Feeling the Post-Marathon Blues? Here's How to Move On
Crossing the finish line of the TCS New York City Marathon—or any marathon—is a feeling like no other. But after the excitement fades, you may feel a bit flat, unfocused, and unmotivated.
Just like the elation of race day, this mild post-event sense of letdown is completely normal. There’s even a name for it—post-marathon blues—and it can happen after your first marathon or your 20th.
What Are the Post-Marathon Blues?
Feeling “down” after a marathon can be both physical and mental. Physically, your body may become reliant on frequent hard training, and once the marathon is over and you’re recovering, you need to adapt to a new pattern of less activity and more rest.
In addition, the body releases endorphins when you exercise that make you feel good overall. Less exercise can trigger a dip in mood.
Move Past the Blues with a New Goal
The physical and mental feelings usually don’t last long and there are ways to help alleviate them. One way is to find a new goal, such as an upcoming short race. Alternatively, you can set a goal to simply continue to move regularly because it feels good and helps you find and maintain community. Whatever your next goal is, NYRR can help motivate you to achieve it through the resources below.
- NYRR Virtual Racing Powered by Strava is for runners anywhere in the world who want to be part of NYRR races wherever they are.
- NYRR Open Run brings weekly community-led runs and walks to neighborhood parks across the greater New York City area for people of all ages, abilities, and experience levels.
NYRR Striders is a walking and fitness program that offers physical activity for older adults looking to lead a more active life and meet new people in their local community. - NYRR Group Training, geared toward New York City locals, welcomes runners of all abilities for weekly coached workouts where they enjoy the camaraderie of running with others.
- NYRR x Runna – Training (1 Year) is a personalized, flexible virtual training program that’s ideal if you’re training for multiple goals or races. You'll also get access to virtual course strategy sessions, special events, and a Facebook community.
- Volunteering with NYRR connects you to a community of like-minded people who share your love of running and helps support our races and events. Volunteer registration for the 2026 United Airlines NYC Half opens December 10, and volunteer registration for the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon opens December 31.
Marathon legend Meb Keflezighi encourages runners to not rush into training for another big goal race. "Take a deep breath," he said on a recent episode of NYRR's Set the Pace podcast. "Refocus, re-energize. If you want, sign up for smaller races. But take time to sleep in, hang out with friends, have a donut, whatever you wouldn't do when you're training. Rest is not a sign of weakness, it's a wise choice."
Stay Inspired All Year Long
Keep a year-round emotional connection to running, New York Road Runners, and the TCS New York City Marathon.
Tune in to NYRR Set the Pace Presented by Peloton, the official podcast of New York Road Runners. Join hosts Rob Simmelkjaer, CEO of New York Road Runners, and Becs Gentry, Peloton instructor, every Thursday in conversation with inspiring athletes, from everyday enthusiasts to elite marathoners, to hear stories of perseverance, drive, and dedication.
Watch two new documentary films:
“Final Finishers” is the first project to be released by East 89th St Productions, in partnership with Tribeca Enterprises. It captures the raw emotion of the final hours of the TCS New York City Marathon as the very last of tens of thousands of runners cross the finish line. The film highlights the inspiring stories of runners who persevere against all odds as they race for personal triumphs rather than records. It is streaming on ESPN+.
“26.2” is a documentary short film that follows four New Yorkers training for the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon: a retired math teacher, an NYPD administrative aide, a public defender, and an elevator mechanic. Collectively, they’ve survived a stroke, cancer, a life-changing house fire, and finished last in the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon race. Directed by Nicolas Heller (aka @NewYorkNico) and co-produced by m ss ng p eces creative studio; it is the second project to be released by NYRR’s East 89th St Productions studio and is available for streaming on YouTube here.
Wisdom From the Pros
The champions of this year’s TCS New York City Marathon spoke on Set the Pace about what they do to relax and move forward after a major race.
Hellen Obiri, who won the women’s open division in course-record time, said she hopes to run a new personal record in an upcoming marathon, but that first she’ll “take a long vacation” with her family, most likely in Hawaii.
Susannah Scaroni, the women’s wheelchair champion, said she’s “excited to celebrate with my husband, our dogs, and our cat, and my family, and our teammates” before getting back into training and racing.
Marcel Hug, the men’s wheelchair division champion who’s won the TCS New York City Marathon seven times, said he worked with a sport psychologist this year to focus on just one race at a time and appreciate achieving a goal. He used breathing exercises and self-hypnosis to support this approach.
Benson Kipruto, the men’s open division champion, has won four of the seven Abbott World Marathon Majors races. His next goal is to win the remaining three: London, Berlin, and Sydney.
And Eliud Kipchoge, widely considered the greatest marathoner of all time, announced after finishing 17th at the TCS New York City Marathon and receiving his Abbott World Marathon Majors Six Star medal that he’ll embark on a seven-continent world tour of marathons to spread the word about achieving human potential through running.
Free Mental Health Resources in NYC
If your post-marathon sense of letdown persists or worsens, you may be experiencing more than “the blues.” You're not alone. One in five New Yorkers struggle with mental illness that can affect not only them but also family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors.
For over 40 years, the National Alliance on Mental Illness of New York City (NAMI-NYC) has offered life-changing support, education, and advocacy to families and individuals affected by mental illness. NAMI-NYC offers mental health classes, 40 support and social groups, family mentoring, a Helpline in 180+ languages, and much more. All programs and services are completely free and available regardless of income, insurance, or immigration status. NAMI-NYC is the only nonprofit providing direct support to family members who have a loved one with mental illness. If you or someone you know is struggling, call their Helpline at 212-684-3264 or visit this page.
For more resources, check out the Mental Well-Being page on our website.