Aspire guide
Printable Handouts
Printable Handouts manual
Race Day Fueling — Print Handout
A one-page, print-ready handout covering race day fueling for 5K–10K distance events. Includes timing protocol, common mistakes, and altitude adjustments.
Why this matters
🖨️ This is a print-ready visual handout.
Read time
3 min
Audience
Athlete
Use it for
Printable Handouts
Start here
Race day goes better when athletes graze on a practiced plan instead of improvising by hunger.
Coach prompt
Before the bus leaves, make every athlete show you their breakfast and between-event fuel plan.
Print & share
Printable handout preview
One-page sheet
Race Day Fueling — Print Handout
Read time
3 min
Audience
Athlete
Start with the printable
Race day goes better when athletes graze on a practiced plan instead of improvising by hunger.
Best next move
Use it this week
Before the bus leaves, make every athlete show you their breakfast and between-event fuel plan.
Quick reference map
Use the guide like a structured handout
Protocol
Start here
Jump to this section and use it like a coaching quick reference.
Overview
What this resource is helping solve
Jump to this section and use it like a coaching quick reference.
Timeline
Timing
Jump to this section and use it like a coaching quick reference.
Timeline
Common Mistakes
Jump to this section and use it like a coaching quick reference.
In the library
Format
Read the full ebook here, then jump to the one-page handout when you need the shareable version.
Best use
Open the sections you need, print the handout, then send both to coaches, parents, or athletes.
Quick start
Start here
A one-page, print-ready handout covering race day fueling for 5K–10K distance events.
Breakfast
Start with a familiar meal, not a concession stand plan
- Eat 3-4 hours before the first event if possible.
- Bagel with peanut butter and banana, oatmeal, or toast plus eggs all fit.
Between events
Use small carbs to stay topped off
- Choose bananas, crackers, fig bars, applesauce, or pretzels.
- Small snacks work better than one giant catch-up meal in the middle of the day.
Fluids
Hydrate all day, not only when it gets hot
- Start sipping at breakfast and continue through warm-up and recovery.
- Water works for shorter sessions; electrolytes matter more in heat or all-day meets.
Overview
What this resource is helping solve
A one-page, print-ready handout covering race day fueling for 5K–10K distance events.
A one-page, print-ready handout covering race day fueling for 5K–10K distance events. Includes timing protocol, common mistakes, and altitude adjustments.
- handout
- printable
Timing
**Before
** 3 hrs: meal (bagel + PB + banana) → 30 min: small snack (applesauce)
**During
** 5K = nothing needed • 10K = sip water at aid station
**After
** Within 30 min: chocolate milk + banana (30g carb / 20g protein)
Common Mistakes
— Luke Rodriguez, MS, RDN
Trying a new food on race day — practice in training first!
Skipping breakfast because of nerves
Waiting 2+ hours after the race to eat
Do This Now
Eat 1–4 g carbs/kg body weight 3 hours before your race
Sip 5–7 mL/kg water in the 2 hours before the gun
Have your recovery snack ready in your bag BEFORE you race
Quick reference
Key targets to keep in view
Use these as planning anchors when you turn the manual into weekly actions.
3-4 hr
breakfast before first race
Treat this as a decision anchor, not a trivia stat.
30-60 min
between-event top-off
Treat this as a decision anchor, not a trivia stat.
Sip early
do not chase dehydration late
Treat this as a decision anchor, not a trivia stat.
Coach takeaways
Use this with athletes
These are the cues worth repeating before the week gets busy.
Pack this
Breakfast backup, snack bag, recovery food.
Water plus electrolytes when needed.
Best snack fits
Bananas, fig bars, pretzels, bagels.
Keep foods familiar and easy to chew.
Avoid
Trying new foods.
Waiting until the athlete is already starving.
Takeaway
Coach bottom line
Race day goes better when athletes graze on a practiced plan instead of improvising by hunger.
- Before the bus leaves, make every athlete show you their breakfast and between-event fuel plan.
Coach cues
Field reference
Use these short cues when you need to turn the manual into a quick conversation or decision.
Primary focus
Printable Handouts
A one-page, print-ready handout covering race day fueling for 5K–10K distance events.
This week's cue
Before the bus leaves, make every athlete show you their breakfast and between-event fuel plan.
Use this sentence in the next team conversation.
Key themes
handout • printable • pdf • race day fueling
These are the anchors to reinforce, not the entire lecture.
Best follow-up
Open the handout with your team
Use the printable handout to keep the message simple.
What to do next
Use it this week
Before the bus leaves, make every athlete show you their breakfast and between-event fuel plan.
Source topics
handout • printable • pdf • race day fueling • 5K nutrition • 10K nutrition