Fueling during a marathon in 2023 is a lot different than it was in the early days of marathon running. Runners today have a seemingly unlimited supply of gels, sport drinks, and energy blocks to choose from to keep them going during a run. Furthermore, the world of running has become incredibly individualized—much emphasis is placed on research into just what kind of food runners should eat (and not everyone has the same answer). Experienced runners spend a lot of time refining and testing their fueling habits to ensure that they will be able to endure 26.2 miles of running. Early marathon runners didn’t have this same luxury.
The first marathon event took place at the Olympic Games in 1896. Nutrition looked a lot different back then. At the 1936 Berlin Olympics, the food provided for marathoners at refreshment stations was oatmeal and whole lemons (Wood, 2021)! Imagine chowing down on a whole lemon while in your twentieth mile of running! In 1948 at the London Olympics, there were seven refreshment stations, which provided some of the following food and drink items:
That is wildly different to how marathon fueling works today! “Back then, midrace brandy swigs and aid-stationless courses were the norm” (Layman, 2022). Drinking water during a marathon was viewed as weak, and runners would avoid it if at all possible, opting for alcohol instead.
Marathon runner Brian Maxwell invented the PowerBar in 1983 after fumbling a marathon, blaming it on low blood sugar. As the bar gained popularity and marathons became more and more competitive, new brands of quick, easy-to-eat food started being rolled out to allow for faster fueling during marathons. Every second counts, so these foods focused on getting energy into the hands of runners without slowing them down.
Today, we understand much more about nutrition and the need for fueling during a run. Rather than taking a shot and sucking on a lemon, we now have unlimited brands of bars, gels, and energy drinks at hand that can be personalized for the good of the individual runner.
