Your plan in four answers
Set for December 5, 2026, about 6 weeks out.
- Distances
- 10 miles, 20 miles, 50K
- Terrain
- Rolling
- Taper starts
- November 17, 2026
Course
The Bigfoot course
Bigfoot runs entirely inside Salt Fork State Park on a well-marked 10.4-mile loop of hiking and bridle trails. The 10 mile races one loop, the 20 mile two and the 50K three, so you pass the start area each lap.
Read the full course notes
The terrain rolls the whole way, and the 50K adds up to more than 4,000 feet of climbing. Follow the pink blazes and permanent wooden signs, and expect a trail that the organizers say is known for eating trail shoes. A second 10 mile runs on Sunday, so you can race both days.
- Terrain
- Rolling
- Distances
- 10 miles, 20 miles, 50K
- Weather on race day
- Early December in nearby Cambridge averages a high of 42 °F and a low of 26 °F, so the 8:30 AM start is often below freezing. December brings about 3 inches of precipitation, and the first snowfall of an inch or more typically arrives this month. Dress in layers you can shed, wear gloves and a hat early, and carry a dry layer for the later loops. Cell service in the park can be spotty, so download directions before you leave.
What to train for
Climbing is the story here, so build hill strength with weekly sessions on rolling trails and practice power hiking the steep pitches.
Put a long run on trail every weekend and add back-to-back weekend runs if you are doing the 50K.
Practice eating and drinking every 30 to 45 minutes, because the 50K and 20 mile have an 8.5-hour cutoff that rewards steady fueling over speed. Train in the shoes you will race in, and choose a pair with good grip for muddy or leaf-covered ground.
Sample week
A sample Bigfoot 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: 10 × 2 min up a steady grade, jog back down
- Wednesday
- Easy run, 6 mi
- Thursday Key session
- Goal-pace run, 8 mi with 4 mi at race pace
- Friday
- Recovery run, 4 mi, or cross-train
- Saturday Key session
- Long run, 18–20 mi on trail, with as much climbing as you can find
- Sunday Key session
- Second long day, 10–12 mi easy on tired legs
Your build to race day
Taper
Tapering for the Bigfoot
Start the taper two to three weeks 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 December 5, 2026, your taper starts around November 17, 2026.
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 Bigfoot 50K, 20 & 10 Miler (20 miles) on December 5, 2026. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Bigfoot training questions
How long should I train for the Bigfoot?
Most runners give a 50k twenty to twenty-four 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 Bigfoot course hilly?
Rolling. Bigfoot runs entirely inside Salt Fork State Park on a well-marked 10.4-mile loop of hiking and bridle trails.
What is the weather usually like at the Bigfoot?
Early December in nearby Cambridge averages a high of 42 °F and a low of 26 °F, so the 8:30 AM start is often below freezing. December brings about 3 inches of precipitation, and the first snowfall of an inch or more typically arrives this month. Dress in layers you can shed, wear gloves and a hat early, and carry a dry layer for the later loops. Cell service in the park can be spotty, so download directions before you leave.
When should I start tapering for the Bigfoot?
Start the taper two to three weeks 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 December 5, 2026, your taper starts around November 17, 2026.
Do I need an account to get a Bigfoot 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.