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When I started running, I would have never dreamed that people getting ready for a big race like a half marathon should take some time off running a week or so before they get to the big race. I mean, to be at the top of your form, you need to practice right? As it turns out, there are specific rules runners should follow in the week leading up to running a half marathon.
As a general rule, runners should avoid running long distances in the week leading up to a half marathon. Restrictions can vary from runner to runner. But typically, most training plans will ask runners to do 3-4 miles 7 days before the race followed by some slow-paced training and other kinds of aerobic exercise that allow them to taper off gradually.
To get an idea of exactly how much rest and running you should be doing the week before a half marathon, I looked into what training plans reccomend, what other runners think, the pros and cons of running the week before a half marathon, and the best way to rest before doing a half marathon.
What Runners Think
To get an idea of what other running enthusiasts thought about running a week before a half marathon, I headed to an online running forum and set up a poll. runners voted. The results are in.
| Choice | Votes |
| It’s fine to run a week before a half marathon | 334 (81.7%) |
| It’s a bad idea to run a week before a half marathon | 20 (20) |
| It depends | 55 (13.4%) |
It seems like out of all the runners who voted, most agreed that it’s a good idea to run a week before a half marathon. However, the results were pretty close. Some of the runners who voted had this to say:
“Ideally you should be running 7 days before a half marathon”
ashtree35
“It’s fine to run. I’ve even done a full marathon the day before a half a couple of times.
If you want to PR, taper and take it easy. If you are just running 13 miles, treat it like any other workout of that distance.”
Token_Ese
“Are you following a plan? You should have a week of tapering built in. Lighter, shorter, easier runs in the week or 2 leading up to the half are normal and advantageous.
You’re not going to gain fitness at this point, so don’t go out to “train”. But do go out and run. Probably about 1/2 of what you were running. 2/3-3/4 if you’re running very low mileage.
Everything you do from here to the race is something you need to recover from as well as recovering/resting/healing from the high training weeks you just finished. So less is going to be better. You want to hit the start line rested and strong. So keep your runs shorter and easier enough to move your muscles and get things moving (which helps recovery).
But keep it short and easy – long, hard workouts add to the recovery load.
Ignore all of that if you’re just racing for fun and don’t really care about your finish time/performance. In that case-do whatever makes you happy. You don’t need to be fully recovered to head into an event you are doing purely for fun.”
opholar
What The Experts Say
The advice out there can vary between experts when it comes to training in the week before a half marathon. The reason for this is that there are pros and cons to different methods, which we will go into further on in the article.
For example, Runtastic reccomend runners should decrease the total amount of training that they do by 30%-50% in the week leading up to a half-marathon. However, whilst they believe you should decrease the number of intervals in a session by 20%, you should not decrease the intensity during your workouts.
Verywellfit goes one step further and reccomend that runners should not do any especially long distance runs 2-3 weeks before running a half marathon.
Although there are many mixed opinions out there, the vast majority of experts seem to support the idea that it’s all about tapering off and keeping your body limber without losing any of the endurance and stamina you’ve built up.
With this in mind, I noticed that the majority of half marathon training plans reccomend taking a minimum of two full rest days before taking on a half marathon.
Still interested in what the experts have to say about tapering off for a half marathon? Check out this video from Coach Parry.
To give you a decent idea of what your week running up to a marathon should look like, I took the final 7 days of training plans for a half marathon from Hal Higdon for novices, intermediates, and advanced runners. You can find links to the full training plans below the table.
| Experience | Mon | Tues | Weds | Thurs | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
| Novice | Rest | 4 mi run | 3 mi run or cross | 2 mi run | Rest | Rest | Race Day | |
| Intermediate | Rest | 4 mi run | 4 mi pace | 2 mi run | Rest | Rest | Race Day | |
| Advanced | 3 mi run | 6 x 400 5-K pace | 2 mi run | 30 min tempo | Rest | Rest | Race Day |
Find the Novice Workout Here
Find the Intermediate Workout Here
Find the Advanced Workout Here
Looking at the data above, it’s important to realize that whilst the week before your half marathon can make a significant difference, runners are only going to get the full benefit of a half marathon training plan if they choose to follow it all the way through.
As a general rule, a half-marathon training plan will be anywhere from 12-16 weeks. Runners who are just getting into half marathons should probably follow a training plan that is at the longer end of this period and should not try to prepare in a shorter time frame.
Something to note about the training plans above is that they all require you to run different paces, distances and sometimes intervals. With that being the case, I would reccomend getting your hands on a quality running watch such as this one by Garmin, which will make it easy for you to keep track of this data.
I especially like this watch because it helps to keep track of factors like your resting heart rate. If you’d like to learn more about the health benefits of a half marathon, I’ve written an entire article on it which you can find here.
After thinking about what the experts have to say about running a half marathon, I concluded that whilst there is no set rule, there are some pretty good pros and cons to running the week before a half marathon.
Pros To Running The Week before a Half-Marathon
The Right Mindset and Routine
Perhaps you aren’t a born runner. If this is the case, running a half marathon is probably something you’ve had to psyche yourself up for.
You’ve been lacing up your running shoes day after day to get prepared for a half marathon, running is now part of your routine, which perhaps makes it easier. But if you stop, it could potentially throw you back into that old mindset of having to get yourself prepared to run a half marathon.
You don’t just need to take my word for it. FacileThings can back up what I’m saying. Apparently, doing something every day and getting into good habits can help you to complete tasks without even thinking. Simply put, breaking your routine and not running before a half marathon could be counterproductive.
Keeps Your System In Check
According to this study from Nature Communications, running regularly can help keep the central nervous system strong. This is a good thing because getting the central system as strong as possible will help your body to make running efficient.
With this being the case, some data suggests that the central nervous system can be fatigued for 48 to 72 hours straight after training. Another reason to avoid running in the two days or so leading up to a half marathon.
If that wasn’t enough, Verywellfit also recommends running a light endurance run the day before taking on a long distance because it makes it easier to store the glycogen in the muscles. In turn, this can help you run faster for longer.
By the way, if you’d like to learn more about how far the average person can run without stopping, I wrote an entire article on it which you can find here.
Calms The Nerves
This study looked at the differences that running on a treadmill at different intensities had on factors such as the runner’s level of serotonin. The study found that acute exercise had antidepressant/anxiolytic properties. Simply put, the benefits that running can provide to mental health could help you feel cool, calm, and collected if you’re a little nervous about running a half marathon.
Cons To Running The Week before a Half-Marathon
Burn Out
We’ve already acknowledged that running 72 hours before a half marathon can cause some serious problems for the glycogen in your muscles. But training at all in the week before a half marathon could still leave you with some serious feelings of burnout.
If you’re trying to fit distance running into a busy schedule you might find it hard to feel energized for your runs. This isn’t much of an issue during the start of the training period for your half marathon. But if you’re pushing yourself to the absolute limit days before the half marathon you could end up too exhausted to take on the actual race. Not only that, but burnout from running can also lead to feeling sluggish and having low levels of motivation.
If you are trying to fit running into a busy schedule you might be interested in this article I wrote about top tips on running before work.
Injuries
This is probably the biggest risk linked to running the week before a half marathon. Injuries are to be expected when it comes to training for a half marathon. In fact, I can’t remember ever training for any race and not suffering from shin splints for a day or two.
However, runners who attempt to train in the week before a marathon risk not giving their bodies enough time to recover.
Sure, if you have injured yourself during a run it can take anywhere between four to six weeks to heal. But who’s to say you might have been able to run the half marathon on a small injury had it not been made worse by training the week before? Plus, there’s always a chance you could pick up a new injury just days before the race. All that hard work for nothing!
How Many Miles Should I Run The Week Before a Half Marathon?
When trying to decide how many miles you should be running the week before a half marathon, first consider your level of experience.
Runners who are more experienced may be able to run further than those who are lesser so. As a general rule, runners should aim to do their longest run 7 days before the half marathon and no closer than this. Typically, it is a bad idea to try and run more than 5 miles at any point in the 7 days leading up to the half marathon.
How To Rest The Week Before a Half Marathon
When it comes to rest in the week before a half marathon, you may feel reluctant to take some time off. But it’s just as important (if not more so) than the previous steps of the training process.
If you are wanting to do exercises other than running in the week leading up to a half marathon, it is important to choose exercises that don’t over-exert you too much. I would reccomend exercises such as yoga and swimming which help to keep your muscles limber but don’t require any vigorous movements You will also find that many training plans reccomend exercises such as cross-training.
For this reason, I would also reccomend avoiding any workouts that involve large explosive movements like powerlifting, HIIT workouts or CrossFit.
Can You Prepare For a Half Marathon in 7 Days?
As a general rule, it is a very bad idea to try and prepare for a half marathon in only 7 days. Typically half marathon training plans last anywhere from 12-16 weeks. With this being said, there may be experienced runners who can run a half marathon with only 7 days of training if they run recreationally and consistently.
Warning Signs The Week Before Running a Half Marathon
If you find yourself in the week leading up to a half marathon and are worried that you may not be able to complete it then stress too much. Some nerves before a big race are perfectly normal.
That being said, runners who are experiencing any severe pain or swelling around their body should consult a doctor before trying to take on a half marathon. If you’d like to learn more about running through injury and managing pain, check out this article I wrote.
