Your plan in four answers
Set for March 27, 2027, about 22 weeks out.
- Distances
- 10 miles
- Terrain
- Hilly
- Field
- More than 2,000 entrants in its biggest years (a record 2,525 in 2008)
- Taper starts
- March 15, 2027
Course
The Charlottesville Ten Miler course
The race starts and finishes on Carl Smith Way beside UVA's Scott Stadium, opening with a downhill and closing with a fast straightaway. The first miles loop the University grounds on Stadium Road, Alderman Road, Lewis Mountain Road and McCormick Road past the Rotunda, before the longest descent of the day on Grady Avenue around mile 3.
Read the full course notes
From mile 4 the course climbs to the Downtown Mall, drops through Court Square and down Second Street, then tackles the steep Northwood climb and the legendary Lexington and Maple ascent around mile 6. Since 2026 the route runs out Water Street to a turnaround at the Coal Tower, then follows a long, gradual rise to a flat stretch on Main Street. A steep climb along The Corner at mile 9 is the last real test before a fast downhill on Alderman Road to the finish.
- Terrain
- Hilly
- Distances
- 10 miles
- Field
- More than 2,000 entrants in its biggest years (a record 2,525 in 2008)
- Weather on race day
- Late March mornings in Charlottesville usually start in the mid 30s to upper 40s °F at the 7:15 start, with afternoon highs in the mid 50s. Race history shows the full range, from snow at 38 °F in 1990 to a start in the mid 80s in 1985, so check the forecast and bring layers you can shed.
What to train for
This is a hill course that rewards preparation: once a week, run 6 to 10 repeats of 60 to 90 seconds uphill at 10K effort, and do your long runs on rolling routes with a steep climb after 5 or 6 miles.
Practise holding effort, not pace, on the climbs and then using the descents, especially Grady Avenue around mile 3 and the downhill finish on Alderman Road.
Include tempo runs of 3 to 5 miles on undulating roads so the flat Main Street section around mile 8 feels like the place to settle back to goal pace. The course stays open 2.5 hours (15:00 per mile), so newer runners and walkers should rehearse that pace on long runs.
Sample week
A sample Charlottesville Ten Miler 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: 8 × 90 s up a steady grade, jog back down
- 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 on hilly ground, steady effort on the climbs
- Sunday
- Easy run, 4 mi, then 6 relaxed strides
Your build to race day
Taper
Tapering for the Charlottesville Ten Miler
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 hilly, so keep one short hill session in the first taper week to keep the climbs familiar. With the race on March 27, 2027, your taper starts around March 15, 2027.
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Build me a training plan for the Charlottesville Ten Miler (10 miles) on March 27, 2027. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Charlottesville Ten Miler training questions
How long should I train for the Charlottesville Ten Miler?
Most runners give a 10-mile twelve to fourteen 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 Charlottesville Ten Miler course hilly?
Hilly. The race starts and finishes on Carl Smith Way beside UVA's Scott Stadium, opening with a downhill and closing with a fast straightaway.
What is the weather usually like at the Charlottesville Ten Miler?
Late March mornings in Charlottesville usually start in the mid 30s to upper 40s °F at the 7:15 start, with afternoon highs in the mid 50s. Race history shows the full range, from snow at 38 °F in 1990 to a start in the mid 80s in 1985, so check the forecast and bring layers you can shed.
When should I start tapering for the Charlottesville Ten Miler?
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 hilly, so keep one short hill session in the first taper week to keep the climbs familiar. With the race on March 27, 2027, your taper starts around March 15, 2027.
Do I need an account to get a Charlottesville Ten Miler 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.