Race week, day by day
Race week does not build fitness — it protects it. Cut volume by 40-60%, keep a little intensity so your legs stay sharp, eat more carbohydrate in the last two or three days, sleep well on Thursday rather than relying on Friday, and decide your first-kilometre pace before you stand on the line.
Lire en françaisThe rules of the week
- Reduce volume, keep frequency: run shorter, not less often.
- Nothing new: no new shoes, no new gels, no first-ever massage.
- Intensity stays, quantity goes: short race-pace touches, no long hard sessions.
- Feeling sluggish mid-week is normal and usually a sign the taper is working.
Day by day (Sunday race)
| Day | Session | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Rest or 20-30 min very easy | Absorb the last big weekend |
| Tuesday | 30-40 min easy with 4 x 2 min at race pace | Keep the legs sharp, low fatigue |
| Wednesday | Rest or easy 30 min | The real recovery day |
| Thursday | 25-30 min easy + 4 short strides | Feel fast, spend nothing |
| Friday | Rest, walk, travel | Legs up, hydrate, lay out kit |
| Saturday | 15-20 min easy + 2 strides | Wake the system up for tomorrow |
| Sunday | Race | Execute the pacing plan |
Eating and drinking
For a 10k, normal eating with a slightly larger dinner the night before is enough. For a half or a marathon, raise carbohydrate intake for the last two to three days while dropping training volume — that combination is what fills the tank. This is not a licence to eat differently, just more of the carbohydrate foods you already tolerate.
Drink normally through the week rather than force-drinking on race morning. Salty foods with your last two dinners help you hold that fluid.
Race morning
- Eat 2.5-3 hours before the gun: something you have eaten before a long run at least twice.
- Coffee is fine if it is normal for you.
- Warm-up: 10 minutes easy jogging, a few mobility moves, 3-4 strides. For a marathon, halve it.
- Be in the pen early enough that you are not sprinting the first 400 m to make up for the queue.
The pacing plan that saves the race
Write down three numbers: goal pace, the pace you will hold for the first kilometre (5-10 seconds slower), and the pace that means you are in trouble. Every over-ambitious first kilometre is repaid with interest in the final quarter of the race.
Split the race in your head: for a marathon, the first 30 km should feel boringly controlled and the race really starts after that. For a 10k, the second half is where you take the risk, not the first.
If race week goes wrong
A cold with a fever means do not start. A tickly throat and no fever usually means you can. A niggle that appeared in the taper is often the taper itself — but sharp, localised or one-sided pain means see a doctor or physiotherapist rather than gambling.
One missed session in race week changes nothing. Panic-training to compensate changes plenty, all of it bad.
Frequently asked questions
- Should I stop running completely in race week?
- No. Keep running, but shorter, and keep a few short race-pace touches. Full rest for a week leaves most runners feeling flat.
- How much should I cut my volume?
- By 40-60% for a half or marathon, a little less for a 10k, while keeping the same number of running days.
- I feel heavy three days before the race — is something wrong?
- Usually not. Taper legs are common and typically resolve in the last 48 hours.
- Can I race with a cold?
- A sore throat without fever is usually fine. Fever, chest symptoms or body aches mean do not start, and see a doctor if you are unsure.