How Do You Safely Manage Running Distance Ahead of the Perth Running Festival?

Race day is Sunday 11 October. If you're running the Perth Running Festival, the training window is getting short. Here's what matters now.

There's a point in every training block where adding more isn't necessarily the smartest thing you can do.

For the Perth Running Festival, we're getting close to it.

With race day on Sunday 11 October 2026, there are just over three weeks to go. Whether you're lining up for the 4km, 10km, half marathon or marathon, the goal now isn't to cram in as many kilometres as possible.

It's to arrive at the start line trained, recovered and healthy.

So how quickly should you increase your running?

You've probably heard the 10% rule.

Increase your weekly running by no more than 10%. Or increase your long run by 10%. Or perhaps you've been told that anything above 10% is dangerous.

The problem is that the research doesn't give us one magic number that works for every runner.

Studies looking at running injuries and training-load changes have found mixed results. There is evidence that sudden increases in training can increase injury risk, but there isn't a universal percentage that tells every runner exactly how much they can safely add each week.

More recent research has shifted some attention towards individual running sessions, rather than looking only at the total kilometres accumulated across a week.

A large 2025 study involving more than 5,000 runners found that individual sessions that were more than 10% longer than the runner's longest run in the previous 30 days were associated with an increased rate of lower-limb overuse injuries. (BJSM)

The practical takeaway isn't "increase every run by 10%."

It's this:

Don't make a sudden jump in the amount of running your body is being asked to handle.

And that includes more than kilometres.

You might increase your load by:

• adding another running day

• making your long run much longer

• introducing hills

• adding speed sessions

• increasing your pace

• moving from road to technical trails

• adding strength work

• or combining several of these at once.

Your body doesn't know what your spreadsheet says. It knows the load you actually give it.

What does that mean with only a few weeks to go?

If you've already been training consistently, now is generally not the time for a panic-induced kilometre binge.

That big long run you've been putting off might look tempting.

"I need to prove I can run 30km before the marathon."

"I've only done 12km, so I'd better get to 18km this weekend."

"I missed last week, so I'll make it up this week."

That's where things can go sideways.

Fitness takes time to build. You can't compress several weeks of training into one heroic weekend without also increasing the load on the tissues that have to absorb it.

If your training has been disrupted, the sensible approach is usually to work with the fitness you've actually built rather than trying to recreate the training plan you wish you'd completed.

What about an easier week?

A lighter week can be useful after several weeks of increasing training load, particularly when fatigue is accumulating.

But it doesn't need to be a rigid "every fourth week, reduce everything by 25%" formula.

Your training history, experience, recovery, age, work, sleep and other activities all matter.

The better question is:

Is my body absorbing the training I'm doing, or am I continually adding load without enough recovery?

Persistent heaviness, declining performance, unusual soreness, poor sleep or a niggle that keeps returning are all reasons to look at the overall training picture rather than simply pushing through.

And now comes the taper

This is particularly important for anyone racing the longer distances.

As race day approaches, the aim changes.

Earlier in a training block, you're trying to create an adaptation.

Closer to race day, you're trying to let that adaptation show up.

Tapering reduces training volume so accumulated fatigue can fall while enough intensity and specificity are retained to keep you ready to race.

Research into endurance athletes suggests that reducing training volume during the final days or weeks can improve performance, while maintaining some intensity rather than simply stopping completely. A systematic review found benefits from tapers lasting up to 21 days, with progressive reductions in training volume. (PubMed)

In plain English:

You don't get fitter by smashing yourself into the ground during race week.

You get to race day by carrying the fitness you've already built and arriving with enough freshness to use it.

Don't introduce a brand-new training program now

Strength training is useful for runners. Research supports appropriately programmed strength training as a way of improving running performance, particularly in middle- and long-distance runners. (PubMed)

But if you've never lifted before, three weeks before your marathon isn't the time to discover your inner powerlifter.

If strength work is already part of your routine, maintain it sensibly.

If it isn't, focus on getting to the start line healthy rather than trying to build an entirely new physical quality in the final weeks.

The same applies to new shoes, new running routes, aggressive mobility programs and anything else you've never asked your body to do before.

Race preparation is a particularly poor time for experiments.

Where does sports massage fit?

This is where Remedial & Sports Massage can be a valuable complement to your training and recovery routine, particularly when training load is building.

Massage isn't a substitute for the training itself, and it isn't a guarantee against injury. But recovery is part of training, and how well your body responds to the load you're putting through it can influence how consistently you are able to train.

Research suggests massage can help reduce muscle soreness and delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS), while other research has found improvements in perceived recovery, relaxation and some aspects of flexibility. (PubMed)

For a runner, that can matter.

If your calves, hamstrings, glutes or hips are feeling loaded after several weeks of training, an appropriate treatment may help you feel more comfortable and ready for your next session.

And that's where the performance connection comes in.

Massage doesn't need to directly make you run faster to contribute to better running performance.

If it helps you manage soreness, maintain movement and stay consistent with the training you've planned, it can support the training adaptations that ultimately improve performance.

The aim isn't to replace the hard work.

It's to help you keep doing the hard work well.

When should you get a massage?

Timing matters.

Don't make your first ever deep treatment the day before your race.

If massage is already part of your routine, treatments can be planned around your training and taper. If you're not used to it, introducing something unfamiliar immediately before an event isn't the time to experiment.

Tell Luke what you're training for, what you've been doing and what feels different. The treatment can then be adjusted around the person and the training block rather than following a fixed routine.

What if something is already hurting?

Don't confuse "I can run through it" with "it's fine."

A niggle that is getting worse, changing your running technique, affecting normal movement or repeatedly returning every time you increase your training deserves attention.

That doesn't automatically mean you need to stop everything.

It does mean you should work out what's happening before continuing to pile load onto it.

Luke can assess what he's seeing from a treatment perspective and work with you on the soft-tissue and recovery side. If something is persistent, worsening or outside the scope of massage therapy, getting assessed by a physiotherapist or other appropriate health professional is the sensible next step.

The objective isn't to win an argument with your pain.

It's to make it to the start line with a body capable of doing what you're asking of it.

Just over three weeks to go: what should you focus on?

At this stage, think less about chasing kilometres and more about consistency.

Training: Follow the plan you've actually built, rather than trying to make up missed training.

Load: Avoid sudden increases in distance, intensity, hills or frequency.

Recovery: Sleep, nutrition and rest become part of the training plan, not things you squeeze in afterwards.

Strength: Maintain established strength work, but don't introduce a huge new workload.

Taper: As race day approaches, allow training volume to come down so fatigue can fall.

Massage: If it works well for you, use it as a valuable complement to your training and recovery routine. Managing soreness and helping your body feel ready for the next session can support consistency, and consistency is one of the foundations of building running performance.

And most importantly:

Don't let race-day excitement convince you that your body needs to achieve three weeks of training in three days.

The work you've already done is the work that matters.

Now the job is to arrive ready to use it.

Preparing for the Perth Running Festival?

The Quiet Miles provides Remedial & Sports Massage in Highgate and Mount Lawley, Perth, working with runners and athletes through training blocks, competition and recovery.

Every session starts with a conversation about what you're training for, what's feeling tight and what your body has been dealing with.

If you're building toward the Perth Running Festival, book your session around your training rather than waiting until something becomes a problem.

Book a session with The Quiet Miles.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I follow the 10% rule when increasing my running?

The 10% rule is a commonly used coaching guideline, but research does not establish it as a universal safe progression for every runner. Current evidence suggests paying attention to sudden changes in individual sessions as well as overall training load. Recent research has found an increased rate of running-related overuse injuries when a single running session exceeds the runner's longest run from the previous 30 days by more than 10%. That doesn't mean a 10% increase is automatically safe, so progression still needs to consider the runner's training history and recovery.

I've missed some training. Should I make it up before race day?

Usually, trying to cram missed training into the final few weeks isn't a good strategy. The amount you can safely add depends on your recent training history and current fitness. If you've missed substantial training, adjusting your expectations may be safer than attempting to reproduce a full training block in a few weeks.

Should I take an easier week before the Perth Running Festival?

Rather than following a rigid deload rule, race preparation should include a taper that reduces training volume as race day approaches. The exact approach depends on the distance, training history and athlete.

Can sports massage prevent running injuries?

Massage shouldn't be considered an injury-prevention guarantee. Research suggests it can reduce muscle soreness and DOMS and may support recovery and flexibility.

In the context of a training program, that can be useful. When the body is recovering well and feels ready for the next session, it may be easier to maintain the consistency your training program requires.

Massage is therefore best viewed as one part of managing training load and supporting recovery, alongside sensible progression, strength work, sleep, nutrition and appropriate rest. It doesn't remove the risk of injury, but helping your body cope with training can contribute to staying on track towards your running goals.

Will sports massage help me train for the Perth Running Festival?

It can be a valuable complement to your training and recovery routine. Research suggests massage can help reduce muscle soreness and DOMS and may support perceived recovery and flexibility.

The benefit isn't necessarily that massage directly makes you a faster runner. It's that a body that is recovering well and moving comfortably is better positioned to consistently complete the training that does build running fitness and performance.

Used alongside sensible training progression, strength work, sleep, nutrition and recovery, Remedial & Sports Massage can be one of the tools that helps you stay on track through a demanding training block.

When should I get a massage before race day?

If massage is already part of your routine, timing can be planned around your taper and training. Avoid experimenting with an unfamiliar or particularly intense treatment immediately before racing. Tell your therapist when you're racing so the treatment can be adjusted accordingly.

What should I do if I have a niggle before race day?

Don't simply keep increasing your training and hope it disappears. If pain is worsening, changing your running, affecting normal movement or repeatedly returning, have it assessed. Depending on the problem, that may involve your massage therapist, physiotherapist, doctor or another appropriate health professional.