South Yorkshire has a decent running scene. Rotherham 10k, Sheffield events throughout the year, parkruns turning into race goals - there's always something to train towards. And every year I see the same pattern: runners do the hard work in training, then get the prep and recovery completely wrong in the final stretch.
If you're building towards a 10k, this is what I'd tell you to your face.
The Final Two Weeks Matter More Than You Think
Most runners are still hammering sessions two weeks out. They've put months into training and it feels counterintuitive to ease off. But the work is already done. You can't gain meaningful fitness in the final fortnight. What you can do is arrive at the start line tired, tight, and carrying unnecessary fatigue.
Taper properly. Reduce volume, keep a bit of intensity, and use the extra time to get your body in the best condition possible to race.
This is where massage fits in - and it's where a lot of runners waste the opportunity.
When Should You Get a Massage Before a Race?
Not the day before. That's the most common mistake I see.
Deep tissue work done 24 hours out can leave your legs feeling heavy and dull. You want to time it right. 7 to 10 days out is ideal for a deeper session - working into the calves, hamstrings, glutes, and hip flexors that take the punishment of 10k training. That gives your body time to respond and settle.
If you want something closer to race day, a lighter flush session 3 to 4 days out can help. Think of it as a reset rather than a fix - improving circulation, easing surface tension, and getting everything moving well. Not intense. Not the session where we work on that stubborn hip issue you've been ignoring for six months.
I offer both approaches as part of my treatments, and it's worth having a conversation about what your legs actually need before you book.
What Areas Should Runners Focus On?
Calves are obvious, but they're usually a symptom rather than the source. If your calves are constantly tight, the real culprits are often the hip flexors and glutes. Runners who log consistent mileage tend to develop real tightness through the posterior chain - glutes, hamstrings, lower back - and the hips get restricted over time.
I'll also spend time on the IT band and the tissue around the knee for runners who've been training on Rotherham's mixed terrain, because camber and gradient change how load is distributed through the leg. A lot of runners come to me carrying tension they've normalised - it's been there so long they've stopped noticing it.
The goal before a race isn't to fix everything. It's to get the body moving as freely as possible for race day.
Does Sports Massage Actually Help Race Performance?
Directly, no - I won't promise you a faster time from a single session. But indirectly, yes. And the evidence is pretty clear on recovery.
Better range of motion going into a race means more efficient running mechanics. Less residual tension means less energy wasted compensating for tightness. And for 10k specifically, where most runners are pushing close to their threshold for the full distance, even small inefficiencies compound.
What I know from working with runners across South Yorkshire is this: the ones who manage their bodies properly in the final week tend to arrive feeling sharp. That matters.
If you've never had sports massage in Rotherham as part of your race prep, I'd say it's worth trying at least once properly timed before writing it off.
What Should You Do in the 48 Hours Before the Race?
Keep it simple. A short easy run or walk-through of race pace the day before. Plenty of sleep. Stay off your feet more than usual. Don't try a new meal, a new stretch routine, or a new kit. Nothing new.
Hydration matters more than most runners acknowledge. Not just the night before - in the days leading up to it. And if the weather's warm, sodium intake becomes relevant.
This isn't groundbreaking advice. But the number of runners who overthink the week and then forget the basics is higher than you'd expect.
Race Day and What Comes After
Warm up properly. Ten minutes of easy movement before a 10k isn't optional. Your first kilometre will feel better for it, and you're less likely to go out too fast chasing legs that don't feel warmed up yet.
After the race - give yourself the rest of the day. Eat, hydrate, walk a little. Don't sit completely still for hours.
The real recovery window is 48 to 72 hours post-race. That's when a massage does its best work. Flushing out the metabolic waste, reducing the inflammation response, and helping the muscles return to normal length faster. In practice, this means you're back to training sooner and with less of the post-race stiffness that drags on for a week if you leave it.
I see a lot of runners after Rotherham events who leave recovery too late - waiting until they're still struggling a week later to come in. Book post-race as part of your plan, not as an afterthought.
Getting Here Is Easy
The clinic is in Treeton, about 10 minutes from Meadowhall, which makes it easy to reach from both Sheffield and Rotherham. If you're training around either city, it's a straightforward trip - and worth building into your race prep calendar well in advance rather than scrambling for an appointment in the final week.
You can read more about how I work and what I focus on on the about page.
Ready to Prepare Properly?
Whether you're running your first 10k or trying to knock time off a pb, getting the prep and recovery right makes a real difference. I work with runners across South Yorkshire at every level, and this stuff is genuinely worth doing properly.
Book a session and let's sort your legs out before race day.