Race Fuel 101: What To Eat Before, During, And After A Race

From peanut butter toast and Haribos to electrolyte gels and recovery feasts, here’s how to fuel for better endurance, according to two seasoned athletes.

Everyone has their own definition of fun. Mine, apparently, involves willingly running through humid jungle trails on a tropical island. Long before endurance races became weekend pursuits, however, pushing the body to its limits served a far more urgent purpose. During World War II, British Colonel Freddy Spencer Chapman spent years evading Japanese forces in Malaya, relying on grit, endurance, and an extraordinary will to survive.

Today, his legacy is honoured through The Chapman’s Challenge at Pangkor Laut Resort. Set on a private island where hornbills soar overhead and emerald rainforest tumbles towards secluded coves, the race offers participants a chance to test themselves against the same rugged landscape that shaped Chapman’s remarkable story. Held annually each May, the eponymous triathlon involves an extremely hilly 3.8KM run, followed by a demanding 2.8KM jungle trek, before culminating with a 1KM open-water swim through the crystalline waves of Emerald Bay. While it may not be as gruelling as a full triathlon, it is no walk on the beach either.

As I soon discovered, endurance is not simply a matter of fitness. Beyond training plans, race-day nerves, and kilometres logged lies another crucial factor: fuel. And let’s be honest. We’re here for the food. For many of us, one of the biggest motivations for working out is earning the right to eat whatever we want afterwards—and plenty of it. Fortunately, performance is shaped not only by how we train, but also by how we eat. The meals before the race, the snacks during, and the recovery feast afterwards all play a role in how the body performs.

Being a complete novice who focused on training but gave little thought to nutrition, I took the opportunity to seek advice from Hazel Chapman, who has competed in the race dedicated to her grandfather almost every year, and professional triathlete and SEA Games medallist Riki Shinozuka who also placed first overall in this year’s race. Their message was clear: what you eat can be the difference between merely crossing the finish line and performing at your best.

Before flag off

If there’s one lesson to learn before race day, it’s that breakfast is not the time for experimentation. Both Hazel Chapman and Riki Shinozuka favour simple, familiar foods that provide energy without upsetting the stomach. Chapman, who credits Ironwoman and former female champion Harriet Brown for the recommendation, swears by, “peanut butter and banana toast,” although she admits that she’s also, “a double espresso and a pint of water girl.” 

Shinozuka’s routine is similarly uncomplicated. “A handful of Haribos, two cups of coffee, and a banana,” he says of his pre-race breakfast, adding that it has since become his regular race-day ritual. 

Just as important as what to eat, however, is what to avoid. Chapman recommends steering clear of “spicy or heavy foods on race day,” while Shinozuka’s list of no-nos similarly includes “anything even remotely spicy,” as well as dairy and beer. The common thread? Stick to foods your body knows and trusts, and save the culinary adventures for the post-race celebration.

On the go

One of the biggest surprises for new fitness enthusiasts is just how much fuelling is required once the race is underway. While many assume endurance events are won through fitness alone, Shinozuka argues that nutrition can be a deciding factor. In fact, he would rather be, “slightly undertrained but perfectly fuelled,” than the other way around. “No matter how fit and race ready I may be, bad fuelling will lead to a long, miserable, and disastrous day,” he says. “It may even end it prematurely.”

That means consuming far more carbohydrates than most recreational athletes expect. Shinozuka aims for around 100 grams of carbohydrates per hour during longer events, starting with a concentrated gel before the race and continuing with one every 30 minutes. Alongside that, he drinks fluids fortified with electrolytes and carbohydrates, topping up whenever possible at aid stations. The objective is simple: replace energy as quickly as the body burns through it.

The same philosophy applies in the days leading up to a race. Contrary to popular belief, carb-loading doesn’t mean surviving exclusively on bowls of pasta or mountains of bread. “Your gut still needs fibre, your body still needs proteins and other nutrients to function,” says Shinozuka. Rather than eliminating everything except carbohydrates, the goal is to increase them sensibly while maintaining a balanced diet. Or, as he puts it, “just maybe don’t go carnivore diet pre-race (or ever), or have too much greens. So go enjoy that xiao long bao with extra noodles!”

While Shinozuka’s carb-loading fantasy involves xiao long bao and extra noodles, Chapman is firmly in Team Malaysia. Asked which local dish she would survive The Chapman’s Challenge on if she had to choose just one, her answer was immediate: “Banana leaf curry at Chapman’s Bar … or roti canai from the Feast Village breakfast hall.”

Post-Race Refuelling

Crossing the finish line may signal the end of the race, but the fuelling doesn’t stop there. Recovery begins almost immediately, and according to Chapman, the body’s first request is remarkably simple. “Always water,” she says when asked what she craves most after a race. Although, at Pangkor Laut, there is one exception. “The fresh coconuts at Emerald Bay are the drink I never knew I needed.”

Of course, one of the great joys of The Chapman’s Challenge is that recovery comes with a feast. After spending the morning running, hiking, and swimming around the island, replenishing depleted energy stores is honestly less like a nutritional requirement and more like a well-earned celebration. For Chapman, a successful post-race spread must include “the grilled prawns and the satay chicken skewers,” followed closely by “the key lime pie and rocky road dessert.” And you can bet that the post-race celebration has all that and then some. 

And there we have it. Here I am seriously considering signing up for next year’s edition of The Chapman’s Challenge, taking place from 28 to 30 May 2027. Same island, same hills, same tropical humidity. Only this time, with a little more training and a lot more attention paid to fuelling, I’m determined to beat my own time.

Why, you ask? I suppose there are worse ways to have a mid-life crisis. At least this one involves a private island, a healthy dose of adventure, and plenty of good food. Better yet, eating isn’t simply the reward for the race. As it turns out, it’s part of the race itself.

Opening image courtesy of YTL Hotels and Resorts