With the Chevron Houston Marathon , just weeks away, you're probably hitting those extra-long runs in your training, just before the taper 
approaches. There are many runners who find the taper to be magical: a reduction of mileage that helps build up endurance as race day nears. Many also find that the taper solves those nagging aches and pains they’ve been feeling during training runs. Unfortunately, this isn’t usually the case. In fact, there's a hidden danger in tapered marathon training. Here's what you need to know.
The Problem with Tapered Marathon Training
Whether you're training for a marathon or half-marathon, or just running for exercise, your most important piece of equipment is your feet. After all, if your feet are in pain, it won't just be an isolated problem. In fact, it could derail your entire training program.
You see, foot pain disrupts your overall stability. Your body tends to move away from any source of pain, but when that pain is in your feet, it means that pain may not stay in once place. In fact, when you experience foot pain as a runner, you're more likely to have pain in your knees, hips, and back as a result of the unnatural pulling away from the ground. As a runner, this just compounds your problems, forcing you to take time away from training. And, with race-day coming in just over two weeks for those participating in the 2026 Chevron Houston Marathon, that's a break you just can't afford to take.
Compounding the problem? For some reason, many runners think that foot pain will go away in time. They may take some time off of training, but most will likely keep running, all the while assuming that their pain will magically resolve. The trouble with foot and ankle pain is that, even if you take a break from running, the structures are still being used every time you walk. Sometimes the pain does resolve on its own. Usually, however, the problem persists and greatly affects your training.
But why are we telling you about this now? Well, if you've been training through foot pain, it's going to really interfere with long runs. But if you follow a tapered marathon training plan, your feet may feel better as you cut back on your miles. And that means that you could believe your running injury has resolved when, in reality, the pain will return as your run lengths pick back up. In turn, you could make your way to the Chevron Houst Marathon starting line on Jan. 11, only to be sidelined by pain mid-race, long before you complete your 26.2 mile goal.
Don't Let Tapered Marathon Training Conceal Your Injury
The Houston Marathon is now just 18 days away. And that means that NOW is the time to check out any pain or problem you've experienced during training, before your taper lulls you into a false sense of comfort. Too often, runners wait until the last minute...right before a race...to get their injury evaluated. While we can sometimes salvage the training and move forward towards the race, too often the length of the injury’s treatment means you’ll have to miss the chance to complete your goal.
Here in our Houston podiatry practice, we routinely say that our LEAST favorite time to see patients is withing the two weeks before the city's marathon. That’s when we have to tell some patients, many of whom have been training since July for their first marathon, that they’ll have to cancel their race and postpone their goal.
Don’t let that be you!! If you have been experiencing any kind of lower extremity pain, and it has persisted for more than a week, request an appointment in the office today, even if the pain resolves as soon as you stop running. We encourage you to go for what can hopefully be a quick fix now, rather than a major disappointment later on.
Still feeling great, but want to make sure your training is on the right track? The key to staying pain-free is to make you sure you follow and stick to a safe plan. You can certainly stick with tapered marathon training, just be sure that it's not tricking you into ignoring a growing injury.
Here's wishing you good luck and good health in the short time remaining before the Houston marathon. And just remember, if anything starts to hurt, even if the pain goes away after you stop running, come see us right away. In the time we have left, we should be able to ensure that you can compete in the Houston marathon, even if you have to alter your training and overall time goals. Thanks to our variety of regenerative medicine treatment options, including Shockwave Therapy and PRP Injections, we should be able to heal even your chronic pain without forcing you to take too much time away from pre-race training.
