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Hours in a typical peak-block week
Taper length
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Pick your race date and enter your normal weekly hours.
Taper calculator
Enter your race date, distance and normal training week to get your taper length, how much to cut each week and what the last days look like, with dates.
How it works
How long a taper lasts
A taper is a planned drop in training load so the fatigue of the build clears while fitness stays. A meta-analysis of 27 studies found the best results from a taper of about two weeks. A review of the research reports that performance usually improves by about 3 percent, with a usual range of 0.5 to 6 percent. Shorter races need less. The ranges used here, 7 to 10 days for a Sprint or Olympic, 10 to 14 for a Half and 14 to 21 for a Full, are common coaching ranges and our estimate, not figures from the studies. The calculator plans with a length inside each range and tells you the range, so you can lengthen it if you carry fatigue easily or shorten it if you feel flat when you rest.
What to cut and what to keep
Cut volume, not intensity. The meta-analysis found the best tapers reduced training volume by 41 to 60 percent while leaving intensity and frequency unchanged, and a review adds that frequency can drop slightly, by no more than about 20 percent. Here that becomes a two-step taper: 20 to 30 percent less than normal before the final week (our estimate), and 40 to 60 percent less in the final week (from the meta-analysis). Research favours a gradual, progressive reduction over steps, so treat the two steps as a simple approximation. Sessions get shorter, but a few efforts at race pace stay in, so you arrive sharp rather than stale.
The day-by-day list is general guidance for the last week, not a coached plan. Adjust it to your race, and use the wetsuit rule checker and the carb loading calculator for the other race-week decisions.
Race week
Once the training is tapered, the rest is logistics. Work through the packing list, check your race on the race directory, and use the pace converter to turn your target paces into leg times.
Sources
- Bosquet L, Montpetit J, Arvisais D, Mujika I. Effects of tapering on performance: a meta-analysis. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 2007;39(8):1358-1365.
- Mujika I, Padilla S. Scientific bases for precompetition tapering strategies. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 2003;35(7):1182-1187.
- Taper length by distance, the 20 to 30 percent early cut and the day-by-day list are our own estimates and general guidance.
Questions
How long should a triathlon taper be?
About 7 to 10 days for a Sprint or Olympic race, 10 to 14 days for a Half, and 14 to 21 days for a Full. A meta-analysis found about two weeks gave the best average result. The ranges by distance are common coaching ranges, not study results.
How much should I cut training in a taper?
Cut volume by roughly 40 to 60 percent by the final week, reducing in steps: about 20 to 30 percent less before the last week, then 40 to 60 percent less in the last week. Keep intensity and most of your sessions.
Should I stop training completely before a triathlon?
No. Stopping completely is not what the research found works. Keep short sessions with a few efforts at race pace so your legs stay sharp, and take a rest day or an easy day two days before the race, as the plan above does.
Will I lose fitness during a taper?
Usually not, if you keep some intensity in. Fitness tends to hold while fatigue clears, which is why research reports performance improving by about 3 percent on average after a taper.
Why do I feel bad during my taper?
Feeling heavy, restless or sluggish is common, because your body is shedding fatigue and you are doing less. It is not a sign you are losing fitness. Trust the plan and keep the short race-pace efforts.