What is a taper?
Short answer
A taper is the last part of training before a race, when you run noticeably less but keep some faster running, so you arrive rested rather than tired.
Key points
- Running volume drops a lot; some faster running stays in.
- Longer races get longer tapers.
- Feeling restless or sluggish during a taper is normal.
Research on tapering found the best results come from keeping intensity, cutting volume substantially (by 60–90% in trained athletes) and training only slightly less often, over anything from about four days to four weeks. In practice that often means around two to three weeks for a marathon, one to two for a half, and about a week for a 10K or 5K.
Many runners feel flat or restless during a taper. That is normal, and it is not lost fitness: fitness built over months does not fade in two weeks, but tiredness does. Resist adding extra runs.
In your plan
Your plan's final weeks are the taper. They are shorter on purpose, so follow them as written even if you feel you could do more.
Related questions
How many weeks do you need to train for each distance?
From a base of running a few times a week, allow about 6–8 weeks for a 5K, 8–10 for a 10K, 10–14 for a half marathon and 16–20 for a marathon. Starting from scratch, add several weeks.
Read the full answerWhy are rest days part of the plan?
Because fitness is built while you recover, not while you run. Training is the signal; rest is when your body responds to it. Rest days also lower the risk of the overuse injuries that end many training plans.
Read the full answerWhy should easy runs feel slow?
Because most of your fitness comes from running easy, often. An easy run should let you talk in full sentences. Running it harder makes you more tired without making you much fitter.
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