You just crossed the finish line of your marathon – congrats! As many runners know, the hours and days after a marathon can feel really rough. You might feel nauseous, achy, mentally foggy, or generally unwell. This science-backed post-marathon recovery guide provides you with how feel human again after the race, including what to do in the hours and days after your marathon.
Immediate Post-Marathon Recovery
Post-marathon recovery begins in the minutes after you cross the finish line. What you do in the hours following the race can impact how you feel the rest of the day – and the week after the marathon.
As soon as you can, you want to start rehydrating and consuming calories. No matter how well you hydrated during the race, you are likely slightly dehydrated after the race. And no – a post-race beer is not hydrating.
Similarly, even with a high-carb fueling plan, your body needs protein and more carbs to repair. If your appetite is poor, you can choose liquid calories.
While there’s no hard science proving this recovery technique, many runners will find that elevating their legs above their body helps them feel better. You don’t need to drain lactic acid from your legs, and blood won’t pool in your feet if you are healthy. However, the practice of elevating your legs may reduce swelling from extracellular fluid and lymph. Plus, elevating your legs encourages you to rest shortly after the race – which will help.
Start your marathon recovery with:
- Start sipping on fluids (sport drink, water, ginger ale, etc)
- Eat whatever sounds good
- Elevate your legs above your body for 10-15 minutes
How to prevent delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) after a marathon
You will be sore from a marathon. You contracted your muscles repeatedly for hours – there will be muscle damage that leads to soreness. In fact, the harder you raced the marathon, the more sore you will be.
The first step to reducing muscle soreness happens during your race. The recommended carb intake of 60-90 grams per hour provides your body with enough glucose, so that your body can spare protein. The protein-sparing effect of high-carb fueling results in less muscle breakdown – and, therefore, a lower severity of soreness.
Next, your post-race nutrition can help minimize soreness. The more protein you can eat after the race, the better your body can start repairing the damaged muscles.
Finally, a full night of sleep may reduce soreness. Research demonstrates that sleep deprivation increases inflammatory cytokines. These cytokines can increase pain perception while decreasing muscle repair – making you feel worse in the days following the marathon.
Related: Should You Run If Your Legs Are Sore?
Rest from running
No, a recovery jog the next day won’t make you recover faster from the marathon. Instead, you want to embrace rest from running, for both physical and psychological recovery.
The general recommendation is to abstain from running for 7-10 days following the marathon. A week or two allows your musculoskeletal, nervous, cardiorespiratory, and endocrine systems to recover from the marathon. You will lower your risk of injury and overtraining if you rest properly after a marathon.
The guidance in this article is generalized. If you need more time off, take it! It is okay if you take two or three weeks off of running after the marathon.
Active recovery after a marathon
Running is not recommended after a marathon, but you can do light movement. Walking and yoga facilitate blood flow to the legs without further stressing the musculoskeletal system. After a few days, you can do light cycling or swimming if you want. (Only if you want! Do not rush back into training.)
FAQs on Marathon Recovery
How long does it typically take for muscles to recover after a marathon?
Muscle soreness is not a reliable measure of recovery. A 2021 study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that biomarkers of muscle damage remained elevated for up to nine days post-race.
Related: What Happens to Your Body When You Run a Marathon
Can running a marathon make me sick?
Do you commonly come down with a cold after your marathon? Post-marathon illnesses are common. A 2024 meta-analysis revealed an 18% higher risk of an upper respiratory tract infection in the four weeks following a marathon.
The intensity and duration of a marathon may suppress your immune system. High-carb fueling during the race and post-race protein can support immune function during the race. However, there are other variables, such as travel and exposure to crowds, that do increase the risk of getting sick.
Are there any specific supplements that can aid in post-marathon recovery?
Omega-3 fatty acid supplements may reduce muscle soreness, according to a 2021 study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. It is recommended to start supplementing fish oil supplements four weeks prior to the marathon.
If you are prone to post-marathon colds, you might benefit from vitamin D and vitamin C supplementation. These supplements can reduce the severity and duration of upper respiratory illness.
Will compression socks help with marathon recovery?
Compression socks won’t help you recover faster from the marathon. However, many runners find that compression socks feel good on swollen and achy legs after the race.
If you are traveling via airplane after the race, you may opt to wear compression socks to lower the risk of deep vein thrombosis. After a marathon, you have temporary changes to blood volume, which when compounded with air travel, could cause a blood clot. Compression socks promote circulation and can reduce the risk of DVT.
Related: The Best Compression Socks for Runners
When should I see a healthcare professional for post-marathon recovery issues?
Sometimes, injuries or illness occur, even with the most careful recovery plan. It is recommended to consult a healthcare professional if you experience any of the following after a marathon:
- Swelling or redness of the calf
- Acute muscle or bone pain, especially pain while walking
- Chest pain/pain while breathing
- Flu-like symptoms that will not resolve
What if I am running another marathon again soon?
If you are running two marathons within a few weeks, it is vital to recover well from your first marathon! You will not lose fitness in the time off, so you still want to take 7-10 days off of running post-race. This guide will help you prepare for two back-to-back marathons.
Survive Your Post-Marathon Recovery
The post-marathon recovery time is the ideal time to enjoy other hobbies. Whether you enjoy knitting, painting, puzzles, or other hobbies, take the time to do something other than run.
Taking one to two weeks off of running may seem like a lot, but it is worth it in the long term. You will not significantly lose fitness with this time off (learn more about how quickly you lose fitness in this article). You will feel physically and mentally refreshed for future training cycles!
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