Your plan in four answers
Set for November 28, 2026, about 5 weeks out.
- Distances
- Half marathon, 5K
- Terrain
- Flat
- Taper starts
- November 16, 2026
Course
The Coastal Half Marathon course
Now in its 19th year, this post-Thanksgiving half starts and finishes at the Orange Beach Sportsplex off Canal Road, with the gun at 8:00 a.m. The course is one big counterclockwise loop: out along the Gulf Oak Ridge Trail, a short out-and-back turnaround on State Park Road 2 before mile 3, then south to the beach, where miles 4.5 to 6 run along East Beach Boulevard in a coned lane by the Gulf.
Read the full course notes
From there you head back inland on the Rosemary Dunes, Catman and Cotton Bayou trails, run a short stretch of sidewalk along Highway 161, and finish through the woods on the Rattlesnake Ridge and Twin Bridges trails. Most of the route is on the paved backcountry trail network through Gulf State Park and Orange Beach, so it is flat, with only bridge approaches and small boardwalk rises to break the rhythm. Aid stations with water and Powerade sit at about miles 3, 4.5, 6, 8, 10.25 and 12.
- Terrain
- Flat
- Distances
- Half marathon, 5K
- Weather on race day
- Late November on the Alabama coast is usually mild, and the organizers list an average race temperature of 61 °F, with cooler air at the 8 a.m. start and sunshine likely. A breeze off the Gulf is common on the beachfront miles, and a warm, humid morning is possible, so drink at every aid station and adjust pace if the temperature climbs.
What to train for
A flat loop like this rewards steady pacing, so make your key session a weekly tempo run of 4 to 6 miles at half-marathon pace or slightly faster.
Build your long run to 11 to 13 miles with the last 3 to 4 at goal pace, and include a few twisty trail or greenway runs so the frequent turns between trail sections do not break your rhythm.
Practice running into a headwind for 10 to 15 minutes at steady effort, which is exactly what the beachfront stretch can feel like.
Sample week
A sample Coastal 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
Your build to race day
Taper
Tapering for the Coastal 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. With the race on November 28, 2026, your taper starts around November 16, 2026.
Also in Claude
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Add AthleteSpace to Claude once, then paste this prompt and put in your own numbers.
Build me a training plan for the Coastal Half Marathon, 5k & 1 Mile Fun Run on November 28, 2026. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Coastal Half Marathon training questions
How long should I train for the Coastal 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 Coastal Half Marathon course hilly?
Flat. Now in its 19th year, this post-Thanksgiving half starts and finishes at the Orange Beach Sportsplex off Canal Road, with the gun at 8:00 a.m.
What is the weather usually like at the Coastal Half Marathon?
Late November on the Alabama coast is usually mild, and the organizers list an average race temperature of 61 °F, with cooler air at the 8 a.m. start and sunshine likely. A breeze off the Gulf is common on the beachfront miles, and a warm, humid morning is possible, so drink at every aid station and adjust pace if the temperature climbs.
When should I start tapering for the Coastal 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. With the race on November 28, 2026, your taper starts around November 16, 2026.
Do I need an account to get a Coastal 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.