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Fueling the Finish: Carb Loading for Marathon Week

Fueling the Finish: Carb Loading for Marathon Week

Conor Dunleavy
April 28, 2025

read time 4 minutes

Hey - Conor here!

Today we’ll cover:

🍽️ Carb Loading 101 (Deep Dive)
🌍 London Marathon Highlights
🗓️ Weekly Training Plan Example
🔗 Favorite Find This Week
💭 Run & Reflect: Thoughts from the Road

🍽️ DEEP DIVE: Carb Loading 101

You've done the long runs. You've battled the rain, the wind, and the early mornings. Now, it's time to talk about fueling for race day — and that starts with carb loading.

Carb loading is the practice of increasing carbohydrate intake in the days leading up to the marathon to maximize glycogen stores (your body's main fuel for long runs).

How to Carb Load Properly:

When to Start:

Begin 3 days before race day (Thursday if your race is Sunday).

How Much:

Aim for 7-10 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight per day.
Example: A 70kg (154lb) runner should consume around 490-700 grams of carbs daily.

What to Eat:

Rice, pasta, bread, oats, potatoes, fruits, low-fiber cereals, and sports drinks.
Think easy-to-digest carbs; avoid too much fiber or overly rich foods that could upset your stomach.

Key Tips:

Keep fat and protein moderate to leave room for more carbs.
Stick with familiar foods; race week is not the time for experimentation.
Stay hydrated alongside carb loading to help glycogen storage.

Example Carb-Heavy Meals:

Breakfast: Bagel with peanut butter and banana + sports drink.
Lunch: Turkey sandwich on white bread + apple + low-fat yogurt.
Dinner: Pasta with marinara sauce + bread roll + Gatorade.

Key takeaway? On the night before the marathon, don't overeat. Aim for a normal-sized, carb-rich meal to avoid feeling sluggish on race morning.

Carb loading isn't about stuffing yourself. It's about being strategic so you show up fueled, light, and ready to roll.

Impending Doom

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🌍 London Marathon Highlights

The 2025 TCS London Marathon took place yesterday and, as always, it delivered inspiring stories, fast times, and unforgettable moments.

Big Moments:

Elite Winners: Ethiopia's Tamirat Tola took the men's title with a stunning 2:04:22, while Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands dominated the women's field with a 2:18:51. Eliud Kipchoge finished in 6th place.
Record Numbers: Over 50,000 runners crossed the finish line on the famous Mall, with millions more cheering along the route.
Charity Spirit: The London Marathon remains the largest annual one-day fundraising event in the world. An estimated £60 million was raised for various causes this year.
Everyday Heroes: From first-time marathoners to 80-year-olds chasing personal goals, London proves time and again that marathons are about more than just speed.

It’s a brilliant reminder that no matter where you start, every finish line is a massive win.

🗓️ A Simple Training Plan Example

What week are you on in your marathon training? Hit reply I’d love to know.

Weeks 1-4: Build a running base.
- Run 4 times per week, 3-5 miles per run.
Weeks 5-8: Increase mileage gradually.
- Run 4 times per week, including one longer run (8-10 miles).
Weeks 9-12: Focus on endurance.
- Run 4-5 times per week, with long runs reaching 12-16 miles.
Weeks 13-16: Taper and prepare for race day.
- Reduce mileage to allow recovery, with the longest run at 20-22 miles three weeks before the marathon.

⬇️ Check out the below training example for Week 8.

Week 8	Run	Note
Day 1	60 mins (easy)	Easy pace
Day 2	55 mins (tempo)	1 mile warm up 7×0.5 mile repeats with 2 min rest in between 1 mile cool down
Day 3	Rest	Swim/Cycle (optional)
Day 4	55 mins (easy)	Easy pace
Day 5	Rest	Swim/Cycle (optional)
Day 6	130 mins (long/easy)	Easy pace
Day 7	Rest	Family time
Total Running Time	5hrs	Only 2.9% of your weekly hours.

🔗 My Favorite Find This Week

Mastering the Art of Carb Loading: – A comprehensive podcast episode featuring Registered Dietitian Travis Wilson, discussing effective carb-loading strategies for marathon runners.
London Marathon 2025 Highlights: another amazing event this year. I might join the 1 million of people and put my name in the lottery for the 2026 race.

💭 Run & Reflect: Thoughts from the Road

Every mile this week is about sharpening, not building.
Trust the months of training — now it's about letting your body shine.

Week 15 Marathon Training Recap:

It’s the second week of the taper which meant reducing this weeks milage by 43% compared to peak training week. Here’s a further breakdown of my week:

Monday: Rest day (pool and hot tub).
Tuesday: Rest day (pool and hot tub).
Wednesday: 50 minute run (marathon pace intervals).
Thursday: 25 minute run (easy pace).
Friday: 50 minute run (marathon pace intervals).
Saturday: Rest day.
Sunday: Vancouver Sun Run 10km race (took it easy with some marathon pace intervals thrown in).

Total Weekly Mileage: 32.1miles (36km).

That’s All for This Week Everyone

Check out the below additional resources:

Free Marathon Calendar – Haven't picked your race yet? Grab the guide.
Private Community Access – Reply "Community" to connect with other first-time marathoners.
1:1 Coaching – Reply "Coaching" if you want help adjusting your taper plan.

How was your training this week? Hit “reply” I’d love to hear how it’s going.

Let’s build some Endurance!

See you next week,

Conor

P.S. Check out my Strava, I’m only 1 week away from the Vancouver Marathon, it’s time to carb load!