I Just Ran My 10th Marathon - and Swear These ARTAH Supplements Helped Me Bank My Speediest Time Ever

I had a lot of time to prepare for my tenth marathon, in the end. Pair a serious injury with life getting in the way - 2025 bride, over here! - and I had a break of well over two years before lacing up to hit double digits in the marathon distance.

But, standing on the start line of the Valencia Marathon in December, sun beaming down on my face and butterflies of excitement pattering away in my stomach, I actually felt grateful for the time off. Because the setbacks, DNF’s and months of waiting made me go back to the drawing board, assess how I could better support my body, and ultimately, produced a far better runner.

I crossed the finish line in a time of 3:13 that day, banking a two-minute personal best and my fourth Boston Qualifying time. But surprisingly, my time on the day wasn’t the biggest win. How much I enjoyed every single second of the training was.

I have a few tweaks to thank, spanning both the support I had on the sidelines, my mindset heading into the block, and also the supplements I took day in, day out, of which I knew from the get-go had to come from ARTAH. A certified B Corp, the brand was founded by nutritionist and naturopath Rhian Stephenson back in 2021. I’ve long been a fan of their products, love the science-backed, well-formulated and thoroughly tested approach, and have also personally learnt so much from Stephenson over the years - she’s a wealth of knowledge, and a runner herself, too.

So, without further ado - keep reading for my ride or die supplements for marathon support, aka the ones I took religiously for my 18-week training block (and will continue to take, year-round, I was so impressed).

The below products will help anyone - from recreational beginner runners to ambitious marathon personal best chasers - who, like me prior to this block, haven’t found the time to optimise their supplement strategy yet. Trust me, I test wellness products for a living - these are game-changers.

I Used ARTAH Supplements For My Entire Marathon Training Block - and They Helped Me Bank A Personal Best

It’s no secret that smart, evidence-based supplementation can materially improve the marathon experience or bolster any active person’s recovery, performances, and more. Various studies have shown supplements like creatine, magnesium, electrolytes, and a well-formulated multi-nutrient (I’m a huge fan of ARTAH’s, but more on that later) are beneficial for boosting endurance, recovery, and energy, with omega-3s and CoQ10 showing promise for reducing fatigue and inflammation.

For many years, I’d wrongly assumed that these kinds of supplements were reserved for top athletes. That said, I also knew my training for Valencia was going to be a step up in terms of intensity and load, and so was keen to ensure I was supporting my body in the best way possible.

Enter, what I now call my ARTAH holy grail - a daily combination of the Cellular Hydration, Essential Creatine, Essential Magnesium, and Advanced Multi Nutrient supplements. For the first time ever, I thoroughly researched and actually stuck to the supplementation that I knew the science recommended. Each played a specific and individual role - electrolytes boosted my hydration and energy; creatine, muscle strength and recovery; magnesium, sleep quality and nervous system regulation; and the multi-vit kept me cough and cold free. Each supplement promised to support me as a runner over a variety of different requirements.

Four months of testing later, and I can safely say - it worked. My supplement stack saw me through peak cold and flu season, 75km plus training weeks, and 20-mile runs in the wind and snow. I didn’t feel lethargic. I didn’t get DOMs. Rather, I felt… the best I’ve felt in years.

I’m not an athlete, but I hope the below is relatable because it’s real. It’s my lived experience: of marathon training around a busy 9-5 pm job, of doing my best for my body, and ultimately, of banking a personal best that I’d once dreamed of without getting sick. I recovered faster, was less achy, and managed to avoid the dreaded post-race immune system crash that most runners just accept as an inevitable part of the marathon comedown.

I’m not just talking about supplementing to improve your race time or splits, either; I’m talking about a 360 approach that empowers you and enables you to feel your best year-round.

I always approach life with a taking out vs putting in ethos - late nights, processed foods, and expecting your body to do it all without any help ultimately empty your tank, while getting enough sleep, opting for whole foods where possible, and supporting your body with supplements fills it back up.

Keen to learn more about the science behind each supplement and how they could benefit your lifestyle, too? Keep scrolling - I’ve broken it down supplement by supplement.

Essential Creatine:

One of 2025’s buzziest wellness words, creatine is actually one of the most well-researched supplements out there - especially for women. “An ergogenic aid, it supports phosphocreatine stores for short, high-intensity efforts, which helps glycogen resynthesis and reduces muscle damage and inflammation after hard sessions,” explains Stephenson.

And, did you know? “It also has cognitive benefits, which can be helpful for runners who are also juggling a demanding career.”

TLDR: Essential Creatine is scientifically proven to improve muscle strength, power, and mass, support bone health, and boost mood, energy, and blood sugar control, and I certainly felt myself recovering more quickly and noticing clear strength improvements from using it. It’s a real all-rounder.

Cellular Hydration:

If you’re a runner, you’ll know just how essential electrolytes are for regulating bodily functions, like hydration. Electrolytes, and in particular sodium, help your body to maintain the correct balance of fluid inside and outside of cells.

ARTAH’s Cellular Hydration formulation is my favourite for a number of reasons - they’re one of the only electrolyte brands on the market that have independently clinically proven to improve performance, recovery, energy, and productivity, have a far lower salt content than other competitor brands, and don’t have a sickly or sweet taste - instead, a tart, lemony flavour.

“Electrolytes are essential for fluid balance, nerve signalling and muscle contraction,” Stephenson shares. “They’re essential in training, recovery, and also general energy, both physical and cognitive.”

I pop mine in my water most mornings and either drink pre or post my morning workout.

Essential Magnesium:

Did you know? “Magnesium is one of the most common nutrient insufficiencies in the western diet,” shares Stephenson. “The UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) showed that the average magnesium intake in women in every adult age band is below the recommended daily intake.”

Which is worrying, because magnesium plays a key role in muscle relaxation, energy production, nervous system regulation, and more. “It’s also key for stress, sleep and blood sugar management,” Stephenson adds. “From a training POV, Essential Magnesium can support sleep and reduce muscle tension, which translates to improved recovery, lower injury risk and more consistent training.”

Magnesium helped me sleep like a baby this training block, boosting sleep quality and, in turn, recovery.

Advanced Multi-Nutrient:

Last but by no means least, ARTAH’s Multi-Nutrient - which, as a Health Editor who’s worked in the wellness industry for 10+ years, I was blown away by. Multivitamins generally get a bad wrap, but ARTAH’s formulation is really next-level, and I began to see it as my micronutrient foundation.

“It helped cover micronutrients for energy production, immunity and recovery, so Ally didn’t need to train on a nutrient deficit,” Stephenson explains. “It also includes a great dose of Vitamin D3 as well, so it kills two birds with one stone.”

Another reason the multi-vitamin came in so handy? It boosted my immunity as I trained during peak cold and flu season. I still can’t quite believe that I didn’t get sick even once - and think the supplement is partly to thank. “It’s less commonly known that supporting immunity is one of the most important aspects of heavy training - data shows that endurance athletes have a higher incidence of upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) during periods of heavy training and in the one to two weeks after marathon-type events,” Stephenson shares.

Bottom line?

If you take anything away from this piece, know this: supplements will never replace a balanced diet or lifestyle, but they can do a lot to help you on your way. They aren’t gimmicks or hacks - and you can trust me on that one, because I’ve tried a fair few of those in my time. Rather, they’re consistent, simple-to-incorporate into your routine tools that support muscle function, nervous system balance, hydration, energy metabolism and immunity in a demanding training cycle alongside daily life.

Feel your best self with ARTAH - I know I do.