Taper Week Guide 2025: The Art of Resting Before Your Race

1. What is Tapering?

Tapering is the strategic reduction of training volume in the weeks leading up to a race. After months of building fitness through progressively harder training, tapering allows your body to fully absorb that fitness, repair accumulated damage, and arrive at the start line fresh, healthy, and ready to perform.

Think of tapering as the final step in race preparation—not a break from training, but an essential part of it. The fitness you've built doesn't disappear during taper; instead, your body consolidates those gains while shedding the fatigue that's been accumulating throughout your training cycle.

Why Tapering Works

During hard training, you're constantly in a state of accumulated fatigue. Your muscles carry microscopic damage, your glycogen stores are never fully topped off, and your nervous system is tired. This is normal and necessary for adaptation—but it means you're never running at 100% capacity during training.

Tapering removes the training stress while maintaining just enough stimulus to keep your systems sharp. The result: you arrive at race day with all the fitness you've built, but none of the fatigue holding you back.

2. The Science Behind Tapering

What Happens During Taper

Research shows several beneficial adaptations during a proper taper:

• Muscle repair: Microscopic damage from training heals completely
• Glycogen supercompensation: Muscle glycogen stores can increase by 20-40%
• Red blood cell maturation: Young red blood cells mature, improving oxygen-carrying capacity
• Hormonal recovery: Cortisol (stress hormone) drops, testosterone rises
• Neural freshness: Nervous system recovers, improving muscle recruitment
• Immune system recovery: Reduced illness risk when you need it most

The Performance Boost

Studies indicate that proper tapering can improve race performance by 2-6%. For a 4-hour marathoner, that's 5-14 minutes faster. This isn't about gaining fitness—it's about finally expressing the fitness you already have.

3. Taper Lengths by Race Distance

Longer races require longer tapers because they create more accumulated fatigue during training. Here's a general guideline:

These are guidelines—individual responses vary. Some runners feel best with longer tapers, others prefer staying more active. Experience will teach you what works for your body.

4. Marathon Taper Plan

The marathon taper typically lasts 2-3 weeks, beginning after your final long run (usually 20-22 miles, done 2-3 weeks before race day).

Three-Week Marathon Taper

Week 3 Before Race (First Taper Week)

• Volume: 70-80% of peak week
• Final long run: 12-14 miles at easy pace
• One quality session: Tempo or race-pace work (shorter than usual)
• Maintain normal run frequency

Week 2 Before Race (Middle Taper Week)

• Volume: 50-60% of peak week
• Long run: 8-10 miles easy with some race-pace miles
• One shorter quality session or race-pace segments
• All other runs easy, shorter duration

Race Week

• Volume: 30-40% of peak week
• All runs short (3-5 miles) and easy
• Include 4-6 strides 2-3 times during the week
• Complete rest or very easy jog 1-2 days before race

Sample Marathon Taper Schedule

MP = Marathon Pace

5. Half Marathon Taper Plan

The half marathon taper is typically 10-14 days. Since training volume is lower than marathon prep, the taper is proportionally shorter.

Two-Week Half Marathon Taper

Week 2 Before Race

• Volume: 70-80% of peak week
• Long run: 8-10 miles with some half marathon pace miles
• One quality session (tempo or intervals, shorter than usual)

Race Week

• Volume: 40-50% of peak week
• All runs short (3-5 miles)
• One short speed session early in week (4-6 x 400m or strides)
• Rest or easy jog day before race

Sample Half Marathon Race Week

6. Tapering for Shorter Races

10K Taper (7-10 days)

A 10K taper is brief but important, especially if you've been training hard:

• Reduce volume by 25-35% in the final week
• Last hard workout: 5-6 days before race
• Include short speed work (strides, short intervals) 3-4 days out
• Easy running only in final 2-3 days

5K Taper (4-7 days)

For a 5K, the taper is minimal:

• Reduce volume by 20-30% in final week
• Last hard workout: 4-5 days before race
• Short, sharp strides 2 days before race
• Easy day or rest the day before

7. Managing Taper Madness

"Taper madness" is the constellation of strange feelings, anxieties, and phantom ailments that strike runners during taper. It's incredibly common—and completely normal.

Common Taper Madness Symptoms

• Heavy, dead legs: Paradoxically, running less can make legs feel worse initially
• Phantom injuries: Suddenly noticing every minor ache and twinge
• Restlessness: Excess energy with nowhere to go
• Sleep problems: Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
• Mood swings: Irritability, anxiety, or depression
• Doubt: Questioning your training, your fitness, everything
• Compulsive research: Obsessively reading about your race, course, weather

Coping Strategies

Stay busy: Fill the time you'd normally spend running with other activities. Projects, social time, hobbies—anything to keep your mind occupied.

Trust the process: Remind yourself that tapering works. Every major race plan includes it for a reason. Your fitness isn't evaporating.

Avoid the rabbit hole: Stop obsessively checking weather forecasts or reading race reports. You've prepared—now let it be.

Light activity: If you're going crazy, a short, easy walk or gentle yoga can help burn nervous energy without compromising recovery.

Connect with others: Talk to running friends who understand. Shared taper misery is easier to bear.

Journal: Write down your anxieties. Often seeing them on paper makes them seem less overwhelming.

8. Taper Nutrition

General Taper Eating

Don't dramatically change your diet during taper. Your body is used to certain foods and eating patterns—stick with what works:

• Eat normally for most of taper period
• Continue eating enough to support recovery
• Don't try to lose weight during taper
• Avoid new or risky foods that might upset your stomach
• Stay well hydrated

Carb Loading (Final 2-3 Days)

For races over 90 minutes, carbohydrate loading can improve performance by topping off muscle glycogen:

• Timing: Begin 2-3 days before the race
• Amount: Increase carbs to 8-10g per kg body weight
• Sources: Pasta, rice, bread, potatoes, oatmeal, fruit
• Don't overdo it: Increase carbs, not total calories dramatically
• Reduce fiber: Cut back on high-fiber foods to avoid GI issues

Hydration

Begin race week well-hydrated:

• Drink consistently throughout the week
• Check urine color (light yellow = good)
• Don't over-hydrate race morning (can lead to bathroom stops)
• Include electrolytes if it's hot or you're a heavy sweater

9. Race Week Checklist

Early in the Week

• Confirm race logistics (expo timing, start time, corral assignment)
• Plan your race day outfit (wear clothes you've trained in)
• Check weather forecast and adjust clothing plans
• Review your race pacing strategy
• Plan pre-race meals
• Organize all gear you'll need

Day Before Race

• Pick up race packet/bib if not already done
• Lay out all race day gear
• Charge GPS watch and devices
• Prepare race morning breakfast
• Set multiple alarms
• Plan route to race start
• Stay off your feet as much as possible
• Get to bed early (but don't stress if you can't sleep)

Race Morning

• Wake up 3+ hours before race start
• Eat familiar pre-race breakfast
• Use bathroom at home before leaving
• Arrive at venue with plenty of time
• Do a brief warm-up jog (10-15 minutes easy)
• Use bathroom again before corral
• Do dynamic stretches and strides

10. Frequently Asked Questions