Mavr Sports Nutrition Team
Updated October 2, 2026. 10 min read.
Quick answer: eat your main pre-race meal 3 to 4 hours before your wave starts, have a small carb snack about 1 hour before, and drink water at the Roxzone during the race. For a 9am start, that means breakfast around 5:30am. For a 2pm start, eat a normal breakfast, then your main pre-race meal around 10 to 10:30am.
3 to 4 hours before
What to eat or drinkMain meal: oats, toast with jam, white rice, or a bagel. Low fat, low fiber.
How much (70 kg athlete)1 to 2 g carbs per kg (70 to 140 g)
About 1 hour before
What to eat or drinkSmall snack: banana, rice cakes with jam, or a sports drink
How much (70 kg athlete)30 to 50 g carbs
During the race
What to eat or drinkWater at the Roxzone stations. Carry 1 gel if you expect to take over 75 minutes.
How much (70 kg athlete)A few sips each lap; 1 gel is about 20 to 30 g carbs
Within 1 hour after
What to eat or drinkCarbs plus protein: chocolate milk, yogurt with fruit, a recovery shake
How much (70 kg athlete)1 to 1.5 g carbs per kg plus 20 to 35 g protein
| When | What to eat or drink | How much (70 kg athlete) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 to 4 hours before | Main meal: oats, toast with jam, white rice, or a bagel. Low fat, low fiber. | 1 to 2 g carbs per kg (70 to 140 g) |
| About 1 hour before | Small snack: banana, rice cakes with jam, or a sports drink | 30 to 50 g carbs |
| During the race | Water at the Roxzone stations. Carry 1 gel if you expect to take over 75 minutes. | A few sips each lap; 1 gel is about 20 to 30 g carbs |
| Within 1 hour after | Carbs plus protein: chocolate milk, yogurt with fruit, a recovery shake | 1 to 1.5 g carbs per kg plus 20 to 35 g protein |
Get it right and you'll have stable energy through all 8 stations. Get it wrong and you'll bonk on the sled, cramp on the farmers carry, or spend precious time in the bathroom.
This guide gives you the timing, foods, and amounts for Hyrox race day, whether your wave goes off at 8am or 4pm. Waves run through the day, so check your own start time and count back from it.
Race day fueling starts well before race morning, but race week does not need a dramatic change. Eat normally early in the week, then shift toward carbs over the last 24-36 hours. Hyrox does not need an extreme, marathon-style carb load or one giant pasta dinner.
Days -7 to -3
Primary GoalSupport your last sessions
Practical TargetNormal balanced meals + steady hydration
Day -2
Primary GoalTop up glycogen
Practical TargetCarb-heavy dinner, start easing off high-fiber foods
Day -1
Primary GoalCalm gut, full tank
Practical TargetFrequent, familiar, carb-heavy meals (6-8g/kg)
Race morning
Primary GoalStable energy
Practical TargetMain meal 3-4 hours before + a small top-up
| Timeline | Primary Goal | Practical Target |
|---|---|---|
| Days -7 to -3 | Support your last sessions | Normal balanced meals + steady hydration |
| Day -2 | Top up glycogen | Carb-heavy dinner, start easing off high-fiber foods |
| Day -1 | Calm gut, full tank | Frequent, familiar, carb-heavy meals (6-8g/kg) |
| Race morning | Stable energy | Main meal 3-4 hours before + a small top-up |
Two race week mistakes show up again and again:
Your race day nutrition actually starts the day before. Here's what to focus on:
Your dinner should be carb-heavy but not massive. A reasonable portion of pasta, rice, or potatoes with lean protein. Don't stuff yourself. You want to wake up hungry.
Work backwards from your race start time. Here's the framework:
3-4 hours
Main pre-race meal
Target1-2g carbs/kg (70-140g for 70kg athlete)
2-3 hours
Hydration top-up with electrolytes
Target300-500ml with sodium
60-90 minutes
Small carb snack
Target30-50g carbs
15-30 minutes
Optional: gel, banana, or sports drink
Target15-30g carbs
5-10 minutes
Sip water only
TargetSmall amount to stay comfortable
| Timing Before Start | What to Do | Target |
|---|---|---|
| 3-4 hours | Main pre-race meal | 1-2g carbs/kg (70-140g for 70kg athlete) |
| 2-3 hours | Hydration top-up with electrolytes | 300-500ml with sodium |
| 60-90 minutes | Small carb snack | 30-50g carbs |
| 15-30 minutes | Optional: gel, banana, or sports drink | 15-30g carbs |
| 5-10 minutes | Sip water only | Small amount to stay comfortable |
Your main meal should be high carb, moderate protein, low fat, low fiber. Here are proven options:
The golden rule: only eat foods you've tested in training. Race day is not the time to experiment.
Here's the truth: most Hyrox athletes overthink mid-race nutrition.
If you've carb loaded properly and eaten your pre-race meals, your glycogen stores are full. A 60-90 minute race doesn't deplete them completely, especially when your pre-race fueling is dialed in.
Under 60 minutes
Water only. Maybe electrolytes if hot. No gels needed.
60-75 minutes
Water + electrolytes. Optional gel if you feel better with it.
75-90 minutes
Water + electrolytes. Consider 1 gel or 30g carbs mid-race.
Over 90 minutes
Plan for 30-60g carbs during the race. Take in Roxzone transitions.
| Expected Finish Time | During-Race Strategy |
|---|---|
| Under 60 minutes | Water only. Maybe electrolytes if hot. No gels needed. |
| 60-75 minutes | Water + electrolytes. Optional gel if you feel better with it. |
| 75-90 minutes | Water + electrolytes. Consider 1 gel or 30g carbs mid-race. |
| Over 90 minutes | Plan for 30-60g carbs during the race. Take in Roxzone transitions. |
The one thing you can't skip: hydration. The official Hyrox rulebook says water is made available at least once on each pass through the Roxzone, and a sports drink may also be offered. Take a few sips each time rather than skipping stations to save seconds.
Gels work differently. The rulebook says any nutrition you want must be carried on you from the start, and you cannot take food or drink from anyone except the aid stations. So if you plan a gel, tuck it in your shorts or a pocket before your wave, and drop the empty wrapper in a bin, not on the floor, to avoid a time penalty.
As an hourly guide, most athletes land around 400-700ml of fluid per hour, more if the venue is hot and you sweat heavily. Heavy sweaters in warm indoor venues may need about 400-900mg of sodium per hour, which is why an electrolyte drink usually beats plain water.
You just torched your glycogen and created muscle damage at every station. Your body is primed to absorb nutrients, so don't waste this window.
Then eat a proper meal within 2 hours: rice or pasta, lean protein, vegetables, and some healthy fats. This completes your recovery nutrition.
The cleanest way to remove race-morning guesswork is to build the whole timeline backward from your start time, on paper, days in advance. If the gun is at 8am, that means your main pre-race breakfast lands around 5am (three hours out), a small carb top-up around 7am, and, only if you expect to race longer than about 75 minutes, one gel around halfway. Write the exact foods and amounts next to each time. A written timeline turns a nervous, decision-heavy morning into a checklist you simply tick off, which is exactly what you want when adrenaline is high and your brain is foggy.
Calculating that backward timeline and the carb targets for each window is something Mavr will do for you from your start time, but the method itself is simple: anchor to the gun, count backward, and write it down before race morning arrives.
Wake up 3-4 hours before start time for your main meal. Yes, that might mean 5am. Set two alarms, eat, then go back to rest (not sleep). The fuel is worth the early wake-up.
If you finish under 75 minutes, probably not. Focus on hydration. If you race 90+ minutes, plan for 30-60g carbs taken in the Roxzone.
Start with liquid carbs, like a smoothie or sports drink. They're easier to digest when anxious. Sip slowly rather than gulping.
If you normally have caffeine and have tested it in training, take your usual dose 30-90 minutes before the start. Don't add extra on race day. If it upsets your stomach, have it earlier with food or skip it.
Take a few sips at the Roxzone water station on each lap. Water is offered on every pass through the Roxzone. Don't skip it to save a few seconds; it is not worth it.
Not in the extreme marathon sense. Raise your carbs over the last 24-36 hours, reaching about 6-8g/kg the day before, using familiar, low-fiber foods. A shorter, practical carb emphasis is enough for Hyrox.
Drink steadily through race week and race morning, with sodium, rather than downing big amounts of plain water right before the start. Pale-yellow urine is a good sign you are on track.
General guidance for healthy adults, not medical advice. Talk to a doctor or registered dietitian if you have a health condition, take medicines or have special dietary needs. Caffeine advice is for healthy adults only. EFSA's safe limit is 200 mg in one dose and 400 mg in a day.
Download Mavr to get your race day meal timing calculated automatically based on your start time.
Ask Kai, the coach in the app