Maurten Gel 100 vs Gel 160: the quick answer
- Gel 100 is the smaller one: 40g gel, 25g of carbs. It suits little and often, and lower hourly targets.
- Gel 160 is the bigger one: 65g gel, 40g of carbs. Fewer stops, and it makes 80 to 90g an hour easier to reach.
- Gel 160 is cheaper per gram of carbs: £2.81 per 30g against £3.40 for Gel 100 (boxes of 12, checked 20 October 2026).
- Both use the same glucose and fructose mix (Maurten lists fructose to glucose at 0.8:1), so you can mix them in one race.
What is Maurten Gel 100?
Gel 100 is Maurten's standard gel. Each 40g gel has 25g of carbohydrate. Maurten describes its gels as a hydrogel, which gives them a firmer, jelly-like texture than a runny syrup gel. A box of 12 is £33.95, so £2.83 a gel. There is also a caffeinated version, Gel 100 Caf 100, with 100mg of caffeine.
What is Maurten Gel 160?
Gel 160 is the larger serving: 65g of gel with 40g of carbohydrate. A box of 12 is £44.95, or £3.75 a gel. It has the same carbohydrate mix as Gel 100. We could not find a caffeinated Gel 160 on Maurten's UK site when we checked.
| Product | Format | Carbs per serving | Pack and price | Per serving | Per 30g of carbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maurten Gel 100 | Gel | 25g | box of 12, £33.95 | £2.83 | £3.40 |
| Maurten Gel 160 | Gel | 40g | box of 12, £44.95 | £3.75 | £2.81 |
Gel 100 or Gel 160 for running?
Running bounces your stomach around, and a big serving all at once is harder to get down at pace. That is why many runners use Gel 100 every 20 to 25 minutes rather than Gel 160 every 35 to 40. At 60g an hour, Gel 100 means about 2 and a half gels an hour, Gel 160 means 1 and a half.
The case for Gel 160 in running is a high target. If you have trained your gut to take 80 to 90g an hour in a marathon, two Gel 160s an hour (80g) is a lot simpler than three or four Gel 100s.
Gel 100 or Gel 160 for cycling?
On the bike, eating is easier and sessions are longer, so hourly targets are usually higher. Gel 160 fits long rides and sportives well: fewer wrappers, fewer reaches into the jersey pocket, and the lower price per gram adds up over a five hour ride. Gel 100 is handy as a top-up between bigger feeds or on a hard climb.
How many Maurten gels for a marathon?
| Race and finish time | Carbs needed | Maurten Gel 100 | Maurten Gel 160 | FTP Tart Cherry Energy Pastilles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Half marathon, 1:45 | 75g | 3 gels, £8.49 | 2 gels, £7.49 | 3 servings (6 pastilles), £4.30 |
| Marathon, 3:00 | 150g | 6 gels, £16.98 | 4 gels, £14.98 | 5 servings (10 pastilles), £7.17 |
| Marathon, 4:00 | 210g | 9 gels, £25.46 | 6 gels, £22.48 | 7 servings (14 pastilles), £10.03 |
| Marathon, 5:00 | 270g | 11 gels, £31.12 | 7 gels, £26.22 | 9 servings (18 pastilles), £12.90 |
A 4 hour marathon at 60g an hour from the 30 minute mark is 210g of carbohydrate: 9 Gel 100s (£25.46) or 6 Gel 160s (£22.48). For the target itself, see marathon fuelling by finish time.
Can you mix Gel 100 and Gel 160?
Yes, and plenty of people do. Because both have the same carbohydrate mix, the only real difference is the serving size. A common pattern is Gel 160 in the first half when eating is easy, then Gel 100 in the later miles when a big gel is harder to face. Practise the exact plan in your long runs before race day.
What it costs across a training block
Sixteen 2 hour long runs at 60g an hour from the 30 minute mark is 1,440g of carbs. In Gel 100 that is £162.96, in Gel 160 £134.85. That is the real cost of a Maurten race plan, because you should train with whatever you race with.
The cheaper way to get 30g of carbs
Full disclosure: we make energy pastilles, so read this part knowing that. Two FTP pastilles give you 30g of carbohydrate (34g serving, sugar, which is 50% glucose and 50% fructose). That is the same carb hit as a 30g gel, and you can take one pastille at a time if you prefer smaller, more frequent feeds.
- Tart Cherry Energy Pastilles 1kg: about 30 servings, £1.43 per 30g of carbs.
- Mixed Fruit Energy Pastilles 1kg: about 30 servings, £1.50 per 30g.
- The Rotation Pack (1kg of each flavour): about 60 servings, £1.13 per 30g.
4.8 stars from 500+ reviews, and Awarded Best Energy Chew in the Runner's World Sports Nutrition Awards 2026. If you would rather test them on a long run first, the Taster Pack is £5.49 for two servings.
We have also put together a page on alternatives to Maurten if you want to compare formats.
Our verdict
Choose Gel 100 if you like little and often, run at a hard pace, or are working at 60g an hour or less. Choose Gel 160 if you want fewer stops, fuel at 80 to 90g an hour, or ride long. Gel 160 is the better value of the two at £2.81 per 30g of carbs, but both are at the top end of the UK price range (see our energy gel price comparison).
Questions people ask
How many carbs are in a Maurten Gel 100?
25g of carbohydrate in a 40g gel, according to Maurten.
How many carbs are in a Maurten Gel 160?
40g of carbohydrate in a 65g gel.
Does Maurten Gel 160 have caffeine?
We could not find a caffeinated Gel 160 on Maurten's UK site when we checked. The caffeinated option is Gel 100 Caf 100, with 100mg of caffeine.
Which Maurten gel is better value?
Gel 160, at £2.81 per 30g of carbs against £3.40 for Gel 100, comparing boxes of 12 on 20 October 2026.
How we worked out these numbers
Prices were checked on 20 October 2026. They are full one-off prices for the multipack named, not subscription or member prices. Carbs per serving come from each brand's product page. Price per 30g of carbs = pack price, divided by servings in the pack, divided by carbs per serving, times 30. Race-day counts assume 60g of carbs an hour from the 30 minute mark and are rounded up to whole servings. Prices change, so check before you buy.
- Maurten Gel 100: box of 12, £33.95
- Maurten Gel 160: box of 12, £44.95
