Your plan in four answers
Set for December 6, 2026, about 6 weeks out.
- Distances
- Half marathon, 10K, 5K
- Terrain
- Flat
- Taper starts
- November 24, 2026
Course
The Duke's Holiday Half course
The race is held in Duke Island Park in Bridgewater, a 343-acre park on the Raritan River Greenway, starting near 191 Old York Rd. Everything runs on a single loop of about 3.3 miles: half marathoners run four laps, 10K runners two and 5K runners one, with every lap timed so you get live splits.
Read the full course notes
The organiser bills it as flat and fast, tree-lined and shaded, along the shore of the Raritan River and past the park's picnic fields, which makes it easy for supporters to see you several times. There are three support stations per loop with water, Gatorade and energy gels. 2026 is the inaugural edition; the final start time is confirmed during race week.
- Terrain
- Flat
- Distances
- Half marathon, 10K, 5K
- Weather on race day
- Early December in Somerset County is usually cold at a mid-morning start, around 33–45 °F, often grey, with a breeze off the river and a chance of rain or early snow. Dress in layers you can shed, keep your hands warm, and expect quick times once you are moving.
What to train for
Flat, fast and lapped means this course is about rhythm: practice even pacing with a weekly session of 3 x 2 miles at half-marathon pace with 2 minutes easy between.
Build long runs to 11 to 12 miles, running the last 3 at goal pace on a flat route to mirror the river path.
Use the three stations per lap to rehearse fuelling: take a gel every 4 to 5 miles in training and practice drinking from a cup on the move. Late-season cold makes a thorough warm-up worth it: 10 minutes easy plus a few strides before the start.
Sample week
A sample Duke's Holiday Half 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 Duke's Holiday Half
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 December 6, 2026, your taper starts around November 24, 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 The Duke's Holiday Half Marathon, 10K, and 5K Race Fest on December 6, 2026. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Duke's Holiday Half training questions
How long should I train for the Duke's Holiday Half?
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 Duke's Holiday Half course hilly?
Flat. The race is held in Duke Island Park in Bridgewater, a 343-acre park on the Raritan River Greenway, starting near 191 Old York Rd.
What is the weather usually like at the Duke's Holiday Half?
Early December in Somerset County is usually cold at a mid-morning start, around 33–45 °F, often grey, with a breeze off the river and a chance of rain or early snow. Dress in layers you can shed, keep your hands warm, and expect quick times once you are moving.
When should I start tapering for the Duke's Holiday Half?
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 December 6, 2026, your taper starts around November 24, 2026.
Do I need an account to get a Duke's Holiday Half 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.