For runs lasting 1–2.5 hours, measured jelly sweets can be one carbohydrate option: World Athletics lists confectionery among foods and drinks that can contribute to its 30–60 g-per-hour guidance. For efforts over 2.5 hours, its guidance describes up to 90 g per hour using multiple transportable carbohydrates, so choose a sharing bag by its label and portion format rather than treating the whole bag as a marathon fuel plan.
If you want to use sweets during a long run, the useful number is carbohydrate in a weighed portion, not the number of handfuls in a bag. World Athletics includes confectionery among carbohydrate options for 1–2.5-hour endurance events.
A vegan label, gelling agent and allergen statement can change which bag is suitable. Check the exact product you receive: HARIBO Starmix contains gelatine, while M&S Percy Pig Fruit Gums are labelled vegan but not suitable for people with a milk allergy.
Separate mini bags may be easier to pack than an opened sharing bag. You still need to check how much carbohydrate your chosen portion contains before counting it towards a run plan.
Start with the duration of the run, then use the pack’s carbohydrate figure and portion format to decide what you would carry.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Run duration | World Athletics lists 30–60 g carbohydrate per hour for 1–2.5-hour endurance events, including confectionery as an option. For events over 2.5 hours, its guidance describes up to 90 g per hour using multiple transportable carbohydrates. | Is this for a shorter training run, or do I need a broader food-and-drink plan for a marathon-length effort? |
| Measured portion | Read carbohydrate per 100 g and weigh the amount you intend to take. From the published product figures, about 35 g of M&S Percy Pig Fruit Gums gives 29.7 g carbohydrate; about 39 g of HARIBO Starmix gives 30.0 g. | I want to know how much carbohydrate is in the portion I carry, rather than count sweets of different shapes. |
| Ingredients | Check the current vegan claim, gelling agent, ingredients and allergen statement. M&S labels Percy Pig Fruit Gums vegan and lists pectin, but also says they are not suitable for people with a milk allergy; HARIBO Starmix lists gelatine. | If I avoid animal gelatine or need to account for an allergen, the exact pack matters more than its fruit flavour. |
| Pack format | Decide whether you will weigh sweets from a loose bag or use separate mini bags. Check the weight and carbohydrate in an individual mini bag before counting one as a planned portion. | Would I rather prepare portions at home or carry sealed mini bags during a run? |
| Use outside runs | Separate the amount intended for training from the rest of a large bag. The NHS advises keeping the frequency and amount of sugary foods and drinks as low as possible because excess sugar can contribute to tooth decay. | I want a run-specific portion without turning the remaining sharing bag into unplanned snacking. |
Sharing describes the pack, not its carbohydrate content. The published figures for M&S Percy Pig Fruit Gums and HARIBO Starmix differ, so the same weight of sweets does not give the same amount of carbohydrate.
Use carbohydrate per 100 g to calculate your intended portion, then weigh it before the run.
World Athletics’ carbohydrate guidance differs between 1–2.5-hour events and those lasting over 2.5 hours. An unmeasured bag does not show how food, drinks and carbohydrate sources fit together across a longer effort.
Practise how you will carry and use your chosen portions on training runs, and plan drinks and other carbohydrate options where needed.
HARIBO Starmix lists gelatine. M&S Percy Pig Fruit Gums are labelled vegan but are also labelled not suitable for people with a milk allergy.
Read the ingredients and allergen information on the pack you receive, even if you have bought a similar flavour or format before.
It becomes harder to distinguish a measured run portion from sweets eaten throughout the day. The NHS links frequent consumption of sugary foods and drinks with tooth-decay risk.
Set aside the portion intended for the run and keep the rest of the bag closed.
Starmix comes in loose-bag and mini-bag formats for shoppers comparing how to portion sweets for a run.
Percy Pig Fruit Gums are a 400 g, vegan-labelled option with published nutrition information.
Fruit Pastilles Vegan is a 143 g fruit-sweets option listed by Joybuy.
Tesco has listed 500 g bags of Jelly Shapes, Tropical Mix Jelly Sweets and Neon Worms Jelly Sweets.
These HARIBO options include a mini-bag multipack and loose bags. They are formats to consider if you plan to measure sweets for a run; they are not a comparison of every fuelling route discussed above.
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The separate bags offer a way to carry a chosen amount instead of an open sharing bag. Joybuy lists 77 g carbohydrate per 100 g and gelatine in the ingredients. Check the weight and carbohydrate in an individual mini bag before treating one as a planned portion.
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This loose bag can be portioned at home before a run. HARIBO’s Starmix product information lists 77 g carbohydrate per 100 g and includes gelatine, so check the received pack and weigh the amount you intend to carry.
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This is a loose sharing bag rather than individually packed portions. If you intend to carry it on a run, check its carbohydrate figure and ingredients on the pack, then weigh the amount you plan to take.
They can be one measured carbohydrate option, but a sharing bag is not automatically a complete replacement plan. World Athletics includes confectionery among options for 1–2.5-hour endurance events at 30–60 g carbohydrate per hour; for events over 2.5 hours, its guidance describes up to 90 g per hour using multiple transportable carbohydrates.
Divide 30 by the pack’s carbohydrate grams per 100 g, then multiply by 100 to get the portion weight in grams. Using the published figures, about 35 g of M&S Percy Pig Fruit Gums gives 29.7 g carbohydrate, while about 39 g of HARIBO Starmix gives 30.0 g. Check the label on the pack you use.
The flavour alone does not establish that. M&S labels Percy Pig Fruit Gums vegan and lists pectin, whereas HARIBO Starmix lists gelatine. Check the vegan claim and ingredients on the exact product.
Read the ingredients and highlighted allergen information on the pack you receive. GOV.UK guidance explains how allergens are emphasised on pre-packed food labels; a vegan label is not an allergen clearance. M&S Percy Pig Fruit Gums, for example, are labelled vegan but not suitable for people with a milk allergy.
If the bag is intended for a run, separate the measured portion from the rest. The NHS advises keeping the frequency and amount of sugary foods and drinks as low as possible because excess sugar can contribute to tooth decay.