Your plan in four answers
Set for March 14, 2027, about 20 weeks out.
- Distances
- 5K
- Terrain
- Flat
- Taper starts
- March 5, 2027
Course
The Shamrock 5K course
A point-to-point course that starts at Charles and Mulberry Streets and runs south down Charles Street on the St. Patrick's Day Parade route, which gives the opening stretch a helpful downhill.
Read the full course notes
It turns onto Conway Street and Light Street, then follows Key Highway along the harbor to a turnaround near Jackson Street. Runners come back up Light Street, turn onto Pratt Street and finish on Market Place at Power Plant Live!, where the post-race party has live music and a free first drink for runners 21 and over. The organizers bill it as downhill and fast, and it is USATF certified. The gun goes at 1:00 p.m., and there is a 1 hour 15 minute limit because the parade follows right behind.
- Terrain
- Flat
- Distances
- 5K
- Weather on race day
- Mid-March afternoons in Baltimore usually sit between the mid-40s and mid-50s °F, though the city can deliver anything from a cold wind to a spring-like day. The harbor stretch on Key Highway can be breezy, so wear a layer to the start and leave it at bag check.
What to train for
A fast 5K rewards speed: run 6 to 8 x 400 m slightly quicker than 5K pace and a weekly 3 x 1 mile at 5K pace.
The downhill start tempts everyone out too fast, so practice a first mile that feels relaxed, then press after the Key Highway turnaround.
An afternoon start changes your routine, so rehearse a light lunch about three hours before a hard workout.
Sample week
A sample Shamrock 5K 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, 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 Shamrock 5K
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 is flat, so pacing decides the day: rehearse your goal pace in short segments during race week. With the race on March 14, 2027, your taper starts around March 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 Altra Kelly Benefits St. Patrick's Day Shamrock 5K on March 14, 2027. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Shamrock 5K training questions
How long should I train for the Shamrock 5K?
Most runners give a 5k eight to twelve 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 Shamrock 5K course hilly?
Flat. A point-to-point course that starts at Charles and Mulberry Streets and runs south down Charles Street on the St.
What is the weather usually like at the Shamrock 5K?
Mid-March afternoons in Baltimore usually sit between the mid-40s and mid-50s °F, though the city can deliver anything from a cold wind to a spring-like day. The harbor stretch on Key Highway can be breezy, so wear a layer to the start and leave it at bag check.
When should I start tapering for the Shamrock 5K?
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 is flat, so pacing decides the day: rehearse your goal pace in short segments during race week. With the race on March 14, 2027, your taper starts around March 5, 2027.
Do I need an account to get a Shamrock 5K 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.