When a professional trail runner crosses the line at one of the world’s most competitive races, most of us assume the hard part is over. The training is behind them, the result is secured and celebration should come easy. But the days that follow aren’t always the high we expect. Here’s how one pro runner is navigating what so many of us struggle with.
Crossing a finish line at one of the sport’s toughest races doesn’t guarantee joy. After his first-place performance at CCC (the 100K race at UTMB), Italy’s Francisco Puppi shared openly that he’s been dealing with post-race blues. “Since I got back home on Sunday night, I’ve been struggling a bit. Post-race blues are real,” Puppi posted on Instagram.
The highs don’t always last
“After CCC, I received thousands of messages and wishes which made me very happy and thankful. Many people told me ‘enjoy your success’. But what does it actually mean? Like, how does one actually enjoy something they have achieved? Nobody really teaches you how to.”
Instead of basking in the glow, he described a restlessness: trouble focusing, endless scrolling and a sense of wasting time despite knowing rest is important. The smooth rhythm of training and racing was gone, replaced by an unsteady in-between. It’s a feeling many runners know, whether it comes after a goal race, a marathon or even a local 10K. You build your days around training, then suddenly the structure is gone. The absence can feel louder than the accomplishment.
Recovery and pressure collide
There’s little room to drift for long. With the World Championships just weeks away, he knows the balance between recovery and training will be critical. “It’s demanding, but it’s also what I signed up for, and I’m actually very excited by the challenge (CCC+Worlds double).”
That pressure is compounded by guilt. Even the idea of a holiday feels wrong. The privilege of being a full-time athlete, he wrote, can make rest feel undeserved. For recreational runners, the details may differ, but the challenge is similar: finding a way to rest without guilt and to let go of the pressure to set the next goal immediately.
The gap between expectation and reality
At the heart of Puppi’s post lies a tension every athlete can recognize: the distance between what others expect and what you actually feel. “There’s a strange gap between what people expect you to feel (pure joy, satisfaction, fulfillment) and what you actually feel (restlessness, pressure, self-doubt) after a win. And that ‘I should feel happier’ feeling adds another layer of guilt.”
Practical takeaways for everyday runners
Even elite athletes struggle with the lull after a big event. For runners of all levels, acknowledging that post-race blues are normal is the first step. Simple strategies—resting without guilt, keeping a light routine like short runs or walks, journaling or checking in with friends—can help ease the transition. The goal is not to erase the emptiness, but to move through it with awareness and self-compassion.
Victories are often painted as pure triumph, but as Puppi’s words show, they can bring self-doubt, pressure and the challenge of simply enjoying the moment. Recognizing that, and giving yourself small ways to navigate it, can help runners appreciate the journey as much as the finish line.
