Do you ever feel like we might be complicating our nutrition strategies just a wee bit? I know that was my first thought when I heard about Sabastian Sawe’s incredibly simple pre-race meal before smashing the world record at the London Marathon on April 26, 2026.

The man who maintained a 4:33 per mile pace for 26.2 blistering miles and finished in 1:59:30 did not start his day with an expensive online concoction, a detoxing supplement, or more than a few grams of protein. When asked about his breakfast at the London Marathon Press Conference, he shared that his pre-race breakfast was “two slices of toast with honey and some tea.”  

Shortly after that conference, my phone and email inbox started pinging with questions from my runner clients. 

“Was this enough fuel?” 

“That can’t be a ‘dietitian-approved’ meal?”

“That can’t possibly be enough food to run that fast for a whole marathon?!”

So let’s talk about it!

As a Registered Dietitian, sports nutrition expert, and long-time athlete myself, I love helping my clients find enjoyable and sustainable ways to fuel their active lifestyles. Talking about how the elites fuel their races is interesting, and is sometimes repeatable. In other instances, it’s best to find your own unique fueling plan. 

So let’s dig into this world-record-breaking breakfast and see what we can apply to our own training and racing.

In this blog, I will cover:

• Why the simplest pre-race eating strategies might be the best
• A breakdown of the nutrition components in Sabastian Sawe’s pre-race meal
• What other sports nutrition products did Sabastian Sawe use to fuel?
• Is his breakfast right for you?
• What might your PR breakfast look like?

Why Simplicity Wins for Endurance Athletes

Simple is underrated. The beauty of keeping breakfast before a run simple is threefold. 

Decreases Decision Fatigue 

Decision fatigue is a real phenomenon plaguing a lot of my clients, from the real drama of deciding what the heck to eat – every single night – to the thousands of other everyday decisions we make, food can take up a ton of mental energy. Having something tried and true for a pre-race meal means fewer choices and freed-up mental energy for racing and life beyond training.

Gut Training

As much as we are training for distances and paces, the additional work of gut training cannot be overlooked. One of the very best ways to avoid the dreaded gastrointestinal distress on race day is to consistently choose foods and meals that agree with you digestively. Trying these meals and timing them appropriately over and over again creates confidence and ritual.

When your gut knows what to expect, so can you!

Travel Practicality

Racing, and sometimes even training, may take you near and far from your home kitchen. Having simple go-to foods for your pre-race or pre-training meals is easier to replicate anywhere your running shoes might take you. 

Breaking Down the Record-Breaking Breakfast 

Let’s look at the components in this record-breaking breakfast and see why they are great choices for a race.

For The Love of Toast

Can I tell you how happy I am to see that toast is finally getting some of the love it deserves? In our often carbophobic world, bread or toast feels like a scary food to some of my clients. But it’s such a great food because it:

• Is easily digestible (especially lower fiber white or sourdough varieties)
• Quickly tops off glycogen stores and is available for immediate energy
• Tastes delicious – yum!
• Can be purchased just about anywhere

Honey

Adding in honey is truly a champion move. Once again, some folks I speak with are fearful of simple carbohydrates or sugar, but I wish they weren’t. A fast-acting carbohydrate, like honey, is fantastic before a race because:

• It is a rapidly absorbed form of energy
• It may help to quickly top up liver glycogen stores
• It is easy to tolerate and gently digestible
• It is also convenient, portable, and single-serve packs are easy to stash for travel

Tea

Warm beverages, like tea or coffee, are runner staples because they provide hydration and caffeine, both of which are helpful on race day. Warm, caffeinated beverages can also help with making the ever-important pre-race bathroom ritual happen. 

Starting a race with an empty colon is every runner’s dream.

Key takeaway: This meal is high-carb, low-fat, low-fiber, and highly digestible—all ideal for pre-race fueling.

Other Sports Nutrition 

Sabastian Sawe has partnered with Maurten, and thankfully, they’ve shared in detail all of the additional products that he used in the days leading up to the race, as well as what he ate and drank while running his race.

On race morning, his toast, tea, and honey likely provided around 45-60 grams of carbohydrates, depending on the type and size of bread and how much honey he used. For reference, an average slice of white bread contains around 15 grams of carbohydrates, and each tablespoon of honey provides about 17 grams of carbohydrates. 

If he were to have only consumed toast, tea, and honey, this wouldn’t have been enough food to break a world record. But he had more fuel before starting the race. He also consumed:

• Maurten Bicarb 15, which provided 39.2 grams of carbohydrate
• Maurten Drink Mix 320, which provided 80 grams of carbohydrate
• Maurten Gel 100, 5 minutes before the race, which provided 25 grams of carbohydrate

Those sports nutrition products, plus his toast, tea, and honey, add up to around 200 grams of carbohydrate before the race.

Sports nutrition guidelines suggest 1-4 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight before an endurance event (source). 

Sabastian Sawe weighs approximately 60 kg, so he consumed about 3.3 gm/kg, right in that sweet spot. 

Is this Breakfast Right for You?

I always start by asking my clients what they like to eat. To determine if this breakfast is right for you, I’d want to make sure you love toast, tea, and honey. If so, Sabastian’s breakfast might be a win!

If you want to fuel like Sabastian, but put your own twist on it, variations might look like:

• 2 English Muffins with 2 Tablespoons of Jam (66 gm) + Pre-Race Gel (25 gm) = 91 gm total carbohydrates
• Bagel with Honey (75 g) + Pre-race Gummies (15 gm) = 90 gm total carbohydrates
• Toaster Waffles with Maple Syrup (60 gm) + Pre-Race Sports Drink (30 gm) = 90 gm total carbohydrates
• Graham Crackers (2 whole sheets, 50 gm) + Pre-Race Sports Drink (30 gm) = 80 gm total carbohydrates

Remember, carbohydrate recommendations are prescribed according to body weight, intensity, and duration of your event. If you weigh more or less, your perfect spot may be drastically different. If you are new to running, your needs may be higher than those of a veteran runner who is more metabolically adapted.

What Does Your PR Breakfast Look Like?

To help determine your PR breakfast, start with your weight in pounds divided by 2.2 to get your weight in kilograms. Example: 150-pound person ÷ 2.2 = 68 kilograms.

Multiply your weight in kilograms by 4. Your ideal carbohydrate range will be somewhere between your weight in kilograms and 4 times your weight in kilograms. Example: A 150-pound person should aim for 68-272 grams of carbohydrates before an event.

The range is quite large, so if the event is short, like a 5k, the lower end of the range should be great. If the event will last several hours, like a marathon, shooting for the upper end is the goal.

Like Sabastian, you can meet the higher end of your needs with a combination of solid food, semi-solid sports nutrition products, and drinkable sports nutrition products. Or, if time permits, wake up several hours earlier to have a heartier breakfast and ample time to digest.

Looking for other breakfast ideas that are not race-specific? Check out my blogs on 30-Gram Protein Breakfast and Pumpkin-Inspired Breakfast for delicious, well-rounded, any-day-of-the-week ideas with recipe downloads.

World Record Takeaways 

• Simple pre-race breakfasts are often the most effective.
• Carbohydrates should be the star of the pre-race show.
• Optimal pre-race meals are high-carb, low-fiber, low-fat, and easily digestible.
• Pre-race meals should be practiced, and practiced, and practiced to perfection.
• Pre-race meals that are easy to take on the road are easy to replicate anywhere.  

Finding easy pre-race breakfasts that you know will make you feel amazing is just one of the many ways you can set yourself up for success. If you find yourself challenged in the breakfast department or could use other personalized recommendations for your individualized nutrition plan, let’s talk! 

Contact me to set up an appointment so we can work together toward your strongest, most nourished self this year! P.S. Your insurance may fully cover the cost of your visit – ask me for more details.