Who is this for?

Marathon trainees planning long-run fuel

If your training run lasts more than an hour, you need to consider carbohydrate across the session rather than count on one biscuit.

Runners considering a small pre-run snack

If you fancy a familiar sweet bite before an easier session, the portion’s carbohydrate and fat matter alongside how you tolerate it.

Runners with vegan or allergen requirements

If ingredients determine what you can buy, check the exact current pack. A bourbon biscuit’s name does not establish its dietary or allergen suitability.

What should you check?

Start with the carbohydrate in the portion you would actually eat, then check the format, ingredients and timing against your training plan.

Priority What to check Your needs
Carbohydrate per portion Read the carbohydrate figure per biscuit, not just per 100 g. Tesco lists 9.0 g per standard bourbon; the Gatorade Sports Science Institute cites 30–90 g per hour for exercise over 60 minutes. For a long run, I need a plan for the whole session. One standard Tesco bourbon would make only a small contribution to that hourly range.
Fat and timing Compare like-for-like portions. Tesco lists 2.9 g fat per standard bourbon and 6.8 g per chocolate-coated bourbon. University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust advises minimal fat in snacks before training. If I want a biscuit near a run, I would rather check its fat content and try it in training than assume a coated version will feel the same.
Ingredients and allergens Read the current ingredients and allergen information for the exact product. Tesco describes its Free From bourbon as a rice-flour biscuit suitable for vegans; that description alone does not establish allergy suitability. I need a pack that meets my own ingredient requirements, not an assumption that all bourbon biscuits share a recipe.
Individual exercise plan If you use insulin, account for the portion’s carbohydrate within your individual exercise plan. Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust notes that carbohydrate timing and amount depend on insulin and the duration and intensity of activity. If I use insulin, a biscuit’s carbohydrate figure helps me identify the portion, but a generic snack suggestion cannot set my exercise or insulin plan.

Common buying mistakes

  • Counting one biscuit as complete long-run fuel

    Tesco lists 9.0 g carbohydrate per standard bourbon biscuit. That is below the Gatorade Sports Science Institute’s 30–90 g-per-hour range for exercise lasting over 60 minutes.

    Use the per-biscuit figure when planning what you will take across the run, rather than treating one biscuit as the whole plan.

  • Assuming a coated bourbon is equivalent before a run

    Tesco’s chocolate-coated bourbon lists 6.8 g fat per biscuit, compared with 2.9 g in its standard bourbon. A coated biscuit may not suit someone who finds richer foods uncomfortable while running.

    If you want to try one as a snack, do so during an ordinary training session rather than for the first time before a key run or race.

  • Assuming all bourbon biscuits have the same ingredients

    Tesco’s standard and Free From bourbons have different ingredient bases; the Free From version is described as a rice-flour biscuit suitable for vegans. Neither the product category nor a vegan label establishes suitability for a particular allergy.

    Check the ingredients and emphasised allergens on the current pack whenever you change products.

Relevant brand references

These ranges illustrate different biscuit formats; a brand name alone does not tell you the carbohydrate or fat in the portion you intend to eat.

Tesco

Its standard, Free From and chocolate-coated bourbons offer distinct formats to compare by their exact labels.

  • Tesco lists 9.0 g carbohydrate and 2.9 g fat per standard bourbon biscuit.
  • Its chocolate-coated bourbon lists 6.8 g fat per biscuit; check the particular product rather than applying the standard biscuit’s figures to the range.

McVitie’s

McVitie’s Tasties Bourbon Creams are a branded sandwich-biscuit option sold in a 300 g pack.

  • Joybuy describes this particular pack as suitable for vegetarians.
  • Check its current nutrition label for carbohydrate per biscuit before using a portion in a running plan.

M&S

Its Extra Cream and chocolate-coated bourbons are variations for shoppers choosing by biscuit format.

  • M&S describes the Extra Cream version as having more chocolate cream and its coated version as having more chocolate than biscuit.
  • Those descriptions do not establish how either product would suit a run; compare the current per-biscuit nutrition label.

Waitrose Essential

Essential Bourbon Creams are listed as chocolate-flavoured cream sandwich biscuits in a 400 g pack.

  • The listing identifies the biscuit type and pack size.
  • Use the current pack’s serving and carbohydrate figures for any comparison with a running snack.

A biscuit alternative on Joybuy

This Oreo sandwich cookie is an alternative for shoppers considering a small biscuit snack, not a bourbon cream. Check its current portion and nutrition information before deciding whether it fits your running plan.

Oreo Zero Sugar Sandwich Cookies, 97 g pack

Oreo Zero Sugar Sandwich Cookies, 97 g

This is an Oreo sandwich cookie rather than a bourbon biscuit. If you are considering it for a training snack, check the current ingredients and carbohydrate per portion, and try an unfamiliar biscuit during training rather than on race day.

View on Joybuy

Questions about biscuits and running

Is one bourbon biscuit enough for a long training run?

No, not as an entire hourly fuelling plan. Tesco lists 9.0 g carbohydrate per standard bourbon biscuit, while the Gatorade Sports Science Institute cites 30–90 g per hour for exercise lasting over 60 minutes. One biscuit can only be a small contribution to a separately planned intake.

Should I have a bourbon biscuit before or during a run?

If you want one, try it during training before relying on it for a key session. University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust advises that pre-training snacks include carbohydrate and minimal fat; for activity lasting over 60 minutes, consider the carbohydrate you need across the session rather than relying on a single biscuit.

Does a chocolate-coated bourbon make a better running snack?

The coating alone does not establish that it is a better choice for a run. Tesco lists 6.8 g fat per coated bourbon biscuit, compared with 2.9 g per standard bourbon; if richer foods bother you while running, test any coated biscuit away from a key session.

Is a vegan or Free From bourbon safe for an allergy?

Do not assume so from the range name. Check the exact current ingredients and allergen information against your requirements; the Food Standards Agency explains that allergenic ingredients must be emphasised in the ingredients list for prepacked-for-direct-sale food.

What if I use insulin when training for a marathon?

Use your individual exercise plan rather than a generic biscuit recommendation to guide insulin decisions. Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust notes that carbohydrate timing and amount depend on insulin and on how long and intensely you exercise; discuss adjustments with your diabetes team.