How to Recover and Take Your Next Steps After a Goal Race
This article is by Roberto Mandje, NYRR’s Senior Advisor of Engagement and Coaching.
As 2025 winds down, many runners have wrapped up their goal race for the year. For me—and more than 59,000 others—that race was the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon. Now, after months of training and on the other side of race day, you may be wondering, how do I recover and what's next?
Here's a brief guide to recovery and planning your running for the next few months.
First, Celebrate and Recover
Congratulations on your achievement! You earned it, whether or not the race went exactly as planned. Reflect on the small wins, the training milestones, and your journey to that start and finish line.
Don't be surprised—even if you ran a PR—to feel a bit of an emotional dip. This sense of letdown is normal and seldom lingers more than a couple of weeks. Learn more about how to handle the post-race blues here.
Next, let your body really recover. The feeling of soreness disappears faster than your body fully heals, so don’t let “feeling fine” trick you into rushing back. Most runners benefit from 2–4 weeks of reduced training after a marathon.
This doesn’t mean doing nothing. It means easing off intense running so your body can repair microtears in muscle fibers, reduce inflammation, replenish glycogen, and, importantly, restore joints and connective tissue.
A simple framework:
- Week 1: No running
- Week 2: Very light running (if you feel you really need it)
- Week 3: Reintroduce your usual weekly running routine, but keep the volume and intensity low
- Week 4+: Gradually return to full training
Personally, this year, I’m taking a longer break. After 13 marathons in seven months—including 7 marathons in 7 days—I’m giving my joints and connective tissue real time to recover, particularly my ankle. My last run was the TCS New York City Marathon, and I plan to hold off until December. I want to reach that point where I miss running again.
You too can let that feeling come naturally; you don’t need to chase or rush it.
What's Next: Goal Setting and Building Forward
Once you’ve enjoyed the post-marathon glow, you may start thinking about what comes next. Another marathon? Something shorter? Something completely different?
Unless you already have a winter or early spring marathon on the calendar, late autumn and winter are ideal for running and racing shorter distances. Here’s why:
- They require less weekly volume than marathon training
- They help you run faster paces, sharpening speed and efficiency
- You can turn your marathon strength into PRs at distances from 5K to the half marathon
- Improving your speed at shorter distances makes your future marathon pace feel smoother, easier and thus more relaxed
Taking logistics and practicality into account, shorter days and colder weather make 10-mile long runs far more pleasant than 20-mile ones.
Consider joining a training group or run club if you don't belong to one already. The accountability, community, and shared energy can make late autumn and winter running far more enjoyable. You can head out and cheer on your running mates at races you’re not running in, and they'll do the same for you.
Winter and spring races will be here before we know it. In NYC, the United Airlines NYC Half is our unofficial sign that winter is over, followed by favorites like the Maybelline Women’s Half, RBC Brooklyn Half, and more.
In the meantime, enjoy relaxed running and/or other activities, and remember that you've earned this period of your recovery. Celebrate the year you’ve had, rest intentionally, and when you’re ready, ease back in. Try shorter distances, enjoy the winter training rhythm, link up with a club or training group, and give yourself time to rediscover the joy in running.
Come spring, you may be surprised by how much stronger and faster you feel.
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