Marathon runners often look forward to the taper as a welcome break from the demands of training. Yet many runners enter this period unsure whether they are reducing volume appropriately, maintaining fitness, or preparing optimally for race day. Physical therapists may encounter runners through injury rehabilitation, injury prevention services, running analyses, performance consultations, or race preparation visits. Regardless of how the athlete enters care, understanding evidence-based taper principles allows clinicians to support performance, recovery, and confidence in the final weeks before competition.

The taper is vital to marathon training. It allows the runner’s body to recover from the demands of marathon training and arrive at the starting line as fresh as possible. Yet, it proves tricky to get the taper right to ensure a successful race.

While we certainly cannot control all aspects like race-day weather, allow me to provide a few evidence-based tips on how to effectively taper. That way, we can right a few wrongs and allow the runner some order on the chaotic taper period.

Guide Runners through a Structured Taper

            When planning a taper, runners should seek to structure their taper. Some data shows 69% of recreational runners do not plan out a structured taper and as a result leave results on the table.¹ Runners who adopt a more structured taper, where training volume steadily decreases, tend to run faster marathon times.¹ Physical therapists should recognize that taper responses vary considerably between athletes. Previous training experiences, psychology, and recovery needs may all influence whether an athlete performs best with a shorter or longer taper.

Prescribe Appropriate Volume Reduction

Since structure is valuable during a taper, what type of structure or plan is best?

 For marathon runners, tapers should typically last about 2-3 weeks (some data suggests 2 weeks may be best^2,3) and should involve a steady decrease in running volume by 41-60%.^2,3 In other words, a runner’s weekly mileage by race week should be roughly 41-60% lower than your pre-taper training volume.

As an example, for a marathon runner that averages 50 miles per week during training, here is a sample 2-week and a 3-week taper to demonstrate how volume decreases. The example samples the last 4 weeks of training (noted as Week 1-4).

3-Week Taper

2-Week Taper

            The final volume is the same in both examples, but the strategy is a bit different.

Taper strategies should be individualized, as some runners respond better to longer tapers while others prefer shorter ones. Utilize trial and error to determine what works best for the runner, their training, and their selected race. Encourage runners to establish a deliberate taper plan rather than making last-minute reductions in training volume.

Maintain Training Intensity During Taper

Athletes frequently report feeling “sluggish” or “flat” during a taper and may mistakenly interpret this sensation as lost fitness. This becomes an issue and sometimes forces runners to alter their taper to avoid this feeling. Luckily, the evidence supports maintaining training intensity throughout the taper period ^2,3, which provides a solution to the issue of feeling “flat.” Physical therapists can educate runners that these perceptions are common and that maintaining familiar intensity exposures may support performance while preserving confidence.

            During the taper, continue the speedwork and higher-intensity sessions in proportions similar to the runner’s normal training schedule. If 30% of their weekly training involves some intensity, make sure that 30% of their prescribed taper volume involves intensity. The same principles apply regardless of whether the runner’s training includes 15%, 20%, or any other proportion of higher-intensity work.

            Many runners feel as though they must prioritize easy running during taper and slow down to allow for recovery, but the research supports the opposite. Physiologically, Luden et al. found that type IIa muscle fibers in the gastrocnemius increase in size and power throughout a proper taper.⁴ This suggests that muscles become primed for power output during taper, which may contribute to improved performance. A reduction in all higher-intensity training may diminish some of these taper-related adaptations, reinforcing the classic “use it or lose it” principle.

            The runner should not run at any new or faster paces during the taper, as that can increase injury risk. Alternatively, make sure the runner continues running race pace and other faster paces they have adapted to during training. Cycling through faster paces helps to maintain the level of speed and intensity during this vital taper period.

Reassure Athletes About Fitness Preservation

            Many runners worry that reduced training volume during taper will result in a loss of fitness. However, research demonstrates that aerobic capacity is maintained when training volume decreases while training intensity is preserved.4 Steadily decreasing training volume while maintaining appropriate intensity provides sufficient stimulus for runners to arrive at race day as fit and prepared as possible. One important role of the physical therapist is helping runners trust the taper process and avoid unnecessary modifications during the final weeks before competition.

Integrating Taper Education into Practice

Taper education may be appropriate in a variety of clinical scenarios. Some runners seek physical therapy because of an active injury during marathon preparation, while others engage with physical therapists for performance optimization, running analysis, injury prevention, strength training, or race preparation consultation. Regardless of the entry point, taper discussions are particularly valuable during the final 2-3 weeks before competition, when athletes frequently express concerns regarding fitness, recovery, and race readiness. Incorporating taper education into these visits allows clinicians to provide evidence-based guidance that complements training plans and supports successful race-day performance.

Address Recovery and Sleep Behaviors

            Remember that recovery is the priority during taper. Sleep must be an important component of that recovery. So much content and information has been provided in this area of study, but what links exist for endurance athletes?

            According to a systematic review and meta-analysis of several studies, a lack of sleep does have a significant negative impact on endurance performance, especially in longer races such as a marathon.⁵ Additionally, getting less than 7 hours of sleep at night can increase a runner’s injury risk.⁶

            The data continues to prove the essential nature of sleep, so especially during taper, the runner should prioritize sleep habits, duration, and quality. Physical therapists should encourage runners to create an environment that supports recovery from the cumulative training stress of marathon preparation.

Discussions regarding sleep should be integrated into race preparation visits. Screening for poor sleep habits, excessive stress, travel concerns, and recovery barriers may represent modifiable factors that affect both performance and injury risk.

Key Clinical Takeaways

            A successful taper balances reduced training volume with maintained training intensity while prioritizing recovery. Physical therapists can support runners by helping them develop individualized taper plans that steadily decrease volume by 41-60%, addressing common misconceptions about fitness loss, and identifying recovery factors such as sleep and stress that may influence race-day performance.

            Physical therapists are uniquely positioned to guide runners through the taper period. Whether working with runners during rehabilitation, injury prevention programs, or performance consultations, physical therapists can play an important role in helping athletes successfully navigate the taper period. Understanding evidence-based taper principles allows clinicians to provide practical recommendations that support both recovery and performance in the final weeks before a marathon for optimal race-day readiness.

Clinical Pearls for Physical Therapists

• Encourage runners to develop a structured taper plan well before race week.
• Reduce training volume by approximately 41-60% over 2-3 weeks.
• Maintain familiar training intensities while reducing total workload.
• Reassure athletes that aerobic fitness is largely preserved during a properly designed taper.
• Screen for sleep and recovery barriers in the final weeks before competition.
• Individualize taper recommendations based on previous athlete responses.

References

1. Smyth B, Lawlor A. Longer disciplined tapers improve marathon performance for recreational runners. Front Sports Act Living. 2021;3:735220. doi:10.3389/fspor.2021.735220.
2. Wang Z, Wang Y, Gao W, Zhong Y. Effects of tapering on performance in endurance athletes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2023;18(5):e0282838. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0282838.
3. Bosquet L, Montpetit J, Arvisais D, Mujika I. Effects of tapering on performance: A meta-analysis. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007;39(8):1358-1365. doi:10.1249/mss.0b013e31806010e0.
4. Luden N, Hayes E, Galpin A, Minchev K, Jemiolo B, Raue U, Trappe TA, Harber MP, Bowers T, Trappe S. Myocellular basis for tapering in competitive distance runners. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2010;108(6):1501-1509. doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00045.2010.
5. Lopes TR, Pereira HM, Bittencourt LRA, Silva BM. How much does sleep deprivation impair endurance performance? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Sport Sci. 2023;23(7):1279-1292. doi:10.1080/17461391.2022.2155583.
6. Johnston R, Cahalan R, Bonnett L, Maguire M, Glasgow P, Madigan S, O’Sullivan K, Comyns T. General health complaints and sleep associated with new injury within an endurance sporting population: A prospective study. J Sci Med Sport. 2020;23(3):252-257. doi:10.1016/j.jsams.2019.10.013.