A Fueling Plan Built Specifically for the Tucson Marathon

Every aid station on the course, what it serves, and the exact minute you reach it based on your goal time. Then a fueling plan built on this exact course, so every gel is timed to avoid the hills and where there is water to wash it down so you never hit the wall in the last 6 miles.

Build my Tucson plan Start with the course ↓
Tucson Marathon
Sunday 13 December 2026 · 26.2 miles
Water + C30 Sports Drink 14 Gel depot miles 10.7, 14.2 and 20.5
Map of the Tucson Marathon course with the 14 aid tables marked
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Elevation profile drag along the profile to scrub
26.2 miles ▲ 292 ft gain ▼ 1785 ft loss +130 ft high -1538 ft low
0 mi 5 10 15 20 26.2 mi +130 ft 0 mi 10 20 26.2 mi +130 ft

Aid tables from the official Tucson Marathon race page, checked 7 Oct 2026. Tucson publishes miles; kilometres are converted. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Built for your exact course

How a Tucson plan starts

This plan was built for a runner looking to finish in 3:48 who needs 81 g of carbs per hour for their fitness level. Get the full course built to your goal and fueling needs here →

The first 3 of 12 feeds of the reference plan on the Tucson Marathon profile 9 more in your plan 1 2 3 Start Finish
The first 3 of 12 feeds of the reference plan on the Tucson Marathon profile 9 more in your plan 1 2 3 Start Finish
  1. 10:07No table here · mile 0.7 (water in hand)One 25 g gel, your own
  2. 20:24Aid station · mile 2.6One 25 g gel, your own
  3. 30:41Aid station · mile 4.5One 25 g gel, your own
  4. 9 more feeds to the finish, in your plan
Build My Full Plan
Why the course changes the plan

Why you need to adapt your fueling plan to the specifics of the course

Most fueling plans are generic: take a gel every 30 minutes, wash it down with water and drink your carb beverage in between.

But, what if your planned time to take a gel comes right in the middle of a hill? What if there’s no aid station close by to grab water from?

Often, where each gel goes on the course matters as much as how many you take

It’s these small, often ignored parts of executing a fueling plan that trip runners up and have them hitting the wall or slowing down because of an upset stomach, despite having a well-rehearsed fueling plan heading into the race.

4

things go wrong when you don’t account for the course in your fueling plan

1A planned gel with no water

You plan a gel at 60 minutes, but the next water station isn’t for another 15. That means you either have to wait, take it without water and have it sit, or take it with your carb beverage and take in too much sugar for your stomach to process.

2You miss a table

Tucson has 14 aid stations with Neversecond C30 Sports Drink at every one, but gels at only three of them, miles 10.7, 14.2 and 20.5. The first ten miles carry nothing but the cup, and after the last gel at mile 20.5 there are almost six miles of downhill still to run. Without a plan you either double up on gels late and pay for it, or run the last 10 km short.

3Your plan calls for a gel in the middle of a hill

As intensity increases, your stomach’s ability to process carbohydrates slows down. Couple that with breathing harder up a hill and you’ve got the perfect storm for a gel that can’t be digested fast enough.

4Miscalculating the fluid on the course

The distance between aid stations, the concentration of the carbohydrate drink, and how much you’re actually able to swallow all change how much glycogen you’re actually replacing every hour. Your plan calls for 60 g per hour, but if you only hit 40 g you’ll run out of glycogen before you finish.

So your fueling plan needs to start with one question, and everything after it follows.

Option 1

I am going to use what is on the course

Water at 14 tables, Neversecond at all of them, gels at miles 10.7, 14.2 and 20.5.

What that adds up to, and what you still carry.

Fuel off the course ↓
Option 2

I am going to carry all of my own fuel

Your products, your timing, nothing riding on a cup you might miss.

What the course still decides for you.

Fuel from your own kit ↓
Option 1

If you are going to use what the course hands you

Tucson is a good course to do this on. Water and Neversecond C30 Sports Drink come at all 14 tables. Below is where you’ll find each station.

Tucson Marathon course strip Elevation relative to the start across 26.2 miles, the 14 aid tables marked by mile with what is at each, and the 12 feeds of the reference plan as numbered dots. +130 ft -1538 ft 2.6 4.5 6.4 8.7 10.7 12.9 14.2 16.3 18.3 19.8 20.5 22.6 23.5 24.5 mi 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Water + C30 Sports Drink Gel depot Feed in the 3:45 plan, on a table Feed with no table, water carried

Elevation is stretched to emphasis location. The numbered dots are your recommended fueling options for your 3:45 goal.

Source: the official Tucson Marathon, checked 7 Oct 2026

1What is on the course

What is provided at Tucson, and where

Water is provided at all 14 tables, from mile 2.6 to mile 24.5.

Neversecond C30 Sports Drink at every table, so there is carbohydrate in the cup each time you drink. Gels at miles 10.7, 14.2 and 20.5, Neversecond C30 Energy Gel. Bananas at mile 6.4. Bananas at mile 12.9. Bananas at mile 18.3. Oreos at mile 22.6.

The course climbs 292 ft in total, and 1 climb is steeper than 3%: mile 0.2 to mile 0.5, 78 ft. CarbRate keeps your feeds off that climb and on the water tables either side.

The Tucson course, table by table
Water stations
14

every table, mile 2.6 to mile 24.5

C30 Sports Drink
14

every table from mile 2.6 to mile 24.5

Neversecond C30 Energy Gel (flavor not named)
3

miles 10.7, 14.2 and 20.5, water at each

2Your goal time

Every table, and the minute you reach it

Put your goal time in and when you arrive at every aid station on the course recalculates. This is the list to put in your pocket, and the one CarbRate builds your feeds on.

Arrival times assume even pace, which is a rough guide on a course with this much climbing. At 3:45 you reach the first gel station at 1:32.
Build my Tucson plan
All 14 tables at 3:45
mikmTableWhat’s at the tableYou arrive
2.64.2Aid stationwaterC30 Sports Drink0:22
4.57.2Aid stationwaterC30 Sports Drink0:39
6.410.3Aid stationwaterC30 Sports Drinkbananas0:55
8.714.0Aid stationwaterC30 Sports Drink1:15
10.717.2Aid station + Neversecond gelwaterC30 Sports DrinkNeversecond C30 Energy Gel (flavor not named)1:32
12.920.8Aid stationwaterC30 Sports Drinkbananas1:51
14.222.9Aid station + Neversecond gelwaterC30 Sports DrinkNeversecond C30 Energy Gel (flavor not named)2:02
16.326.2Aid stationwaterC30 Sports Drink2:20
18.329.5Aid stationwaterC30 Sports Drinkbananas2:37
19.831.9Aid stationwaterC30 Sports Drink2:50
20.533.0Aid station + Neversecond gelwaterC30 Sports DrinkNeversecond C30 Energy Gel (flavor not named)2:56
22.636.4Aid stationwaterC30 Sports DrinkOreos3:14
23.537.8Aid stationwaterC30 Sports Drink3:22
24.539.4Aid stationwaterC30 Sports Drink3:30
3The course drink

How much glycogen does the Neversecond on the course provide

Neversecond C30 Sports Drink is 6 g of carbohydrate per 100 mL. A typical cup contains about 200 mL.

But, you likely won’t actually drink that much. Volunteers typically fill cups about half way to prevent water from splashing and you’ll lose a good amount as you run with the cup and what spills as you drink.

On average, you can expect a net intake of about 60 to 90 mL per cup

This is the part most runners don’t account for in their fueling plan, so CarbRate builds it directly in your plan.

We’ll tell you exactly how many cups at each aid station to drink based on how much glycogen you need and how much you’ll be able to supplement with gels.

What the drink is worth per hour
Glycogen left
200 → 60–90 mL

A cup holds about 200 mL. Half-filled, spilled and sipped on the run, 60 to 90 mL of it actually goes down.

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you run out here Planned full cups Real 60–90 mL a cup full empty start finish
Glycogen left across the race, a plan built on full cups against what a cup actually delivers. Illustrative, not your plan.
4What you carry

How many gels you still carry

After you’ve calculated how much of the course drink you’ll likely take at each aid station, you’ll need to fill in your glycogen needs with gels along the course.

A typical gel contains about 25 g of carbohydrate, so use the chart here to calculate how many you’ll need.

If you’ve practiced fueling in training, you can target 75 to 90 g per hour. If you haven’t trained your stomach, err closer to 60 g per hour.

Here’s more on how to practice your fueling schedule to maximize your gut tolerance.

25 g gels to carry, after the course
Finish60 g/h75 g/h90 g/h
3:45 your goal
3:001to23to45to6
3:302to34to56to8
4:002to55to77to9
4:303to36to68to9
5:003to46to79to10
5The products

The 2 products Tucson hands you

Tucson hands out Neversecond: C30 Sports Drink at every table, and C30 gels at miles 10.7, 14.2 and 20.5, some of which may be the caffeinated C30+. Practise with both before race day so mile 10.7 is not the first time your stomach meets them.

If Neversecond does not sit well with you, the closest matches are Maurten Gel 100, Precision Fuel PF 30 Gel and SiS Beta Fuel Gel. Pick one before race week and train on it.

On the Tucson course
Sodium
200 mg
Caffeine
not published (C30+ carries 75 mg)
Glucose : fructose
2 : 1 glucose to fructose
Science score100/100
Full write-up, who it suits →
Sodium
200 mg / sachet
Caffeine
0 mg
Glucose : fructose
2 : 1 glucose to fructose

Get a Fueling Plan Built for Tucson

CarbRate builds you a personalized race fueling plan from your own sweat rate, how your stomach handles gels, and then it coaches you through every feed, live, while you run.

It also customizes every gel and every drink placement to align with the actual elevation profile and aid station on your course.

Build my Tucson plan
Option 2

If you are going to carry all of your own fuel

Even carrying your own fuel, the Tucson course influences 4 things about your fueling plan: the timing of your gels, fluid intake, the hills, and caffeine.

1Timing

Set your feed times to Tucson’s tables, unless you carry water

The common advice is to take your gels every 30 to 45 minutes, but that might not coincide with when you hit an aid station.

If you’re not carrying your own water with you, you’ll need those aid stations to wash down your gel.

For a 3:45 finisher, Tucson’s tables arrive 22, 39, 55, 75 and 92 minutes in, then every 6 to 18 minutes.

So, you need to factor this into your fueling plan.

Enter your goal time in the input box below and we’ll show you when each aid station will arrive for your given pace.

If you want a fueling plan with all of these built in, CarbRate does this for you. Start building your plan here.

Feed times assume even pace, which is a rough guide on a course with this much climbing. Everything below recalculates from 3:45.
Your watch against Tucson’s tables
Gel alarms with water
4 of 11 alarms

For a 3:45 finisher, 4 of 11 twenty-minute alarms land within 2 minutes of a table. Highlighted tables take a gel in a 75 g an hour plan; the first goes down before mile 2.6 from a bottle you carry.

Gel alarm every 20 min Tucson tables, 3:45 pace 2.6 4.5 10.7 12.9 14.2 16.3 18.3 20.5 22.6 24.5 start 1:00 2:00 3:00 finish
alarm within 2 min of wateralarm with no watertable taking a geltable not taking a gel
How many 25 g gels that is, carrying everything
Finish60 g/h75 g/h90 g/h
3:45 your goal91214
3:008911
3:3091113
4:00101215
4:30111417
5:00121518
2Water

A gel needs more water than a cup holds

Research has shown that the optimal carbohydrate concentration is 6 to 8 percent carbohydrate to water.

That means you’ll want about 100 mL (3.5 oz) of water for every 8 grams of carbohydrate you take in. A typical gel contains 25 g of carbohydrate, so you’ll want to aim for about 300 mL (10 oz) of water with each gel.

A good estimate is that each cup of water will provide you 100 mL (3.5 oz) of water. That’s because volunteers typically fill cups about half way to prevent water from splashing and you’ll lose a good amount as you run with the cup and what spills as you drink.

So, if you’re not carrying your own water, have your gel open and prepared to take at the start of the aid station so you can take it early with a cup of water and still have time to grab another cup or two.

What a gel needs and what a cup delivers
One 25 g gel needs
300 mL
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cupsempties fast, no sloshing8%concentration300 mL+2 cupsstill too thick to empty13%concentration200 mL+1 cupsits in your stomach25%concentration100 mL
3Hills

The hills change where your fuel goes, not how much

The carbohydrate you need per hour is the same on a hilly course as on a flat one. What changes is which aid stations you can take it at, when you reach them, and where your caffeine goes.

Keep your gels off the climbs

Your stomach slows down digestion as your effort increases running uphill. This happens because blood moves from your gut to your legs, so a gel taken on a hard climb sits there instead of being absorbed.

So, keep your gels off any climb steeper than about 3 percent, and take them on the flat before it or the flat after it.

Tucson has 1 climb like that: mile 0.2 to mile 0.5, 78 ft.

Long, steep descents are no better. Below about 7 percent your quads are doing the braking and everything in your stomach is bouncing, so wait for the grade to ease before you take anything.

If you want a fueling plan with your gel and drink timing customized to the course, CarbRate does this for you. Start building your plan here.

Where the climbs are
Climbs steeper than 3%
1 on the course

The climb at mile 0.2 at mile 0.2 is the climb that decides your race, so your caffeine goes in about an hour before it.

Tucson Marathon course strip Elevation relative to the start across 26.2 miles, the 14 aid tables marked by mile with what is at each, and the 12 feeds of the reference plan as numbered dots. +130 ft -1538 ft 2.6 4.5 6.4 8.7 10.7 12.9 14.2 16.3 18.3 19.8 20.5 22.6 23.5 24.5 mi
climb steeper than 3%, no gel heretable with water, a gel lands here
4Caffeine

Time your caffeine so it helps you when you need it the most

If you plan to use caffeine, it’s best to time it so the benefits kick in when you need them the most.

Caffeine peaks in your blood about an hour after you swallow it, then it slowly falls.

In that analysis of 4.2 million marathon results, the runners who slowed sharply began to do so just before mile 18.6 (30 km).

With a goal finish time of 3:45 that would place your caffeine at mile 16.3 (26 km).

This should provide you with peak benefits from the caffeine right when you need it the most.

When the caffeine is working
Caffeine table, hilly course
mile 16.3
2 hours 20 minutes into a 3:45

Blood caffeine peaks about an hour after the dose, so a mile 16.3 gel peaks near mile 23 for a 3:45 finisher, after the wall has started. In 4.2 million marathon results, the late slowdown began near mile 18.6.

the climb starts mile 0.2, 78 ft of climbing dose at the start mile 16.3 table · 2:20 peak ≈ mile 23 0 mi 5 10 15 20 26.2 mi peaknone
dose at the mile 16.3 tabledose at the startwhere the decisive climb startscurve shape illustrative, timings from your goal time

Get a Fueling Plan Built for Tucson

CarbRate builds you a personalized race fueling plan from your own sweat rate, how your stomach handles gels, and then it coaches you through every feed, live, while you run.

It also customizes every gel and every drink placement to align with the actual elevation profile and aid station on your course.

Build my Tucson plan
What CarbRate says about Tucson

What CarbRate flags on a Tucson plan

These are the warnings CarbRate attaches to a Tucson plan, word for word, for the runner in the plan above.

Plan to carry

Tucson hands out Neversecond C30 Energy Gel (flavor not named) at 3 points. You need about 12 feeds, so that covers roughly 29% of your carbohydrate. Take them if you want them, and carry the other 9.

In your favour

Tucson has Neversecond C30 Sports Drink at 6 g per 100 ml, which is strong. Drinking 500 ml an hour covers about 30 g/h of your 81 g/h target, and your plan has already taken that off your gels.

Only at 5:00 pace

The longest stretch without water on Tucson runs 2.3 miles, from mile 6.4 to mile 8.7. At your pace that is about 27 minutes. Carry fluid through it rather than waiting for the next table. Under 5 hours that stretch takes less than 27 minutes, and CarbRate stays quiet.

Quiet on purpose

The first table is at mile 2.6. CarbRate allows 45 minutes for the opening stretch instead of the usual 27, because you start hydrated and fed. So Tucson’s first 2.6 miles never trigger a warning.

Sodium: not published

Tucson names Neversecond C30 Sports Drink but not how strong it mixes it. Neversecond's label is 200 mg of sodium per sachet; one sachet in 500 ml is 400 mg per litre, under the 600 mg per litre target, and a weaker mix is less. The race publishes no mix ratio, so the figure is not confirmed.

Treat the course as water and carbohydrate, and bring your own sodium. CarbRate works out how much from your sweat rate and the forecast, and puts it on the same schedule as your gels.

Shows inside 10 days
68 days to go

From 3 December the start-line forecast appears here, with what it changes in your plan. On a warm day: more fluid and more sodium.

The short answers

Tucson Marathon fueling at a glance

Every fact on this page in one block, for the runner who wants the answer and nothing else.

Race
Tucson Marathon, 13 December 2026
Distance
42.195 km / 26.2 mi
Aid tables on the course
14
First table
mile 2.6 (km 4.2)
Spacing after the first table
every 0.7 to 2.3 miles
Water
at every table
Sports drink
Neversecond C30 Sports Drink, at every table
Drink strength
6 g carbohydrate per 100 ml
Gel handout
Neversecond C30 Energy Gel, mile 10.7 (km 17.2), mile 14.2 (km 22.9) and mile 20.5 (km 33), 3 points
Food on course
bananas at mile 6.4, bananas at mile 12.9, bananas at mile 18.3 and Oreos at mile 22.6
Personal refreshment
not accepted for the mass field
Published sodium
none, for anything on the course
Total climb
292 ft, steepest grade 7.5%
Typical carbohydrate target
60 to 90 g an hour
Gels to carry, 3:45 at 75 g/h
4 to 6 using the course drink, 12 carrying everything

Tucson fueling questions, answered

Is there Neversecond on the Tucson Marathon course?

Yes. Neversecond C30 Sports Drink is at every table, mile 2.6 to mile 24.5, alongside water. Neversecond C30 Energy Gel is handed out at miles 10.7, 14.2 and 20.5.

Where are the gel stations at the Tucson Marathon?

Miles 10.7, 14.2 and 20.5, which is km 17.2, km 22.9 and km 33. There is water at each of them. Plan to carry the rest of your own.

How many gels do I need for the Tucson 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 Neversecond at every other table covers roughly 60 g of that, which leaves about 9 gels of 25 g, 3 of them handed out on the course, so carry 6. Drinking half a litre of Neversecond an hour, carry 4. The grid above works this out for any finish time.

Is the Tucson Marathon hilly?

Yes. The race publishes 292 ft of climbing across 26.2 miles with 1 climb steeper than 3%: mile 0.2 to mile 0.5, 78 ft. CarbRate keeps your gels off those climbs and on the tables either side of them, and arrival times assume even pace only as a rough guide.

Does Tucson have electrolytes or sodium on the course?

The race does not publish sodium figures for anything at its tables, and we could not confirm one for the on-course mix. Treat the course as water and carbohydrate and bring your own sodium plan.

Is there food on the Tucson Marathon course?

Bananas at mile 6.4, Bananas at mile 12.9, Bananas at mile 18.3 and Oreos at mile 22.6. Every other table is water and C30 Sports Drink only.

How far apart are the water stations at Tucson?

The first table is at mile 2.6. After that they come every 0.7 to 2.3 miles. The longest gap after the start is mile 6.4 to mile 8.7, about 3.7 km, which is 21 minutes at 4:00 pace and 26 minutes at 5:00 pace.

When will I reach the gel station at mile 10.7?

At even pace: 1:26 into a 3:30 race, 1:32 into a 3:45, 1:38 into a 4:00, and 2:02 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 Tucson Marathon?

There are 14, at miles 2.6, 4.5, 6.4, 8.7, 10.7, 12.9, 14.2, 16.3, 18.3, 19.8, 20.5, 22.6, 23.5 and 24.5. All 14 have water. Every one of them also has Neversecond C30 Sports Drink.

Can I carry all of my own fuel at the Tucson Marathon?

Yes. Tucson 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 9 if you take the course gels.

How much carbohydrate should I take during the Tucson 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 Tucson Marathon?

Only for the opening 2.6 miles. The first table is at mile 2.6, about 22 minutes into a 3:45 race, and after that tables come every 0.7 to 2.3 miles. If your first feed comes before mile 2.6, carry the fluid for it from the start line.

What should I eat before the Tucson 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.

Your Tucson plan

Build your Tucson plan with the course already loaded

The tables, the Neversecond and the course profile above are already in. Add your weight, goal time, sweat rate and the gels you like, and CarbRate builds your feed-by-feed plan for Tucson, then calls each feed by voice on race day.

Build my Tucson plan

The plan is free. Live race-day guidance and the practice schedule are in the app, $9.95 a month or a one-time $49.95 Race Pass that expires after your race.

Fueling guides for the other courses

Tucson, 13 Dec 2026
Free plan, course loadedBuild my Tucson plan