The taper is where many ultrarunners get restless. Training has given you something to do for months, and a reduction can feel suspicious. The appropriate change depends on the load you are carrying and how you have responded to previous reductions.
The Purpose of the Taper
A taper is intended to reduce accumulated fatigue while preserving readiness. Studies in endurance runners support a pre-competition load reduction, but most do not study 24-hour or multiday races directly. Apply those findings as context, not as a race-specific prescription.
Planning the Taper
| Planning factor | Question to ask | Possible implication |
|---|---|---|
| Preceding training load | How much volume and intensity are you recovering from? | A larger load may require a larger or earlier reduction |
| Prior taper response | What left you rested without feeling disrupted before? | Use your own history rather than copying another runner |
| Pain or illness | Are symptoms changing normal movement or daily function? | Pause the plan and seek qualified assessment |
| Race logistics | Will travel, altitude, climate, or mandatory kit add load? | Protect time for travel recovery and organization |
Decide the taper with a qualified coach when possible. A clinician or physiotherapist should guide decisions affected by injury, illness, medication, or a medical condition.
A Worked Three-Week Taper
The largest pooled analysis of taper research (Bosquet et al., 2007, 27 studies of competitive athletes) found the biggest performance gain from a two-week taper in which training volume was exponentially reduced by 41-60% with no change to training intensity or frequency. Wang et al. (2023) reached the same 41-60% volume band across 14 endurance-athlete studies. No study in either review examined a 24-hour, 48-hour, or multiday race, so the schedule below is an illustrative worked example built from that band rather than a validated ultramarathon protocol.
Assumptions. A runner peaks at 80 km across 9 hours of running in one week, spread over five sessions, one of which is a quality session, three weeks before a Saturday 24-hour race. That peak sets an average training speed of 80 km / 9 h = 8.9 km/h, or 6.75 minutes per kilometre, so every volume figure below converts to hours at the same ratio. Weeks run Monday to Sunday; race week is Monday to Friday only.
| Week | Volume | Time | Below peak | Longest session | Intensity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peak week | 80 km | 9 h 00 | - | 32 km / 3 h 36 | One quality session |
| Week -3 (lead-in) | 64 km | 7 h 12 | 20% | 26 km / 2 h 56, run 15 days out | Same session, same pace |
| Week -2 | 44 km | 4 h 57 | 45% | 16 km / 1 h 48, run 8 days out | Same session, same pace |
| Race week (Mon-Fri) | 32 km | 3 h 36 | 60% | 10 km / 1 h 08 | One short block at the same pace |
Weeks -2 and -1 are the two-week window Bosquet measured. At 45% and 60% below the peak week they sit inside the 41-60% band, and the quality session keeps its pace, its structure, and its place in the week, which is the part of the protocol the meta-analysis found should not change. The 20% cut in week -3 is a lead-in outside that window, used here so the last long run lands 15 days before the start rather than inside the taper proper.
Race week distributes 32 km and 3 h 36 across four runs at 6.75 min/km:
- Monday: 10 km / 1 h 08 easy.
- Tuesday: 10 km / 1 h 08, including the short quality block at its usual pace.
- Wednesday: No running. Gear weighed, drop bags packed, travel done.
- Thursday: 8 km / 54 min in the race shoes and race socks.
- Friday: 4 km / 27 min easy, then off the feet.
The days add to 10 + 10 + 8 + 4 = 32 km and 67.5 + 67.5 + 54 + 27 = 216 minutes, which is 3 h 36.
The Same Percentages for a 100-Mile Trail Race
For a runner whose peak week is 100 km, 12 hours, and 2,000 m of climbing, the identical 20 / 45 / 60 percent cuts produce:
| Week | Volume | Time | Climbing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week -3 (lead-in) | 80 km | 9 h 36 | 1,600 m |
| Week -2 | 55 km | 6 h 36 | 1,100 m |
| Race week (Mon-Fri) | 40 km | 4 h 48 | 800 m |
Descending volume is cut in the same proportion as everything else here. Nothing in the taper literature separates descent from total volume, so that split is a convention of this example rather than a sourced figure.
The Last Long Run
Do not force a late long run merely to prove readiness or rescue a missed training block. Any final race-specific session should already fit the plan and current health. Equipment, fueling, and lighting are better tested repeatedly earlier in training than introduced near race day.
For race-specific plans, see 24-hour, 48-hour, and 6-day training guides.
Race Week Priorities
- Protect a consistent sleep opportunity instead of chasing a fixed target.
- Keep only the familiar movement included in your taper plan.
- Finalize required gear early enough to resolve problems without panic.
- Follow the practiced nutrition and thirst-led hydration plan unless a clinician advised otherwise.
- Check travel, start time, crew rules, and mandatory kit.
- Pack lighting, chargers, clothing, and foot-care items required by the event or your tested system.
What Not to Do
Avoid adding an unplanned hard workout or compressing missed training into race week. New strength work, aggressive stretching, unfamiliar footwear, tape, food, drink, or last-minute equipment changes can create problems that have not been tested.
Use the 24-hour race gear checklist as a final systems check even if your race is longer.
Sources
- Bosquet, L., Montpetit, J., Arvisais, D., Mujika, I. (2007) - Effects of tapering on performance: a meta-analysis. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 39(8), 1358-1365. Twenty-seven studies; optimal strategy was a two-week taper with training volume exponentially reduced by 41-60% and no change to training intensity or frequency.
- Wang et al. (2023) - systematic review and meta-analysis of tapering in endurance athletes
- Smyth and Lawlor (2021) - observational analysis of taper patterns in recreational marathon runners
These studies concern endurance athletes and marathon runners rather than direct comparisons of taper schedules for 24-hour, 48-hour, or multiday races. The article therefore does not infer one optimal schedule for those formats.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should you taper for a 24-hour race?
Two to three weeks is the range the published evidence supports. Bosquet et al. (2007) pooled 27 taper studies in competitive athletes and found the largest performance gain from a two-week taper in which training volume was cut by 41-60% while training intensity and frequency were held unchanged; Wang et al. (2023) reported the same 41-60% volume band across tapers of up to 21 days. The caveat is that no study in either review examined a 24-hour, 48-hour, or multiday race, so treat two to three weeks as a starting range and set the exact size of the cut from your own preceding load, injury history, and response to previous tapers.
Should you stop running during an ultra taper?
Not by a universal rule. Some runners retain familiar short sessions while reducing load; pain, illness, or a clinician's advice may call for more rest. Do not copy another runner's frequency or intensity without considering your own training and health.
Can you gain fitness during race week?
Trying to add a large new training stimulus in race week is more likely to add fatigue than solve a preparation gap. Keep decisions consistent with the plan agreed with your coach or clinician, particularly when pain or illness is present.