Your plan in four answers
Big River Crossing Race has not announced its next date, so we have estimated November. Change the date below once you know it.
- Distances
- Half marathon, 10K, 5K
- Sport
- Running
Course
The Big River Crossing Race course
Every race starts at Martyrs Park on Channel 3 Drive, on the Memphis riverfront, with the half marathon and 10K at 8:30 a.m. and the 5K and 1 mile family walk/run at 8:45 a.m. The half marathon is a two-state course: it crosses the Mississippi River on Big River Crossing, the river's longest public pedestrian bridge, then follows the Big River Trail through the Arkansas flood plain past Dacus Lake before returning to the city.
Read the full course notes
The Arkansas section is a newly, fully paved course. The 10K also crosses the bridge, with views back to downtown Memphis, and the 5K runs from Martyrs Park through Tom Lee Park and back along the river.
- Distances
- Half marathon, 10K, 5K
- Weather on race day
- November in Memphis averages a high near 62 °F and a low near 45 °F, which makes mid-November ideal running weather, often cool at the 8:30 a.m. start. Rain falls on about 8 days in a typical November, and winds average around 9.5 mph, most often from the south. Bring a throwaway layer for the start and be ready for a breeze on the bridge and across the open flood plain.
What to train for
Most of the course is open riverside and flood plain running, so build steady aerobic miles with long runs of 10 to 13 miles for the half and 5 to 7 miles for the 10K.
The bridge approaches are the main rises, so add short hill repeats every week or two to keep your stride strong on the way up and relaxed on the way down.
Practice holding goal effort for 15 to 20 minutes into a breeze, since the bridge and the flood plain are exposed. A few tempo runs at half marathon or 10K pace will give you a confident rhythm for the long stretch on the Arkansas side.
Sample week
A sample Big River Crossing Race 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
Taper
Tapering for the Big River Crossing Race
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.
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 Peer Power Big River Crossing Race (Half marathon) in November. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Big River Crossing Race training questions
How long should I train for the Big River Crossing Race?
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 Big River Crossing Race course hilly?
Every race starts at Martyrs Park on Channel 3 Drive, on the Memphis riverfront, with the half marathon and 10K at 8:30 a.m. and the 5K and 1 mile family walk/run at 8:45 a.m.
What is the weather usually like at the Big River Crossing Race?
November in Memphis averages a high near 62 °F and a low near 45 °F, which makes mid-November ideal running weather, often cool at the 8:30 a.m. start. Rain falls on about 8 days in a typical November, and winds average around 9.5 mph, most often from the south. Bring a throwaway layer for the start and be ready for a breeze on the bridge and across the open flood plain.
When should I start tapering for the Big River Crossing Race?
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.
Do I need an account to get a Big River Crossing Race 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.