Taper Strategy for Best Marathon Results

If you want to run a fast marathon, you need to know about the taper period. If you get it right, you can expect a 3% improvement in your running performance. However, if you get it wrong or ignore the taper, then your months of training can be for nothing.

In this video, you'll learn about the taper duration, training volume, training frequency, and intensity. You'll learn how to adjust these four elements to optimize the taper and reap the performance gains.

Video Resources:

00:00 Intro
00:27 Importance of the Taper
01:30 Research on Taper Duration
02:50 Adjusting the Taper Volume
03:38 Research on Taper Volume
04:07 The Adaptation Process
05:13 Volume Reduction for Performance
06:07 The Training Frequency
06:50 Psychological Readiness
07:46 Research on Taper Intensity
09:48 Variations & Micro- adjustments
10:34 Strength Training During the Taper

Download the App by searching: 'Run Smarter'

[RunSmarterwithBrodieSharpe]

💥💥80% of Runners are Injured EVERY YEAR 😲 But it Doesn't Have to be You!

[ShawnGreyling]

3 weeks out from my first marathon. binging your videos as if I'm cramming for an exam!

[wjddlf]

Articulate, accurate, and evidence-based. Pure awesomeness 😮

[januslee]

You don't get strong during the work outs. You get strong during recovery between work outs. 🙌

[TheValonquar]

This is amazing. Im running my first HM without a plan in 2 weeks. Following mainly Garmin DSW and my own gutfeel. My long runs have been feeling great. Hoping to nail tapering.

[oscarmartinez]

Thank you for your informational video. I will follow your instructions

[Rachel-iynr]

🎉awesome vid Brodie. Incredibly helpful thank you

[bev]

😂😂 You cracked me up a few times there!! Woowwww, Brodie!!!! Your videos are just going from strength to strength !!! This was sooo much better than I ever could have imagined !! And thanks so much for the shout out too, that was so sweet!!! I must say I am a bit blown away as I had heard and read that a taper should be only about 10% the first week and around 20% the next so without your papers and research findings I might never have believed you, but MOSTLY because, as you pointed out, I just don’t WANT to do less, so I guess that that is a common problem for many of us addicted runners!! MANY MANY THANKS Brodie !! Invaluable !!!! And this time I’m totally gonna apply it!!! 🙋🏻‍♀️🏃🏻‍♀️🙋🏻‍♀️

[LJ-ksvl]

So if I peak at 70 miles, my first taper week should be about 42 miles and the final week be only 21? Or did I do my math wrong? Thanks for all of your videos they have been much helpful throughout my marathon training. I have 2 weeks and 6 days before my first full marathon!

[zazzleman]

Thanks for explaining this in simple language

[Pitichou]

5:45 I know it's common to measure the volume on a weekly basis, but for a taper it may not optimal as it will create a multistep taper.

It has been suggested that it would be best to aim for a linear or exponential (rather than step) reduction of the volume, on a daily basis.

Example of an exponential reduction: last day before starting your taper you are at 100 % of your typical volume for this day.

On day 1 of taper : 96 % of your usual volume this day
Day 2 : 88 %
Day 3 : 82 %
Day 4 : 77 %
...
Day 7 : 62% (so you've reduced by 40%)
...
Day 12: 46 %
Day 13: 43 %
Day 14 (last): 40% (so you've reduced by 60%)

On my case, I noticed that an exponential taper works better than a step one (like reducing by 40% on the first week at once, then reducing by 60 % at once ln week 2, like you suggest in this video).

Like most of the time, it probably differs from one athlete to another. I don't think there's evidence that one type of taper is always the best.

Reference:
Pyne DB, Mujika I, Reilly T. Peaking for optimal performance: Research limitations and future directions. J Sports Sci. 2009 Feb 1;27(3):195-202. doi: 10.1080/02640410802509136. PMID: 19153861.

Would love your opinion on that 🙂

Thanks for the great content!

[CalvinFry-nc]

How long should my taper blues last? I’m 10 days out and not sure whether to take extra rest days to recover and get rid of my fatigue quicker?

[martinplayford]

Hi. Really interesting set of videos on marathon running however what would be your advice for veteran runners. I started runnning at 67 in 2017. I ran my first marathon, London in 2018, since then I have run 5 more marathons and never felt that I had done myself justice albeit giving it all I had on the day. I believe at 73 that I still have a faster time in me. Fastest so far is 4hr.35mins. Your comments would be interesting. Thank you.

[alanshrimpton]

I look forward to my taper. Not sure if I can wait an extra week. 😅

[tonycermak]

Thank you so much.... Such good information

[garyknight]

Forgot to ask, would you apply the same principle for a 10k?

[jakubczeczotka]

Hi Brodie, I always thought three weeks of taper (that most plans include) was a bit too long for an amateur runner, and I'm happy the science speaks for a 2 week taper. This is a very informative and well executed video!
Thanks for the content! 👏🏼

[garyknight]

Great video. Very informative. Thank you.

[jameskerr]

Perfect timing, am about 5 weeks away from a marathon so will look at incorporating these to the plan.

[williamcheek]

I love the effort in this video - both with the extra steps to illustrate tapering and providing real evidence / sources to back up your claims. Wish more fitness creators did this.