This is a question that I quite often get asked and the answer that I give is never definitive as it will depend on the individual in question.

I always recommend if at all possible to get a post event massage as soon as possible after you’ve finished. The treatment that you receive should only consist of light massage and possibly some stretching techniques as anything deeper is likely to cause discomfort and possibly pain. If applied properly you should recover quicker and have less of the “hobbles” once you’ve had the treatment ready for the journey back home. The therapist who is treating you should listen to you and be guided by your wishes – At the end of the day it is your body!

But then what?

I would leave it a couple of days so you can recover and also get beyond the point where you don’t want anybody touching your legs or any part of your body. This is backed up by Jo Pavey who in an article in Runners World in 2011 states – “You may find massage best a couple of days after a hard workout or race to allow initial soreness and stiffness to subside,”

Any treatment then will be to alleviate the soreness that you have in the muscles but also to check for any injury that you may have done to yourself while running the marathon. But again any treatment should start relatively gently but then build up as you improve.

If you would like a post marathon treatment then get in touch with the clinic and organise an appointment.