Ask any marathoner: There is nothing like the energy of race weekend to get you amped up to keep on running. Feeling the weight of that finisher’s medal hanging around your neck has a magical way of erasing all the aches and exhaustion you pushed through for the past few hours (not to mention the past several months of training). But what you do in the hours and days immediately following 26.2 miles can determine how quickly you bounce back—not only physically but also how soon you’ll feel emotionally ready to get moving again.
Marathons are draining, and that finish-line euphoria won’t keep sustaining you through continuous daily runs if you don’t let yourself recover fully. After conquering 14 marathon finish lines in all seasons and a few back-to-back marathons too, I’ve learned a few key lessons about how to successfully get back to running postrace. Keep these in mind if you’ve just crossed a marathon off your list and want to lace up your running shoes again soon.
The first time I ran the New York City Marathon, I lived in a fifth-floor walk-up apartment on the Upper East Side. Going down those stairs the next day was excruciating, but I went outside anyway and went for a walk—and my legs felt immensely better a day later, compared with when I didn’t take those steps after other races. Obviously, you should give yourself some downtime and relax after a marathon, but when I make a point to walk around more often right after a race and to do some other light activity (like easy pedaling on my Peloton) over the following few days, it always helps my legs feel way better sooner.
Sitting on the couch all day will only increase your stiffness. Regardless of whether you hit a PR, qualified for Boston, or barely made it over the finish line, completing a marathon is a big accomplishment. I’ve found that taking some time after 26.2 to celebrate and appreciate my body for what it can do—and my mind for what it can push through—is an important step before jumping right back into running.
When I push ahead without taking joy and pride in what I achieved, I wind up feeling run down and unmotivated. If you feel like having a decadent meal and celebratory beers as part of that acknowledgment, Jeff Gaudette, owner and head coach at RunnersConnect, says go for it! But to feel up to running again soon, have something nutritious first.
You can still enjoy pizza and beer, but make sure you get some protein and healthy carbs beforehand.” Research backs this nutrient combo up: One 2018 study in Nutrients found that eating both carbs and protein immediately postrace helped marathoners’ physical fatigue, mental energy, and soreness improve within three days compared with those who ate carbs alone. Your body just did a lot; give it some extra TLC to help your muscles recover faster. Gaudette recommends trying out all the “little recovery tricks”—ice baths, dips in a hot tub, a massage—and seeing what helps you get back to 100 percent faster.
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