Your plan in four answers
Set for January 17, 2027, about 12 weeks out.
- Distances
- Half marathon
- Terrain
- Rolling
- Taper starts
- January 5, 2027
Course
The Austin International Half course
A point-to-point half that starts on Stonelake Boulevard in north Austin, in front of the Regal Gateway Theater, and finishes at 13th and San Jacinto beside the Texas State Capitol. The official profile falls from about 880 feet near mile 1 to roughly 530 feet at the finish, a net descent of around 350 feet.
Read the full course notes
The first nine miles are a long, steady downhill through north Austin and down Shoal Creek, then a gentle rise of about 20 feet between miles 9 and 10.5 interrupts the slide. The last stretch crosses the University of Texas campus and keeps dropping toward downtown, with a relay exchange just past mile 6 and aid at or near every mile.
- Terrain
- Rolling
- Distances
- Half marathon
- Weather on race day
- Mid-January mornings in Austin are usually cool and dry, with normal lows in the low 40s °F and afternoon highs near 62 °F, so expect roughly 40–52 °F at the start. Warm, humid fronts and the odd cold snap both happen, so bring a throwaway layer. Cool air plus a net downhill makes this a morning to race.
What to train for
Nine miles of nearly continuous descent load the quads far more than a flat half, so build downhill tolerance: once a week, add 5 to 10 minutes of relaxed downhill running to an easy run, and do some long runs on a road with a gentle descent.
Practice goal-pace segments on a slight downgrade with short, quick strides instead of braking.
Keep a weekly tempo run on the flat so the small rise after mile 9 and the campus miles still feel smooth when your legs are tired.
Sample week
A sample Austin International 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
- Intervals: 5 × 1 km at 5K to 10K effort, easy jog between
- 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 easy
- Sunday
- Easy run, 4 mi, then 6 relaxed strides
Your build to race day
Taper
Tapering for the Austin International 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 rolls, so keep one short session on undulating ground in the first taper week. With the race on January 17, 2027, your taper starts around January 5, 2027.
Also in Claude
Ask Claude for this plan
Add AthleteSpace to Claude once, then paste this prompt and put in your own numbers.
Build me a training plan for the Spurs Austin International Half (Half marathon) on January 17, 2027. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Austin International Half training questions
How long should I train for the Austin International 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 Austin International Half course hilly?
Rolling. A point-to-point half that starts on Stonelake Boulevard in north Austin, in front of the Regal Gateway Theater, and finishes at 13th and San Jacinto beside the Texas State Capitol.
What is the weather usually like at the Austin International Half?
Mid-January mornings in Austin are usually cool and dry, with normal lows in the low 40s °F and afternoon highs near 62 °F, so expect roughly 40–52 °F at the start. Warm, humid fronts and the odd cold snap both happen, so bring a throwaway layer. Cool air plus a net downhill makes this a morning to race.
When should I start tapering for the Austin International 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 rolls, so keep one short session on undulating ground in the first taper week. With the race on January 17, 2027, your taper starts around January 5, 2027.
Do I need an account to get a Austin International 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.