← The Journal
2026-06-03 · 3 min read
The taper is where marathons are won
Three weeks of doing less feels wrong. It's also the difference between arriving sharp and arriving flat.
JHJason Hunt · 2026-06-03
After months of building, the instinct is to keep pushing. The taper asks you to do the opposite. It's one of the most evidence-backed things in endurance sport.
Done well, a taper sheds fatigue while holding onto fitness. Volume comes down, but a little intensity stays so the legs don't forget how to run fast. You arrive on the start line fresh instead of flat.
Done badly (too short, too gentle, or skipped entirely), you toe the line carrying the tiredness of your biggest weeks. Every Marathon Clinic plan builds the taper in deliberately, because the last three weeks decide more than the runner often realises.
Try it on your own running
“Want your paces set from a recent run? Build a free plan and we’ll set every pace for you, with the effort cue attached, so you can run by feel.”
JHJason HuntFounder & Head Coach