About

About 50FiveStarGels

I built 50FiveStarGels because I am not looking at sports gels from the outside. I use them in training, test them in races, and think about them in the very specific context of HYROX, running, and ageing well as an endurance athlete.

Age-group HYROX athlete carrying a sandbag during lunges — Race-day fuelling has to survive compromised running, stations, and repeated spikes.View HYROX result

I race HYROX in the 60-65 age category, and most of my training is built around the demands of that sport: compromised running, sled work, wall balls, ski erg, rowing, carries, lunges, burpees, and the repeated heart-rate spikes that make HYROX very different from a normal road race.

I also do regular long runs, because HYROX rewards athletes who can keep moving when their legs are tired. That mix of strength endurance and running changes how I think about fuelling. A gel that works perfectly in a steady half marathon may not feel the same after sled push, burpee broad jumps, or a hard run into the wall balls.

This site is my attempt to make sports-gel choice more practical.

Warsaw 2026 HYROX result showing total time 1:24:16 and 7th in age group 60-64 — Warsaw 2026 HYROX result: 1:24:16, #7 in AG 60-64.View full result

What matters

The useful questions

Rather than pretending there is one perfect gel for everyone, 50FiveStarGels looks at the questions that actually matter:

Which gels are easier on the stomach?

Which ones make sense before HYROX?

Which ones are better during longer runs?

Which products are available in the USA, UK, and Europe?

When is a commercial gel worth the money?

When is a cheaper DIY carb drink good enough for training?

I am especially interested in fuelling for real people, not just elite athletes: older athletes, heavier athletes, sensitive stomachs, people training early in the morning, people racing hard for 60-90 minutes, and anyone trying to work out whether they actually need another gel or just need to arrive better fuelled.

The goal of this site is simple: help you find a gel or carb strategy that fits your race, your body, your budget, and your stomach.

I will be adding photos from HYROX races, long runs, training sessions, and the products I test, so the site stays grounded in actual use rather than generic sports-nutrition theory.

I am not a nutritionist, doctor, or sponsored athlete. I am an age-group HYROX athlete who trains a lot, runs a lot, tests what works, and wants a clearer way to compare the fuelling options available today.

Photos from training and racing

Tested where it actually counts

Age-group HYROX athlete running between race stations — HYROX race day: running under fatigue, not a lab test.

Age-group HYROX athlete standing under the HYROX Stockholm race arch — Another HYROX start line, another chance to test the plan.

Age-group HYROX athlete pushing the sled during a race — Sled push effort is where calm fuelling gets tested fast.

Age-group HYROX athlete carrying kettlebells during a race — Carries, running, and the slow grind between stations.

Runner in an orange jacket on a wooded long run — Long runs still matter for HYROX legs.

HYROX athlete during burpee broad jumps in a race venue — Fuel has to work after burpees, sleds, and heart-rate spikes.

Misty morning road used for long run training — Real-world testing on tired legs and ordinary mornings.

Runner after a training session in warm light — Products are judged by how they feel in training.

Runner standing on a foggy country road — For real people, real weather, and real stomachs.