How to Nail Your Fuelling for Any Endurance Event

We caught up with Active Root ambassador Fran Stuart to hear how she fuels for a variety of endurance events. Here’s what she had to say!

I wish I was writing this as someone who had just smashed their first 100 miler but sadly it wasn’t meant to be this year, just like last year.

I’m Fran, a 5-times ultra runner and very occasional triathlete. I discovered ultra running in 2023 when I decided to run my first ever 50-mile race and since then I have been striving to go further and be more adventurous each time. I have completed three 50 mile distances, a 50k and a multistage 110km event over two days. Sadly, at this time, injury and iron deficiency have plagued me but I’m determined not to give up.

To me this is the beauty of the sport. It's always there to come back to and the community never really leaves you. As well as ultra running I have been dabbling with some Triathlons and some Olympic weightlifting to offset the high mileage each week which was causing havoc for my anaemia! For anyone who doesn’t know, ultra marathons are essentially anything over 26.2 miles, but you don’t really find any events under the 30mile/ 50km distance.

If you’re thinking about running an ultra, I would recommend it to anyone. It's taught me how to be brave, given me so much confidence in what I can do if I put my mind to it, I even had the confidence to go back and finish my degree! There’s something incredible about the community that ultra running brings and the insanity of a group of people who talk about pooping in the woods and basically getting trench foot for fun. They say you go to hell and back in an ultra and it's totally true. I wish I could say there was a trick to be motivated for something like a 100-mile race but honestly, the trick is to just keep moving and build discipline and resistance. Each time I want to skip a run or think I want to give up and I don’t, I’ve built a little more discipline and trained my brain a little more not to give up. I think people often underestimate just how hard these things can be when we live in a world where people are achieving huge goals left right and centre. Sometimes I think we forget that even running your first 5k is incredible, never mind a 50k or 100-miler on top of working a 9-5 then having a life. Don’t underestimate distance and don’t underestimate the time commitment – but it’s worth it.

I have two tips for anyone who is flirting with the idea of running an ultra. The first is to really conquer the slow running. It can be hard to relax and get your mind away from your pace and what the Strava police would say. The second is nail your fuelling and practice from the first long run. Fuel is key when it comes to running long distances and finding what works for you can take a long time.

Enter Active Root.

I’m not lying when I say I have been using Active Root for years and I have used it for all 5 ultra marathon events as well as two Etapes and a Triathlon. I use every single one of their products for different reasons. For example, when I’m in the pool I rely on the Sport Drinks Mix during, because it's easier and more efficient than eating anything and depending on the session length, I have a gel prior too. When I’m running in the morning, I love an Energy Gel beforehand just to give me a boost and avoid training on an empty stomach. Getting your fuelling strategy planned will be a big factor in the success of your race and spending time practicing fuelling on your long runs is a MUST. I have spent a lot of time and had a lot of oopsie moments (if you know you know) in the woods learning what works for me. For me, something every 20-30 minutes while having 500ml of Active Root Sports Drink Mix. Now, 500ml might sound like a lot but it's essential that you get enough sodium in to replace the salts you have lost and to help you digest your food, ie; not getting bloated.

Why does Active Root work for me instead of other products? Firstly, it’s made with natural ingredients and uses Ginger Root which aids digestion and most importantly is tummy friendly, meaning you're not going to poop your pants unexpectedly. Secondly, it's tasty and they have a variety of flavours and fuel types; my go to choices are the Sports Drinks Mixes, the Energy Gels and their new Energy Bars which are the best things I have ever eaten. Thirdly, it's gluten free! I’m not a celiac but I do struggle with gluten intolerance which makes carb intake a little tricky on long runs.

Finally, it actually works. Take it from me; I have made many mistakes in my training but fuelling is the one thing I know I can do well because I took the time to figure it out.

So what’s next? For me, I’m not so sure, at least not in the immediate future. I need to get a little bit of rest but I’m still not giving up hope on 100 miles and maybe even further one day. Right now, I’m focusing on running for the enjoyment and making the most of just running for me. I know I have the 100-mile distance in me but sometimes the timing just isn’t right and we have to respect the distance.