Shorter doesn’t mean easier. A 5–10 km race is run at high intensity, where every second counts. Smart fuelling supports sustained pace and helps you recover faster — so you can bounce back stronger.

For most runners, fuelling during the race is optional — especially for events under 40 minutes. But if your race pushes beyond that, topping up with 10–20 g of carbohydrate can help maintain pace and support a strong finish.

A moderate caffeine dose before the race can improve focus and reaction time. This is valuable in fast-paced, high-intensity events like 5–10 km races.

Race-day nutrition is only part of the bigger picture. How you fuel before and after 5-10km makes a huge difference to your training and recovery.

For everyday support, explore our Protein Guide to find the right protein for your goals, and try our Goal Selector to build a supplement routine tailored to you.