We sat down with brand ambassador Fabio to talk about how he fell In love with running, his fuelling strategy and top tips for first time long distance runners.

Running hasn’t always been my ‘thing’, only starting my running journey back in 2022 embarking on my first marathon, London, I became hooked ever since. In 2025 so far I have 4 confirmed marathon races: Brighton, London, Chicago, and Valencia. So far, training has been going well and I am feeling fitter-stronger than I ever have. 

During my marathon block I have been using Veloforte products to help enhance my training. Whether it be chews, gels, or bars, collectively they have helped me fuel more effectively during my training.

I have been using Veloforte ever since I started running simply because I am a huge fan of their all-natural products that not only taste amazing but more importantly upset my stomach on race day; something which I have struggled with in the past using other brands.

I'd have to say that my go-to item would be Desto energy gels. I found other brands excessively sweet and quite frankly, sickly. Whereas Veloforte balances sweetness and savoury perfectly delivering a more natural, palatable taste which goes down well when I’m using them mid race, likely when I’m in a bit of a pickle, needing that boost.

On race day I will be using Veloforte gels to my advantage. Through trial and error during my training (something most people forget to do) I have worked out what works best for me; my plan is to have 1 every 25-30 minutes to avoid crashing, or what some will call ‘hitting the wall’ too early.

This can in itself make-or-break your race, so to anyone who is planning on doing their first marathon I would encourage you to test and trial your fuelling as part of your plan. You do not want to be trying something new on race day, use your training period to work out what fuel works best for you and how best to ‘structure’ your consumption so that when the day comes you know your plan both for pace, but also for your fuel.

Be prepared. Good luck.

Follow @runwithfabs for advice on training, running nutrition and racing