With the Edinburgh Marathon Festival weekend fast approaching, if you've decided to run a marathon, half marathon, 10k or 5k run there’s no better place than our beautiful city to accomplish this amazing achievement. With scenic and forgiving routes, its no wonder Edinburgh’s Marathon is one of the most popular in the UK.
Not only is this fantastic city brilliant for pounding the pavement but with its thriving food scene, it's one of the best places to eat well, carb load, and blow out as soon as you cross the finish line. No matter where you are in your training plan, Edinburgh has a food spot for you.
For eating well: Union of Genius
If you want to make sure you’re getting all the right nutrients during your training you need to eat right. One of the natural choices for healthy eating in Edinburgh is the soup legends at Union of Genius, who serve up hot steaming bowls of nutritious goodness, six days a week. Their soups are chock full of natural ingredients and energising superfoods, such as lentils, spinach, chickpeas and kale, and are absolutely delicious. Who knew being healthy could taste so good?
Union of Genius, 8 Forrest Road
For carb loading: Vittoria
The night before the race, many runners like to eat a large meal high in carbohydrates to make sure they have plenty of energy the next day. Pasta is a common choice among many for the carb loading meal, and nowhere does pasta quite like Vittoria on Leith Walk or George IV Bridge. This long established Italian restaurant has all the old favourites on their menu such as lasagne, carbonara and bolognese. However, if you want to try something different then try the restaurant's speciality, Tagliatelle alla Vittoria, with a rich tomato sauce laced with minced beef, mushrooms and spicy sausage - a great treat for the night before a long run.
Vittoria on the Bridge, 19 George IV Bridge. Vittoria on the Walk, 113 Brunswick Street.
For the post-run blow out: MUMS
After you've crossed the finish line, collected your medal and basked in the accomplishment of your achievement, it's only right that you should treat yourself and replenish your energy stores. One great place for doing this is MUMS on Forrest Road, which serves up a wide selection of home style comfort food. Sausage and mash is the speciality here, with around sixteen varieties of potato and five kinds of sausages (including a couple of vegetarian options) on the menu at any given time. If you're feeling tuckered out after a tough day day of running, a plateful of warming food and a beer from MUMS will just hit the spot.
MUMS, 4a Forrest Road.
Edinburgh Marathon Festival, May 30-31, Holyrood Park.
See more food and drink in Edinburgh from Time Out.