Ask a group of ultra runners how they fuel and you'll get more answers than there are miles in the race. The question always comes back around: do you actually need gels to run an ultra? The truth is no — but they're still one of the most effective tools available.
The Basics: What Your Body Needs
Fuelling long distances is mostly about consistency. Most runners need around 40–60 grams of carbohydrate per hour in training and 60–90 grams on race day. Alongside that comes the need for sodium and steady hydration so digestion keeps working. You can hit those numbers with gels, potatoes, bananas, wraps, rice, fruit, or homemade pouches. What matters more than the format is whether you can digest it and keep eating.
The Case for Real Food
In the early hours of a long race, real food often feels grounding. It's comforting and satisfying, and tends to sit more gently on the stomach than a long run of sugary gels. Real food delivers slower, steadier energy and helps avoid that familiar "sweetness overload" many runners experience late in an ultra. It also provides a mental lift — a feeling of being fed, not just fuelled — which can be surprisingly powerful.
But real food has its downsides. It's bulkier, messier and harder to chew when fatigue catches up. Foods that taste great in hour one can feel impossible in hour eight. Digestion slows down as the effort continues, and chewing becomes more of a task than you'd expect.
Where Gels Still Shine
They're quick, predictable and require no chewing. They absorb fast, slot into any pocket, and work even when your appetite disappears. In the late stages of a race, when terrain gets technical or your brain turns foggy, a gel is often the one thing you can rely on. They're not perfect — stomachs sometimes need training, and the sweetness can become overwhelming — but they do their job extremely well.
The Best of Both: A Practical Rhythm
Most runners eventually settle into a rhythm that uses everything: real food early, a mix of real food and gels in the middle, and mostly gels towards the end when chewing feels like too much work. It's a flexible, forgiving way to fuel.
Homemade Fuel Pouches — A Game Changer
My own approach shifted dramatically thanks to something completely unrelated to running: feeding my children. When my youngest was a baby, I made everything from scratch — purées, soups, mashed vegetables — and stored them in reusable baby pouches. Years later, ahead of a long fell run, I opened a cupboard and saw those empty pouches. The idea hit instantly: why wasn't I using these for my own fuel?
I tried it. Mashed potato, sweet potato, a banana-and-honey blend. Out on the run, they were perfect. Soft, gentle on the stomach, easy to swallow and deliciously familiar. No sticky hands, and full control over carbs, salt, texture and flavour.
It also made me realise something: the way my kids ate — small portions, soft textures, gentle flavours, frequent feeding — was exactly how my body preferred to take on fuel during long runs. We tend to overcomplicate ultra fuelling, but the body often responds best to simple, child-like nutrition delivered often and kindly.
⚠️ One thing to avoid
Store-bought baby food pouches aren't designed for athletes. They're deliberately low in salt — exactly the opposite of what long-distance runners need — and often contain just 8–12g of carbohydrate per pouch. Homemade pouches give you full control and are far superior.
Real-Food Fuel Pouch Recipes
| Recipe | Ingredients | Approx Carbs |
|---|---|---|
| Savoury Potato | 150g boiled potato + 50g broth | ~26g |
| Banana + Honey | 120g banana + 15g honey | ~38g |
| Sweet Potato + Maple | 150g sweet potato + 20g maple syrup | ~43g |
| Rice Pudding + Jam | 120g rice pudding + 30g jam | ~36g |
| Oat + Banana + Maple | 80g cooked oats + 80g banana + 10g maple | ~34g |
Classic Ultra Snacks That Work
Pouches are just one option. Ultra runners have long been known for pulling out wonderfully odd snacks mid-race. Here are the classics that work:
- Aid station staples: Bananas, salted potatoes, sweet potato chunks, watermelon and oranges (especially on hot days)
- Portable solids: Wraps with peanut butter or jam, rice balls, soft cereal bars, fig rolls, slices of malt loaf
- Savoury saviours: Cheese bites, broth, mini sandwiches, quesadilla wedges, ramen — essential when sweetness becomes overwhelming late in a race
- Sweet treats: Dried fruit, jelly babies, homemade flapjacks
Lessons from the Trail
I still remember a miserable winter long run where I'd packed only gels to "be disciplined." By hour three, the sweetness was unbearable. Stopping at a stone wall, I found nothing but more gels. I would have traded them all for a cold potato.
Around mile 30 of a mountain race, tired and queasy, I was handed a tiny wrap filled with mashed potato and salt. It grounded me instantly. Another time I watched a runner spoon cold rice pudding into a soft flask. He grinned: "Gels are for survival. Rice pudding is for joy."
And then there was the day I shared half a homemade pouch with a runner deep in a calorie crash who couldn't face another gel. He perked up within minutes. Ultra fuelling isn't just nutrition. It's comfort. It's connection. It's looking after each other on difficult miles.
The Bottom Line
You don't need gels to run an ultra — but they're a useful safety net when chewing becomes impossible or terrain demands fast energy. Real food keeps you comfortable. Gels keep you consistent. Homemade pouches blend both strengths beautifully.
Ultra running is an eating event disguised as a race. Feed yourself well, and the miles take care of themselves.