Plan the grams, then test the plan
Running fuel planner
Convert a run duration and your chosen carbohydrate target into a whole-session total. Compare five current bars without pretending that arithmetic is personalised nutrition advice.
Free, no login and no saved health data. Product values were checked against current manufacturer pages.
Interactive planning maths
Build a carbohydrate worksheet
Choose a duration and your own carbohydrate target. The tool calculates the total and shows what it would equal if it all came from each checked bar. It does not decide the right intake for you.
World Athletics gives general competition ranges of 30–60g/h for efforts lasting 1–2.5 hours and up to 90g/h beyond 2.5 hours. Those are not a personal prescription. Build gradually, practise in training and count carbohydrate from drinks, gels, chews and ordinary food as well as bars.
Whole-session target
180g carbohydrate
3 hours × 60g per hour. This is arithmetic based on your selection, not a recommendation.
| Current bar | Published carbs | Full-pack equivalent | Average full-pack spacing |
|---|---|---|---|
| OTE Cookies & Cream Duo BarSplit-pack planning | 40g / one 65g pack | 4.5 | 40 min |
| TORQ Organic Sun-Drenched Banana Energy BarCompact low-fat bar | 30g / one 45g bar | 6 | 30 min |
| Maurten Solid 160Simple high-carb solid | 40g / one Solid 160 | 4.5 | 40 min |
| Veloforte Avanti Natural Energy BarNut-based real-food option | 36g / one bar | 5 | 36 min |
| Mountain Fuel FeelGoodBar Double GingerSlower ultra and run-walk food | 31g / one 60g bar | 5.8 | 31 min |
The table deliberately shows a bars-only equivalent so the maths is comparable. It is not a suggestion to eat only bars. Chewing, thirst, allergens, fibre, fat, packaging and stomach tolerance can make that impractical.
Five products and limitations used in the worksheet
- OTE Cookies & Cream Duo Bar40g: Contains milk, soya and wheat; vegetarian rather than vegan
- TORQ Organic Sun-Drenched Banana Energy Bar30g: Contains oats; manufacturer lists several cross-contact exclusions
- Maurten Solid 16040g: Official FAQ positions it for lower-intensity or in-between moments
- Veloforte Avanti Natural Energy Bar36g: Contains nuts; a vegan label is not an allergy-safe claim
- Mountain Fuel FeelGoodBar Double Ginger31g: Higher fat and fibre than the other picks; test at the planned effort
Manufacturer values checked . Check the wrapper you will actually carry: recipes, allergens and pack sizes can change.
How to use the result
The total is duration multiplied by the hourly number you select. The product rows then divide that total by each manufacturer’s published carbohydrate value. A result of 4.5 means four and a half full-bar equivalents across the whole session; it does not mean that eating 4.5 bars is automatically suitable.
World Athletics’ 2019 consensus gives general competition goals of 30–60g of carbohydrate per hour for events lasting 1–2.5 hours and up to 90g/h beyond 2.5 hours. The same statement says strategies should be personalised and practised. The British Dietetic Association’s May 2026 guidance is deliberately broader: carbohydrate during hard exercise longer than an hour can enhance performance, while requirements should be fine-tuned around training, total energy needs and feedback.
Why the worksheet shows a bars-only equivalent
A single unit makes products comparable. In a real plan, carbohydrate may come from sports drink, gels, chews, bananas, sandwiches, sweets or aid-station food as well as bars. Count all of it. Bars can be useful during slower, longer running, but chewing dense food while breathing hard may be impractical.
Plan hydration separately. Carbohydrate grams do not reveal fluid requirements, sweat rate or sodium loss. World Athletics also cautions against drinking beyond sweat losses, and a product containing salt does not make overdrinking safe.
Practise before race day
Start with familiar amounts during training, record what you ate and drank, and note pace, weather and stomach response. Test wrappers with cold or wet hands and check that the food still fits in the vest with mandatory kit. If high carbohydrate targets, recurring gastrointestinal symptoms, diabetes, food allergy or another medical issue are relevant, use a registered sports dietitian or clinician rather than an online calculator.
Use the source-checked energy-bar guide for the product trade-offs, then visit the running-pack finder to plan how the whole load will be carried.