UTMB Kosci 2026: Race Day Fuel & Gear Plan

Ultra-Trail Kosciuszko by UTMB returns to the Snowy Mountains from 26 to 28 November 2026, and the runners who finish well will be the ones who fuel well and pack right. Whether you're lining up for the Kosci30, Kosci50, Kosci100 or the KosciMiler, this guide walks you through a race day fuel plan built around what's on course, plus the mandatory trail gear that keeps you moving when the alpine weather turns.

Näak is the official on-course nutrition and hydration supplier, so checkpoints will carry Näak Ultra Energy drinks, waffles and bars alongside gels, lollies, fruit, bakery goods, hot drinks and soup. If you train with what you'll be handed on the day, there are no surprises at kilometre 80.

Table Of Contents

• The Races

• Before The Race

• During the Race

• Your Hourly Fuel Plan

• Mandatory Gear That Matters

• Race Day: What To Have On You

• After The Race

 

The Races

All four races start at altitude and spend hours on the alpine plateau, where you are a long way from help and the weather can change within the hour.

The Kosci100 and KosciMiler cross the summit of Mt Kosciuszko (2,228 m) and the Main Range, the most exposed terrain in the country. Late November can bring warm sun, freezing wind, sleet and storms in a single day. Cold, wet and windy conditions raise energy demand and speed up heat loss, especially once you slow to a walk 1. Cold also blunts thirst, so it is easy to under-drink 2. Plan your fuel and gear for the worst of it, not the forecast.

Before the Race

1-2 Days Before: Carb Load

For the Kosci50, Kosci100 and KosciMiler, a carb load over the 24-48 hours before the start tops up muscle glycogen. The ultra position stand suggests up to 10g of carbohydrate per kg of body weight per day 2, and trained athletes can top up glycogen significantly with as little as one day of high-carb eating while resting 3. For most runners, 8-10g/kg/day is a practical target, or about 560-700 g a day for a 70kg runner. Lean on low-fibre staples like white rice, pasta, bread, potatoes, juice and sports drink, and keep to foods you know your gut handles. Kosci30 runners can simply eat a carb-focused dinner the night before.

A note for female runners → early studies suggested women couldn't carb load, but the women in them weren't eating enough total energy. When women increase their total food intake, not just the share from carbs, they store glycogen as well as men 4,5. In the study showing equal loading, women ate 12g per kg of lean body mass, which works out to roughly 8-9g per kg of body weight for most female runners 5. A target of 8-9g/kg/day, or about 480-540 g for a 60kg runner, is a sensible place to start. Add carbs on top of your usual meals rather than swapping out protein and fat.

2 Hours Before

Eat your main pre-race meal, built on 1-4g/kg of carbohydrate in the 1-4 hours before the start 6. Keep it low in fibre and fat with a little protein. Our go-to is a bagel with maple syrup and peanut butter, plus plain Greek yoghurt.

The KosciMiler 3am start means a 1am breakfast. Prepare it the night before and rehearse the early wake-up at least once in training.

20 Minutes Before

Have a gel, a few chews or a waffle so the carbs hit your bloodstream as the gun goes. Sip a little fluid with it, and get your warm layers off at the last minute, not the first.

During the Race

Carbohydrate: 60-90g Per Hour, More if Trained

The ISSN ultra-marathon position stand sets a floor of 30-50g of carbohydrate per hour 2, but most runners race better well above that. Mixing glucose and fructose sources lets the gut absorb up to about 90 g/h 7. In a mountain marathon with roughly 4,000 m of climbing, elite runners taking 120g/h had less muscle damage and lower internal load than those on 60 or 90 g/h 8. New to fuelling? Start around 60g/h and build from there.

Train Your Gut

Gut trouble ends more ultras than legs do. In a 161km race, 96% of runners had GI symptoms and over a third of those who dropped out blamed their gut 9. The good news is the gut is trainable. Two weeks of practising 90g/h on daily runs cut GI symptoms and carb malabsorption 10. Use your long runs between now and race week to practise with the exact products you'll use on the day.

Fuel With Näak

Näak is on course at every fully stocked checkpoint, so it makes sense to train with it. One serve of Näak Ultra Energy drink mix delivers 55g of carbohydrate, 400mg of sodium and 8g of protein. That small hit of protein suits long days on your feet, where the position stand suggests 5-10 g of protein per hour 2. Pair the drink mix with Näak Ultra Energy waffles, bars or gels to hit your hourly target, and check the labels so you know your numbers.

Hydration and Sodium

Drink to thirst and keep your intake varied 11. Runners in a hot 161km race who drank to thirst kept their weight loss in a safe range, and half the top ten lost more than 2% of body weight by 90 km without hurting their result 11. Forcing fluid beyond thirst raises the risk of exercise-associated hyponatraemia 12. As a guide, 450-750mL per hour with around 500-700mg of sodium per litre covers most runners 2. Skip plain water: every bottle should carry electrolytes. Between serves of Näak, we recommend UnTapped Mapleaid Hydration or Skratch Labs Sport Hydration. Set a reminder on the cold, windy sections where thirst drops off.

Caffeine

Caffeine can sharpen you up through the night and late in the race 13. If you already use it, save it for the back half, or for the dark hours in the Kosci100 and KosciMiler.

Checkpoints

Checkpoints carry Näak Ultra Energy drink mix, waffles, and bars plus gels, lollies, water, fruit, bakery goods, hot drinks and soup. Kosci is a cupless event, so you'll need your own cup or bottle to take anything on. Know what you want before you arrive, refill, grab, and walk out eating.

 

Your Hourly Fuel Plan

Your hourly carb target depends on how hard you're running and what your gut can handle, not on how far the race is. Longer races are run at a lower intensity, which leans more on fat for fuel, and gut tolerance tends to fade as the hours pile up 2,9. A KosciMiler runner doesn't need more carbs each hour than a Kosci50 runner. They need to keep eating at a steady rate for much longer.

Pick your row based on what you've practised in training.

Aim for 450-750mL of fluid an hour, with electrolytes in every bottle, and adjust to thirst and conditions 2.

What changes with distance is the food, not the number → In the Kosci30 and Kosci50, gels, drink mix and waffles will carry you. In the Kosci100 and KosciMiler, keep the same hourly target but bring in savoury food, soup and hot drinks as the night gets cold and sweet flavours wear thin. If your gut turns, drop back to 40-60g an hour and keep sipping rather than stopping altogether.

Set a timer for every 20-30 minutes and eat a little each time rather than a lot at once.

 

Mandatory Gear That Matters

No mandatory gear means no start, and Kosci100 and KosciMiler runners must pass a gear check before collecting their race pack. Check the full list for your race. Three items are worth a closer look.

Compression (Snake) Bandage

Every race requires a compression bandage. November is snake season in the Snowies, and the trails are prime territory for brown, black and copperhead snakes. Brown snakes caused 41% of envenomings in the Australian Snakebite Project, and almost half of all bites happened while people were simply walking near a snake they hadn't seen 14. A purpose-made elastic snake bandage with printed pressure indicators takes the guesswork out, and you should practise applying one before race day. 

Soft Cup

Kosci is a cupless event. Checkpoints won't hand out disposable cups, so you need your own cup, bottle or vest to take on drinks, soup or hot tea. A soft, collapsible cup weighs next to nothing, clips to your vest and is far easier to use for soup than a narrow bottle neck.

Waterproof Jacket and Pants

All races require a waterproof, breathable jacket. Kosci100 and KosciMiler runners may also need long waterproof pants when the weather ruling calls for it. On the Main Range, rain plus wind can strip heat fast, and once you slow to a walk your body produces less heat to fight it .. A wet, cold runner also stops eating and drinking, which is when races fall apart.

Our Aonijie waterproof jacket and pants are light enough to carry all day and pack small into a vest, so there is no reason to leave them at the bottom of the bag. Put them on early, before you start shivering.

Race Day: What to Have on You

Beyond the mandatory list, this is the kit that makes a long day in the alps easier.

☐ Run vest with room for 2L of fluid, your layers and the full mandatory kit

☐ Soft flasks for Näak drink mix, plus your soft cup for checkpoints

☐ Poles for the climbs. On steep uphill walking they make the effort feel 14–19% easier, even though the energy saving is small 15

☐ Headtorch and a small backup light for the Kosci50, Kosci100 and KosciMiler

☐ Trail shoes with grippy lugs for wet granite and stream crossings, already broken in

☐ Gloves: padded-palm gloves are mandatory for the Kosci100 and KosciMiler, and a good idea for everyone with poles

☐ Layers: thermal top, beanie or Buff, and thermal pants for the long races

☐ Sunscreen, sunglasses and a cap: the alpine UV is strong even on cool days

☐ Anti-chafe and blister kit

☐ Your race nutrition: enough to cover the gaps between checkpoints, plus the two mandatory food portions

☐ Warm clothes and food for the finish

After the Race

Start refuelling as soon as you can eat. Aim for 20-40g of protein 16 and around 1-1.2g/kg of carbohydrate per hour for the first few hours 6. For a 70kg runner, that might be a recovery shake and a big plate of pasta or a burger and chips. Get into warm, dry clothes first; Thredbo cools fast once the sun drops. The event's medical team also asks runners to avoid anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen during and straight after the race.

Need to fill a gap in your kit or stock up on Näak before race week? Drop into Aidstation or shop online, and good luck in the Snowies.

Ash Miller
Dietitian and Nutritionist (Masters)
Bachelor of Physical and Health Education
Instagram: @ashthomo_nutrition

 

References

1. Castellani JW, Tipton MJ. Cold stress effects on exposure tolerance and exercise performance. Compr Physiol. 2016;6(1):443-69.

2. Tiller NB, Roberts JD, Beasley L, Chamari K, Bryan C, Chalmers D, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: nutritional considerations for single-stage ultra-marathon training and racing. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2019;16(1):50.

3. Bussau VA, Fairchild TJ, Rao A, Steele P, Fournier PA. Carbohydrate loading in human muscle: an improved 1 day protocol. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2002;87(3):290-5.

4. Tarnopolsky MA, Zawada C, Richmond LB, Carter S, Shearer J, Graham T, et al. Gender differences in carbohydrate loading are related to energy intake. J Appl Physiol. 2001;91(1):225-30.

5. James AP, Lorraine M, Cullen D, Goodman C, Dawson B, Palmer TN, et al. Muscle glycogen supercompensation: absence of a gender-related difference. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2001;85(6):533-8.

6. Burke LM, Hawley JA, Wong SH, Jeukendrup AE. Carbohydrates for training and competition. J Sports Sci. 2011;29 Suppl 1:S17-27.

7. Jeukendrup A. A step towards personalized sports nutrition: carbohydrate intake during exercise. Sports Med. 2014;44 Suppl 1:S25-33.

8. Viribay A, Arribalzaga S, Mielgo-Ayuso J, Castañeda-Babarro A, Seco-Calvo J, Urdampilleta A. Effects of 120 g/h of carbohydrates intake during a mountain marathon on exercise-induced muscle damage in elite runners. Nutrients. 2020;12(5):1367.

9. Stuempfle KJ, Hoffman MD. Gastrointestinal distress is common during a 161-km ultramarathon. J Sports Sci. 2015;33(17):1814-21.

10. Miall A, Khoo A, Rauch C, Snipe RMJ, Camões-Costa VL, Gibson PR, et al. Two weeks of repetitive gut-challenge reduce exercise-associated gastrointestinal symptoms and malabsorption. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2018;28(2):630-40.

11. Hoffman MD, Stuempfle KJ. Hydration strategies, weight change and performance in a 161 km ultramarathon. Res Sports Med. 2014;22(3):213-25.

12. Hew-Butler T, Rosner MH, Fowkes-Godek S, Dugas JP, Hoffman MD, Lewis DP, et al. Statement of the 3rd International Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia Consensus Development Conference, Carlsbad, California, 2015. Br J Sports Med. 2015;49(22):1432-46.

13. Guest NS, VanDusseldorp TA, Nelson MT, Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Jenkins NDM, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: caffeine and exercise performance. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2021;18(1):1.

14. Johnston CI, Ryan NM, Page CB, Buckley NA, Brown SGA, O'Leary MA, et al. The Australian Snakebite Project, 2005–2015 (ASP-20). Med J Aust. 2017;207(3):119-25.

15. Giovanelli N, Sulli M, Kram R, Lazzer S. Do poles save energy during steep uphill walking? Eur J Appl Physiol. 2019;119(7):1557-63.

16. Jäger R, Kerksick CM, Campbell BI, Cribb PJ, Wells SD, Skwiat TM, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:20.

Disclaimer:

The content in this blog is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always speak with your doctor or allied health team before changing your diet, exercise, or taking supplements, especially if you have a health condition or take medication. Please use this information as a guide only. Aid Station doesn't take responsibility for individual outcomes.