How long should I rest after a marathon?

Typical plans suggest 7–14 easy days and a gradual return to quality over ~10–21 days. Adjust for age, training age, soreness, and sleep.

Is cross‑training better than full rest?

Very light cross‑training (e.g., walking, cycling) can help circulation without adding musculoskeletal stress. If soreness is high, rest may be preferable.

Can I use HR or HRV to guide recovery?

Yes — elevated resting HR or suppressed HRV versus your baseline can signal the need for more recovery. Trends matter more than single values.

Calculator

Race recovery planner.

Get recovery suggestions after a 5K, 10K, half, marathon (or hard workout). This tool provides a conservative, evidence‑informed plan based on your context. Not medical advice.

Build your recovery plan

Race distance

Finish time (H / M / S)

Age

Training age

Race effort (RPE 6–10)

RPE = perceived exertion, 6 = hard tempo, 10 = all‑out.

Soreness today (0–3)

DOMS scale for muscle soreness.

Avg sleep last 3 nights (hours)

Cross‑training preference

Suggested next steps

Day	Plan	Notes
—	—	—

Always adjust to how you feel. If pain alters your gait or lingers >48h, consider consulting a health professional.

How this planner works

This tool uses a conservative heuristic that scales with race distance, effort, age, training age, soreness, and sleep. It suggests a range of easy days, rest/cross‑training, and when to resume workouts/long runs.

Base guidance by distance

Distance	Typical easy days	Back to workouts
5K	1–2	~3–4 days
10K	2–3	~4–6 days
Half marathon	4–7	~7–10 days
Marathon	7–14	~10–21 days
Ultra (≥50k)	10–21	~14–28 days

Related tools

Evidence‑informed recovery tips

Sleep: prioritise 7–9 hours; short naps can help after very long races.
Fueling: carbs + protein within 60–90 minutes post‑race supports glycogen and muscle repair.
Motion over immobility: very easy walking/cycling can aid circulation; avoid hard workouts too soon.
Monitor: use RPE, morning resting HR, or HRV trends to avoid returning too aggressively.
Pain vs. soreness: sharp, localised pain that changes your gait ≠ normal DOMS — ease off and consider care.

How the recovery suggestions are calculated

The planner isn’t a single closed-form equation; it layers heuristics to convert your race context into rest/easy days. The main steps are:

Distance baseline: Each race distance maps to a starting range of easy days and a timeline for returning to workouts (see table above). Distances are stored in kilometres internally, so imperial inputs are converted with 1 mile = 1.60934 km.
Modifier score: Effort (RPE), age bracket, training age, soreness, and recent sleep each contribute ± points. Higher scores lengthen the recovery window; consistent training age or low RPE can shorten it slightly.
Plan assembly: The adjusted day counts populate the pill summaries and build a day-by-day plan that alternates rest/cross-training and easy running before reintroducing workouts.

Modifier effects

Input	Adjustment	Pluses	Minuses
High RPE (≥8)	+1 to +2 days	Accounts for races run near maximal effort.	Subjective—if you underrate effort the plan may be too light.
Older age brackets	+1 to +2 days	Reflects slower tissue recovery with age.	Biological age varies; well-trained masters may recover faster than peers.
Training age	−1 day for advanced, +1 for beginners	Rewards long-term consistency with slightly faster progression.	Advanced runners still need caution after ultras or breakthrough PRs.
DOMS & sleep	+1–2 days when soreness is high or sleep <7 h	Helps you ease off when recovery metrics are poor.	Doesn’t capture all stressors (travel, illness); adjust manually if needed.

The generated table uses these totals to schedule rest, cross-training (based on your preference), and progressive easy running. Always prioritise medical advice if you have pain, dizziness, or other concerning symptoms.