How You'll Run a Faster Half Marathon: The Taper

Thank you to Days Brewing for supporting the channel! Get 20% Off your order with code: PHILY20

Half marathon season is here, and if you're aiming for a personal best, nailing your taper is key. In this video we deep dive into the art of tapering for half marathon races, I share my own taper experiences as a pro marathon runner and explain how you can use this to guide you toward that finish line winner!

Why does the taper matter? I'll explain the science behind the power of the right tapering strategy and how it can be applied to any half marathon training plan, step-by-step, so that come race day you're recovered and ready both physically and mentally for that peak performance.

Head over to my Instagram @philybowden for more daily updates and training insights!

Use OTE-PHILY20 to get 20% off all OTE products.

WANT TO SUPPORT MY CHANNEL?
To support my running career, the channel and creation of these videos - Check out my Patreon that's linked below, with different levels of support on offer and you can gain access to extra exclusive content!

Follow me here:

Follow Daniel:

Need any videos edited?! Daniel (My boyfriend and the editor of my videos) has got you covered!

[IainThacker]

Sitting here with pre-long run porridge pondering the three 'big' races in the next 2 months I'm quite glad someone smarter than me is planning my tapers! Not that I've made it easy doing Ultra, half, 10k in that order :)

[ColeRunning]

Sat here literally 2 weeks from my next race… perfect timing, thanks Phily!

[joanasilva]

You read our minds, I'm exactly 2 weeks out of my next race! Thxx for the tips ❤

[eilish]

Perfect timing for this! 2 weeks out to my first half marathon and realised I got the timing wrong on my plan was trying to figure out what to do about the next two tweeks!

[spoilthatsong]

Doing the Great North Run two weeks today, so this video's super relevant.

Going to go for a 10 day taper since I started training slightly later this year but I'm sure it'll leave me nice and fresh for race day!

[sebs]

Well theres me recommending this to friends and it turns out my phone just heard me talking about taking it easy 1 week before my big event... but I appreciate it being uplifted to the top as a new video for me! Big thank you for your "Improve Your Running Performance Like a Pro: 7 Simple Changes" video, which introduced me to you, but got me out of a rut after 'failing' Y2Y trail marathon and Brighton marathon, walking 2nd halves after calf-lock repeating injury... with your video it woke me up and I managed a 50k ultra 1 month later with no problems and fast recovery!

Well 2 months later, getting started with strengthening to get those new muscle fibres stronger and less prone to injury, more sleep, better nutrition, a physio session... I'm 1 week off Man Vs Coast in Cornwall next week. I'm tapering down without understanding how, so your video her has given me the confidence to do it well, not go cold-turkey in the final week and get myself mentally prepared... THANK YOU!!!

[yeah-na]

My training for the month of October 2022 as an example,
1st 58:08 for 10k
5th 58:07
6th 58:27
8th 56:34
11th 54:16
13th 54:59
18th 51:37 10k PB
22nd 2:05:06 Half Marathon PB
Unless your a profesional athlete theres no need for tapering, theres no need for easy run days or long runs at an easy pace, just go out every 2-3 days and do the best you can, ( The training distance for a half pb goal can be 10km -14km as long as you can handle the intensity but there will be a point where running more than the point where your intensity drops off wont be beneficial Building intensity in your runs is one of the most important aspects of training and you will find 10k is a good balance of speed and endurance (for me anyway at the age of 61) also thats how you should treat your race build intensity over the distance to the point the last 4km you should be giving it all you have You dont want to be one of those who put months into training for a race to just sprint the last few hundred meters just because you saw the finishing gantry. And just a tip for those who are worried about running so fast in training If you build your aerobic base correctly and understand the differences between aerobic and anaerobic exercise you will run out of leg power before you run out of breathing power, you can run for 2 hours more or less at more than 80% of your Max heart rate and feel comfortable ish and 90% over the last 5km without throwing up unless you been taking too many gels then thats your mistake you will learn from. Good luck and god bless.

[thecaptainchas]

NA beer is one of my favorite treats, whether on a taper or not. I tried doing a dry January 2.5+ years ago, and it just stuck with me. I’ve not had alcohol since then, but I love drinking beer (NA) with my friends. NA beer happens to be a fantastic recovery drink too. 🍻

[stefaniedhaen]

I m in my last big training week for the Berlin marathon😍.

I decided to do it in Slovenië. Gonna try to do 160 km this week. Goal get under 2'56"58 my Venice marathon PB.

Thank you for you re really helpfull video's and posts.❤ keep up the good work.

[smitmiester]

My first half marathon in mid September aiming for a 1:55 🙌🏼, perfect timing Philly, regards from Adelaide Australia 😎

[imocartan]

Yooo this is perfect. I am one week out of the LONDON BIGHALF. Struggling to know what’s to do. Man thank you 😃

[oscardanson]

I completely my fist half this morning so would have been nice a week ago. But got 1:28:52 so I'm happy.

[ebutuoyYT]

I knew about the basics of a taper, but you clarified a few points and gave your insight as high-level runner, so thank you.
Next time please list distances in furlongs, for any equine viewers 😂

[luisalds]

Going to run the Stockholm Half Marathon in 2 weeks so this video came just in time! Thanks Phily

[danielrosado]

Ran a half marathon PB of 1:26:17… without a taper *gasp*. The preceding 4 weeks of training I had increased my mileage WAY too quickly. I went from 2x 35mi weeks to 43mi to 68mi in 4 weeks time. (You know what’s coming next). I got Achilles tendinitis; I was out for the next two weeks with mild pain and stiffness. I kept up my cardio a bit (should’ve done more) by squeezing in a couple swims + added some strength/mobility exercises to start the healing process. Come race day I was quite nervous. I patched together with KT tape, I prepared best I could. Thankfully I avoided injury completely and beat my last PB by 6 minutes!
Currently I am on my taper for upcoming Dallas half marathon and feeling pretty comfortable. I can honestly say I’m confident that the added measured decrease in volume will help me narrow my time!
Love your videos, can’t wait to see what’s to come!

[lorenzocane]

I have started yesterday my half marathon 8 weeks plan. So thanks a lot. I'm quite nervous because it will be my first official half marathon 😅

[justalarvitar]

Awesome vid! My peak week has just ended with my 15 miler, which puts me at 68 miles for this week!
Hoping for a MASSIVE PR in my actual Half Marathon ! I’m planning to reduce my mileage by 25-30% next week
Will update based on how my body is recovering. So far I feel very energised even after my peak week 😊

Negative splitted my 15 miler from the 12k mark onward, finished with 2h 18min

[bluechipcoach]

great advice thank you Phily first Half Marathon Hoka 5th May Sydney Australia

[ozguozkul]

Good to watch this, I will trust the power of taper. I have just 2 weeks to Vilnius Half. I want to smash it and with the taper it will be easier. Thanks

[zaneclone]

My "half" taper consisted of swapping the long runs with bike rides- and the 6-9 mile runs down to 4-5 mile "FAST runs...
The Fri before a Sun "half" was a v-hard/fast 5k and Sat was a day off...
Getting the legs really shifting prior to a Half really worked for me...