Marathon Tapering: Here’s what it actually is and how to do it properly
As your mileage drops, doubts can spike, and marathon paranoia takes hold. Zaira Brilhante tells us why this happens and how to manage it so you can arrive at the Start Line ready to run, not second-guess yourself.
When you start your taper, maranoia (marathon paranoia) has a habit of creeping in.
Your fitness is better than ever, and yet somehow, everything feels fragile. A weird twinge or niggle. A single bad run that starts to outweigh your whole Training Plan. The timing is no accident. As mileage drops, space opens up, and the mind rushes to fill it.
Running less can feel strange, especially if you’re used to earning confidence through mileage. But the taper exists for a reason: your body is repairing and rebuilding stronger after months of training.
Even runners with double-digit marathons behind them still feel intimidated by the distance. The thoughts still show up, but experienced runners tend to handle them differently. The trick isn’t eliminating those thoughts. It’s not letting them win. Personal trainer and running coach, Zaira Brilhante, who will be taking on her 15th marathon this year, gives us her four tips to settle your mind ahead of Marathon Day.
1. Don’t fear the Start Line
One of the most grounding truths is this: if you get to the Start Line healthy, you’re going to be just fine. Even if things don’t feel perfect straight away. Even if it doesn’t end up being the run you imagined. As Martin Yelling reminds all TCS London Marathon participants, 98 per cent of people who start will finish.
The hardest part of a marathon is the months of training, says Zaira. Running in atrocious weather. Running when motivation is at rock bottom. If you’ve done that, the marathon itself isn’t a question mark, it’s the victory lap.
Go out sensibly. Stick to your plan. Treat Marathon Day like another long run, just with amazing crowds cheering you the whole way with the added luxury of closed roads. Don’t forget to take the time to absorb the atmosphere, especially if it’s your first marathon.
2. Control the controllables
You can’t control the weather, but you can control how you dress for it. You can’t control how your stomach or legs might feel, but you can control how you respond when they do.
Maranoia thrives on what-ifs, so counter those with plans.
Running through scenarios ahead of time removes the surprise on Marathon Day. You don’t need solutions for everything; sometimes, all you need is permission to acknowledge discomfort without letting it define the day.
Zaira says to use this time to prepare for Marathon Day: lay out your kit, perfect your playlist, pack your hydration vest with your favourite gels, create a WhatsApp group with your supporters and plan where to meet them after the Finish Line.
3. Try visualisation or journalling
Have you got that heavy, restless feeling where something feels slightly off but you can’t pinpoint it? For many runners, maranoia shows up physically.
When nerves spike, cortisol rises, sleep starts to get disrupted or your stomach is off, and suddenly the body mirrors what the mind is doing. That feedback loop is vicious: stress creates symptoms, symptoms fuel stress, and maranoia tightens its grip.
With fewer runs in the taper, mental training becomes just as important as physical training. For this, Zaira recommends visualisation or journalling.
Visualisation is one way to channel spare energy. Many runners imagine highlights of the course like Tower Bridge or tweak their playlist so that a particular track can lift them at just the right time. Tom Evans, who won the 2025 Ultra‑Trail du Mont‑Blanc, played Chappell Roan’s Pink Pony Club to pick him up during the toughest moments.
Journalling does something slightly different. It builds evidence. Write down everything you've done in training, alongside anything that might go wrong and how you’d handle it. It matters because maranoia is selective. It remembers the one bad run and forgets twenty-five solid ones. When you write it down, the truth becomes harder to argue with.
4. Prepare for the final 24 hours before Marathon Day
Almost no one sleeps well the night before a marathon. One bad night doesn’t undo months of training. What matters far more is your sleep in the week leading into Marathon Day. Rest is cumulative. And yet, maranoia loves to say: You slept badly, so today will be awful. In reality, it’s how you interpret that night that shapes your day.
Also, Zaira uses a running watch during training, but does not look at it the morning of a race. Sure, they can offer more data than ever - heart rate, sleep scores, HRV, readiness metrics. Useful in training, but potentially harmful on Marathon Day, as it is a single snapshot taken under stress. In the morning, remember to trust the sum of your training.
