Evan Scully's scorecard
Paris Marathon
Sunday 2nd April, 2023
Within recommended ranges
Just outside recommended ranges
Significantly outside recommended ranges
111g
Carb per hour
88mg
Sodium per hour
91ml
Fluid per hour
962mg/L
Relative sodium concentration
200mg
Total caffeine
How Evan hit those numbers
400ml x PH1500 (1 x tablet)
1 x Bagel with cream cheese and honey
2.5 x Cups of Tea
1 x Pot of rice pudding
1 x PF 30 Energy Gel
2 x PF 30 Energy Chews
200ml x PF 60 Energy Drink Mix (1 scoop)
5 x PF 30 Energy Gel
2 x PF 30 Caffeine Gel
60ml x Plain water
How Evan's hydration and fueling went...
- Evan is a Physical Therapist and Coach from Ireland who was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) at five months old. CF is assessed using the same gold-standard measurement that we use for our Sweat Test, as sufferers of the life long condition typically have very salty sweat, and identifying this at a young age is vital for effective treatment
- When he was a child, Evan’s parents were told he’d be lucky to live past the age of ten. Now 36 years old, Evan has broken records for the fastest 5km and half marathon time as someone with CF
- Averaging 4 minutes and 4 seconds per kilometre (6:32 per mile), Evan finished the Paris Marathon in 2:51:48, whilst consuming an impressive ~111g of carbohydrate per hour en route to claiming another PB & European record
Hydration
- Typically, people with Cystic Fibrosis like Evan lose a lot of sodium in their sweat, and so have to focus on nailing electrolyte replacement during endurance events like the marathon, as Evan knows all too well
- A really positive recent development in the treatment of CF are drugs which reduce the extent of electrolyte excretion in the sweat, and so Evan has been able to adapt his hydration strategy (and specifically his sodium intake) accordingly in recent years
- He started the day with the strong PH 1500 electrolyte drink in order to boost his blood plasma volume ahead of the race, enhancing his body's temperature regulation capability, and reducing cardiovascular strain
- After this, he drank very little throughout the race, giving him an average intake of just ~91ml (3oz) of fluid per hour. Despite this, he reported being very happy with his hydration strategy on the day as he didn’t need to pee during the race, but it was still clear in colour when he went to the bathroom immediately afterwards
- It’s likely that Evan required such little fluid during the race as his sweat losses were minimal in the cool Parisian climate (6ºC / 53ºF)
Fueling
Quick Carb Calculator Recommendation
30g
carb 30 mins before
60-90g
carb per hour during
- As a coach of more than 100 Olympic athletes, Evan knows the importance of fueling right for the demands of an event like the marathon. He approached the race by maximising his stored energy through carb loading
- On the morning of the race, he topped off his blood glucose with two PF 30 Chews and a PF 30 Gel in the last 30 minutes ahead of the race start, in order to spare some of his stored energy for later in the race
- This ‘pre-fueling’ strategy in the final 30 minutes pre-race, alongside his use of a PF30 Gel every 20 minutes throughout the race resulted in him averaging a very impressive ~111g of carb per hour
- This is just above the Fuel & Hydration Planner’s general recommendation of 90g per hour, but gives more anecdotal evidence towards the fact that athletes can tolerate taking on more than this previously thought ‘ceiling’
- We would normally only recommend a final boost of energy with 30g of carb ~15 minutes before the start, to reduce the risk of rebound hypoglycemia. Without his 90g intake included in the numbers, he would have averaged closer to ~78g per hour during the race
- This high carb intake meant that Evan still felt energetic for the final five miles of the race, which are mostly uphill on this course!
- Evan also took on 200mg of caffeine throughout the race, in the form of evenly spread out PF 30 Caffeine Gels. For someone of his bodyweight, this would likely fall at the lower end of the general 3-6mg per kilo recommendation. This means that there’s some room for optimisation here if he wanted to truly maximise the ergogenic effects associated with caffeine consumption
Conclusions
- Evan was extremely satisfied with achieving an 18 minute personal best at the 2023 Paris Marathon. He was especially pleased to set the new CF European marathon record in the process
- Appropriate fueling in the build up and throughout the race meant that Evan perceived his energy levels on the day a perfect 10 (out of 10)
- Looking towards his next race, Evan may be able to optimise his strategy by pushing the caffeine intake slightly higher and reaping the associated benefits, and if temperatures are higher in future races, he may look to increase his fluid and sodium intake
Key info
Evan Scully
Male
Result
Overall Time
2:51:47
Event information
Sport
Running
Discipline
Marathon
Event
Paris Marathon
Location
Paris, France
Date
2nd April, 2023
Website
Total Distance
42.2km / 26.2mi
Total Elevation
269m / 883ft
Race conditions
Weather Conditions
Mild
Precipitation
Rain
Min Temp
6°C / 43°F
Max Temp
8°C / 46°F
Avg Temp
7°C / 45°F
Humidity
85%
Athlete feedback
Race Satisfaction
9/10
Hydration rating
8/10
I didn't need to pee despite not drinking much during the race, and my pee was still clear afterwards.
Energy levels
10/10
GI comfort
10/10
Cramping
No cramping
Evan's Thoughts
I'm very happy with an 18 minute PB and Eurpoean record for fastest person with cystic fibrosis to do a marathon!
Evan's full stats
| Carbohydrate (g) | Sodium (mg) | Fluid (ml) | Caffeine (mg) | Relative sodium concentration (mg/L) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | |||||
| Total intake | 315 | 250 | 260 | 200 | 962 |
| Per hour | 111 | 88 | 91 | 70 | |
Data Confidence
1
2
3
4
5
There is an adequate level of accuracy in the data collected and the numbers reported. The athlete manages to recall what they ate and drank including most specifics (brands, flavours, quantities, plausible estimations of volumes). However, there are estimations made within the data which affect the overall confidence level in the data reported.