Madison Marathon fueling at a glance
Every fact on this page in one block, for the runner who wants the answer and nothing else.
- Race
- Madison Marathon, 15 November 2026
- Distance
- 42.195 km / 26.2 mi
- Aid tables on the course
- 18
- First table
- mile 1.5 (km 2.3)
- Spacing after the first table
- every 1 to 1.7 miles
- Water
- at every table
- Sports drink
- Gatorade Endurance Formula, at mile 2.4, mile 3.7, mile 5.4, mile 7, mile 8.2, mile 9.6, mile 10.6, mile 11.7, mile 13.2, mile 14.5, mile 15.8, mile 17.2, mile 18.8, mile 20.2, mile 21.9, mile 23.3, mile 25
- Drink strength
- 5.9 g carbohydrate per 100 ml
- Gel handout
- Crank Sports e-Gel, mile 8.2 (km 13.2), mile 15.8 (km 25.4), mile 20.2 (km 32.6) and mile 21.9 (km 35.3), 4 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
- 501 ft, steepest grade 5.0%
- Typical carbohydrate target
- 60 to 90 g an hour
- Gels to carry, 3:45 at 75 g/h
- 3 to 5 using the course drink, 12 carrying everything
Madison fueling questions, answered
Is there Gatorade on the Madison Marathon course?
Yes. Gatorade Endurance Formula is at miles 2.4, 3.7, 5.4, 7, 8.2, 9.6, 10.6, 11.7, 13.2, 14.5, 15.8, 17.2, 18.8, 20.2, 21.9, 23.3 and 25, alongside water. Crank Sports e-Gel is handed out at miles 8.2, 15.8, 20.2 and 21.9.
Where are the gel stations at the Madison Marathon?
Miles 8.2, 15.8, 20.2 and 21.9, which is km 13.2, km 25.4, km 32.6 and km 35.3. There is water at each of them. Plan to carry the rest of your own.
How many gels do I need for the Madison 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, 4 of them handed out on the course, so carry 5. Drinking half a litre of Gatorade an hour, carry 3. The grid above works this out for any finish time.
Is the Madison Marathon flat?
Mostly. Our course profile shows 501 ft of climbing across 26.2 miles, a net change of +19 ft, and a steepest quarter mile of 2.9%, 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 Madison 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 Madison Marathon course?
Madison publishes none. The tables carry water and Gatorade Endurance and nothing else.
How far apart are the water stations at Madison?
The first table is at mile 1.5. After that they come every 1 to 1.7 miles. The longest gap after the start is mile 20.2 to mile 21.9, about 2.8 km, which is 16 minutes at 4:00 pace and 19 minutes at 5:00 pace.
When will I reach the gel station at mile 8.2?
At even pace: 1:06 into a 3:30 race, 1:10 into a 3:45, 1:15 into a 4:00, and 1:34 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 Madison Marathon?
There are 18, at miles 1.5, 2.4, 3.7, 5.4, 7, 8.2, 9.6, 10.6, 11.7, 13.2, 14.5, 15.8, 17.2, 18.8, 20.2, 21.9, 23.3 and 25. All 18 have water. 17 of them, miles 2.4, 3.7, 5.4, 7, 8.2, 9.6, 10.6, 11.7, 13.2, 14.5, 15.8, 17.2, 18.8, 20.2, 21.9, 23.3 and 25, also have Gatorade Endurance Formula.
Can I carry all of my own fuel at the Madison Marathon?
Yes. Madison 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 8 if you take the course gels.
How much carbohydrate should I take during the Madison 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 Madison Marathon?
Only for the opening 1.5 miles. The first table is at mile 1.5, about 13 minutes into a 3:45 race, and after that tables come every 1 to 1.7 miles. If your first feed comes before mile 1.5, carry the fluid for it from the start line.
What should I eat before the Madison 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.
