If you’ve ever trained for a marathon, you’ll know this: You can nail your long runs, hit every session, and follow the perfect training plan — but if your marathon nutrition isn’t right, you’re leaving a huge amount of performance on the table.

This year, Dublin Marathon 2025 belonged to my client Noeleen.

Not because it was her first marathon (it was her eighth). Not because she simply finished strong.

But because this was the marathon where everything finally clicked — where she realised that the missing piece of her marathon training wasn’t more miles or more grit.

It was nutrition.

And once she fixed her fuelling strategy, everything changed.

---

Why Marathon Nutrition Matters More Than You Think

Runners often speak about carb loading, electrolytes, gels, and “hitting the wall,” yet many still go into training massively under-fuelled. Noeleen had completed seven marathons powered mostly by discipline, not by a structured marathon fuelling plan.

This time, she wanted her strongest marathon performance ever. And during her check-in she said something I’ll never forget:

“The best thing about my marathon prep this time has been the nutrition plan… that’s a win before I even get to the start line.”

That’s when you know someone has finally learned how to fuel a marathon properly.

---

What Was Missing From Her Marathon Training? A Nutrition Plan.

You wouldn’t fill your car with the wrong fuel and expect it to perform well.
So why do we expect our bodies to run 26.2 miles on guesswork?

Noeleen’s training was consistent.
Her mindset was strong.
Her discipline was rock-solid.

But her marathon fueling strategy wasn’t supporting what her body needed to perform at its best.

Once we built a personalised CFIT Nutrition Plan for Marathon Training, everything shifted.

---

The Marathon Nutrition Strategies We Put in Place

These were the exact changes that transformed her prep and helped her hit a personal best at the Dublin Marathon.

✨ Fuel Early, Fuel Often

Many runners under-eat early in the day. We increased carbs and protein at breakfast and pre-run so her energy was stable before key sessions.

✨ Carbs Are a Runner’s Best Friend

Carbohydrates were no longer feared — they were used strategically to support long runs, recovery, and race-day performance.

✨ Pre-Race Breakfast: Simple, Familiar, and Proven

No experimenting on race day. We practised her marathon breakfast repeatedly until her gut was trained and confident.

✨ Long Runs Became Fueling Rehearsals

We tested gels, timing, electrolytes, and fluid intake — all core elements of endurance nutrition. Every long run doubled as a race-day fueling trial, so there were no surprises.

These strategies align with best practices in marathon fueling, carb intake for runners, and sports nutrition for endurance athletes.

---

The Result? A Strong, Confident, Fuelled Marathon… and a PB

✨ A Dublin Marathon personal best
✨ Stable energy from start to finish
✨ Better pacing and stronger recovery
✨ A marathon experience she actually enjoyed

But more importantly, she said:

“Nutrition was the missing piece of the puzzle.”

That’s the power of a proper nutrition plan for marathon runners.

---

Why This Matters for Runners Training for a Marathon in 2026

Every year, runners commit to training blocks without giving enough attention to sports nutrition. They focus on mileage, intensity, strength work — but neglect the one factor that affects every mile they run:

Fuel. Hydration. Recovery. Carbohydrate availability. Gut training.

If you want to:

• Avoid hitting the wall
• Improve your marathon time
• Achieve better recovery
• Train with more energy
• Perform with confidence on race day

…then your marathon nutrition plan matters more than you think.

Noeleen didn’t run a PB by accident.
She ran it because she finally matched the right training with the right endurance nutrition strategy.

---

Ready to Transform Your Marathon Training in 2026?

The CFIT Nutrition Plan is now open for 2026 intakes.

This is for runners who are ready to:

✔️ Fuel properly
✔️ Train smarter
✔️ Recover faster
✔️ Improve performance
✔️ Hit marathon PBs they didn’t think were possible

If you’re racing the Dublin Marathon, London, Berlin, a half marathon — or simply want support during your training block — this is your chance to get the one thing most runners overlook…

A personalised marathon nutrition plan that actually works.

Just like Noeleen discovered, the missing piece of the puzzle might not be more miles — it might be your nutrition. Enquire today by clicking here.

🩵 CFIT – Stronger for Life