Beyond the Finish Line: Understanding and Overcoming the Post-Marathon Blues

You trained for months, sacrificed weekends, pushed through early mornings and late-night runs—all for that one epic moment: crossing the finish line. The cheers, the medal, the overwhelming surge of pride… and then, strangely, a few days later: the slump.

It’s not uncommon. In fact, that hollow, restless feeling that creeps in after a big race has a name—the Post-Marathon Blues. It’s the emotional dip that can follow the high of achieving a huge goal, when the structure, anticipation, and daily purpose of training suddenly vanish.

But you’re not alone—and you’re not stuck there.

Today I’ll discuss why this happens, how it shows up mentally and physically, and most importantly, what you can do to reset, refocus, and reignite your spark after the finish line fades.

When the High Wears Off: Why Big Achievements Can Leave You Feeling Empty

Buzz Aldrin was the second person ever to set foot on the moon. The whole world knew who he was and lauded his accomplishments.

Yet after returning to earth, he could never quite re-adjust to life after completing such a landmark achievement. His marriage disintegrated, he burned bridges and ended up selling cars.

OK, Aldrin’s story might be an extreme example, but the case holds: when your life is built around one huge goal, if you actually accomplish that goal and come out the other side you can suddenly find yourself a bit lost.

Such is the effect of post-marathon blues. 

Some have labelled this as ‘post-marathon depression’ (I haven’t read of any cases that I’d consider to be as severe as a depression), others PMS – Post-Marathon Syndrome. But the idea is the same – you finally complete your huge goal, then you don’t quite know what to do with yourself. 

You cross the finish line, get your medal then go home. A couple of days later, you find yourself feeling oddly low – a lack of enthusiasm for anything in particular.

In the days and weeks following a marathon, you’ve got two reasons to be lacking a bit of buzz.

The first is that you’ve accomplished your big goal. That thing you’ve spent months training and preparing for has been achieved. Great! 

Training for the marathon gave your life rhythm and meaning. Every run had a purpose, every meal was fuel, every week was a step closer to something big. Then suddenly, it’s all behind you—and you’re left wondering, what now? No wonder you feel a little lost.

The second reason you might feel low is physical—plain and simple.

You’ve just asked your body to do something extraordinary. Even experienced marathoners push beyond their limits on race day, and in the aftermath, your body shifts into full recovery mode.

Your immune system takes a hit, energy levels dip, and suddenly, even small tasks can feel exhausting. You’re more vulnerable to getting sick, and it all adds up to a general sense of fatigue and depletion.

How Can We Tackle The Post-Marathon Blues?

Well, I don’t know if its possible to prevent it entirely. 

A couple of weeks before writing this, I ran a marathon—my first in about a year. Even though I knew the Post-Marathon Blues might show up, I was still caught off guard by just how flat and unmotivated I felt in the days that followed.

Before the race, I’d been hitting a CrossFit class regularly after work for a couple of months. But afterward? I could barely summon the energy to go. The drive just wasn’t there. I found myself gravitating toward gentler movement—some light weights, a bit of stretching—but even that felt half-hearted.

What did draw me in was slowing down. I started writing more, spending time cooking in the evenings, and leaning into a different kind of rhythm. Now, nearly two weeks later, my energy and motivation are finally starting to come back—but it’s been a gradual process.

So, I sat down to research the Post-Marathon Blues, and found the following ways to deal with them:

#1: Anticipate the Low Before the High Fades

Even as a seasoned marathoner, I forgot to brace for the emotional dip that can follow a race. I assumed I’d be fine—until I wasn’t. That’s the trap: thinking you’ll be the exception.

One of the best ways to handle the Post-Marathon Blues is to expect them.

In the final weeks of your taper, remind yourself that it’s completely normal to feel a drop in motivation and energy afterward.

Plan your post-race week accordingly—keep your schedule light, avoid committing to high-energy obligations, and give yourself full permission to rest and recharge without guilt. Think of it as emotional recovery time, just as important as the physical.

#2: Accept That It’s Over—And Celebrate What You Did

In the days after your marathon, it’s surprisingly easy to lose sight of what you’ve just accomplished. As runners, we’re so used to chasing the next goal that we often skip the part where we simply appreciate what we’ve done.

But this is exactly the moment to pause.

Let yourself fully absorb the achievement. You trained, showed up, and crossed the finish line—something most people will never even attempt.

Take a few days to rest, reflect, and soak it all in without immediately reaching for the next challenge. You’ve earned that space.

#3: Eat Well

There’s the old piece of accepted advice that once you finish a marathon, you can – and should – eat whatever you want, you’ve earned it. For the past few months, you’ve been eating healthily – so now’s your chance to pig out a bit. Buckets of ice cream, beers every night, whatever you want. This is a fallacy.

While it can be fun to celebrate for a day or two with a nice meal and a couple of desserts, we all know that poor diet does little to help your mental state. I prefer to spend the week or two after a marathon enjoying good quality, home cooked food – with perhaps some bigger helpings that usual.

As for alcohol, just remember that your immune system has already taken a beating – so go easy on it.

#4: Treat Yourself—The Right Way

Crossing the finish line is a big deal—so yes, you absolutely deserve a reward. But treating yourself doesn’t have to mean diving into junk food or overindulging for days on end (tempting as that may be). Think beyond the plate.

Consider a recovery massage to soothe tired muscles, or a weekend getaway to mentally reset. Buy yourself that running gear you’ve been eyeing, book a yoga class, or finally splurge on something that brings you joy.

You might even start planning your next vacation—something to look forward to that isn’t tied to a finish line.

Treating yourself with intention reinforces the idea that your effort matters—and that rest, pleasure, and celebration are all part of the process.

#5: Set A New Goal

One of the most common things runners do in the days following their marathon is to sign up for their next one. This can be effective in staving off boredom and giving you something new and fun to get excited about, but from personal experience, I can cite the law of diminishing returns here. 

It is an incredible feeling to complete your first marathon, and if you do well you can be inspired to keep going.

But jumping from race to race – especially if you don’t give yourself sufficient time to relax and recover – can cause that feeling of accomplishment to diminish, to the point where you start to feel marathon fatigue. 

Instead, these days after completing a marathon, I’ll take some time off to stop and think about what my next target will be. It might be another marathon or another running event like a trail race or stage race. Or it might be something completely unrelated, like a work project.

Sometimes the feel-good sense of accomplishment you get from completing a marathon can be effectively channeled to other parts of your life. So while goal setting is a fantastic way to relinquish the Post-Marathon Blues, give yourself time to reflect on what the goal could be – and don’t necessarily make it another 26.2 miles.

The marathon may be over, but your story as a runner—and as a person striving toward something bigger—is far from finished.

Feeling a little lost or low after such a massive high doesn’t make you weak; it makes you human. You set a bold goal, showed up for yourself again and again, and did something extraordinary. Now, it’s time to honor what your mind and body need next: rest, reflection, and a slow return to whatever comes after.

Let your next goal come to you in time—whether it’s lacing up for a new adventure, diving into a different challenge, or simply learning how to sit in stillness for a while.

The finish line isn’t the end. It’s a milestone on a much longer journey—one where growth, joy, and purpose keep unfolding, step by step.

If you have decided it’s time for you to set that new goal, check out our list to get some ideas:

Running Goals: 96 Exciting Goal Ideas For Your Next Training Cycle