Your plan in four answers
Charleston Half Marathon has not announced its next date, so we have estimated January. Change the date below once you know it.
- Distances
- Half marathon, 5K
- Terrain
- Flat
Course
The Charleston Half Marathon course
The 2026 race started at 7:00 a.m. on President Street by Burke High School and finished at the RiverDogs' ballpark on Fishburne Street, and the organizers will reveal the 2027 course closer to race day. That route toured the Wagener Terrace neighborhood and Hampton Park, ran along Lockwood Drive beside the Ashley River and then wound through the historic peninsula on Broad, Tradd, King and Meeting Streets, Murray Boulevard by the Battery and East Bay Street.
Read the full course notes
The peninsula sits just above sea level, so the course is flat: what you notice are the many corners through narrow historic streets, not hills. Aid stations are at miles 3, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 11 with water and usually sports drink. The half has a 3 hour 15 minute limit (15 minutes per mile).
- Terrain
- Flat
- Distances
- Half marathon, 5K
- Weather on race day
- Late January in Charleston usually means start temperatures from the upper 30s to the mid 40s °F, warming into the 50s by the finish, with humidity around 70%. Cold fronts and breezy, damp mornings near the water are common, so bring a throwaway layer and gloves, and keep drinking even though it feels cool.
What to train for
A flat, sea-level course rewards even pacing: build tempo runs of 20 to 40 minutes at half marathon pace and long runs of 10 to 13 miles that finish with the last 3 miles at goal pace.
The many corners in the historic district cost a second or two each, so practice running tangents and accelerating smoothly out of turns on a city loop.
Aid comes at miles 3, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 11, so rehearse taking a gel around mile 6 or 7 and drinking from cups without breaking stride. Winter training is dark and cold for many runners, so schedule your key sessions in daylight and keep easy days genuinely easy.
Sample week
A sample Charleston Half Marathon 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 Charleston Half Marathon
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 is flat, so pacing decides the day: rehearse your goal pace in short segments during race week.
Also in Claude
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Build me a training plan for the Charleston Half Marathon in January. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Charleston Half Marathon training questions
How long should I train for the Charleston Half Marathon?
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 Charleston Half Marathon course hilly?
Flat. The 2026 race started at 7:00 a.m. on President Street by Burke High School and finished at the RiverDogs' ballpark on Fishburne Street, and the organizers will reveal the 2027 course closer to race day.
What is the weather usually like at the Charleston Half Marathon?
Late January in Charleston usually means start temperatures from the upper 30s to the mid 40s °F, warming into the 50s by the finish, with humidity around 70%. Cold fronts and breezy, damp mornings near the water are common, so bring a throwaway layer and gloves, and keep drinking even though it feels cool.
When should I start tapering for the Charleston Half Marathon?
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 is flat, so pacing decides the day: rehearse your goal pace in short segments during race week.
Do I need an account to get a Charleston Half Marathon 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.