Running a marathon, especially those last few miles before the finish line, is filled with both excitement and unbelievable exhaustion. Once you complete the race and rest for a few days, you may end up wanting to experience the thrill of a marathon all over again.
Yet, participating in another marathon too soon isn’t a great idea as your body will need plenty of time to recover from the hard 26.2-mile run. But how soon is too soon? How long between marathons should you wait?
If you’ve given your all in your last marathon, you should wait at least six months before running another marathon. This means that you must aim for only two marathons per year or three marathons over the course of two years.
Have more questions about this intriguing topic? We might be able to help you out by diving deeper into why it’s important to give your body enough rest between marathons.
We’ll also address what happens if you don’t do that, how to plan your time between marathons, tips for better performance on your next race, and more.
Why Should You Wait Six Months Before Running Another Marathon?
A lot of elite marathon runners, and even first-timers, will tell you that they feel completely normal during the week after the marathon they’ve run. That may be true, but it doesn’t mean that their bodies are prepared to go through this drilling experience in a month or two.
See, all your body muscles, joints, tendons, and ligaments get strained to a huge degree while you’re running a marathon. If you don’t give them a lot of time to heal, they might become inflamed or injured, which may hinder your overall progress as a runner.
For example, any muscle damage in the body might need anywhere from a couple of weeks to 12 weeks to get back to recover. If you go back to hard exercise during this period, your muscles will be prone to more tears, injuries, and cramps.
Plus, even your immune system can be negatively affected after running for 26.2 miles. The reason behind this is that your body releases cortisol into your system to manage any swellings. So, this hormone can compromise the function of your immune system if it reaches high elevations.
How Long Between Marathons Should I Wait?
For that reason, experts recommend that you don’t do any tough physical activities for three entire weeks after your marathon, aside from very light jogging.
Some runners will take the two weeks following the race completely off, then start their training in the next two weeks with some easy running. This isn’t a bad idea either.
What Happens If You Run Marathons Close Together?
Running two marathons back-to-back, while not impossible, is not advisable.
How Long Between Marathons Should I Wait? See, in order to start training for the next marathon, you’ll most likely end up cutting down on your recovery time.
Of course, that might affect your performance in the second marathon and lead to burnout because you haven’t taken enough time to fully rest your body.
Even if you managed to participate in the second marathon just fine, all this immense effort could take its toll on your body afterward. It might cause you to take much more time to heal your muscles and joints than you would if you took your time to wait between marathons.
Therefore, if you must run a marathon so soon, you should wait for at least 16 weeks to do so. This should give you enough time to do some easy running after the first marathon (two weeks), two more weeks as a taper, and finally, 12 weeks of training for the next race.
Keep in mind that this can only work if you’re a long-time experienced runner so that your body is more prepared for the challenge than that of a beginner.
Is It Possible to Run Another Marathon in Four to Six Weeks?
Technically, you can run another marathon in four to six weeks, but only if you haven’t given your all in the marathon that you’ve just participated in. Some people run in marathons to get a feel of it without putting too much effort into it; others do it for fun.
In cases like these, you won’t be troubled with trying to make it to the finish line in a certain amount of time or scoring a new PR. So, you’ll run at an easy pace, take a break, drink some water, walk a little, etc.
Here, your body won’t be under the same stress as someone whose main goal is to challenge themselves and finish the race in a predetermined amount of time. Therefore, you won’t need so much time to recover, if any at all.
If that’s how it is with you, you can consider running another marathon in a month or so.
Can You Run a 5K, 10K, or Half-Marathon While Training for the Next Marathon?
Yes. In the four to six months leading to your next marathon, which is the ideal waiting time between marathons, you’re allowed to run a 5K, 10K, or half-marathon.
These smaller challenges can boost your training progress and make you more physically prepared for a full-on marathon.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that you get to pick only one shorter race to include in your plan so as not to exhaust yourself. Plus, the race of your choice shouldn’t be too soon or too close to the next marathon.
Instead, schedule your 5K or 10K so that it takes place halfway through the duration you’ll be waiting between the two marathons.
How to Plan a One-Year Marathon Cycle?
If you’re ready to follow that two-marathons-per-year recommendation, you must have a clear plan for the entire year to balance out your recovery time, taper, and training. A one-year cycle is the best way to go about this, and you’ll find it right below!
Before we dive into the intricate details of the schedule, remember that it’s not a must to score a PR on every marathon. Sometimes, it’s enough to participate in the race for the sole purpose of maintaining your physique or heightening your endurance.
Now, without further ado, here’s your one-year marathon cycle.
| Month | What You Should Do |
| July, August, September, and October | ● Begin an 18 to 22-week marathon training plan
● Make sure to include interval training, cross-training, and strength workouts ● Build your VO2 max |
| November | ● Run your first marathon in this year |
| November to December | ● Take two weeks to recover from the race
● If you must, go on very easy runs to keep from getting rusty |
| December | ● Start your taper period (two weeks after the recovery period)
● Focus on strength training |
| January | ● Concentrate on drills and interval training (four weeks) |
| February | ● Take things a bit easier for the first two weeks of the month
● Run a 5K, 10K, or half-marathon ● Rest for a week or two (light jogging only) |
| March, April, and early May | ● Go back to your original marathon training plan (start at the 10-week mark and proceed from there) |
| May | ● Run your second marathon in this year |
| May to June | ● Take two weeks to recover from the race
● Only go on very easy, light runs |
| June | ● Start your taper period (two weeks after the recovery period)
● Focus on strength training and stride work |
| July | ● Concentrate on drills and interval training to build your endurance and speed (four weeks) |
| August | ● Take things a bit easier for the first two weeks of the month
● Run a 5K, 10K, or half-marathon ● Rest for a week or two (light jogging only) |
| September, October, November, and December | ● Begin your 18 to 22-week marathon training program
● Include interval training, cross-training, and strength workouts |
| January | ● Run your first marathon in this year (repeat the cycle) |
Now that you know what you’ll be doing between marathons, it’s only a matter of following these guidelines, right? Well, not exactly.
How to Spend Your Time Waiting Between Marathons So That You’re Ready for the Next One?
The everyday things you do during your recovery, tapering, and training periods between marathons can definitely make or break your progress as a runner. Everything should be in sync to prepare you for the next challenge, which sounds a bit tough at first glance.
However, after you read these tips, you’ll find out that it’s not that hard to maintain a lifestyle that embraces your training for your next marathon seamlessly.
Eat Suitable Food for Every Stage of Your Plan
Without a doubt, the right fuel between marathons is essential for rebuilding your muscles and encouraging recovery. Then, when you shift to marathon training, you’ll need a diet that helps boost your energy and make up for all the calories you lose going on long, hard runs.
During your recovery phase, your meals must be high in protein, fatty acids, and vitamin C to reduce inflammation and repair your muscles.
At this stage, you’ll want to focus on the following protein sources:
- Eggs
- Lean beef
- Poultry
- Fish
- Nuts, seeds, and whole grains
- Beans
- Low-fat dairy products
As for vitamin C, you can find it in several fruits and green leafy vegetables. Fatty acids can be acquired in high concentrations in salmon, nuts, olive oil, seeds, and avocado.
When you’re done with recovery and are ready to hit the road for some serious training, carbs will be your best friend. At this point, gradually increase your intake of carbohydrates until it reaches 65% of your daily diet in the week before an especially long run or race.
Wondering what the best sources of carbs are? Well, there you go:
- Rice
- Whole grains
- Fruits and vegetables
Besides food, don’t forget to drink plenty of water every day during both recovery and training times. More water means more oxygen for your muscles and tissues, which should minimize the chances of injuries and encourage healing.
Don’t Hesitate to Give Your Body the Rest That It Needs
One of the most important things you should do after a marathon is to let your body lie low for two to three weeks. We know that, sometimes, it won’t feel like such a big deal, especially if the pain and exhaustion go away in a few days.
Still, that doesn’t mean that your muscles are fully prepared to go back to exercise.
During the first week after the marathon, you should refrain from doing any physical activity. Next week, it’ll be okay to go on light, short runs to keep your body from becoming stagnant. Steer clear from long distances, rough terrains, or hard workouts.
Then, you can gradually build your training intensity, speed, and distance during the reverse taper phase, which should last for a couple of weeks. By the end of this period, you’ll be ready to begin normal marathon training.
Consult an Expert When in Doubt
Of course, different runners have different needs when it comes to their training, recovery times, diet options, etc. Therefore, some workouts or routines may not simply click with you, which is okay.
If you ever feel like you’re making minimal progress in your training or your body isn’t recovering as it should, it might be time to see a healthcare professional. They’ll be able to tailor a plan to your specific requirements so that you can make the most out of it.
How Long Should You Wait Between 5Ks?
Since running 5Ks doesn’t require the same effort as marathons, there will be no need for you to wait too long between each 3.1-mile race and the next one.
As a general rule, you should take a break of five days to a week before you participate in another 5K race. So, you can technically run a 5K every week!
Better still, you can join your fellow runners in another 5K in as soon as three days if you haven’t put in so much effort in the previous race.
How Long Should You Wait Between 10Ks?
Slightly longer than 5Ks, 10K races will need more time for rest between them. To keep chances of injury, inflammation, and cramps to a minimum, your best bet is to wait two weeks between 10Ks.
Of course, this isn’t necessarily the case if you’ve run the 10K race at an easy to medium pace or just for fun. If you haven’t given your all during your most recent race, you can wait for only ten days or so before running in another one.
How Long Should You Wait Between Half-Marathons?
Half marathons are pretty up the serious alley with their roaring 13.1 miles, so, naturally, you’ll need to give your body a significant amount of rest after running in one of those.
Generally speaking, waiting a month or two between half marathons should be adequate to allow your muscles to heal and then begin training for the next racing event. It goes without saying that this is only applicable if you’ve done your best in the previous half-marathon.
If not, you can participate in the next half-marathon in as soon as three weeks or so.
To Wrap It Up
Knowing how long between marathons to wait is essential for beginners and pro runners alike. This ensures you take proper rest, work gradually through training, and be fully prepared for your next big racing event with no hiccups.
Despite how tricky it may be to plan for two marathons per year, which is the ideal ratio for most people, it’s not impossible. Our one-year marathon schedule should help you in this regard, as well as our diet and recovery tips.
Also, you must remember that a physical therapist can be a great option to consider when putting together your marathon training plan, so don’t hesitate to reach out for their help.
Good luck in your next marathon, fellow runners!