Taper Calculator

Train less, get faster

Tapering means cutting training volume in the final weeks before a race so fatigue clears and your fitness becomes visible.

The calculator tells you how much volume still makes sense in each week before race day, matched to the distance from sprint to Ironman.

How it is calculated

Weekly volume in the taper = peak week in hours × percentage. The percentages per race: Sprint 70 and 50 %, Olympic 75 and 55 %, 70.3 at 80, 65 and 45 %, Ironman 85, 70, 50 and 30 %, marathon 80, 65 and 40 % — the last number is always race week.

The longer the race, the longer and deeper the taper: the fatigue from an Ironman build takes three to four weeks to fade without losing fitness.

Example: peak week 12 h, target 70.3. Week −3: 12 × 0.80 = 9.6 h. Week −2: 12 × 0.65 = 7.8 h. Race week: 12 × 0.45 = 5.4 h.

Volume goes down, intensity does not — short hard efforts stay in, otherwise the engine goes flat.

To calculate your taper, take the biggest week of the last six as your peak, not the one you planned.

The rule everyone breaks

Volume down, intensity stays. Training only easy in the final week leaves you feeling flat on race day. Short, brisk sessions keep the edge.

And nobody gets fitter during the taper. Trying to make up missed weeks now means starting tired.

Frequently asked questions

How long should the taper be?

The longer the race, the longer the taper. Around a week for a sprint; two to three weeks is usual for an Ironman.

I feel worse during the taper — is that normal?

Yes, very commonly. The body is adjusting and suddenly doing less feels strange. It usually settles in the final days.

Should I rest completely in the last week?

No. Less and shorter, yes — but stopping entirely leaves you heavy rather than fresh.