Your plan in four answers
Set for August 28, 2027, about 44 weeks out.
- Distances
- Half marathon, 10K, 5K
- Terrain
- Hilly
- Field
- Capped at 2,500 participants across all distances
- Taper starts
- August 16, 2027
Course
The Asheville Craft Beer Half course
All three races start and finish in Pack Square in downtown Asheville, the half and 10K at 7:00 a.m. and the 5K at 7:05 a.m. The half heads through the Brewery District and the River Arts District, follows the French Broad River north, then turns toward Beaver Lake, passes the historic Grove Park area, swings by Weaver Park and the UNC Asheville campus, and returns to downtown on Broadway.
Read the full course notes
The 10K shares the river section before cutting back past UNC Asheville and up Broadway. The organizers say it plainly: there are hills. Downtown sits well above the river, so expect a fast early descent and the hardest climbing in the closing miles back into Pack Square, with water and portable toilets about every 2 miles and local craft beer waiting at the finish.
- Terrain
- Hilly
- Distances
- Half marathon, 10K, 5K
- Field
- Capped at 2,500 participants across all distances
- Weather on race day
- Late August in Asheville is warm and humid but milder than the lowlands: usually 62–70 °F at the 7:00 a.m. start, climbing toward the low to mid 80s by late morning, with a chance of a passing shower. Start conservatively, drink at every aid station, and expect your pace to slow on the late climbs if the sun comes out.
What to train for
Train for climbing on tired legs: once a week, finish a long run with 2 to 3 miles of uphill or rolling running at goal effort, mirroring the return up Broadway into downtown.
Add hill repeats of 6 to 10 x 60 to 90 seconds at 10K effort, and practice relaxed downhill running so the early drop to the river does not cost you your quads.
Because it is a summer race, do some long runs in the warm part of the morning and practice drinking every 2 miles to match the aid station spacing. On race day, judge the climbs by effort, not pace.
Sample week
A sample Asheville Craft Beer Half 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
- Hill repeats: 8 × 90 s up a steady grade, jog back down
- Wednesday
- Easy run, 5–6 mi
- Thursday Key session
- Goal-pace run, 7 mi with 4 mi at race pace
- Friday
- Recovery run, 4 mi, or cross-train
- Saturday Key session
- Long run, 10–12 mi on hilly ground, steady effort on the climbs
- Sunday
- Easy run, 4 mi, then 6 relaxed strides
Your build to race day
Taper
Tapering for the Asheville Craft Beer Half
Start the taper ten to fourteen 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 is hilly, so keep one short hill session in the first taper week to keep the climbs familiar. With the race on August 28, 2027, your taper starts around August 16, 2027.
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Build me a training plan for the Asheville Craft Beer Half Marathon & 10K/5K on August 28, 2027. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Asheville Craft Beer Half training questions
How long should I train for the Asheville Craft Beer Half?
Most runners give a half marathon 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 Asheville Craft Beer Half course hilly?
Hilly. All three races start and finish in Pack Square in downtown Asheville, the half and 10K at 7:00 a.m. and the 5K at 7:05 a.m.
What is the weather usually like at the Asheville Craft Beer Half?
Late August in Asheville is warm and humid but milder than the lowlands: usually 62–70 °F at the 7:00 a.m. start, climbing toward the low to mid 80s by late morning, with a chance of a passing shower. Start conservatively, drink at every aid station, and expect your pace to slow on the late climbs if the sun comes out.
When should I start tapering for the Asheville Craft Beer Half?
Start the taper ten to fourteen 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 is hilly, so keep one short hill session in the first taper week to keep the climbs familiar. With the race on August 28, 2027, your taper starts around August 16, 2027.
Do I need an account to get a Asheville Craft Beer Half 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.