What is Peak Week?

Peak Week is the culmination of your training efforts. It is the week where you run your highest mileage and often perform your longest or most race-specific workouts before beginning the Taper.

Timing

For a marathon, Peak Week usually falls 3 to 4 weeks before race day.

• Week -4: Peak Week (Max effort)
• Week -3: Taper begins (20% reduction)
• Week -2: Taper continues (40-50% reduction)
• Week -1: Race Week

What Does it Look Like?

A typical Peak Week for a marathoner might include:

1. The Highest Total Mileage: If your average is 40 miles, Peak Week might be 50-55.
2. The Longest Run: Often a 20-22 mile (32-35 km) run.
3. Goal Pace Work: A significant portion of the long run or a midweek workout performed exactly at your target race pace.

The Goal: Cumulative Fatigue

The point of Peak Week isn't to feel fresh. It's to reach a state of controlled, cumulative fatigue. You are teaching your body and mind to keep going when the tank is near empty.

Common Mistakes

• Testing Yourself: Trying to "race" your long run. Peak week is about training, not proving you can run the race today. Save that energy for race day.
• Ignoring Pain: Because you're tired, it's easy to ignore a developing injury. Be vigilant.
• Sacrificing Sleep: To hit high mileage, runners often cut sleep. This is counterproductive; recovery is where the fitness is built.

Peak Week is where the hay is put in the barn. After this, the work is done—you just have to stay healthy until the start line.