Marathon Race Recovery

Updated: July 17, 2025

Congratulations on completing your Marathon! Whether this is your first or 50th race, you should be proud of your accomplishment and the hard work that brought you across the finish line. Now that the hard work is done, just remember, recovering from the race is just as crucial as your training.

Most experts agree that recovery begins the moment you cross the finish line. This blog will cover what you can do in the minutes, hours, days and weeks following a big race that will help you prevent injury and replenish your body.

Minutes:

• Keep moving: You will be really tired and want to sit down immediately after a race. There will be plenty of people sitting on curbs right after the finish line. DO NOT sit down! Walk around for the next 10 minutes at least. Stopping and sitting immediately can cause your blood pressure to drop quickly. This could cause you to become dizzy or faint.
• Eat and drink to replenish: Some people say that they have no appetite immediately following a race. Others will literally pick up the pace so they can eat sooner! Whatever camp you fall into, it is crucial that you eat and drink within 30 minutes of finishing your race. Glycogen, the sugar that your body breaks down and uses for quick energy, is depleted when you finish a marathon. Additionally, your body will need protein to begin repairing your muscle tissue. Carbohydrate rich foods and drinks are also important. This can include peanut butter and banana sandwiches and “flat” regular (not diet) soda pop.
• Change into dry clothes: While running, your body feels 10 to 15 degrees warmer than the ambient temperature. On top of that, your race clothes will be wet from sweating. You’ll want to change into something dry right away so you don’t become chilled.
• Mild Stretching: Mildly stretching your body out immediately following your race will help you prevent tightness. Stretch out your hamstrings, quads, calves and hips for 20-30 seconds before sitting in a car. It will make a huge difference!

Hours:

• No heat! Do not take a hot bath, sit in a hot tub or use a heating pad. They feel good in the short term but will continue to bring blood to damaged tissue, which will increase the inflammation to the affected areas. You can cause more damage and will definitely experience more muscle soreness if you use heat.

Days/Weeks:

• Move around the day after the race: You might be a bit sore the day after the marathon but be sure to do some mild stretching and go for a leisurely and short walk. Delayed onset muscle soreness (D.O.M.S.) is caused by microscopic tearing of muscle fiber. Running a marathon will definitely cause some microscopic muscle tearing. D.O.M.S. is usually much worse on the second day after your marathon than the first. It is drastically reduced if you move around the day after the race.
• Get a massage: A good, clinical massage will help you be less sore and swollen. A good massage therapist will be able to stretch you out safely and help you recover more quickly!
• Ease back into exercise: It’s generally best to not run until the following weekend after a marathon. It can also be a good idea to incorporate cross training in the month after a marathon. Examples of cross training are Pilates, swimming, cycling and strength training. These different forms of exercise help athletes focus on strengthening areas that may be unbalanced from months of primarily running.
• Slow the caloric intake: Let’s face it, you can get away with eating a lot during training. (Even some of the stuff you know you shouldn’t be eating!) Now that you are not running and training quite so hard, it is time to be realistic about how much energy you need. Write down what you eat and think about making healthy choices after the race is over. You don’t want to start the next training cycle carrying extra weight.
• You may feel a bit down for a while: You will be both physically and mentally tired after your marathon. This physical fatigue and the letdown following big events may cause you to be a bit down. It is normal to feel at a loss when you have been so focused on one event.

Congratulations again on your momentous accomplishment! Be sure to reflect on how well you did and connect with other marathoners. Other runners truly understand how huge this accomplishment is and will be excited to hear about how you did. Great job runners!

If you want to learn more recovery tips, schedule a free assessment with one of our endurance experts today.

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