Prioritise proper nutrition and active recovery to fast-track your marathon recovery.

Post-marathon recovery is more than a beer and a takeaway. To improve your recovery and return to training sooner, proper nutrition is absolutely essential.

You want to give your body the nutrients it needs to repair muscle tissue, replenish glycogen stores, and protect immune function.

A lot of first-time marathon runners don’t know how to recover correctly. They finish their race, head to the pub for a quick pint or two to celebrate and then indulge in a massive meal before heading to bed. 

And while we encourage you to celebrate – running a marathon is an enormous achievement – there are certain things you can do to make the recovery phase that much easier and more effective.

This article explains what to do from the minute you cross the finish line to 3-7 days after the marathon.

What you will learn:

  • What to do immediately after running a marathon to improve your recovery

  • How to improve recovery by prioritising nutrition (what to eat)

  • What to do for the first 1-7 days post-marathon recovery to help you return to training sooner

How long does it take to recover after a marathon?

Recovery ability varies from person to person. One runner may need 3-5 days of rest, while another may need upwards of 1 week. 

You should take off at least 5-6 days before returning to very low-intensity running. If you try to run and do too much too soon, you increase your injury risk and only delay your recovery.

Listen to your body and avoid doing too much too soon to improve your recovery after a marathon. 

How to recover after a marathon

The moment you cross the finish line, you’ll likely want to stop. But as tempting as it may be to lie on the hot tarmac, do your best to keep moving.

Walk off the marathon legs for the next 10-15 minutes. If you have the energy, you can do a short and very low-intensity jog. The goal here is to lower your heart rate, flush out any toxins and lactic acid, and control blood flow. Doing so will improve recovery and reduce injury risk.

Once you’ve cooled down, get changed into some clean and comfy clothes. If you don’t look like Adam Sandler on a regular outing, you’ve done something wrong. 

If your legs are screaming at you, apply a cream such as the Styrkr cooling sports cream. It’s anti-inflammatory to help with inflammation and improves circulation for better recovery.

Eat and drink something

After a marathon, you may feel sick or nauseous. Your stomach is full of energy gels, sweets, and other food items. You may also be dehydrated. 

A lot of marathon runners find it difficult to eat after running 26.2 miles.

Research advises a 3:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein to improve recovery after endurance exercise [2]. BAR+ contains 45g of protein and 15g of protein to kickstart the recovery process.

A recovery bar is a lot easier to eat than a full meal (but do your best to eat a proper meal in the next few hours). Avoid sugary snacks and energy drinks. 

You want to replace your depleted glycogen stores — it’ll help you feel better and will improve marathon recovery.

Ensure to drink plenty of water as well. Dehydration and a lack of water will make you feel worse. Top up your fluids and avoid that post-run pint (as tempting as it may be) if your priority is proper marathon recovery.

If you have post-marathon muscle cramps, electrolytes, including sodium, will help. STL07 hydration tablets contain 500mg of sodium, 100mg of potassium, 25mg of magnesium, and 15mg of calcium. You can also take a hydration tablet during your run to boost performance.

Later that day

A few hours after the race — and perhaps after a short nap — try to eat more food. By now, you will hopefully have more of an appetite.

Eat a balanced meal with plenty of carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats. Veggies are a plus. 

Don’t overthink it. 

Many marathon runners struggle to eat a full meal. 

So if you can only stomach a few slices of pizza or a burger and a handful of fries, that’s what you should do.

Listen to your body, eat what you can, and don’t force-feed yourself. You will only make yourself feel sick.

Continue to drink plenty of water and fluids. Aim for at least 440-500ml/hour.

Post-marathon recovery day by day

To improve marathon recovery, proper nutrition is essential. Give your body the vital nutrients to support muscle repair and recovery and glycogen replenishment.

You can also do low-intensity aerobic exercise to improve recovery. Continue reading for a 7-day breakdown of what to do to improve post-marathon recovery.

1-3 days after finishing the marathon

The day after a marathon, you’ll likely wake up with DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). 

You will probably feel tired and fatigued, too. 

Expect this to last for the next 3-5 days.

As tempting as it is to stay in bed or on the sofa binge-watching your favourite show, get outside and do some active recovery, whether a short walk or a very easy swim. 

Low-intensity exercise sends freshly oxygenated blood to the muscles to improve recovery. Avoid anything too taxing.

I would avoid running for at least 5-6 days.

Additionally, in the next few days, eat plenty of carbohydrates to replenish glycogen stores and enough protein to help repair and rebuild muscle damage. 20-30g of protein every 3-4 hours increases protein synthesis and provides the body with essential amino acids to support recovery [1].

3-6 days after finishing the marathon

In the next 3-6 days, keep up your active recovery. Even a small walk can help reduce those DOMS and improve your recovery. Avoid running for at least 5-6 days, but stay active.

On days 5–6, if you feel up for it, try a short 15–20 minute run. Keep it very low intensity (no higher than zone 2) and pay attention to any signs of aches, pains, or discomfort.

Slowly add more runs to your training, but listen to your body. Prioritise rest and avoid speed sessions, long runs, or hard intervals for a while. 

Be patient and give your body time to repair and recover. Active recovery, proper nutrition and hydration, and lots of rest and quality sleep will help.

7 days + after the marathon 

Continue with your active recovery, whether walking, swimming, cycling, or whatever feels good to you.

Take it easy and recover at your own pace - don’t try to rush it.

Check for any injuries, aches, or anything that feels out of the ordinary. Take extra rest if needed.

Gradually return to running when you feel up to it.

Start off slow and build-up your weekly distance and time spent running over weeks, not days. Start with easy runs and later add in more intense interval or tempo work and long runs.

In the week after the marathon, continue with a balanced approach to nutrition. Give your body the nutrients it needs to repair muscle tissue and replenish glycogen stores to support your recovery. 

Marathon recovery FAQs

How do you recover faster after a marathon? 

To recover faster after a marathon, drink plenty of water, eat lots of carbohydrates to replenish your glycogen stores, and aim to get 20-30g of protein every 3-4 hours to help repair and rebuild muscle tissue.

What helps sore legs after a marathon? 

Compression socks, massages, and hot or cold baths can help sore legs after a marathon.

What is post-marathon syndrome?

Post-marathon syndrome, or “post-marathon blues,” is when you feel emotional fatigue. It’s common to feel lost and aimless (you’ve been training for months to achieve a goal, and now you don’t know what’s next). Focus on a new goal or plan your next event to get back on track.

What happens to your body in the 48 hours after a marathon?

In the 48 hours after a marathon, your body endures intense recovery. Muscle fibres repair from the microtears caused by running, glycogen stores begin to replenish, and inflammation peaks before gradually reducing. Proper nutrition, hydration and rest are key during this period to support healing and reduce soreness.

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References:

  1. Mamerow, M.M., Mettler, J.A., English, K.L., Casperson, S.L., Arentson-Lantz, E., Sheffield-Moore, M., Layman, D.K. and Paddon-Jones, D., 2014. Dietary protein distribution positively influences 24-h muscle protein synthesis in healthy adults. The Journal of nutrition, 144(6), pp.876-880.

  2. Moore, D.R., 2015. Nutrition to support recovery from endurance exercise: optimal carbohydrate and protein replacement. Current sports medicine reports, 14(4), pp.294-300.