Fuel for Running: Complete Guide to Endurance Running Nutrition | FTP Endurance Fuel
Runner's World Award-Winning Fuel
Fuel for Running: What Every Run Actually Needs
From easy 5ks to three-hour long runs — when to fuel, when water is enough, and how to eat for a full week of training.
Shop Running FuelFast-absorbing pastilles · Bulk pouches · Made in the UK
Quick answer: easy runs under an hour need nothing but water. Between 60 and 90 minutes, a modest 30–45g of carbs per hour helps you finish strong. Beyond 90 minutes, fuelling becomes essential: aim for 60–90g of carbohydrate per hour — that's two FTP pastilles (about 30g) every 20–30 minutes.
Not every run needs fuel
The most common fuelling mistakes runners make are opposites: snacking through a 40-minute jog that never needed fuel, and heading out for a 2-hour long run with nothing but a water bottle. Your glycogen stores comfortably cover about an hour of moderate running — less when you push the intensity — so the clock, not the distance, is your best guide.
Once a run stretches past 90 minutes, carbohydrate stops being optional. Fuelled long runs don't just feel better; they let you hold pace deeper into the session, which is where the real training adaptations happen. Underfuel them week after week and you're quietly capping your fitness.
| Run type | Duration | What to take |
| Easy / recovery | Under 60 min | Water only — no fuel needed. |
| Steady / tempo | 60–90 min | Optional 30–45g carbs per hour; electrolytes in hot weather. |
| Long run | 90 min+ | 60–90g carbs per hour — two pastilles every 20–30 minutes. |
| Race or key session | Any | Your rehearsed plan — nothing new on the day. |
Fuelling around your runs, not just during them
Day-to-day eating does most of the heavy lifting for a training week. Base meals around carbohydrate when a hard or long session is coming up, eat something carb-rich two to three hours before quality runs, and refuel with carbs soon after big efforts to restock glycogen for the next one. Get that rhythm right and mid-run fuel becomes the top-up, not the rescue.
For the runs that do need fuel, format matters more than most runners expect. Gels are single-use, sticky and all-or-nothing. Pastilles from a bulk pouch let you count out exactly what a session needs — two for a 75-minute tempo, eight for a two-and-a-half-hour long run — with a 1:1 glucose:fructose blend that supports absorption of up to 90g per hour when you're going long.
Fuel a whole training block from one pouch
Around 30 servings per 1kg — portion out exactly what each run needs.
Train your gut like you train your legs
Absorbing carbs on the move is a skill. If fuelling mid-run has upset your stomach before, start small — one pastille every 30 minutes on a steady run — and build the dose weekly. Within a handful of long runs most runners comfortably handle 60g per hour or more. Do this through training and race day becomes a repeat of something you've already done a dozen times, which is exactly why you should never try new fuel on race day.
Training essentials
Mixed Fruit Energy Pastilles 1kg
Around 30 servings of 1:1 glucose:fructose fuel for week-in, week-out training.
£44.99
Shop now
Tart Cherry Taster Pack
A low-commitment way to see how pastilles sit on your next long run.
From £5.49
Try it first
FTP Electrolyte Tablets – Cherry
Replace the sodium you sweat out on hot runs and hard sessions.
£5.99
Shop nowCommon Questions
Do I need fuel for a 5k or an easy half-hour run?
No. Runs under an hour at easy effort are comfortably covered by stored glycogen. Save the fuel — and the money — for the sessions that genuinely need it.
What should I eat before an early morning run?
For short easy runs, running fasted is fine if it suits you. Before a longer or harder morning session, something small and carb-based — a banana, toast or a couple of pastilles with water — lifts blood glucose without sitting heavily.
Can I use energy chews for everyday training?
Yes — that's what a bulk pouch is for. Because you portion servings yourself, chews suit training far better than single-use gels: take exactly what the session requires and nothing goes to waste.
Should I drink electrolytes on every run?
Not necessarily. Water covers most runs under an hour in mild weather. Electrolytes earn their place on hot days, sweaty sessions and anything long, when sodium losses start to add up.
Keep reading: the best fuel for long runs · how many carbs per hour? · the glucose:fructose ratio explained · energy chews vs gels
