Ever wondered what fuels our running coaches when they’re out on the trails, pushing through long miles, or grabbing a quick energy boost before a session? We asked our team to share their go-to sweets and snacks for running – whether it’s for quick energy, a mid-run pick-me-up, or a post-run treat. From classic jelly babies to unexpected favourites, here’s what keeps them going when the miles add up!
Best Jelly Sweets For Running
The first category of sweets we’ll look at is jelly sweets, home of perhaps the quintessential running sweet (more on that later.)
1. Turkish Delight
“My favourite running snack is Turkish Delight, I used to hate it but was told it’s the best bang for buck energy hit you can get so I’ve learned to like it! You can get them in a nice snack-sized portion so they are easy to carry and eat quickly on the move.”
Coach Rowan, We Run Coach for Bolton
2. Haribo
“My favourite sweets has to be anything Haribo (I could literally demolish a whole pack whether I’m running or not!) Other things I fuel with on my long runs are SIS beta fuel gels, or the equivalent energy chews are good if you like something with a bit more substance. If I’m feeling a little more organised and healthy then I sometimes make my own energy balls, freeze them and take them out as and when I need them.
Fuelling on the go is always a personal preference and a bit of trial and error is needed to find what works best for you. It needs to be easy to carry, easy to open and easy to eat/chew… all while providing you with the quick release energy your body needs during a run or race!”
Coach Jules, We Run Coach for Clapham and South West London
3. Jelly Babies
“A jelly baby is a great snack; you can swallow it quick. For me, chocolate is the worst running snack – someone gave me it in a race one time and I nearly choked because it was so dry!”
Coach Vicky, We Run Coach for Liverpool
“Jelly babies are my favourite sweet snack; whether I’m running or (naughtily) snacking when I’m not, these delicious treats help me power through a long run. Not blessed with a stomach of steel, I struggle to find the right fuel, but these are easy to digest, packed with quick-digesting carbs, and provide a much needed energy boost to get me through the kms and have something to look forward to.”
Coach Nikki, We Run Coach for Sutton Coldfield
4. Haribo Tangfastics
“My favourite sweet is the Haribo Tangfastics. Easy to eat whilst running, as dissolves easier than many sweets, and the fizzy coating has a great zing to freshen the mouth!”
Coach Kate, We Run Coach for Chelmsford
5. Wine Gums
“My favourite running sweets are wine gums. They taste lovely, they travel well and most people like them, so they’re easy to share.”
Coach Hayley, We Run Coach for Southampton
6. Mountain Fuel and Wine Gums
“My favourite racing snack is Mountain Fuel sports jelly in cola flavour. My favourite training snack is wine gums!
The sports jelly is easy to swallow when you are moving fast, not too sweet and gives a good amount of carbs. It’s looser than a gel, so no water needed! The wine gums are a tradition within the group I run with, so they conjure up good memories.”
Coach Sarah, We Run Coach for Portsmouth
Best Chocolate Snacks For Running
Despite Coach Vicky’s aversion to chocolate, it proved a popular choice amongst our Coaches. Here are some of the top picks for chocolate as a running snack.
7. Chocolate Rice Krispies Bar
“My favourite snack is a chocolate Rice Krispies bar. It’s really tasty and gives a great boost of energy, while I can also eat it in pieces as I go”.
Coach Neil, We Run Coach for Warrington
8. Wispa
“Oooh you can’t beat a mid-run Wispa! The bubbles make it light and easy to chew; they are delicious even when they freeze on a winter run and luckily we don’t get enough hot weather up in Scotland to make them melt!”
Coach Amanda, We Run Coach for Edinburgh
9. Snickers
“My favourite running snack has to be a snickers chocolate bar. This bar has got me through the most difficult of sessions, but it’s also a great treat at the end.”
Coach Jamie, We Run Coach for Weymouth
10. Chocolate Milk
“Post-run, chocolate milk. Perfect balance of carbs, protein and feels like a treat!”
Coach Adam, We Run Coach for Worthing
11. Belgian Chocolate Tiffin Slice
“Generally before my sprint training I have a small sweet snack. My absolute favourite is a Belgian Chocolate Tiffin Slice by Broderick’s. If I opt for something healthier, it would be 2 medjool dates and 1 banana.
Both give me a bit of an energy boost, but probably more mentally than anything.”
Coach Debbie, We Run Coach for London
12. Banana: The Ultimate Snack For Running?
Bananas are a scientifically-backed fuel for exercise, and proved to be the single most popular choice amongst the Coaches we asked. Here’s what they had to say:
“I like the classic banana; rich in potassium and helps prevents muscle cramps. Or dates; full of natural sugar and give me the boost for a sprint run!”
Coach Fran, We Run Coach for East London
“Bananas. Sticking with familiar foods and keeping it simple is always a good strategy. Bananas are familiar and easy to digest and have a similar quantity of carbohydrates to most running gels.”
Coach Fintan, We Run Coach for Nottingham
“My favourite pre-run snack is anything with peanut butter and bananas works for me. High energy, easy to digest and delicious.”
Coach Adam
“Not a big fan of sweets – my favourite running snacks are bananas – or savoury things – like cold roast potatoes or pretzels.”
Coach Angela, We Run Coach for Bath
Natural Snacks For Running
For those looking to keep things natural, our Coaches had several non-processed options for their best sweets for running:
13. Dried Mango
“Dried mango, it’s sweet so full of carbs to fuel intense or prolonged running and fresh on the mouth so I don’t get bored of it. It’s also light, portable and easy to stick in a pocket in my shorts or running pack.”
Coach Graeme, We Run Coach for Huddersfield
14. Nuts & Dried Fruit
“I keep it natural and avoid processed foods – even snacks! So, dried fruit and nuts for long runs blended into balls with coconut oil to nibble on. Tasty and nutritious: nuts for protein and dried fruit for sweetness and an energy boost. The exception to my rule used to be jelly babies but rarely these days. If under 10k I don’t have anything.”
Coach Andrea, We Run Coach for Dorchester
15. Medjool Dates
“Medjool Dates are my ultimate natural source of carbs. They taste like caramel and are really easy to eat on the go. 3 dates is a perfect serving for around 30g of fast acting carbs.
Coach Henry, We Run Coach for Cambridge
16. Homemade Oatcakes
“When I was on Maternity Leave I used to bake banana oatcakes for my long runs. Mash banana, mix with oats, raisins and a dash of salt, then bake. Super simple, easy to break up and eat, and gets you a mix of faster and slower release carbs, as well as a sodium top-up. The bonus? If I was running with the buggy they doubled up as a snack for my daughter if she got grumpy!”
Coach Kat, We Run Coach for Leamington Spa
17. Trail Mix
“My favourite snack for running is a homemade trail mix including some sweets, chocolate raisins, nuts and salted corn. A sweet and savoury lucky dip.”
Coach Vicky, We Run Coach for Stockport
18. Honey
“Favourite carb is honey. You can get honey in a sachet like a gel but it’s completely natural, kind to your tummy, already has electrolytes, and has anti inflammatory properties.”
Coach Sophie, We Run Coach for West London
Miscellaneous Snacks For Running
A few of our Coaches’ best snacks for running didn’t fit neatly into another category – so we lumped them here instead.
19. Pizza
“Anything marathon or below, distance wise, I tend to stick to energy gels but if we’re talking ultras, my favourite is to cook a pizza the day before, slice it and pack it for the road.
The gels are just a super quick carb injection that’s easy to knock back without missing a stride.
With the pizzas, I know I should say it’s a good source of carbs, proteins and fats etc. but to be honest its that sometimes in an ultra you just need something you like to keep you going and your mind happy, and who doesn’t like pizza.”
Coach Steve, We Run Coach for Newcastle
20. Bagel
“I love splitting a bagel and using peanut butter one side and a smidge of jam on the other! It’s high energy in a small snack!”
Coach Mark, We Run Coach for Liverpool
21. Soreen
“I love Soreen lunch loaves for a long run. Avoid the Original flavour, unless you love sticky fingers, but the flavoured ones are easy to eat and pack a good hit of Carb. Gingerbread are my favourite!”
Coach Kat
22. Mini Cheddars
“My favourite running snack is mini cheddars! I love the taste and the light crunch, I personally prefer them to chewy or slippery foods. They contain a decent amount of carbs for energy and are low fibre which makes them easier on the digestion.”
Coach Alexa, We Run Coach for Reading
23. Giant Skittles
“Giant Skittles, they’ve saved my neck a few times over the years, pretty much neat sugar, and quite often I find a few that escaped days later loitering in my race pack!”
Coach Neil, We Run Coach for Derby
24. Peanut Butter & Jelly
“I’m usually boring and have sports specific stuff but do love a pb&j – sweet, salty, carby, nostalgic and you feel like you’re getting ready for a proper adventure making a gert lot of them before a big day out.”
Coach Leah, We Run Coach for Birmingham
Are The Best Sweets For Running No Sweets At All?
“My snack/sweet tip would be to go without – my marathon times (and recovery) have been dramatically better now I’ve ditched the jelly babies and gels (in training and races), and relied on body fat and salt tablets… not the only factor, but definitely helped.”
Coach Gary, We Run Coach for West London
A Final Word On The Best Snacks For Running
“The answer depends of the overall running time and intensity level. Bearing in mind that the average person has enough glycogen stored in their liver & muscles for approx 90mins of activity. If running at a higher intensity, ie, “Marathon Pace” for a marathon then the recommended fuel in the form of carbohydrate would need to be easily digestible and easily absorbable, ie, gels or sports drink (aiming for 60-90g an hour). The reason being that the digestive system isn’t a priority in this instance and the body diverts resources away from the digestive system to working muscles etc.
Running at “EASY” chatty effort, means the digestive system generally stays “open for business” and can digest real food better. In these cases, look for snacks with a high carbohydrate content. Flapjacks work well and are easy to transport. Bananas are a good option too and contain potassium. Dried fruit such as raisins or dates can work well too as the sugar is concentrated in the drying process. They are easy to carry too. Jam sandwiches with white bread have been my staple on the long ultras too – tasty and pretty easy to digest but can be tricky to carry! It’s a very individual thing and the most important thing is to find foods that work for you and that you enjoy. If you don’t fancy it while you’re reading this, you’re not going to fancy it while you’re running.”
Coach Jan, We Run Coach in Burgess Hill
