3 Weeks to Marathon Day

You’re entering the taper phase, one of the hardest parts of marathon training. You’ll start reducing your training load as race day approaches. It can feel wrong, but tapering properly is key to making the most of your training and performing well on race day.

There’s no value in training hard right up until the race. At this stage, there are minimal fitness gains to be had. The goal now is to recover and freshen up.

Key points:

• Don’t try to make up for missed sessions; it will do more harm than good.
• Eat well, hydrate properly, and avoid restricting calories.
• Get plenty of rest - this is the time to bank extra sleep.

Nothing new on race day

This is your last opportunity to test any kit or nutrition strategies. Run at the time of your race and experiment with your pre-race breakfast and fuelling strategy. Practice exactly how you’ll take your gels - this long run is your dress rehearsal. If you haven’t practiced it, don’t try it on race day.

Pacing strategy

Develop a plan for how you’ll tackle the race. The key is patience: this is about you versus the distance. Aim to run each mile evenly, avoiding wild fluctuations in pace.

Try running part of your long run at race pace (but not the whole thing). This will help you “lock in” the pace and feel confident on the day.

2 Weeks to Go

Training volume will drop again this week. Your long run might be around 2 hours.

Race admin time!

• Plan your route to the start line.
  Travel always takes longer than you expect. Build in buffer time. Check your race’s website for up-to-date travel info.
   
• Staying overnight?
  Book a restaurant for the Saturday night and check your hotel’s breakfast options. Will you need to bring your own?
   
• Finalise your playlist and nutrition.
  Now’s the time to tweak your music (if you’re using it) and stock up on nutrition products. Don’t leave anything until the last minute.

1 Week to Go (Race Week!)

You’ve done the hard work - now it’s time to prepare for race day.

Collect your race pack

Some events post these out, but for races like the London Marathon, you’ll collect your number and chip at the Running Show.

Top tips for the Running Show:

• Go earlier in the week to avoid crowds
• Limit your time there - walking around for 2 hours adds up!
• Take water to stay hydrated
• Any kit shopping? That’s for after the race. Remember: nothing new on race day

Visualise the race

Check the race website for course maps. Picture yourself crossing that finish line. When nerves hit, review your training diary. Focus on what you have done, not what you’ve missed.

Get to bed early this week - even if you don’t sleep well the night before, you’ll be fine if you’ve banked some sleep already.

If you’ve been doing regular stretching or foam rolling, keep it up. But don’t suddenly start a new routine - your legs won’t thank you!

Check out event day tips here.