{"id":22,"date":"2025-09-22T14:00:30","date_gmt":"2025-09-22T14:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/runninglog.app\/blog\/?p=22"},"modified":"2025-09-22T14:00:30","modified_gmt":"2025-09-22T14:00:30","slug":"what-is-a-shakeout-run-why-marathoners-do-it-before-race-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/runninglog.app\/blog\/what-is-a-shakeout-run-why-marathoners-do-it-before-race-day\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a Shakeout Run? Why marathoners do it before race day"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\n  If you\u2019ve followed marathon weekends on Instagram or Strava, you\u2019ve probably seen the phrase<br \/>\n  <strong>\u201cshakeout run.\u201d<\/strong> But what exactly does it mean, and why do so many runners do it<br \/>\n  the day before their big race?\n<\/p>\n<h2>Shakeout Run Meaning<\/h2>\n<p>\n  A <strong>shakeout run<\/strong> is a very easy, short run (usually 2\u20135 km) completed the day<br \/>\n  before a race. The goal isn\u2019t fitness \u2014 it\u2019s about keeping the legs loose, calming pre-race nerves,<br \/>\n  and sticking to a routine. Think of it as a gentle \u201cwake-up call\u201d for your muscles.\n<\/p>\n<h2>Why Do Marathoners Do a Shakeout Run?<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Loosen the legs:<\/strong> Sitting or traveling before a race can make you feel stiff.<br \/>\n  A shakeout gets blood flowing again.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Calm the nerves:<\/strong> Jogging with friends or a group helps reduce pre-race anxiety.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Stick to routine:<\/strong> Many runners are used to running almost every day. A shakeout<br \/>\n  keeps the body in rhythm.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Community vibe:<\/strong> Big marathons often host official shakeout runs where runners<br \/>\n  meet, take photos, and share the excitement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>How Long Should a Shakeout Run Be?<\/h2>\n<p>\n  The typical shakeout run is <strong>10\u201320 minutes<\/strong> at a very relaxed pace. You should<br \/>\n  finish feeling refreshed, not tired. Some runners include a few 20\u201330 second strides to wake up<br \/>\n  their legs \u2014 but that\u2019s optional.\n<\/p>\n<h2>Shakeout Run vs. Taper<\/h2>\n<p>\n  A shakeout run is part of the <a href=\"\/blog\/what-is-tapering-in-running\">taper<\/a> process.<br \/>\n  While tapering reduces mileage and intensity before a marathon, a shakeout keeps you moving just<br \/>\n  enough to avoid feeling flat on race day.\n<\/p>\n<h2>FAQs<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Do I need to do a shakeout run?<\/strong><br \/>\nNo \u2014 many runners skip it and still perform well. It\u2019s more about routine and preference.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Can a shakeout run make me tired?<\/strong><br \/>\nNot if done correctly. Keep it very easy and short.<\/p>\n<p><strong>When should I do it?<\/strong><br \/>\nMost marathoners do it the morning before the race, but some prefer mid-day or evening depending<br \/>\non travel and schedule.<\/p>\n<p>\n  \ud83c\udfc3 Thinking about your next marathon? Log your races and track your results with<br \/>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/runninglog.app\">RunningLog<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you\u2019ve followed marathon weekends on Instagram or Strava, you\u2019ve probably seen the phrase \u201cshakeout run.\u201d But what exactly does it mean, and why do so many runners do it the day before their big race? Shakeout Run Meaning A shakeout run is a very easy, short run (usually 2\u20135 km) completed the day before [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-training"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/runninglog.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/runninglog.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/runninglog.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runninglog.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runninglog.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/runninglog.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23,"href":"https:\/\/runninglog.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22\/revisions\/23"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/runninglog.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runninglog.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runninglog.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}