7 pre-race breakfasts that’ll help optimise your performance

What you eat the morning of your race can make all the difference to your performance. Skip breakfast at your peril! But just because it’s a serious business doesn’t mean you have chow down on something tasteless. These recipes are either quick to make or can be prepared in advance, and all are supremely delicious and packed with the fuel you need to perform your best. 

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1. Breakfast muffins

If you’re short of time on race day, or don’t fancy eating first thing, then these breakfast muffins are just the ticket. Whip up a batch in advance and you’ll be sorted. Banana and wholemeal flour provide slow release energy, with molasses and sultanas giving an instant energy hit. The eggs and seeds provide protein. 

Breakfast muffins recipe at Olive Magazine

2. Overnight bircher muesli with cherries, peach and coconut

Another breakfast that you can prepare in advance so all you have to do on race day is eat it. This bircher muesli is a great way of packing in nutrient-rich fruit in an easily digestible package. Sweet cherries and peaches complement creamy coconut, with oats providing the complex carbohydrates you need to fuel your body over the day. 

Overnight bircher muesli with cherries, peach and coconut recipe at Olive Magazine

3. Baked avocado with smoked salmon & egg

This breakfast is so good it wouldn’t be out of place on the menu for a lazy weekend brunch, but it takes only 20 minutes to make, and is a delicious and protein-rich option for race day. Eggs are a superb source of protein, as is salmon, and the natural oils in avocado are also beneficial. Together, they make a very tasty dish. 

Baked avocado with smoked salmon & egg recipe at Olive Magazine

4. Granola

You can’t go wrong with granola, and the best thing about this recipe is that you can customise it to your own tastes. Love coconut? Bung some in. Want to add some extra nuts? Perfect. Serve with yoghurt and fresh fruit for added protein and vitamins. 

Granola recipe at Olive Magazine

5. Banana and nut muffins

Noticing a trend here? We can’t get enough of the convenience of breakfast muffins, and they are an absolute blessing for racers with families: bring a batch and you’ve got something tasty to fuel the entire family. This version combines the natural sweetness of bananas with a serious protein punch in the form of nuts, and uses yoghurt to keep the muffins delightfully moist. 

Banana and nut muffins recipe at Olive Magazine

6. Bircher muesli with chia seeds

Another tasty bircher muesli, but this time with the nutty texture of chia seeds and plenty of sweet red berries, including blueberries and raspberries. Banana and oats give slow-release energy, apple, apricots and dried cranberries or raisins provide a natural sugar energy hit, and protein comes courtesy of yoghurt and milk.  

Swap out the milk and yoghurt for nut milk and coconut yoghurt for a vegan version of this dish. 

Bircher muesli with chia seeds recipe at Olive Magazine

7. Ham, spinach and egg buckwheat galette

Plenty of protein, low on fat – while these stuffed galettes or savoury pancakes make a tasty lunch, they also make a perfect pre-race breakfast. They’re also gluten free, which is perfect for those avoiding or allergic to wheat. We love the combination of iron-rich spinach with runny egg yolk. Tasty!

Ham, spinach and egg buckwheat galette recipe at Olive Magazine