Your plan in four answers
Set for September 4, 2027, about 45 weeks out.
- Distances
- Marathon, Half marathon, 10K, 5K
- Terrain
- Hilly
- Taper starts
- August 17, 2027
Course
The Devil After Dark course
Devil After Dark starts and finishes at the Lovell Canyon recreation area off Pahrump Valley Highway, west of Las Vegas, and every distance is an out-and-back on paved Lovell Canyon Road. The marathon climbs gradually through twists and rolling sections for 11 miles, from about 4,684 feet to 5,928 feet, turns around and descends the same road to the start at mile 22, then finishes with a 2.1-mile out-and-back, for about 2,429 feet of total gain.
Read the full course notes
The half turns at mile 6.55 at about 5,393 feet (1,241 feet of gain), the 10K at mile 3.1 and the 5K at mile 1.55. Starts are timed for sunset: the marathon goes at 5 p.m., the half at 5:30 and the 10K and 5K at 6:00, the sun sets around 6:40, and anyone on course after 6:50 p.m. must wear a headlamp or carry a light and be reflective front and back. The road stays open to the public, and marathoners must carry at least 24 ounces of water.
- Terrain
- Hilly
- Distances
- Marathon, Half marathon, 10K, 5K
- Weather on race day
- NOAA 1991–2020 normals for the first week of September put Las Vegas highs usually around 98–100 °F and lows around 76–78 °F. At Spring Mountain Ranch in Red Rock Canyon, the nearest NOAA station to the course at about 3,780 feet, highs usually run 90–92 °F and lows 66–68 °F, and the race starts higher still, at about 4,684 feet. Expect a hot late-afternoon start with temperatures easing after sunset, so carry plenty of fluid and take electrolytes from the first miles.
What to train for
Run the first half by effort: it is a long, steady climb at altitude, and the return is a gradual downhill that rewards anyone who saved their legs.
Do weekly tempo runs or long runs on a sustained gradual climb, then practice running back down quick and relaxed, and add downhill strides to toughen your quads.
Since you will finish in the dark, do several evening runs with your headlamp and reflective gear, and carry a 24-ounce bottle or vest on long runs so race-day hydration feels normal. If you live near sea level, expect your pace to be somewhat slower at 4,700 to 5,900 feet and set goals by effort.
Sample week
A sample Devil After Dark 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 × 90 s up a steady grade, jog back down
- 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 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 Devil After Dark
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 is hilly, so keep one short hill session in the first taper week to keep the climbs familiar. With the race on September 4, 2027, your taper starts around August 17, 2027.
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 Devil After Dark (Marathon) on September 4, 2027. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Devil After Dark training questions
How long should I train for the Devil After Dark?
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 Devil After Dark course hilly?
Hilly. Devil After Dark starts and finishes at the Lovell Canyon recreation area off Pahrump Valley Highway, west of Las Vegas, and every distance is an out-and-back on paved Lovell Canyon Road.
What is the weather usually like at the Devil After Dark?
NOAA 1991–2020 normals for the first week of September put Las Vegas highs usually around 98–100 °F and lows around 76–78 °F. At Spring Mountain Ranch in Red Rock Canyon, the nearest NOAA station to the course at about 3,780 feet, highs usually run 90–92 °F and lows 66–68 °F, and the race starts higher still, at about 4,684 feet. Expect a hot late-afternoon start with temperatures easing after sunset, so carry plenty of fluid and take electrolytes from the first miles.
When should I start tapering for the Devil After Dark?
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 is hilly, so keep one short hill session in the first taper week to keep the climbs familiar. With the race on September 4, 2027, your taper starts around August 17, 2027.
Do I need an account to get a Devil After Dark 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.