Your plan in four answers
Set for December 19, 2026, about 8 weeks out.
- Distances
- 12K
- Terrain
- Rolling
- Taper starts
- December 10, 2026
Course
The 12Ks of Christmas course
The 12Ks of Christmas starts and finishes in Sharon Woods Metro Park in Westerville, on the north side of Columbus. The 12K and the 6K go off together at 10:15 a.m., after the Kids Fun Run at 10:00 a.m., and ugly holiday sweaters, shirts and jackets are encouraged.
Read the full course notes
The organiser calls the route scenic and challenging, so expect some rolling ground through the park rather than a dead-flat run. A detailed course map is not yet published, so check the race page before race day for the layout and aid stations. At the finish there is hot chocolate, a custom medal and photo ops with giant inflatable reindeer and a 20 foot snowman.
- Terrain
- Rolling
- Distances
- 12K
- Weather on race day
- Mid-December in Westerville usually means a start somewhere around 28–40 °F, often under gray skies, with a chance of snow or cold drizzle. Layers you can unzip work well, and a festive sweater over a thin base layer can be just right on a cold morning; keep drinking normally, since cold air hides how much you sweat.
What to train for
12K is 7.46 miles, between a 10K and a 15K: long enough that pacing matters, short enough to race hard.
Build an easy long run to 8 to 10 miles so the distance feels comfortable, and run a weekly tempo of 3 to 4 miles at roughly 10K to half marathon effort.
Because the organiser calls the course challenging, add hill repeats once a week (6 to 8 x 60 seconds uphill at hard effort, jogging down) and practise holding effort, not pace, on every rise. If you plan to race in a holiday sweater, wear it on one easy run first to check it does not chafe or overheat you.
Sample week
A sample 12Ks of Christmas training week
A week from the middle of the build, about six weeks out. Your plan sets the real distances and paces from your own fitness and adjusts them every week as you train.
- Monday
- Rest, or 20 minutes of mobility
- Tuesday Key session
- Intervals: 6 × 800 m at 5K to 10K effort, easy jog between
- Wednesday
- Easy run, 5 mi
- Thursday Key session
- Tempo run on a rolling route, 5 mi with 2 mi comfortably hard
- Friday
- Recovery run, 3 mi, or cross-train
- Saturday Key session
- Long run, 7–8 mi easy
- Sunday
- Easy run, 3 mi, then 6 relaxed strides
Your build to race day
Taper
Tapering for the 12Ks of Christmas
Start the taper seven to ten days before race day. Cut your weekly volume by about a third, then by half in race week, and keep a few short efforts at race pace so your legs stay sharp. The course rolls, so keep one short session on undulating ground in the first taper week. With the race on December 19, 2026, your taper starts around December 10, 2026.
Official timing, registration and results
USA Race Timing handles registration, timing and results for 12Ks of Christmas. They time it, you train for it with us.
Also in Claude
Ask Claude for this plan
Add Athlete Space to Claude once, then paste this prompt and put in your own numbers.
Build me a training plan for the The 12Ks of Christmas Run and Walk on December 19, 2026. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
12Ks of Christmas training questions
How long should I train for the 12Ks of Christmas?
Most runners give a 12k twelve to sixteen weeks of focused training on top of an existing base. The plan above counts back from your actual race date, so if you have less time than that it builds the best plan the remaining weeks allow rather than pretending you have longer.
Is the 12Ks of Christmas course hilly?
Rolling. The 12Ks of Christmas starts and finishes in Sharon Woods Metro Park in Westerville, on the north side of Columbus.
What is the weather usually like at the 12Ks of Christmas?
Mid-December in Westerville usually means a start somewhere around 28–40 °F, often under gray skies, with a chance of snow or cold drizzle. Layers you can unzip work well, and a festive sweater over a thin base layer can be just right on a cold morning; keep drinking normally, since cold air hides how much you sweat.
When should I start tapering for the 12Ks of Christmas?
Start the taper seven to ten days before race day. Cut your weekly volume by about a third, then by half in race week, and keep a few short efforts at race pace so your legs stay sharp. The course rolls, so keep one short session on undulating ground in the first taper week. With the race on December 19, 2026, your taper starts around December 10, 2026.
Do I need an account to get a 12Ks of Christmas training plan?
No. The plan above builds in your browser with no account, no email, and no card. Make a free account only if you want to keep it, log your runs against it, and have the coach keep adapting it as your training goes.