The marathon is a very tough challenge, a major strain on the body. The muscles, tendons, bones, cells, hormones, and every system in the body are put under pressure. It doesn’t matter if you’re an experienced athlete or a beginner, the physical stress is significant!
Recovery after the marathon is a crucial part of training that is often overlooked. Unfortunately, if proper recovery is neglected, the risk of injury increases and your chances of achieving a good time in future races decrease. Returning immediately to pre-race athletic activities raises the likelihood of overtraining syndrome.

Below are some measurable changes the body undergoes after a marathon and the time needed to return to normal levels.

Muscle Fatigue
After the marathon, the muscles of the lower limbs have sustained many micro-injuries—tiny tears—and accumulated a lot of lactic acid, resulting in inflammation, fatigue, and pain. The time needed for muscles to fully recover to their previous state can be up to 2 weeks.
Cellular Damage
At the cellular level, marathon exertion causes oxidative damage, increased production of the enzyme creatine kinase (CPK), and elevated levels of myoglobin in the blood due to muscle fiber breakdown. Elevated blood levels of creatine kinase can last up to 1 week.
Immune System
Studies show that the body’s immune defense is reduced for up to 3 days after the marathon, increasing the risk of infections. Therefore, it is important in the first few days to rest, avoid exercise, and follow a healthy diet rich in vitamins and nutrients.

Recovery Program

As is clear, the marathon causes significant muscle and immune system damage lasting up to 1-2 weeks. For this reason, it is important for athletes to follow a recovery program for 2-3 weeks after the race, until various parameters and the body return to normal.

Immediately After Finishing

• Use the blankets provided at the finish line, eat something (organizers usually provide bars and bananas), and drink isotonic drinks and water. It is important to eat something within the first 30 minutes after the race.
• Then change into the dry clothes you brought with you.
• If possible, try to walk for at least 10 minutes.
• Elevate your legs for 5-10 minutes.
• When you get home, it’s a good idea to immerse your body from the waist down in a bathtub with ice water for 10-15 minutes max. This helps reduce inflammation and muscle/tendon injuries and speeds up the removal of lactic acid from the lower limbs. You can also wear compression socks which may aid in faster recovery.
• Then rest

First 3 Days After the Marathon

• Resist the urge to run or do any other sport, just rest. You may do light walking if you want.
• Take a warm bath and then perform gentle stretches; pain will guide you, and you should not reach your usual pre-marathon stretching range.
• Eat carbohydrates and proteins to help your body repair the musculoskeletal damage.
• Eat fruits that boost your immune system with vitamins and antioxidants.
• Do light massage, not intense or deep.

4th to 7th Day After the Marathon

• One day you can run very gently for 20-40 minutes.
• On the other two days, optionally do another sport (like swimming or cycling) that does not stress the legs with running impacts, for 30-40 minutes, also very gently. The goal is only to increase blood flow to the lower limbs.
• Continue eating a healthy and balanced diet.
• Get a more intense and deeper sports massage on areas that still bother you or are injured.
• You can do contrast baths alternating warm and cold water every 5 minutes, repeating 2-3 times. This helps increase blood flow to the legs, promoting faster healing of injured tissues.
• End your day with a warm bath before sleep and gentle stretches or light massage to help you relax and sleep well.

2nd Week After

• You can run 2-3 times, 30-40 minutes very gently.
• Optionally, you can do another sport like cycling or swimming 2-3 times with moderate intensity up to 45 minutes.

3rd – 4th Week After

Gradually increase your running time and days until you reach your previous level, including at least 2 alternative training sessions per week with another sport such as cycling or swimming.

Don’t worry about losing fitness. Proper recovery is very important so you can train better and harder for your next race. Otherwise, you risk injury, infections, and overtraining fatigue.

It is best to avoid races for at least 6 weeks if you want to improve your performance progressively.

Congratulations to everyone and good luck!