of foods and fluids to choose and when to consume them. The key is practicing your race day fueling plan during training so your body knows what to expect and to allow enough time to make any necessary adjustments before race day.

#4. Check Aid Stations and Plan Your Race Day Nutrition

Know what will be available on the course and practice with those products if you would like to use them. However, don’t rely on aid stations alone.

I always recommend packing your own fuel as backup, or as the primary fuel source if you're not a fan of what's on course (looking at you, Mortal Hydration for Ironman). My Free Race Day Fueling Plan Templates along with my Race Ready Masterclass can help you map out exactly what to eat before, during, and after your race.

#5. Stay Flexible with Snacks and Carb Sources

Big races often come with expos, shakeout runs, and social events. Don’t get caught wandering for hours and forget to eat. Those tiny samples are not going to cut it!

Bring carb-rich snacks you can carry easily, or quickly research nearby places to grab what you need. The more you plan ahead, the easier it will be to stick to your fueling strategy.

Check out my Fueling on the Fly Masterclass and Travel Snack Foods blog post for more travel nutrition tips for athletes on the go.

Resources to Help You Plan

As you strategize what to eat before a race, be sure to check out my resources below to help you carb load and get race ready. 

• Best Carbs for Runners Blog Post - Tips and ideas for increasing your carb intake

• Carb Loading Blog Post - A deep dive into what to eat before race day for optimal performance

• Carb Loading Mini Guide - Practical tips, research-based guidelines, helpful lists and worksheets, and troubleshooting advice for carb loading

• Fueling on the Fly Masterclass - My guide to travel nutrition for busy athletes

• Travel Snack Foods & Checklist Blog Post - Travel snack foods and essential foods list

• Race Day Fueling Plan Templates - 3 free templates to help you plan your race day fueling strategy

• Race Ready Masterclass – Step-by-step race week fueling strategies

Traveling for a race doesn’t have to derail your fueling strategy. When you know what to eat before race day and plan ahead to make it happen while traveling, you’ll arrive at the start line fueled, confident, and ready to perform your best.

Need more fueling support?

I'd love to help! I work with endurance athletes of all levels to create simple, effective strategies for everyday nutrition and race-day success.

Here are a few ways to work with me:

• Join my low-cost, low-commitment membership service, Fuel for Life Crew, for $30/month (cancel anytime)

• Check out my free nutrition downloads

• Browse my library of nutrition masterclasses (all are included inside the Fuel for Life Crew membership)

• Fill out a new client inquiry form if you’re interested in 1:1 nutrition coaching