Skip long runs 3 weeks before race: Experts

While many marathon training plans call for doing one last long run three weeks before the race, a new article suggests it may be better to give yourself at least four weeks to ensure you’re properly recovered.

In an article on the International Association of Women Runners website, running coach Bennett Cohen (The Savvy Runner) and Gail Gould say doing that last long run three weeks before the race is the “#1 training error committed by marathoners.”

According the article, three weeks is not enough for leg muscles to recover fully from a long run. The pair cite a Dutch study that found two-thirds of marathoners had significant amounts of muscular damage on race day because they had not sufficiently recovered from their last long run.

They also say this is more important for women over the age of 40 than it is for other runners, as women in that age group typically require more recovery time than men and younger women.

Cohen and Gould advise runners to use a program where you complete your last long run four weeks before race day. In the remaining four weeks, they recommend continuing with speed workouts and including at least one “weekly intensity” run of 40-60 minutes. They also say runs of up to 15K produce little-to-no muscle damage.