When it comes to race-day fueling, your gel choice matters a lot more than most runners think. Two gels can look identical on the shelf and have totally different amounts of carbs (anywhere from ~20g to 50g), different types of sugar, and very different amounts of sodium and caffeine.
If you read our post on high-carb fueling for the marathon, you know the goal: get in as many carbs as your gut can handle, ideally 90g+ per hour. The right gel makes that so much easier. So here are Toga’s top 10 favorite gels for marathon race day, ranked, one per brand, with the numbers that matter for each. Plus a few of our favorite non-gel products at the end.
Quick note: nobody paid us to be on this list, and there are no affiliate links. Brands change formulas, so always double check the label before race day.
How we picked
We ranked these gels on what matters most for marathon fueling:
- Dual-source carbs. Every gel on this list has both a glucose source (like maltodextrin) and fructose. Your gut absorbs glucose and fructose through different transporters, so a gel with both lets you absorb more carbs per hour with less GI distress. Gels with a 1:0.8 glucose-to-fructose ratio got a small bump.
- Carbs per gel. More carbs per packet means fewer gels to carry and fewer to take. We love the 40g sweet spot.
- Sodium. You lose sodium in sweat, and some gels help cover it so you don’t have to carry it separately.
- How easy it is to get down mid-race. Texture, and whether you need water with it.
- Taste. You’ll be taking 6+ of these in a race, plus plenty more in training, so you’d better like them! Flavor variety helps too, since flavor fatigue is real late in a marathon.
Quick comparison
| # | Gel | Carbs | Glucose : fructose | Sodium | Caffeine options |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SiS Beta Fuel + Electrolyte | 40g | 1:0.8 | 200mg | 200mg (Nootropics) |
| 2 | Maurten Gel 160 | 40g | 1:0.8 | Low | 100mg (Gel 100 CAF 100) |
| 3 | Neversecond C30 | 30g | 2:1 | 200mg | 75mg (C30+) |
| 4 | Styrkr GEL50 | 50g | 1:0.8 | None | Yes (GEL30 Caffeine) |
| 5 | Enervit Carbo Gel C2:1PRO | 40g | 2:1 | Varies by flavor | 100mg (Cola) |
| 6 | Precision Fuel & Hydration PF 30 | 30g | 2:1 | None | 100mg (PF 30 Caffeine) |
| 7 | PowerBar PowerGel Hydro | 25g | 2:1 | ~200mg | Varies by flavor |
| 8 | Carbs Fuel 50g | 50g | 2:1 | 105mg (450mg salted) | Yes (Caffeinated Original) |
| 9 | Huma Chia Energy Gel | 24g | 2:1 | 105mg (240mg Huma Plus) | 25–100mg |
| 10 | UnTapped Maple Syrup Energy Gel | 26g | ~1:1 (maple sugar) | 5mg (100mg salted) | 27mg (Coffee) |
1. SiS Beta Fuel + Electrolyte
Best overall
- Carbs: 40g
- Ratio: 1:0.8 maltodextrin to fructose
- Sodium: 200mg
- Caffeine: None
- Flavor: Raspberry & Lemon
This is our #1, and it’s what Toga founder Maryann Gong took five of in her 2:38 at Boston. It has everything you want in a marathon gel: a big 40g dose of carbs, the 1:0.8 glucose-to-fructose ratio, and 200mg of sodium built right in.
At 40g a gel, taking one every 20–25 minutes gets you about 95–120g of carbs per hour, which is exactly where you want to be for high-carb fueling. It’s also smooth and easy to get down even when you’re breathing hard. SiS products are also Informed Sport certified, which is important if you race in drug-tested events.
Other versions: The original Beta Fuel gel has the same 40g of 1:0.8 carbs but only about 12mg of sodium, so it’s a good pick if you get your electrolytes elsewhere. For caffeine, there’s Beta Fuel + Nootropics, which adds 200mg of caffeine plus other nootropics (200mg of L-theanine, citicoline and taurine). Maryann likes it and takes one about 1:05 into her marathons, but proceed with caution: that’s a lot of caffeine and a lot of extra stimulating ingredients in one gel, and it’s not for everyone. SiS recommends no more than one per day. Definitely test it in a long run workout first, and skip it if you’re sensitive to caffeine.
2. Maurten Gel 160
Best for sensitive stomachs
- Carbs: 40g
- Ratio: 1:0.8 glucose to fructose
- Sodium: Low
- Caffeine: None
- Flavor: Neutral
Maurten’s gels use hydrogel technology, which turns the carbs into a gel-like texture that’s designed to be gentle on your stomach. They’re made with just a handful of ingredients and no added flavors or colors, so the taste is very neutral. That’s a plus if you’re tired of super sweet gels by mile 18.
The Gel 160 is Maurten’s 40g gel, and it’s a great pick for high-carb fueling. Just know the texture is more like jelly than syrup, so try it on a long run first to see if you like it. It’s also low in sodium, so plan to get electrolytes from somewhere else.
Other versions: The original Gel 100 is the same gel in a smaller 25g size, great if you like taking smaller gels more often. The Gel 100 CAF 100 adds 100mg of caffeine, a good middle ground if 200mg is too much for you.
3. Neversecond C30
Best for salty sweaters
- Carbs: 30g
- Ratio: 2:1 maltodextrin to fructose
- Sodium: 200mg
- Caffeine: None
- Flavors: Lots, including Citrus, Berry, Passion Fruit, Fruit Punch and Watermelon
Neversecond packs 200mg of sodium into every gel, has a thin texture that goes down easily, and comes in a ton of flavors. It’s a 2:1 ratio rather than 1:0.8, but it’s still a great dual-source gel.
Other versions: The C30+ adds 75mg of caffeine (with fun flavors like Cola and Espresso). There’s also the C30 Ice Gel, made to be frozen and eaten slushy, which is a nice trick for hot races.
4. Styrkr GEL50
Best for fewer gels
- Carbs: 50g
- Ratio: 1:0.8
- Sodium: None
- Caffeine: None
- Flavors: Citrus Fruits, Mixed Berry
If you struggle with taking gels often, a bigger gel is your friend. The GEL50 gives you 50g of 1:0.8 carbs in one packet, so two per hour gets you to 100g. It’s vegan and batch tested for banned substances. It has no sodium, so pair it with an electrolyte drink or salt tabs.
Other versions: The GEL30 is a smaller 30g version, and it also comes with caffeine.
5. Enervit Carbo Gel C2:1PRO
Best for a big gel in lots of flavors
- Carbs: 40g
- Ratio: 2:1 maltodextrin to fructose
- Sodium: Varies by flavor
- Caffeine: None, except Cola
- Flavors: Neutral, Lime, Mango, Citrus Orange, Cola
Enervit is a staple in European pro cycling, and the C2:1PRO gives you a full 40g of carbs per gel. It’s a great alternative to SiS or Maurten if you want the same 40g size in a fruitier flavor. Sodium varies by flavor, so check the label for the one you pick.
Other versions: The Cola flavor adds 100mg of caffeine.
6. Precision Fuel & Hydration PF 30
Best for building a custom fueling plan
- Carbs: 30g
- Ratio: 2:1
- Sodium: None
- Caffeine: None
- Flavor: Neutral
PF 30 is a simple, mild-tasting gel with 30g of carbs. It has no sodium on purpose, because Precision Fuel & Hydration expects you to get sodium separately from their electrolyte drinks or capsules. That makes it easy to dial your carbs and your sodium separately.
Other versions: The PF 30 Caffeine Gel adds 100mg of caffeine. Want fewer packets? The PF 90 is a resealable pouch with 90g of carbs, the same as three PF 30s.
7. PowerBar PowerGel Hydro
Best taste and texture
- Carbs: 25g
- Ratio: 2:1
- Sodium: ~200mg
- Caffeine: Varies by flavor (Mojito has about 50mg)
- Flavors: Lemon, Orange, Cola, Cherry, Mojito
Honestly, PowerGel Hydro might be our favorite gel for taste and texture. It’s a light, liquid gel, so it goes down super easily and you don’t need to chase it with water, which makes it handy between aid stations. Maryann takes the Mojito flavor 10–15 minutes before the start of her marathons as a pre-race top-up. If only it had more carbs and the better 1:0.8 ratio, it would be much higher on this list! At 25g of 2:1 carbs, it’s better as a pre-race or bonus gel than your main fuel source.
8. Carbs Fuel 50g
Best value
- Carbs: 50g
- Ratio: 2:1
- Sodium: 105mg
- Caffeine: None
- Flavor: Original
Carbs Fuel gives you the most carbs for your dollar of any gel on this list, with a huge 50g of carbs per packet. It’s thin with no gelling agents, so it goes down quickly.
Other versions: The Salted Original has 450mg of sodium, one of the highest on the market and great for hot races. There’s also a Caffeinated Original.
9. Huma Chia Energy Gel
Best real-food gel
- Carbs: 24g
- Ratio: 2:1
- Sodium: 105mg
- Caffeine: None in most flavors
- Flavors: Strawberries, Apples & Cinnamon, Blueberries, Mangoes and more
If traditional gels don’t sit well with you, Huma is made from real food: fruit puree, cane sugar, brown rice syrup and chia seeds. It tastes more like a fruit pouch than a gel, which a lot of runners love late in a race. The chia gives it a slightly textured feel. At 24g of carbs, you’ll need to take them more often to hit high-carb targets.
Other versions: Huma Plus doubles the electrolytes to about 240mg of sodium. Some flavors come with caffeine, from 25mg up to 100mg in Double Shot Mocha.
10. UnTapped Maple Syrup Energy Gel
Tastiest natural gel
- Carbs: 26g
- Ratio: About 1:1 (maple syrup’s sugar is sucrose, which is half glucose, half fructose)
- Sodium: 5mg
- Caffeine: None
- Flavors: Maple, Salted Raspberry, Salted Citrus, Salted Cocoa, Salted Cinnamon Spice, Mint, Coffee
UnTapped is pure Vermont maple syrup in a packet, and it is SO tasty. If you get flavor fatigue from regular gels, this is a total treat in the back half of a long run or race. Because maple syrup is mostly sucrose, you’re still getting dual-source carbs from a single real-food ingredient. It’s thinner than most gels, so it goes down easily. At 26g of carbs, you’ll need to take them more often to hit high-carb targets.
Other versions: The salted flavors add sodium (Salted Citrus has 100mg), and Coffee has 27mg of caffeine.
Honorable mentions: our favorite non-gel fuel
Gels do the heavy lifting on race day, but these are the other products we reach for around our training and racing.
Skratch Labs Hydration Sport Drink Mix
- Carbs: ~20g per serving
- Sodium: 400mg per serving
- Caffeine: Optional (50mg in Caffeinated Lemon + Lime and Caffeinated Mango)
A light, not-too-sweet drink mix that’s great for sipping on long runs and races. Our favorite flavors are Strawberry Lemonade and Cucumber Lime. Maryann carries a handheld bottle with a scoop of it for the first part of her marathons, which adds carbs and sodium on top of her gels.
Skratch Labs Recovery Sport Drink Mix
- Carbs: 35g per serving
- Protein: 8g, from milk (or 10g from pea, rice and oat protein in the vegan version)
- Sodium: 270mg per serving
Carbs and protein right after a long run or workout help you refuel and recover for the next one, and this is an easy way to get both when you’re not hungry for a full meal yet. But let’s be real, we’re here for the Horchata. It’s creamy, cinnamony, and tastes like a dessert you earned. It’s the post-long-run treat we look forward to all week. (Chocolate is great too, but Horchata is the one.)
Honey Stinger Waffles
- Carbs: 21g
- Calories: 150
A thin waffle sandwich with honey in the middle. They’re a great pre-run snack, an easy carb top-up the morning of a race, or a nice break from gels during a long training run.
How to choose your race-day gel
- Start with carbs per hour. Figure out your target (at least 60g/hr, ideally 90g+), then pick a gel size that gets you there with a frequency you can stick to. For example, at 90g/hr, that’s about one 30g gel every 20 minutes or one 40g gel every ~27 minutes.
- Figure out your sodium. If you sweat a lot or are racing in the heat, a gel with sodium (like SiS Beta Fuel + Electrolyte or Neversecond) makes life easier. If your gel has no sodium, plan another source.
- Decide on caffeine. Most runners do well with one or two caffeinated gels in the second half. Know how much caffeine you’re getting in total.
- Check the course. Find out which gels and drinks are offered on course. If it’s a gel you haven’t trained with, carry your own.
- Practice, practice, practice. Never try a new gel on race day! Use your long runs to test your exact race-day gels at race effort.
The takeaway
The best gel is the one that gets you the most carbs your stomach can handle. For most marathoners, that means a dual-source gel with 30–50g of carbs, and our #1 pick, SiS Beta Fuel + Electrolyte, checks every box. Mixing and matching is totally fine too: Maryann uses three different gels in her own race plan.
Happy fueling!
Not sure how many gels you need or when to take them? Ask the Toga coach! It can build a fueling plan around your goal pace, your race, and the gels you like.
This post is for education, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or a registered sports dietitian before making major changes to your fueling, especially if you have diabetes, GI conditions, or any other medical considerations.
Frequently asked questions
Our top pick is SiS Beta Fuel + Electrolyte. It packs 40g of carbs in a 1:0.8 glucose-to-fructose ratio plus 200mg of sodium, so you get more carbs per gel and some electrolytes without carrying extra salt. Maurten Gel 160 and Neversecond C30 are close runners-up.
Most runners need 6 to 10 gels, depending on gel size, finish time and how many carbs per hour you take. Aim for at least 60g per hour, then train your gut to work up to 90 to 120g per hour. At 90g per hour, a 3:30 marathon needs about 315g of carbs, or eight 40g gels.
Look for dual-source carbs, meaning a glucose source like maltodextrin plus fructose, because your gut absorbs more carbs per hour when it gets both. Then check carbs per gel (30 to 50g means fewer packets to carry), sodium content, caffeine, and above all whether it sits well in your stomach.
Research suggests a 1:0.8 glucose-to-fructose ratio is absorbed slightly better and causes less stomach fullness than 2:1. But the gap is small, and a 2:1 gel is still far better than a glucose-only gel. Pick the gel your stomach handles best at race pace.
Caffeine can make hard running feel easier, so many runners use one or two caffeinated gels during a marathon, usually in the second half. Most research-backed doses are around 3mg per kg of body weight. Test caffeine in training first, since it can upset some stomachs.