[hlnx1]

Tapering is often discussed for marathons, but shorter races can benefit too, just on a smaller scale.

• A short taper, often a few days to about a week, is common for 5K and 10K races
• Reducing volume while keeping some intensity tends to maintain fitness
• Cutting training too much can leave you feeling flat
• The ideal length varies between individuals and depends on training load

Read more: tapering and race performance.

How do you taper for shorter races?

[hlnx1]

An example taper week for a 10K: reduce weekly volume by about 30-40%, keep one short interval session early in the week, then easy runs with a few strides until race day.

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