You've trained for months, and now race day is near. The question arises: how do I taper, and how much? This guide gives you a concrete plan, distance by distance, so you know exactly what to run in the weeks before your race.
In short, you don't taper by taking time off. You cut volume but maintain speed and run as often as usual (Bosquet et al. 2007). Here, we stick to the practical: your plan.
One thing is crucial for all plans: you should not try to make up missed sessions during your taper. It's a no-go.
Tapering by Distance
The longer the distance you compete in, the longer you should taper. Below, we cover the four most common distances, and at the end, you'll find a brief overview.
Tapering for 5 km
Four days before the race, run your last interval session, but 25-33% shorter than usual. If you typically run 8x400 meters, do 6x400 meters, at the same speed and with the same rest. It's the number of repetitions you cut, not the pace or distance of the interval.
In the last three days, only run easy runs, also 25-33% shorter than usual. A 7.5 km run becomes 5 km.
Tapering for 10 km
Here, the taper lasts a week. You run the same number of sessions as usual, but half the distance. If doing intervals, keep the same pace and rest, but halve the number, so 6x1000 meters becomes 3x1000 meters. Your last interval session should be no later than four days before the race.
The other days consist of easy runs, half as long as usual. The day before, you can benefit from a very easy 5 km run with a few 10-second sprints at the end. They're so short they don't tire the muscles but signal the nerves to be ready for the next day.
Tapering for Half Marathon
Ten to fourteen days before the race, start tapering. Two weeks before, run a hard long run with some half marathon pace included.
In the following week, cut 20% of your normal volume, so a 10 km run becomes 8 km. If doing intervals, cut the same 20%, so 5x1000 meters becomes 4x1000 meters, and a 20-minute tempo run becomes 16 minutes.
In the last week, cut another 20%, both in volume and interval length. Your last hard session should be no later than four days before the race. Easy runs are now 40% shorter than usual, so the run that started at 10 km, and was 8 km in week 1, ends at 6 km.
Tapering for Marathon
The most tested plan is a classic three-week taper, where you cut 20% of your weekly volume from the week you peaked your training. If you peaked at 100 km, run 80 km in week 1 and 60 km in week 2. In the last week, don't taper further, but land around 60 km total. And remember, a marathon is 42.195 km.
Your regular runs become shorter but are on the same days. A Monday run of 5 km becomes 4 km in week 1 and 3 km in week 2. Intervals and tempo runs follow the same principle, so 5x1000 meters becomes 4x1000 and then 3x1000, with the same pace and rest as usual. A tempo run of 20 minutes becomes 16 minutes in week 1 and 14 minutes in week 2.
The last week is special: no hard sessions, only easy runs. You can run a few minutes at marathon pace, but no more. At this point, you can't achieve physical gains, only build fatigue.
Relax in the final days before your race. You'll perform better well-rested and relaxed than tired and stressed. So lean back, and look forward to the race.
Quick Overview: Find Your Taper Plan
| Tapering by Distance | ||
|---|---|---|
| Distance | Duration | Volume and Interval Reduction |
| 5 km | 4 days | Runs and interval count 25-33% shorter. Same speed and rest. |
| 10 km | 1 week | Runs and interval volume halved. Same number of runs and pace. |
| Half Marathon | 10-14 days | 20% reduction in week 1, further 20% in week 2. Last hard session 4 days before. |
| Marathon | 3 weeks | 20% reduction per week. Last week: only easy runs, no hard sessions. |
What's Next?
If you want to understand the mechanism behind why you get faster by training less, you can read about , which is the principle behind it. And if you need to manage sleep, nutrition, and active recovery in the final days, you'll find it all in .
If you want to track how your body responds to the reduced load, a can help you monitor resting heart rate and recovery along the way. And if you need fresh for the race itself, find them in good time, never the day before your big race.
Source: Bosquet, L. et al. (2007). Effects of tapering on performance: a meta-analysis. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 39(8), 1358-1365.
