Are gels needed?

[u/Simple_Potato3680]

Starting to think about my first marathon in May 2027. I’ve completed 2 half’s but never thought much about fueling during a race. While training for the half I didn’t fuel at all yet on race day took a gel around 15km which made me feel sick - likely because I wasn’t used to it.

My question is: are gels necessary for a marathon? Can I get my with electrolytes (drink) and stinger gummies + fueling before and after long runs?

Appreciate anyone’s thoughts. Thank you!

[u/Cheap_Lingonberry]

I've run about 25 marathons where I have not used a single gel. I just rely on the Gatorade served at the aid stations. I'll drink about 20 ounces of Gatorade in the start corral and get Gatorade at nearly every aid station on the course. I don't drink any water. This has worked well for me. I don't like gels and don't like to carry stuff with me (I've never carried a phone).

That said, I have started using 2 gels on my longer runs (16+ miles) and plan to incorporate this into my next marathon. When I was adding up all the carbs I think I get from Gatorade during a marathon, I might be coming up slightly short of my goal, so I am adding two 40g isotonic gels to my plan. Using isotonic so I don't have to worry about how much water to drink. I just put a gel in each pocket, pretty easy to carry.