What to Eat before the Race

One of the most frustrating things in a race is to get a stitch and not be able to run. This sometimes happens as a result of eating too soon before a race or eating the wrong kinds of food before a race.

This week is the time to experiment with what food suits you. Don’t try anything new on the day of the race.

The day before the race

• Focus on eating about 70% of your calories from carbohydrate eg rice, pasta or potatoes.


• Double your water intake to make sure you are well hydrated

On the day

The race starts at 3pm so a late breakfast around 11am is a good idea . Make sure it’s filling though – eat carbs such as porridge or cereal and maybe a bannna.

If you know you can tolerate food before running, try a cereal bar, yoghurt or scone about 90 minutes before the start. You should try this straight away and see if you are ok with it as many people do get a stitch from eating so soon before a race. A lot of people leave 3 hours between eating and running.

Sip water on the morning of the race, especially if it’s warm but don’t drink too much as there is always a queue for the portaloos and you don’t want to miss the start.

I planned to train but…

…life got in the way.

For many of us it’s hard to juggle work and personal life as it is without trying to squeeze in another thing like training for the Mini Marathon.

The Mini Marathon is now only 2 weeks away so here a little bit of advice if you haven’t trained yet:

If you haven’t trained and were hoping to run/jog the entire stretch – think about revising your goal (maybe walk sections), start training now and don’t push yourself too hard, you don’t want to sustain any injuries before or even on the big day!

If you were planning to walk, try and add a little walking routine into your daily life starting today. Why not get off the bus a couple of stops early or walk to the shops instead of driving.

Either way, don’t try to force months of training into the last 2 weeks because it may do your body more harm than good and leave you exhausted!

Remember, participation is everything! So whether you walk, run just few miles or sprint the whole thing, know that you are showing your support for women in Sierra Leone and everywhere around the World!