Training for a successful marathon takes at least 4 months, and elite runners can have 6 or 7 months of intensive training for their record attempts. However my favourite time and one of the most important aspects of marathon training is the Taper – resting and locking in your fitness level.

Last night I was coaching at the track, and had one of the lowest turnouts for ages thanks to the London Marathon. Most of my coaching group are distance runners, and they are all resting, conserving their energy for the big day on 26th April 2009.

New runners to marathons usually make two basic errors;
(1) They don’t train hard enough.
(2) They don’t rest enough!

The minimum 4 months training will get you to a fitness peak. It takes 3 weeks for the effect of a training session to get into your legs. In other words you are as fit as you will ever be exactly 3 weeks before the marathon. From this point you should start to taper, reducing mileage, intensity and frequency of runs, until the final week before the marathon when you are hardly running at all.

The point of the Taper is to lock-in the fitness level you have achieved during the hard build-up training. Now with 3 weeks to go the emphasis is on rest and recovery. Studies have shown that complete rest, (not running at all), is good preparation for the marathon.

However many runners cannot cope psychologically with this, so reducing mileage is the best option. The only other danger during this period is putting on weight! Marathon runners eat a lot, but during the taper care should be taken over calorie intake. You don’t want to carry unnecessary extra pounds for 26 miles and 385 yards!

John McNally