How Many Gels for a Marathon or Half Marathon?
There is no single number. It depends on how long you'll be out there. Start from what's on our label, then work out your own plan and test it in training.
Our label says: 1 pouch every 30 min during endurance activity, follow with water.
The rest of this page is how to turn it into a plan you trust by race morning.
Step 1: Start from your time, not the distance
A marathon is 42.2 km and a half is 21.1 km, but your body doesn't count kilometres. Two runners on the same course can be out for very different lengths of time. So begin with a realistic finish time, based on your recent long runs and races.
Step 2: Work out your plan
At 1 pouch every 30 minutes, that's 2 pouches an hour. Use your expected time to sketch a plan at that rhythm. The Fuel Guide works it out for you. It's a starting point, not a target, and you don't need one right at the finish.
For sessions over an hour: a first gel 5 minutes before you start, then one every 30 minutes, none in the last 5 minutes. The count includes the first gel. Follow each one with water.
| Time on course | Gels |
|---|---|
| 1 h 30 | 3 |
| 2 h | 4 |
| 3 h | 6 |
| 4 h | 8 |
The first gel is our advice; the rest follows the label's rhythm. These counts aren't a target. Try them in training first, and take fewer if that suits you better. If your time falls between two rows, keep the same rhythm.
A half marathon takes less time than a marathon, so it means fewer pouches at the same rhythm.
If you work with a dietitian or a coach, check your plan with them.
Step 3: Practise it on your long runs
Race day isn't the time for something new. Use your long runs in the build to try the whole routine:
- Where you carry your gels, and how easily you can reach them.
- How you open a pouch while moving.
- Whether you still want to take the next one late in the run.
Step 4: Plan the water
The label says to follow with water, so build that in. Look at where the water stations are on your course map, and decide if you'll carry your own.
Step 5: Choose your formula
Every Sève gel has 26 g of carbohydrates, 100 calories, 190 mg of sodium and 125 mg of potassium. The difference is what else is in it.
- Flow: no caffeine.
- Focus: 70 mg caffeine per gel. No more than 3 in one session, counting the first.
- Recover: 50 mg magnesium per gel, no caffeine.
Not sure which one you'll want? The Variety 3-Pack has one of each, so you can try them during your build.
How many should you buy?
Enough for your race plan and for the long runs where you practise it. Boxes of 12 and 24 are in our energy gels collection.