# What should you take for the Two Oceans Marathon?

Source: https://www.healthnews24.co.za/answers/two-oceans-marathon-nutrition-supplements-south-africa/
Publisher: Healthnews24 (South Africa's supplement answer desk)
Updated: 2026-10-27

> For the 56 km Two Oceans Ultra, take 60 to 70 g of carbohydrate an hour using gels, carb drink and real food, drink to thirst, and carry sodium only if you sweat heavily. For the half marathon, 30 to 60 g an hour is enough. Cape autumn weather can swing from cool to hot, so practise your plan in similar conditions.

Key facts:
- The Two Oceans Ultra is 56 km with a seven-hour cut-off; the half marathon is 21.1 km.
- Carbohydrate targets: 30 to 60 g/h for 1.5 to 3 hours, and up to 90 g/h beyond 2.5 hours using glucose and fructose (Jeukendrup 2014).
- Fuelling 300 g of carbohydrate costs roughly R175 with 32Gi Race drink, R300 with Biogen Elite gel and R900 with Maurten Gel 100 (October 2026, our calculation).
- Drink to thirst: overdrinking is the main cause of hyponatraemia, with risk rising beyond four hours.

## What does the event demand?

The Two Oceans Marathon in Cape Town, held over Easter weekend, includes the **56 km Ultra** (with a seven-hour cut-off) and a **21.1 km half marathon**. The ultra takes most runners between about four and seven hours, with the climb over Constantia Nek a signature test. Cape autumn conditions can be cool, hot or windy, so plan for both.

## How much carbohydrate should you take?

Using Jeukendrup's framework:

| Event | Duration | Carbohydrate |
|---|---|---|
| Half marathon | 1.5 to 3 hours | 30 to 60 g/h |
| 56 km Ultra | 4 to 7 hours | 60 g/h, up to 90 g/h if trained, with glucose and fructose |

A 5-hour ultra runner at 60 g/h needs about 300 g. Costs at October 2026 prices, using our cost per gram: 32Gi Race drink about R175, Biogen Elite Carb Gel about R300, SiS GO about R610, Maurten Gel 100 about R900. Most runners blend a drink, gels and real food. Carbohydrate per gel is not published for 32Gi or GU gels.

Start fuelling in the first 30 to 45 minutes, and dose every 15 to 20 minutes. Do not try a new gel on race day.

## What about fluids and sodium?

- Drink to thirst; overdrinking is the main driver of hyponatraemia, and risk rises beyond four hours and at slower paces ([what is hyponatraemia](/answers/what-is-hyponatraemia-in-endurance-events-south-africa/)).
- Run a sweat test; typical rates are 0.5 to 2 L/h.
- Salty sweaters can use an electrolyte drink. Biogen Electrolyte sachets cost R4.63 to R5.17 each and Lifestyle Electrolyte Fizzy tablets R4.80 to R5.30 (October 2026); sodium per serving is not published for either.
- Salt tablets do not prevent cramps.

## Should you use caffeine?

A moderate dose of 3 to 6 mg/kg is supported by ISSN. For the ultra, save it for the last third. A Maurten CAF 100 gel gives 100 mg for R80 to R85. Test in training.

## Before and after

Carb load for the last day or two ([how to carb load](/answers/carb-loading-for-a-marathon-how-to/)). Afterwards, aim for carbohydrate plus about 20 to 25 g protein ([best recovery drink](/answers/best-recovery-drink-after-a-run-south-africa/)).

## What do you not need?

Pre-race creatine, beta-alanine, fat burners and "energy" pre-workouts offer little for a steady ultra and carry contamination risk for tested athletes. Magnesium and salt tablets are not proven to prevent cramps.

## Who needs advice?

People with diabetes, kidney, heart or blood pressure conditions, pregnant runners, and anyone on diuretics or other medication, should check fuelling and sodium plans with their doctor. Younger runners should lean on normal food and water.

See the [Comrades plan](/answers/comrades-marathon-nutrition-and-supplement-plan-south-africa/) for longer events and the hourly carbohydrate framework above.

## Products mentioned

| Product | Size | Price (source, date) | Servings | R per serving | Sweeteners |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32Gi Race High Intensity Sports Drink (900 g) | 900 g | R470 (Dis-Chem Living Fit, 2026-10) | 12 | R39.17 | None listed |
| Biogen Elite Carb Energy Gel, unflavoured (60 g) | 60 g sachet | R44.99 (Dis-Chem Living Fit, 2026-10) | 1 | R44.99 | None listed |
| Maurten Gel 100 (40 g sachet) | 40 g sachet | R74–R75 (goneoutdoor / The Athlete's Foot via PriceCheck, 2026-10) | 1 | R75.00 | None listed |
| Maurten Gel 100 CAF 100 (40 g sachet) | 40 g sachet | R80–R85 (biket / goneoutdoor via PriceCheck, 2026-10) | 1 | R85.00 | None listed |
| Biogen Electrolyte (3 x 10 sachets, citrus) | 3 x 10 sachets | R139–R155 (Dis-Chem (electrolytes group), 2026-10) | 30 | R5.17 | Not published |

## Sources

- [Jeukendrup 2014, A step towards personalized sports nutrition: carbohydrate intake during exercise (Sports Med)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4008807/)
- [Hew-Butler et al. 2015, Third International Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia Consensus Statement (BJSM 49:1432)](https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/49/22/1432)
- [Guest et al. 2021, ISSN position stand: caffeine and exercise performance (JISSN)](https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-020-00383-4)
- [Thomas, Erdman & Burke 2016, Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada and ACSM: Nutrition and Athletic Performance](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26917108/)