The Incredibly Specific, Occasionally Gross Food We Eat to Fuel Our Ultras

The Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) World Series Finals kick off on August 26 and run through September 1. The annual finale is made up of three races: the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc Orsières-Champex-Chamonix (50K), the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc Courmayeur-Champex-Chamonix (100K), and the classic UTMB (100M), across France, Italy, and Switzerland.

Sure, crowds come for the world-class athletes and spectacular views of the Alps, but, some might argue, another big draw is the food—and even the race participants get a taste on the course. Much of the fuel at aid stations are sourced from nearby communities, who bring their best. Think: locally made croissants, bread, cheese, and prosciutto.

But for those of us who haven’t had the pleasure of running by tents filled with freshly baked French baguettes on our long runs, here’s the weird, the specific, and the sometimes gross on how we fuel our adventures.

The Food Outside Editors Eat for Ultramarathons

Birthday Cake

On a 13-hour, nearly 10,000-vertical foot ridge scramble/romp through the high peaks in New Mexico a few years ago, I fueled with the food of the gods: birthday cake in a bag. I had somehow scammed my way into having three cakes at my birthday dinner a few nights prior and figured the calorie-to-weight ratio of buttercream frosting couldn’t be far off from Gu. So I cut a generous piece of birthday cake, put it in a Ziploc, and stashed it in my pack. By the time I went to eat it, it had lost all structure and I could easily squeeze it directly into my mouth from a hole I cut in the bottom corner of the bag.

—Abigail Barronian, senior editor, Outside

Raisin Scones

The last time I ran 100 miles, it was a self-supported multi-day journey through the English countryside. The bad news: no aid stations. The good news: pubs and cafes at far greater frequency. I was able to refill my vest with raisin scones and coffee every ten miles. By itself, a scone is pretty dry. But combined with a mouthful of coffee (or even water), it becomes an easy-to-digest, carby snack that’s just the right amount of sweet. Plus, it’s perfectly sized to fit in a chest pocket.

—Corey Buhay, interim managing editor, Backpacker

Real Food

I have been blessed with a rock-solid stomach and have never had gastrointestinal issues during any run or race. That gives me the freedom to consume just about anything, but I notably veer away from energy gels and opt for real food—either the breakfast burritos or ramen noodles available at aid stations or peanut butter tortilla wraps (sometimes with Nutella) and Pay Day candy bars (because they don’t melt and have a good blend of calories, carbs, fat and protein). I have also been known to drink pickle juice straight from the jar for the sodium content. I love the taste!

—Brian Metzler, editor-in-chief, RUN

Trader Joe’s Many Things Snack Mix

I’m all about having a variety of guilty pleasure snacks on hand during an ultra! My favorite is a specific mix from Trader Joe’s called Many Things Snack Mix, with honey-roasted peanuts, sweet and spicy Chex-like cereal squares, pretzel sticks, and bread chips. It’s basically Chex mix. I put it in a Ziploc bag and relish being able to eat it without guilt during my run (because when I eat it at home, it’s never really fulfilling any kind of nutritional need and I always eat too much of it!).

I’ll also pack a Ziploc bag with gummy bears, and then another one with half of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Peanuts and peanut butter go down easy for me while also providing a bit of a “stick to your ribs” satiety, while the gummy bears have a fun texture and come with a sugar rush. A PB&J sandwich kind of combines both sides of that, and then the Chex mix—as long as it has some spicy pieces—wakes up my taste buds.

—Svati Narula, contributing editor, Outside

PB&J

My go-to is a good old-fashioned peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It’s simple, reliable, easy on my belly (maybe I’m just used to it), and gives me the perfect balance of carbs and protein—plus, all the nostalgia of my childhood days. I love it so much.

—Mary Mckeon, director of audience development, Outside Inc.

Spam Musubi

My go-to rolls are the perfect combination of salty and sweet and are packed with carbs and protein. Plus, as a runner who’s prone to an upset stomach after the ten-mile point, they’re bland enough that they tend to stay put when other snacks come right back up. Best of all: Spam musubi’s a hand-held roll that travels well and is just as tasty at room temperature after a couple of hours in my pack.

—Abigail Wise, contributing editor, Outside

Good Vibes

I prefer to subsist on basically nothing but good vibes and enthusiasm for about three or four hours before inevitably crashing and burning due to a lack of fueling.

—Matt Skenazy, features editor, Outside