Your plan in four answers
City of Oaks Marathon is on November 1, 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
- Marathon, Half marathon, 10K, 5K
- Terrain
- Rolling
Course
The City of Oaks Marathon course
All four races start and finish in downtown Raleigh near Glenwood Avenue, and the marathon and half go off at 7:00 a.m. The marathon opens with about five miles of loops through downtown and the State Capitol district, then heads west on Hillsborough Street past NC State's Memorial Belltower around mile 7.
Read the full course notes
From there it joins Raleigh's paved Capital Area Greenway trails and runs north to a turnaround near Shelley Lake Park at about mile 16, then comes back south on the same greenways to finish downtown. The official 2026 route shows about 1,191 feet of climbing, spread over steady rollers along the creek corridors rather than one big hill, so even effort pays off. The full is a USATF-certified Boston qualifier with a 6-hour limit (3.5 hours for the half), and the organizers note the route can still change before race day.
- Terrain
- Rolling
- Distances
- Marathon, Half marathon, 10K, 5K
- Weather on race day
- Around early November, NOAA 1991–2020 normals for Raleigh usually run from lows of about 43–45 °F to highs of about 67–69 °F, so the 7:00 a.m. start is cool and the day warms quickly. Bring a throwaway layer for the start corral and drink a little more in the late miles as the temperature climbs.
What to train for
With about 1,200 feet of gain and few truly flat miles, build strength on rolling ground: do your weekly long run on hilly roads or greenways and hold steady effort on every rise.
Once a week, add 6 to 8 x 60–90 seconds uphill at 10K effort, or a 4 to 6 mile tempo over rollers.
Build to 18 to 20 mile long runs with the last 4 to 6 miles at goal pace, because the return leg from the turnaround near mile 16 is where patient pacing pays off. Aid stations have water and usually sports drink, with gels at only some, so practice taking your own fuel every 30 to 40 minutes.
Sample week
A sample City of Oaks 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 mile at 5K to 10K effort, easy jog between
- Wednesday
- Easy run, 6–7 mi
- Thursday Key session
- Goal-pace run, 10 mi with 6 mi at race pace
- Friday
- Recovery run, 4 mi, or cross-train
- Saturday Key session
- Long run, 16–18 mi, the last 4 mi at race pace
- Sunday
- Easy run, 4 mi, then 6 relaxed strides
Taper
Tapering for the City of Oaks Marathon
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.
Also in Claude
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Build me a training plan for the Martin Marietta City of Oaks Marathon in November. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
City of Oaks Marathon training questions
How long should I train for the City of Oaks Marathon?
Most runners give a marathon sixteen to twenty 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 City of Oaks Marathon course hilly?
Rolling. All four races start and finish in downtown Raleigh near Glenwood Avenue, and the marathon and half go off at 7:00 a.m.
What is the weather usually like at the City of Oaks Marathon?
Around early November, NOAA 1991–2020 normals for Raleigh usually run from lows of about 43–45 °F to highs of about 67–69 °F, so the 7:00 a.m. start is cool and the day warms quickly. Bring a throwaway layer for the start corral and drink a little more in the late miles as the temperature climbs.
When should I start tapering for the City of Oaks Marathon?
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.
Do I need an account to get a City of Oaks 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.