By the second week of May, what you can achieve on race day is largely decided. The kilometres are in your legs, the hills are done and your 50km long run is behind you. What’s left is the Comrades taper: five weeks of cutting back so you arrive at the start in Pietermaritzburg fresh, fit and injury-free, instead of tired and hoping.
The short version: run your last long run five to six weeks out, start reducing your training from the second week of May, cut back every week after that, keep some short, controlled faster running and one strength session a week, and make your final two weeks the lightest of all. The fitness is already there. The taper is where you cash it in.
This post goes deeper on the final weeks than my complete guide to Comrades Marathon training, which covers the whole build-up from January.
In this guide
When to start tapering for Comrades
Start cutting back from the second week of May. For the 100th Comrades on Sunday 13 June 2027, that’s five weeks out. The exact start depends on when you run your last long run, and that depends on your experience.
The official 2027 race rules confirm the date and direction: a down run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban of about 92km. Count back from 13 June and you get this:
| Runner | Last 50km long run | Approximate date (Saturday) |
|---|---|---|
| Novices | Six weeks before race day | 1 May 2027 |
| Most runners | Five weeks before race day | 8 May 2027 |
| Silver hopefuls | Four weeks before race day | 15 May 2027 |
Novices run their 50km earliest, which gives them the longest gap before race day. Silver hopefuls, on much bigger weekly volumes, run it two weeks later. Either way, once that run is done, your job switches from building fitness to absorbing it.
And yes, 50km is the limit. If you’ve run Two Oceans, keep your Comrades long run to 45km. Going further this late puts you at real risk of injury and leaves your best race out on the road.
How long to taper for Comrades
Plan on five weeks of steadily reducing your training, with the biggest cuts in the final two to three weeks. That’s longer than a typical marathon taper, because your 50km falls five to six weeks out and your long runs shrink from there.
The research on tapering mostly comes from shorter events, but it points the same way. A 2007 meta-analysis by Bosquet and colleagues found the most effective taper lasted about two weeks, with training volume cut by 41-60% while intensity and frequency stayed the same.
For marathon runners specifically, a 2021 study by Smyth and Lawlor in Frontiers in Sports and Active Living looked at Strava data from 158,117 recreational marathon runners. Those who ran a strict three-week taper, with three consecutive lighter weeks right before race day, had a median finish time 5 minutes 32 seconds (2.6%) faster than runners who barely tapered at all. It’s an observational study, so it can’t prove cause and effect, but it’s a lot of runners pointing in one direction.
Put those together with the Comrades calendar and you get a long, gradual wind-down from the second week of May, then a properly disciplined final two to three weeks.
Comrades taper week by week
Each week of your Comrades taper should be lighter than the one before. Here’s how the final weeks fit together for a runner whose last long run is five weeks out:
| Weeks to go | Dates (2027) | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Week of 10 May | Recover from your 50km. Volume starts coming down |
| 4 | Week of 17 May | Shorter long run, easy running, one strength session |
| 3 | Week of 24 May | Volume down again. Keep short, controlled faster efforts |
| 2 | Week of 31 May | Your last strength, speed and hill work, about 7-10 days out |
| 1 | Week of 7 June | Light running, plenty of sleep, familiar food, race on 13 June |
Novices shift everything a week earlier, and silver hopefuls a week later. Don’t get hung up on exact kilometres. The rule is simple: every week a bit less than the last, and nothing that leaves you tired.
Strength training in the taper
Keep doing strength work through May, but drop to one session a week. That’s enough to hold on to the strength you built in January to April without leaving your legs heavy.
If you’ve been consistent with strength training all year, carry on until 7-10 days before race day. If you only added it recently, and especially with a down run coming, stop about 10 days out so your quads are fully recovered for the descents. My guide on when to stop strength training before Comrades explains why.
If you need a simple session to see you through May, my free Comrades strength training plan is one session a week, done at home with no expensive gym equipment, and every exercise comes with the reps and a short demo video.
Speed work in the taper
Don’t stop faster running altogether. Short, controlled efforts keep your legs feeling sharp while your overall volume drops. This matches the research: the Bosquet meta-analysis found tapers worked best when intensity was kept, not cut.
The key word is controlled. These are short reminders for your legs, not hard sessions. Your last one belongs about 7-10 days before race day, along with your last strength and hill work.
Common mistakes when tapering for Comrades
Taper mistakes rarely come from a lack of fitness. They come from doubting the fitness you have. These are the ones to avoid:
- Testing your fitness with one more long run. The fitness is already there. A long run in the final weeks only adds fatigue you’ll carry to the start.
- Cramming missed training. If you lost a few weeks to illness or work, the taper is not the time to catch up. Intense last-minute sessions raise your risk of injury and fatigue.
- Stopping all faster running. Short, controlled efforts are what keep your legs feeling sharp, so keep a few in.
- Racing in May. Every hard race needs recovery, and you don’t have time for it now. If you do line up for a race, run it within 5 seconds per kilometre of your planned Comrades pace, as you should in every training race.
- Trying something new. New shoes, new gels, a new stretching routine you saw online. Race week is for things you’ve already tested.
Remember that no single session or long run can define the success of a plan. If your last long run went badly or life got in the way in April, your Comrades isn’t ruined. It’s the months of consistent training that count.
Why you feel sluggish during your Comrades taper
Feeling flat, heavy or restless in the taper is common, and it doesn’t mean you’re losing fitness. Your body is busy repairing months of training, and your head is busy worrying about race day.
Stick it out. Easy runs that feel oddly hard in late May are not a sign that you need to run more. Use the extra time to sleep more, sort out your race kit and go over your plan for the day.
Should you carb load before Comrades?
Carbohydrate loading is optional, but it makes sense for a race as long as Comrades. If you do it, raise your carbohydrate intake for the final day or two rather than for the whole of race week.
A 2022 review by Wallis and Podlogar for the Gatorade Sports Science Institute explains that athletes who want to top up their glycogen stores are advised to eat 10-12g of carbohydrate per kilogram of body mass a day for 36-48 hours before competition, for events lasting more than 90 minutes. For a 70kg runner, that’s 700-840g of carbohydrate a day, which is a LOT of food. The same review notes that very high intakes can add water weight before the race.
If that sounds like more than you can stomach, don’t force it. Stick to foods you know agree with you, and practise your bigger carbohydrate days before one of your long runs earlier in the year rather than trying it for the first time on 11 June.
Always bear in mind that with an event as long as Comrades, you will have to take in carbohydrates on race day anyway. Carb loading can be stressful and cause stomach issues if you are not used to that volume of food and carbohydrate. So if you are not familiar with the process, do not do it at all.
What to do in Comrades race week
Race week is about keeping what you’ve built: light running, plenty of sleep, familiar food and a race plan you’ve rehearsed. Nothing new on race day, and nothing new in race week either.
- Run a little, not a lot. Short, easy runs keep you feeling normal. Long runs and hard efforts are finished.
- Prioritise sleep. Bank good sleep right through the week rather than counting on the night before.
- Know your pacing plan. On a down run, the first 30km out of Pietermaritzburg have very little downhill in them, and almost no one runs them slowly enough. My guide on how to pace the perfect Comrades race walks you through it.
- Read the Final Race Instructions. The official race rules say these will confirm the cut-off locations and times, so read them carefully when they’re released.
Tapering for Comrades: FAQs
How many kilometres should you run in the Comrades taper?
Fewer every week. Your volume should drop each week from the second week of May, with the final two weeks the lightest of all. The Bosquet meta-analysis found volume reductions of 41-60% worked best in the final two weeks.
Should you run the week before Comrades?
Yes, but only light, easy running. A few short runs keep your legs moving and your nerves in check. Long runs and hard efforts are finished by then.
When should you stop strength training before Comrades?
About 7-10 days before race day if you’ve trained consistently, and about 10 days out if you only started strength training recently, especially before a down run.
Get your Comrades taper right with a proper plan
The Comrades taper is where months of work turn into a good day out on the road. Get it right and you’ll line up in Pietermaritzburg on 13 June feeling light, rested and a little bit restless, which is exactly how you want to feel.
My Comrades Marathon Roadmap gives you a structured build-up matched to your goal, from base training through to race day.
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