The Benefits of a 5K Taper and How to Make the Most of It

The dip in your training volume during the last few weeks leading up to race day can offer a sigh of relief at the end of an extensive marathon or half marathon training plan. Download Your Training Plan.

Similar to deload weeks, which are weeks with slight decreases in training load about every four weeks, tapers are necessary reductions in training volume designed to prepare you for race day.

Compared to a half or full marathon, the 5K is “the least dramatic of the tapers,” according to Elizabeth Corkum, C.P.T., certified run coach at Equinox in New York City and owner of Coach Corky Runs. This is because the longer the distance that you’re racing, the greater the mileage reduction and timeline. But that doesn’t mean it’s less critical for performance gains than a longer taper.

The Benefits of a 5K Taper and How to Make the Most of It 5K training plan, experts unpack all the reasons why you should taper for a 5K, and how to execute it for better race day performance.

In short, a taper helps restore your energy levels and allows you to run your best on race day, explains Corkum. “Sometimes it’s very hard for runners [to taper] because we want to keep going. We have to fully welcome, honor, and accept it even if it makes us antsy and uncomfortable,” she says.

If you need convincing that the taper is worth it, research backs it up: A systematic review and meta-analysis movements and pausing any PLoS One, examined the effects of tapering on time-trial performance (for distances ranging from 800 meters to 40K) and time to exhaustion. Based on these parameters, researchers found a taper did improve performance, particularly when it lasted three weeks or less—with the optimal time spanning 8 to 14 days. Researchers also found it best to progressively reduce volume by 41 to 60 percent, without changing intensity or frequency.

The purpose of tapering is the final piece of preparation before race day to put the final touches on your training, “like honing the blade,” explains Josh Wessler, ACSM-certified personal trainer and RRCA-certified run coach. It’s all about maintaining your fitness while reducing fatigue.

The bottom line: The 5K taper is just as important as a taper in any other training plan, according to both Wessler and Corkum, because you need time to “absorb” your training and run on fresher legs. “A 5K is a perfect distance to taper for because it’s a pretty intense race and [the taper] is essential to making sure you’re actually ready to perform and you’re not fatigued from your training,” says Wessler.

A 5K taper will generally last seven to 10 days, depending on your fitness level and experience, says Wessler. Newbie runners might lean toward the 10-day 5K taper, while seasoned runners may only need a week for a 5K.

How to Choose the Right 5K Training Plan, recovery needs, and training plan. If you’re a newbie and you feel tired or need two days to recover from a hard workout opposed to one, opt for a 10-day taper period. If you’re a seasoned runner looking to improve performance as much as possible and you feel strong, stick to about a week.

1. Choose the Best Training Plan

Have a plan that you trust, whether you’ve used it before, read reviews, or a friend recommended it. (Runner’s World+ CA Notice at Collection training plans!)

Wessler explains when you’re choosing a training plan, it’s easy to look at the first week and make your choice, but you don’t want to start doubting your training plan once you’re three or four weeks out from race day. To feel confident in your training all the way through, “look ahead to get a sense of what’s coming in those last couple weeks before the race,” he says.

2. Reduce Volume

But, shorter distances deserve some recognition in the taper department, too intensity while reducing volume, according to both Corkum and Wessler. This means you still hit your speedier paces, but reduce repetitions. For example, if you’re used to running 10 reps of 400-meter repeats at race pace on Mondays, you’ll still run the workout, but cut it down to six repeats instead. It’s also important to note that speedwork should be done earlier in the week before your 5K, so there’s still enough time to recover.

Corkum tells runners to focus on “intentional reduction of mileage,” which may look like cutting down 20 to 40 percent of your peak week mileage (which is typically a week or two before your race, or the week with the longest long run.) For example, reducing volume on easy days might look like shaving a mile or two off a three- to five-mile run.

3. Keep Intensity

As mentioned, while you’ll reduce volume, you’ll maintain intensity, which means you’ll likely still do a shortened speed workout earlier in the week, about four to five days out from race day. Wessler explains that runners who are used to doing shorter speed intervals throughout training could benefit from 200- to 400-meter repeats at race pace with 90-second jogging recoveries in between during a taper in order to maintain speed and intensity.

“I want people to feel like they can run [race pace] with some amount of freshness in their legs, so that they’re not just running themselves into the ground,” Wessler says.

4. Don’t Add Anything New

It’s crucial not to add any new training elements to the taper, Wessler notes, using strides and plyometrics as examples. A common addition to a 5K taper is to add strides to the end of your easy run about two days before race day to keep you sharp and prioritize light speedwork, Wessler explains. However, you shouldn’t do them unless you’ve done them throughout your entire training plan. “If you’re brand new to it, now is not the time to start doing them,” he says.

5. Cut Back on Strength Training

Half Marathon Training strength training during your taper, especially during race week, says Corkum. “This is not the week to deadlift,” she says, but rather a good time to cut your typical two to three strength sessions down to one, or reduce your one-hour strength training session to 45 minutes.

rdquo; she says bodyweight Health & Injuries cross-training activities. “There’s nothing we can do to get stronger, fitter, or faster [within the seven to 10-day] period,” she explains.

6. Take More Rest When Needed

The 3-Week Guide to Tapering for a Marathon cold or feel a nagging ache (which could be a sign of potential injury) during the taper period, Corkum explains the best thing to do is to “shut it down and get better,” meaning you should take at least a few days to stop training and rest.

“Rest for 48 hours and then see how you’re feeling by going for a short jog or walk,” Corkum says. If you feel unwell, continue to rest until race day. “It’s not worth muscling through [illness or injury] if it means on race day, you’re really in pain,” she says.

7. Reflect on Your Training

With a taper, there’s a change in your training plan, which may leave you feeling out of control, Wessler explains. Instead of worrying about it, reflect on all the hard work you’ve put in to get to race day. Wessler recommends thinking about key workouts where you overcame a challenge, pushed through a run while it was raining, or ran even when you felt unmotivated.

Additionally, remind yourself that you’re not fragile just because you’re cutting back on volume. “Just because you’re tapering, doesn’t mean you’re not strong, resilient, and prepared,” he says.

Kristine Kearns

Associate Health & Fitness Editor

What Is a Reverse Taper Runner’s World and Bicycling in July 2024. She previously coached high school girls cross country and currently competes in seasonal races, with more than six years of distance training and an affinity for weightlifting. You can find her wearing purple, baking cupcakes, and visiting her local farmers market.