Fuel the hours you have not reached yet
Nutrition & Hydration
What to eat, when to eat, how to avoid GI disaster, and the science of fueling through days of continuous movement.
Nutrition for multiday running is not a single perfect product. It is a repeatable system that gives you enough carbohydrate, fluid, sodium, and variety to keep your gut working when effort, sleep loss, heat, and boredom all stack up.
These guides focus on practical fueling targets and fallback plans for 24-hour races, backyard ultras, and longer efforts where the stomach becomes part of the race strategy.
Backyard Ultra Nutrition: What to Eat Between Loops
A practical nutrition guide for backyard ultras — hourly calorie targets, phase-based eating, caffeine strategy, hydration, gut training, and sample fueling plans for your inter-loop routine.
What to Focus On
24-Hour Race Fueling
Plan hourly calories, fluids, caffeine, and fallback foods for the full day and night.
Backyard Ultra Nutrition
Use the short break between loops to eat, drink, reset, and prepare for the next start.
Products and Practical Setup
Build a mix of drink fuel, gels, real food, electrolytes, caffeine, and warm options.
Common Questions
How many calories per hour should you target?
Many ultrarunners start around 200 to 300 calories per hour, then adjust based on gut tolerance, heat, intensity, and race duration.
Should you rely on gels for a full day?
Usually no. Gels can help, but most runners need variety: drink mix, simple real food, salty options, warm liquids, and bland fallback foods.
When should caffeine start?
Save most caffeine for the night or known low points unless you already use it heavily. Early overuse can make later hours harder.