Marathon Taper Sharpener
Workout - Marathon Taper Sharpener
- 10min @ 6'30''/km
- 4 lots of:
- 5min @ 5'15''/km
- 2min 30s rest
- 10min @ 6'30''/km
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Intro
Check out MARATHON TAPER TIPS - Quick and EASY TIPS to get you a PB! from Ben Parkes—it’s a worthwhile watch. We’ve outlined the core takeaways below so you can implement them right away. Dive into the full video for a complete breakdown.
Key Points
- Why taper? Tapering reduces fatigue buildup while protecting your fitness level. With two weeks left, building new fitness isn’t realistic, but you can prevent losing ground.
- Preserve intensity, cut volume. Your interval and hill workouts stay, but trim them down significantly. You’re after a focused jolt, not an exhausting session. For structure ideas, check our guide on Mastering Interval Training: Science-Backed Workouts and How a Smart App Can Personalize Them—just dial back the volume during taper.
- Run on your normal schedule, but dial back the distance each time.
- Include strides after easy runs to maintain leg responsiveness.
- Prioritize sleep, solid nutrition, and a light sports massage in the week leading up to race day.
- Final seven days: slash your mileage, consider a brief race-pace segment if desired, and decide whether you’ll run the day before.
Workout Example
3 Weeks Out (≈10% reduction)
- Total mileage: ~90% of peak week (e.g., 45 mi if peak was 50 mi).
- Long run: 15‑18 mi (24‑29 km) at easy pace, with 3‑5 km at marathon goal pace mixed in.
- Hold any regular interval or hill session.
2 Weeks Out (≈25‑30% reduction)
- Total mileage: ~70‑75% of peak (≈37 mi for a 50 mi peak).
- Long run: 12‑14 mi at easy pace, with optional 3‑5 km at goal pace.
- Throw in strides (4‑6 × 100 m) after easy runs.
- One light speed session (e.g., 4 × 5 min at goal marathon pace). Keeping this effort maintains your race-pace rhythm, whether you’re training for 26.2 miles or working to master 5K speed.
Race Week (≈50‑60% reduction)
- Total mileage: 20‑25 mi.
- Run the same number of days (5) but make each one much shorter.
- Optional Tuesday: 4‑5 min at marathon pace.
- Stick to easy recovery running; skip anything demanding.
- Decide whether you want to run the day before—a short 2‑3 mi easy if it settles your nerves.
Practical Tips
- Make sleep a priority—set an early bedtime for the Friday before race weekend.
- Shore up immunity with Vitamin C or orange juice.
- Schedule a sports massage 5‑7 days before race day.
- Test your race outfit during a short run to confirm it feels good.
- Drink enough water and eat a well-rounded diet.
Closing Note
Grab Ben Parkes’ taper strategy and customize the paces and distances in your Pacing app training log. A smart app simplifies your race strategy design—find out more in our guide on Mastering the 10K: Proven Training Plans, Pace Strategies, and How a Smart App Can Elevate Your Performance. Stick to the volume reductions, hold onto a couple of quality workouts, and arrive at race day feeling sharp and ready to chase that PB. Good luck and happy racing