Columbus Marathon fueling at a glance
Every fact on this page in one block, for the runner who wants the answer and nothing else.
- Race
- Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Marathon, 18 October 2026
- Distance
- 42.195 km / 26.2 mi
- Aid tables on the course
- 17
- First table
- mile 1.8 (km 2.9)
- Spacing after the first table
- every 0.9 to 1.9 miles
- Water
- at every table
- Sports drink
- Gatorade Endurance Formula, Lemon-Lime, at every table
- Drink strength
- 5.9 g carbohydrate per 100 ml
- Gel handout
- GU Energy Labs GU Original Energy Gel, mile 15.5 (km 24.9) and mile 20.7 (km 33.3), 2 points
- Food on course
- none published
- Personal refreshment
- not accepted for the mass field
- Published sodium
- 840 mg per litre in the course drink, maker’s mix
- Total climb
- 339 ft, steepest grade 2.5%
- Typical carbohydrate target
- 60 to 90 g an hour
- Gels to carry, 3:45 at 75 g/h
- 5 to 7 using the course drink, 12 carrying everything
Columbus fueling questions, answered
Is there Gatorade on the Columbus Marathon course?
Yes. Gatorade Endurance Formula, Lemon-Lime is at every table, mile 1.8 to mile 24.8, alongside water. GU Energy Labs GU Original Energy Gel is handed out at miles 15.5 and 20.7.
Where are the gel stations at the Columbus Marathon?
Miles 15.5 and 20.7, which is km 24.9 and km 33.3. There is water at each of them. Plan to carry the rest of your own.
How many gels do I need for the Columbus Marathon?
It depends on your carbohydrate target and how much of the course drink you take. At 75 g an hour a 3:45 finish needs about 280 g. Drinking one cup of Gatorade at every other table covers roughly 80 g of that, which leaves about 9 gels of 25 g, 2 of them handed out on the course, so carry 7. Drinking half a litre of Gatorade an hour, carry 5. The grid above works this out for any finish time.
Is the Columbus Marathon flat?
Mostly. Our course profile shows 339 ft of climbing across 26.2 miles, a net change of -9 ft, and a steepest quarter mile of 2.2%, under the 3% where a climb starts to move a feed. So CarbRate still places every feed by the water tables, and even pacing is a fair guide with a minute or two of slack on the climbs.
Does Columbus have electrolytes or sodium on the course?
Yes. Gatorade Endurance carries about 840 mg of sodium per litre as the maker mixes it, which is above the 600 mg per litre target. The race does not publish its own dilution. If you carry your own water instead, bring your own sodium plan.
Is there food on the Columbus Marathon course?
Columbus publishes none. The tables carry water and Gatorade Endurance and nothing else.
How far apart are the water stations at Columbus?
The first table is at mile 1.8. After that they come every 0.9 to 1.9 miles. The longest gap after the start is mile 17.3 to mile 19.2, about 3.1 km, which is 17 minutes at 4:00 pace and 22 minutes at 5:00 pace.
When will I reach the gel station at mile 15.5?
At even pace: 2:04 into a 3:30 race, 2:13 into a 3:45, 2:22 into a 4:00, and 2:57 into a 5:00. Enter your own goal time in the station table above to see every table.
Where are the aid stations at the Columbus Marathon?
There are 17, at miles 1.8, 3.5, 4.9, 6.5, 8.1, 9.1, 10.8, 11.7, 13.3, 14.5, 15.5, 17.3, 19.2, 20.7, 21.9, 23.4 and 24.8. All 17 have water. Every one of them also has Gatorade Endurance Formula, Lemon-Lime.
Can I carry all of my own fuel at the Columbus Marathon?
Yes. Columbus does not take personal bottles from the mass field, so everything you carry starts on you at the gun, with water at every table to top a flask from. Carrying everything at 75 g an hour is 12 gels of 25 g for a 3:45 finish, or 10 if you take the course gels.
How much carbohydrate should I take during the Columbus Marathon?
60 to 90 grams an hour, set by your body size and by how much your stomach has practised absorbing. Start at the rate you have already trained at rather than the rate you want: 90 g an hour is a target to build toward over a training cycle before you race on it.
Do I need to carry water at the Columbus Marathon?
Only for the opening 1.8 miles. The first table is at mile 1.8, about 15 minutes into a 3:45 race, and after that tables come every 0.9 to 1.9 miles. If your first feed comes before mile 1.8, carry the fluid for it from the start line.
What should I eat before the Columbus Marathon?
1 to 4 g of carbohydrate per kg of body weight in the 1 to 4 hours before the start, from food you have already eaten before long runs. A 68 kg runner eating 3 hours before the start needs roughly 130 to 200 g of carbohydrate.
