Please note this post is anecdotal and not intended as nutritional advice. Consult a qualified professional when planning nutrition for marathons and endurance events.
It started with a kind of foreshadowing over the festive season, when a dear friend, Dawid, who never fails to inspire, served up plump Medjool dates with a copper bain-marie of melted dark chocolate for dessert to include the vegan-leaning guests at the table. And somehow, from that moment, 2025 seemed destined to be Year of the Date.
In February I found myself stuffing a waist bag with 10 individually wrapped Medjool dates in the hope they would provide enough energy for my legs to run 42.2km in under five hours. And just over two weeks ago I zipped up a hydration pack holding more dates (14 this time) in the hope of completing the 56km that is the Two Oceans Ultra Marathon.