The Marathon Taper: Preparing to Race in the Final Weeks

Fitness, fatigue and readiness to race

Training produces both adaptation and fatigue. During a demanding block, the runner’s performance on any one day reflects both. A strong training programme can therefore leave someone feeling tired near its end even though the work has improved their capacity. The taper changes the balance by reducing the ongoing training demand.

Physiological changes reported during tapering include restoration of muscle glycogen, recovery from training stress and improvements in muscular function. Performance can improve without a corresponding increase in VO₂ max. Mujika et al., 2004 The purpose is to arrive able to express the fitness already developed.

That distinction matters when a runner feels tempted to test readiness with one more hard long run. Completing the session may provide reassurance, but it also creates another demand to recover from. We recommend planning the taper before the peak training weeks, so the last demanding sessions and the recovery that follows them have a clear place in the programme.

Reducing volume while retaining some intensity

A 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis of 14 endurance studies supported tapers lasting up to 21 days, with training volume reduced by around 41–60% while intensity and frequency were maintained. The studies included trained endurance athletes across different events, so the findings guide the taper rather than specify an identical marathon schedule for every runner. Wang et al., 2023

Maintaining intensity means retaining the speed of some familiar work while reducing how much of it is performed. A runner accustomed to controlled intervals might complete fewer repetitions at a familiar pace, with ample recovery. Keeping the usual number of repetitions, long-run distance and total weekly running would retain the workload as well as the intensity.

Running frequency can often remain close to normal by shortening the sessions. A runner who usually runs five times a week may still run on familiar days, with less distance on each. Someone who runs three times a week has no reason to add days during the taper. The objective is a reduction relative to the runner’s established training.

We use a recent, representative workload as the reference. If the runner normally completes 60 km each week, an isolated 80 km week should not become the basis for every taper percentage. The chosen reference needs to describe the training the runner has been sustaining.

Choosing a two- or three-week taper

The duration should reflect the load accumulated during the block and the runner’s response to previous preparation. A demanding final long run, substantial fatigue or a history of needing longer to recover favours allowing more time. A runner completing a smaller workload may be ready after a shorter reduction.

Marathon-specific observational evidence supports taking the reduction seriously. An analysis of more than 158,000 recreational runners associated longer, more disciplined tapers with better performance. Because runners were not randomly assigned to taper patterns, the result cannot isolate the taper from differences in preparation and athlete characteristics. Smyth and Lawlor, 2021

For a runner established around 60 km per week, the example below shows how a three-week reduction could be organised. It illustrates progression across the taper; the research range does not mean that each individual week must be reduced by exactly 41–60%. The marathon itself is excluded from the race-week training total.

Keeping the final sessions familiar

As volume falls, the character of training should remain recognisable. Easy runs become shorter. A familiar session can retain a small amount of controlled faster running, with fewer repetitions or shorter blocks. Runners already using strides can retain brief, relaxed accelerations with full recovery; the taper is a poor time to introduce sprinting for the first time.

We also reduce strength work that is likely to leave soreness, particularly near race day. Keep any retained exercises familiar and avoid testing maximum lifts or introducing demanding new movements. Recovery takes priority when arranging the final running and strength sessions.

The same reasoning applies to everyday activity. Long walks, extended time standing and a busy travel schedule still create physical demands even though they do not appear in the running log. For a destination marathon, organise kit collection and travel with enough space to rest afterwards.

The reduction can feel unfamiliar after months of structured work. Judge the taper across several days rather than interpreting every sensation as a change in fitness. Feeling restless, flat or unusually energetic on one morning is not a sufficient reason to replace the plan with a hard workout.

Carbohydrate availability in the final days

The taper also creates an opportunity to arrive with high carbohydrate availability. Established sports-nutrition guidance describes carbohydrate loading of around 10–12 g/kg/day for 36–48 hours before events lasting longer than 90 minutes. For a 70 kg runner, that corresponds to 700–840 g per day. Thomas et al., 2016

That is a substantial amount of food and drink, which is why it needs planning across meals and snacks. Simply adding a large bowl of pasta on the final evening may leave the runner both uncomfortable and short of the intended total. Use familiar carbohydrate-rich foods and consider support from a sports dietitian if the amount is difficult to organise or tolerate.

Breakfast is a separate decision. The same guidance describes 1–4 g/kg of carbohydrate in the 1–4 hours before exercise. The appropriate amount depends on the time available and what the runner tolerates, so it should already have been rehearsed before a long run. Thomas et al., 2016

Loading beforehand does not replace the during-race fuelling plan. Confirm the products, quantities and timings for the event, and avoid adding unfamiliar foods or supplements simply because the race is close. The final days should make the established routine easier to follow.

Protecting the taper when preparation has been interrupted

A missed session late in the block does not create extra recovery time before the race. If illness, pain or a difficult week has interrupted training, the remaining programme needs to reflect that situation. Trying to fit the missed long run into the final days changes the purpose of the taper.

At DVOTION, we would review the race target alongside the remaining training. A runner whose preparation has been substantially reduced may need a more conservative pacing plan, while unresolved illness or injury may require reconsidering participation. The target should remain proportionate to the preparation the runner has completed.

By race week, the main decisions should already be made: a realistic opening pace, a practised breakfast and fuelling routine, and the travel and start arrangements. The runner can then use the reduced training time to recover and prepare. The taper completes the training block by allowing its benefits to be carried into the race.