Your plan in four answers
Bay Bridge Run is on November 8, 2026, under four weeks away, so we have set next year's race in November. Change the date below if you are running this one.
- Distances
- 10K
- Terrain
- Rolling
Course
The Bay Bridge Run course
This point-to-point 10K is one of the few chances to cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge on foot. Runners start near the Northrop Grumman bayside campus in Anne Arundel County, cover about half a mile on Maryland Transportation Authority grounds, then run the eastbound span to Kent Island in Queen Anne's County, where the post-race party waits.
Read the full course notes
Of the 6.2 miles, 4.35 are over open water: a steady climb of about 1.7 miles to the bridge's high point at 186 feet, with a maximum grade of only 3 percent and a midpoint water stop, then a descent of about 2 miles to the Eastern Shore. The span is only 26 feet wide, so the race starts in waves of about 2,000 runners every 15 minutes from 7:00 a.m., with waves A and B reserved for those running under 13 minutes per mile. There is no parking at the start: all participants ride a shuttle from designated lots, and each has 2 hours to finish.
- Terrain
- Rolling
- Distances
- 10K
- Weather on race day
- Early November mornings by the Chesapeake are usually cool, around 40–55 °F at the start, and the bridge is exposed to wind off the bay, so it can feel colder at the top. Wear a light layer you can tie around your waist and expect a crosswind or headwind on the climb, so run it by effort.
What to train for
The race is really one long climb and one long descent, so train both.
Once a week run 3 to 4 x 8 minutes on a gentle 2 to 3 percent incline at 10K effort, then practise running relaxed and quick downhill for 10 to 15 minutes, keeping your cadence high to spare your quads.
Build your long run to 8 to 9 miles so 10K feels comfortable, and finish a few tempo runs on a downhill to rehearse the drop to Kent Island. Start in your assigned wave and resist surging early: the first 2.2 miles to the top set up a fast second half.
Sample week
A sample Bay Bridge Run 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
Taper
Tapering for the Bay Bridge Run
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.
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 Bay Bridge Run (10K) in November. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Bay Bridge Run training questions
How long should I train for the Bay Bridge Run?
Most runners give a 10k ten 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 Bay Bridge Run course hilly?
Rolling. This point-to-point 10K is one of the few chances to cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge on foot.
What is the weather usually like at the Bay Bridge Run?
Early November mornings by the Chesapeake are usually cool, around 40–55 °F at the start, and the bridge is exposed to wind off the bay, so it can feel colder at the top. Wear a light layer you can tie around your waist and expect a crosswind or headwind on the climb, so run it by effort.
When should I start tapering for the Bay Bridge Run?
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.
Do I need an account to get a Bay Bridge Run 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.