Tapering Your Long Run: How to Peak for Race Day

You've put in the miles, done the long runs, and built your fitness. Now comes the hardest part for many runners: backing off. The taper is where training meets rest, and getting it right can mean the difference between a good race and a great one.

Why Tapering Matters

The taper isn't about doing nothing-it's about letting adaptations complete. During hard training, you're constantly breaking down and rebuilding. The taper gives your body time to:

Fully restore glycogen: Your muscles' primary fuel source for race day
Repair tissue damage: Micro-tears in muscles and connective tissue
Reduce inflammation: Chronic training creates low-grade inflammation
Restore hormonal balance: Cortisol and other stress hormones normalize
Sharpen mentally: Reduced fatigue improves focus and motivation

Research consistently shows that proper tapering improves race performance by 2-3%. For a 4-hour marathoner, that's 5-7 minutes-significant time that costs nothing but patience.

When to Start the Taper

Taper length depends on the race distance and your training load:

Recommended Taper Length

5K/10K: 7-10 days
Half Marathon: 10-14 days
Marathon: 2-3 weeks
Ultramarathon: 2-4 weeks depending on distance

For marathons, most plans have you do your longest run 3 weeks out. This gives you:

Week 3: Last peak long run
Week 2: Moderate reduction
Week 1: Significant reduction
Race day: Fresh and ready

How to Taper Your Long Run

The long run takes the biggest hit during the taper-and that's intentional. It's the most taxing session and needs the most recovery time.

Marathon Taper Example

Starting from a 20-mile peak long run:

Sample Long Run Taper

3 weeks out: 20 miles (peak)
2 weeks out: 12-14 miles
1 week out: 8-10 miles
Race week: 4-6 easy miles, 2-3 days before race

The reduction is approximately 30-40% per week. Some runners prefer a steeper taper (50% reduction), while others prefer a gentler slope. Experiment in training cycles to find what works for you.

Half Marathon Taper Example

Starting from a 12-mile peak:

2 weeks out: 12 miles (peak)
1 week out: 8-10 miles
Race week: 4-5 easy miles, 2 days before race

What to Keep During the Taper

Reduce volume, but maintain some intensity. This keeps your legs sharp without accumulating fatigue.

Keep: Some race-pace work (shorter intervals or tempo segments)
Keep: Running frequency (run most days, just shorter)
Keep: Strides and light speed work
Reduce: Total weekly mileage (40-60% of peak)
Reduce: Long run distance (as above)
Eliminate: Hard, depleting workouts

The goal is to reduce training stress while keeping the nervous system primed for race effort.

The Taper Tantrum

Fair warning: you might feel terrible during the taper. It's so common it has a name-the "taper tantrum" or "taper crazies."

Common symptoms:

Sluggish legs: Runs feel harder, not easier
Phantom pains: Every twinge feels like an injury
Restlessness: Extra energy with nowhere to go
Anxiety: Did I train enough? Am I losing fitness?
Poor sleep: Less physical fatigue can disrupt sleep patterns
Weight fluctuation: Glycogen loading brings water weight

This is normal. Your body is adapting to the reduced load. Trust the process. These feelings typically vanish on race morning when adrenaline kicks in.

Common Taper Mistakes

Undertapering

The most common mistake. Runners fear losing fitness and keep training too hard. Result: arriving at the start line tired instead of fresh. You cannot gain fitness in the final 2-3 weeks-you can only lose freshness.

Overtapering

Less common, but possible. Complete rest for too long can leave you flat. Keep running regularly, just less volume and intensity.

Trying New Things

The taper is not the time for new shoes, new foods, new strategies, or extra cross-training. Stick with what you know works.

Adding "Confidence" Workouts

Resist the urge to squeeze in one more hard session to "prove" you're ready. Confidence comes from the training you've already done, not a last-minute workout.

Signs Your Taper Is Working

By race week, you should notice:

Legs feel springy on easy runs
Race pace feels sustainable, not strained
Energy levels are up
Excitement (even nervousness) about the race
Better sleep (after initial adjustment)

If you still feel flat by race day, you may need a longer taper next time-or your training cycle may have been too aggressive overall.

The Bottom Line

The fitness is in the bank. The taper is when you collect interest. Trust your training, embrace the reduced volume, and arrive at the start line ready to run your best.

Your last long run isn't where the race is won-it's just the final deposit. Race day is the withdrawal.

Plan Your Long Runs

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Frequently Asked Questions

When should I do my last long run before a marathon?

Most marathon plans schedule the last long run (typically 20-22 miles) 3 weeks before race day, with progressively shorter long runs at 2 weeks and 1 week out. This allows full glycogen restoration and tissue repair while maintaining fitness.

How much should I reduce my long run during taper?

A typical taper reduces long run distance by 20-30% each week. If your peak was 20 miles, week 3 might be 14-16 miles, week 2 around 10-12 miles, and race week just 4-6 easy miles a few days before the race.

Will I lose fitness during the taper?

No. Aerobic fitness is maintained for 2-3 weeks with reduced training. What you gain from the taper-restored glycogen, repaired muscles, fresh legs-far outweighs any minimal fitness loss. Undertapering is a much more common mistake than overtapering.

Why do I feel worse during the taper?

Taper tantrums are real. As training stress decreases, many runners feel sluggish, anxious, or experience phantom pains. This is normal-your body is adapting to the reduced load. Trust the process; these feelings usually disappear on race morning.

Tapering Your Long Run

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