Your plan in four answers
Set for October 8, 2027, about 50 weeks out.
- Distances
- Marathon, Half marathon, 10K, 5K
- Terrain
- Rolling
- Taper starts
- September 20, 2027
Course
The Antelope Island Marathon course
All four races start and finish together near the Antelope Island Marina inside Antelope Island State Park, reached from Syracuse by the causeway across the Great Salt Lake. Every distance uses the same out-and-back road and simply turns at a different point: the 5K at 1.55 miles, the 10K at 3.1, the half at 6.55 and the marathon at 13.1.
Read the full course notes
The Great Salt Lake stretches to the east and the island's mountain rises to the west, and the island is home to about 600 bison, so the scenery is wide open and wild. The organizers call it a true marathon rather than a downhill course, with several rollers in each direction, and the park roads stay open to traffic, so keep to the side.
- Terrain
- Rolling
- Distances
- Marathon, Half marathon, 10K, 5K
- Weather on race day
- Around early October, NOAA 1991–2020 normals for Farmington, the nearest NOAA station on the mainland, usually run from lows of about 42–44 °F to highs of about 67–70 °F, so the morning start is crisp and the day warms up. Bring a layer you can shed, wear sunscreen and drink at the aid stations every two miles from mile 3.
What to train for
Rollers in both directions mean you should train on rolling roads rather than a track, holding effort, not pace, on each rise.
Build to 18 to 20 mile long runs with the last 4 to 6 miles at goal pace, and add a weekly session of 8 to 10 x 60 seconds uphill at 10K effort with relaxed downhill recoveries.
The course has GU at miles 6.55 and 19.65 and oranges at miles 10 and 16.1, so practice taking a gel about every 40 minutes in training. The marathon allows about 7 hours, and a slow-racer start 30 minutes early is offered for anyone expecting more than 6.5 hours.
Sample week
A sample Antelope Island Marathon 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: 5 × 1 mile at 5K to 10K effort, easy jog between
- Wednesday
- Easy run, 6–7 mi
- Thursday Key session
- Goal-pace run, 10 mi with 6 mi at race pace
- Friday
- Recovery run, 4 mi, or cross-train
- Saturday Key session
- Long run, 16–18 mi, the last 4 mi at race pace
- Sunday
- Easy run, 4 mi, then 6 relaxed strides
Your build to race day
Taper
Tapering for the Antelope Island Marathon
Start the taper two to three weeks 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 October 8, 2027, your taper starts around September 20, 2027.
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Build me a training plan for the Antelope Island Marathon on October 8, 2027. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Antelope Island Marathon training questions
How long should I train for the Antelope Island Marathon?
Most runners give a marathon sixteen to twenty 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 Antelope Island Marathon course hilly?
Rolling. All four races start and finish together near the Antelope Island Marina inside Antelope Island State Park, reached from Syracuse by the causeway across the Great Salt Lake.
What is the weather usually like at the Antelope Island Marathon?
Around early October, NOAA 1991–2020 normals for Farmington, the nearest NOAA station on the mainland, usually run from lows of about 42–44 °F to highs of about 67–70 °F, so the morning start is crisp and the day warms up. Bring a layer you can shed, wear sunscreen and drink at the aid stations every two miles from mile 3.
When should I start tapering for the Antelope Island Marathon?
Start the taper two to three weeks 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 October 8, 2027, your taper starts around September 20, 2027.
Do I need an account to get a Antelope Island Marathon 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.