Throw a Marathon Tailgate that Goes the Distance

Pouring cocktails while runners pound the pavement: supportive gesture, or cruel temptation? We won't dissuade you either way. We've given endurance-inspired fuel a celebratory edge, so get ready to eat up, drink up, and cheer on those brave enough to lace up -- all morning long.

Power Drink

We're not sure if there are electrolytes in Bloody Marys, and thankfully, it doesn't matter. Embrace your sideline status with an early-morning aperitif. A bottled mixer removes the hassle of cocktails for a crowd.

Bloody Mary Mixer

3 cups tomato juice
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon hot sauce

1. Stir together all ingredients. Using a funnel, pour into an airtight bottle. Refrigerate up to 1 week.

Related: No-Mess One-Bowl Desserts: 12 Recipes for Lazy Bakers

Hole Foods Diet

Bagels are a carbo-loading no-brainer, but an appetizer? When thinly sliced, oven-crisped, and smothered in tangy smoked salmon dip, we can't see why not.

Smoked Salmon Dip with Bagel Chips

1/4 cup mayonnaise
4 ounces cream cheese
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon red onion, diced small
1 to 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon prepared horseradish
2 ounces plus 2 more ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Bagel chips, for serving

1. In a food processor, combine mayonnaise, cream cheese, capers, red onion, lemon juice, horseradish, and 2 ounces smoked salmon. Process until smooth, about 20 seconds. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in remaining 2 ounces smoked salmon. Top with fresh parsley and serve with bagel chips.

Craveworthy Carbs

Elsewhere in bagel-themed party food: This next-level bread pudding can be made with chopped chocolate instead of dried fruit. Now we're talking (with our mouths full).

Bagel Pudding with Prunes and Raisins

3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup whole milk
4 or 5 day-old plain bagels, crusts removed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (8 cups)
Unsalted butter, for baking dish
1 1/4 cups halved pitted prunes (8 1/2 ounces)
3/4 cup seedless raisins (3 1/2 ounces)
Vanilla ice cream, for serving

1. Whisk together eggs, egg yolk, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon in a large bowl until smooth. Whisk in half-and-half and milk. Add bagel cubes, and toss to coat. Let mixture sit, stirring occasionally, until bread absorbs some of the liquid, about 1 hour.

2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish (2 inches deep). Stir prunes and raisins into bagel mixture, and transfer to dish. Bake until top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour (if top browns too quickly, tent with foil). Let cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into squares, and serve with ice cream.

Related: 24 Easy, Fun Halloween Treats You've Never Thought Of

Orange You Glad You're Not Running?

Oranges are a sideline staple for marathoners, so raise a fork to the runners with this bright, flavorful breakfast tart.

Fresh Orange and Yogurt Tart

1/2 cup raw almonds
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Coarse salt
1 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
2 teaspoons powdered gelatin (from a 1/4-ounce packet)
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt (2 percent)
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
3 medium navel oranges

1. In a food processor, pulse almonds, granulated sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until finely ground. Add flour; pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture is crumbly and holds together when squeezed. Press crumbs in bottom and up side of an 8-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Freeze 15 minutes. (To store, cover and freeze, up to 1 month.)

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until crust is golden brown and set, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack 10 minutes, then remove tart ring and let cool completely.

3. In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 2 tablespoons cold water and let stand 5 minutes. In a small saucepan, warm half-and-half over medium. When it begins to steam, add gelatin mixture and stir until dissolved, about 1 minute. In a medium bowl, whisk together yogurt, brown sugar, and pinch of salt. Stir warm half-and-half mixture into yogurt mixture. Pour filling into cooled tart shell and refrigerate until set, 2 hours (or up to 1 day).

4. With a sharp paring knife, slice off ends of oranges. Following curve of fruit, cut away peel, removing as much white pith as possible. Slice oranges into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and remove any seeds. Just before serving, arrange orange slices on top of tart.

Break the Mold

The ultimate grab-and-go refreshment, these bites will conjure the energy of your college days -- plus electrolytes.

Coconut-Water Gelatin

4 cups coconut water, divided
Two 1/4-ounce packets gelatin
1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
3/4 cup sugar

1. Pour 2 cups coconut water into a bowl; sprinkle with gelatin packets. Let gelatin soften, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, bring 2 cups coconut water, scraped vanilla bean, and sugar to a boil in a saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Pour over gelatin mixture and stir until gelatin has dissolved and mixture is combined. Discard vanilla bean and pour mixture into an 8-inch-square baking dish. Refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours and (covered with plastic wrap) up to 3 days.

Go the Distance

Even if the only exercise you have planned on marathon day is some enthusiastic fist pumping, the protein and fiber from the quinoa in these muffins will help you power through.

Quinoa Muffins

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1/4 cup vegetable oil, such as safflower, plus more for pan
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
3/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins
3/4 cup whole milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan, bring quinoa and 1 cup water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cover, and cook until water has been absorbed and quinoa is tender, 11 to 13 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, brush a standard 12-cup muffin pan with oil; dust with flour, tapping out excess. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, raisins, and 2 cups cooked quinoa; reserve any leftover quinoa for another use.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, milk, egg, and vanilla. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, and stir just until combined; divide batter among prepared muffin cups.

4. Bake until toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool muffins in pan, 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Running on All Cylinders

Fiber. Protein. Healthy fat. Check, check, and check. These nutty 'nanas are an endurance snack if we ever saw one. Prepare to be the most popular stop on the trail.

Chocolate-Covered Bananas

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
6 popsicle sticks or wooden skewers
2 bananas, peeled and cut crosswise into thirds
1/3 cup coarsely chopped salted peanuts

1. Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pan of gently simmering water. Stir just until melted.

2. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Insert a popsicle stick in one end of each banana piece. Dip banana, one piece at a time, in chocolate, spooning on additional chocolate to cover.

3. Sprinkle each banana with peanuts, and set on prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate until chocolate is firm, 20 minutes, or up to 3 days.

More from Martha Stewart Living:
36 Dinners You Can Make in Just 15 Minutes!
35 Beyond Delicious No-Bake Dessert Recipes
15 Kitchen Shortcuts That Will Change the Way You Cook
Quick, One-Pot Meal Ideas To Feed the Whole Family

This banana-pecan oatmeal is the ultimate endurance breakfast.