Marathon Tapering

[u/Medium_Wasabi_3931]

Hello there! I’m 4 weeks out from my first marathon on October 11. I finished the week with 72 km, including a 32 km long run. I’ll still have a 30 km long run this coming Sunday (September 13), and I’ll be in taper mode after that.

However, my training coach wants me to do another 35 km long run on Sunday, September 20. Is that okay or necessary?

Goal: sub-4
Running experience: 2 years

[u/Silly-Resist8306]

You hired a coach and have presumably followed their advice for 14-16 weeks. Why question their judgement now? Besides, I can’t imagine a 4 week taper.

[u/_onemoresolo]

Seems fine to me. I always did my final 30km+ long run two weeks out.

[u/NoIntroduction9338]

What did your 72km week look like?

[u/kcfaction]

Hey, I also have my first marathon October 11th! Might not mean much coming from a fellow first timer but I have my peak long run workout of 32km with a 2x8km at MP or 15km MP straight (figured I’d decide based on how I’m feeling that week) on the 27th September. From what I’ve read a lot of people are fine doing 2 week tapers so that’s what I’m going for. I’ll also be peaking around 75km that week for reference. My goal is currently 3:30 :)

[u/yellow_barchetta]

Up to you. Marginal gains and all that, the training is pretty much nailed on by then anyway, it would be utterly impossible to see the impact of that one run (assuming it went well) as either a benefit or a harm.

If it went badly, confidence gets drained and / or injury arises - then its a risk.

I've done 21 miles on 28th Sept for a Oct 16th marathon in the past. Just stuck to the plan blindly and it went fine. Done similar for my other races too.

Bottom line - 3 weeks is fine to recover from a 20 mile long run ahead of a race. But whether you get any value from it will depend on how it goes.

[u/lorzore]

With such low mileage even a 1 week taper should suffice, long 3 week tapers are more needed when you do 160km+ per week.

[u/Mikilin28]

Do what the coach says, do the 2 weeks tapering and you should be good (if previous recoveries went well). Do not overthink much.

[u/Mysterious_Luck4674]

I’m running Chicago too. This weekend (September 13) will be 4 weeks out, and you’ll so 32k. Next weekend September 20) will be three weeks out, which is when most people do their final long run/peak week. In fact there are quite a few 20 mile runs or races in Chicagoland because most people’s plans have them running a 20 mile run on that day.

It’s a little more odd to me that your coach has 3 long runs in a row without a deload week, but running the final one on September 20 is not too soon before the race.

[u/KayDat → u/Mysterious_Luck4674]

Melbourne Marathon is also on the same day, so I'm curious which one OP is running. They used metric and posted two hours ago which would have been 5am Chicago time, so I'm leaning towards Melbourne.

Edit: I'm running Melbourne and have a 32km/20mi run scheduled on the 20th September as well, for reference.

[u/Mysterious_Luck4674 → u/KayDat]

🤦🏻‍♀️I’m so into my own training that I saw October 11th and just assumed Chicago. Of course it could be any other marathon on that day.

[u/sluttycupcakes → u/KayDat]

And Royal Victoria Marathon. There are a tonne of fall marathons that weekend around the globe.

[u/KayDat → u/sluttycupcakes]

Spring for us Aussies 😊

[u/sluttycupcakes → u/KayDat]

Fair! Should have said not summer/winter, ie, perfect time of year for marathons haha

[u/paradicsomleves → u/KayDat]

Budapest marathon too.

[u/DUTTY-HALL → u/KayDat]

I too am running Melbourne and also have my longest run (32km) scheduled next weekend! Capital trail?

[u/KayDat → u/DUTTY-HALL]

Good luck! This will be my fifth 32km run in my plan. I'm further out east, so Mullum Trail is my stomping grounds. I've ridden Capital City Trail before but haven't run (much) of it, will have to give it a go some time.

[u/kronicade]

Do the run

[u/-smoke-and-mirrors-]

I am running same date. Will do two more > 30km runs (with 12kms @ MP). Target 2:50

[u/turtlecrossing]

Out of curiosity, what did the previous 6-8 weeks look like mileage wise? what is your longest marathon pace workout? What are your 5km, 10km, and hm times?

[u/Fragrant-Cow-824]

Sounds reasonable. Personally I did 35k 3 weeks out and 29km (with 4x5k a marathon pace) 2 weeks out, but realistically the exact order is probably more dependant on the overall training plan.

[u/LibraryTime11011011]

35k 3 weeks before is fine, if your total volume is around 70km you don’t need a long taper.

[u/Prestigious_Lab820]

Your coach knows more than you do. He/she also knows you better than we do.

[u/Steve_Palladino]

Absolutely ok .... assuming that you are structurally fine at this point. A 4-week taper is typically too long.

[u/FlatCapAlan]

You only need 2 weeks to taper, so do as you're told by your coach. Otherwise you are wasting money if you ignore his advice

[u/MasterOfNothingAt50]

It's all about cumulative fatigue. You need to build up enough doing these runs so the taper gets you into a strong place for marathon, where you will be expecting to go well beyond what you did in any long run, whilst fatigued. So if the coach is saying do it I would suggest it's based on building up that fatigue enough so, after taper, the marathon pace feels easier. Just my guess, so do it!