🏃‍♀️ 25 Days to Go: Your London Marathon Confidence Boost

You’re officially 25 days away from the London Marathon — cue the mix of excitement, nerves, and the occasional “Why did I sign up for this again?!” thought. Don’t worry, you’re not alone — every runner, from first-timers to seasoned pros, feel a bit wobbly at this stage. This year is my 6th consecutive London Marathon, and my 10th marathon, and I still get the jitters. 

The good news? 

You’ve already done the hardest part — committing to the journey and putting in the training. Now, it’s about fine-tuning, protecting your body, and building race-day confidence. 

Here’s exactly what you should be doing with just under 4 weeks to go.

✅ 1. Final Long Runs? Yes — but Train Smarter

You’ll likely have 1-2 more long runs left. Make sure they:

• Feel controlled — now is NOT the time to go chasing Strava crowns.

• Include some race-day practice (fuelling, kit, pacing).

  • Wear everything you plan to wear on race day. If something doesn’t work you have time to try something else. 

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Then you’ll gradually ease off even more. Don't try and squeeze in any extra training or 'missed' runs. The risk of injury far outweighs any potential benefit. You're better off getting to the start line slightly under trained and injury free, than trying to do too much and getting injured.

✅ 2. Embrace the Taper (Even If It Feels Weird)

You’ve probably got one or two more long runs on your training plan. After that it’s time to Taper. Tapering is the gradual reduction in training, particularly running mileage, in the final 2 to 4 weeks prior to race day.

Done well, tapering can enhance your marathon performance by 5% If your goal is to run a 5 hour marathon, an improvement of 5% would be a 15 minute reduction in race time!

That’s pretty amazing considering I recommend you run less, eat well and sleep more. 

Yes, you’re meant to be running less — it’s not a trap! Reducing your mileage gradually allows your body time to fully recover and repair damaged tissues and adapt to the demands of training. It’s also time to replenish and restock fuel stores so that you peak on race day. 

Many runners panic while tapering and feel like they’re “losing fitness.” You’re not — you’re gaining freshness. Trust me, rested legs run marathons, tired ones don’t.

➡️ Top tip: Expect to feel a little sluggish in taper. It’s totally normal. That’s just your body adapting. It’s like baking bread — you have to let it rest to rise properly.

If you would like to download a FREE copy of my ‘Marathon Taper Secrets’ from my bestselling book, The Female Runners Advantage (don’t worry, the science applies to everyone tapering), click here.

✅ 3. Lock in Your Race-Day Nutrition Strategy

Now is the time to be practicing your fueling for race day — not experimenting a few days before. Your stomach needs training just like your legs!

Plan the following: 

• What breakfast will you eat?

  • Remember - nothing new on race day. Don’t be tempted to have a huge fry up at the hotel just because it’s available. Fatty foods take longer to digest and can cause gut issues.

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• Which gels, drinks, or snacks will you carry?

  • Also think about how you are going to carry everything and practice this in your long runs

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• How often will you take them during the race?

  • You can set a timer on your watch to remind you when to eat and drink. During the excitement and hype of race day and it’s easy to forget to eat and drink regularly and your well planned strategy goes out the window.

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Use all of your training runs to practice this so you’re confident on the day. 

✅ 4. Dial in Your Kit (No Surprises, Please)

If you haven’t already, now is the time to make a final decision about ALL your race kit. This means:

• Shoes that are well-broken in but not worn out.

• Clothing you’ve tested on long runs (no scratchy seams, thank you very much).

• Socks that you trust like old friends.

Pro tip: Even down to pants — yes, runners have learned the hard way that certain undergarments can ruin a marathon.

Click here to get a FREE copy of my ‘Marathon Kit List’ - a checklist for everything you need on race day, to ensure that you have everything you need and take away any of the fear about forgetting something. 

✅ 5. Prioritise Sleep (It’s Magic)

Sleep plays a crucial role in allowing the body to recover, repair and adapt. 

Barely anyone will sleep well before. The good news is that research has shown that one bad night's sleep will NOT impair your performance on race day.

Research has shown that you can “bank” sleep by sleeping an extra hour or two in the last couple of weeks before race day. This will aid your recovery and help you feel more rested if you do have less sleep the night before the race.  

Think of every good night’s sleep as adding a little boost to your marathon energy fund.

✅ 6. Keep Perspective — You’re More Ready Than You Think

The wobbles are normal. The nerves are normal. The “I can’t do it” and “maybe I should defer” thoughts?

Also normal.

But listen — if you’ve consistently done the training, you're ready. Don’t worry if you’ve missed a few runs. The training plan is a guide, and not a rule book. Life happens, and very few people do everything on their plan. As I said above, please DON'T try and 'catch up' any missed training sessions.

You don’t need to be perfect; you just need to be calm, fueled, and aim to be injury free on the day.

And remember, it’s the London Marathon — one of the most iconic, joyful, and friendly races on the planet. The crowds will carry you, the landmarks will wow you, and you’ll finish thinking, “I actually did it!”

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