Your plan in four answers
Set for September 12, 2027, about 46 weeks out.
- Distances
- Marathon, Half marathon, 10K, 5K
- Terrain
- Flat
- Taper starts
- August 25, 2027
Course
The Dunedin Marathon course
The marathon starts at the Portobello Recreation Reserve on the Otago Peninsula and heads northeast up the peninsula, with a loop through Harwood, to a turnaround just north of Pakihau Road. It then retraces the road to Portobello and follows the harbourside shared path past Bayfield Inlet and the Molars, along Portsmouth Drive to the Harbour Basin, and crosses the Ward Street ramp to finish outside Emerson's brewery.
Read the full course notes
The half marathon starts on the Caledonian Ground track, passes Forsyth Barr Stadium and runs out along the harbour to Bayfield Inlet before returning on the same harbourside finish. The first half of the marathon has some gentle inclines and the second half is mostly flat, on roads and shared paths with Otago Harbour beside you almost the whole way. The course is AIMS certified and the time limit is six hours.
- Terrain
- Flat
- Distances
- Marathon, Half marathon, 10K, 5K
- Weather on race day
- Mid-September is early spring in Dunedin: race mornings are usually cool, around 5–10 °C, with daytime highs near 13 °C and a fair chance of showers. A southwesterly can blow along the harbour, so bring a throwaway layer and gloves for the start and expect some headwind on the exposed harbourside stretches.
What to train for
With gentle inclines early and a flat harbourside run home, this course rewards a patient first half and strong, even running after 25 km.
Build long runs to 30 to 34 km, with the final 8 to 10 km at goal marathon pace on flat ground.
Add a weekly session of 3 x 15 minutes at marathon pace on exposed roads to practise holding rhythm in the wind. Do some long runs in cool, damp weather wearing the kit you plan to race in.
Sample week
A sample Dunedin 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 × 1.5 km at 5K to 10K effort, easy jog between
- Wednesday
- Easy run, 10–11 km
- Thursday Key session
- Goal-pace run, 16 km with 10 km at race pace
- Friday
- Recovery run, 6 km, or cross-train
- Saturday Key session
- Long run, 26–29 km, the last 6 km at race pace
- Sunday
- Easy run, 6 km, then 6 relaxed strides
Your build to race day
Taper
Tapering for the Dunedin 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 is flat, so pacing decides the day: rehearse your goal pace in short segments during race week. With the race on September 12, 2027, your taper starts around August 25, 2027.
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 Emerson's Dunedin Marathon on September 12, 2027. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Dunedin Marathon training questions
How long should I train for the Dunedin 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 Dunedin Marathon course hilly?
Flat. The marathon starts at the Portobello Recreation Reserve on the Otago Peninsula and heads northeast up the peninsula, with a loop through Harwood, to a turnaround just north of Pakihau Road.
What is the weather usually like at the Dunedin Marathon?
Mid-September is early spring in Dunedin: race mornings are usually cool, around 5–10 °C, with daytime highs near 13 °C and a fair chance of showers. A southwesterly can blow along the harbour, so bring a throwaway layer and gloves for the start and expect some headwind on the exposed harbourside stretches.
When should I start tapering for the Dunedin 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 is flat, so pacing decides the day: rehearse your goal pace in short segments during race week. With the race on September 12, 2027, your taper starts around August 25, 2027.
Do I need an account to get a Dunedin 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.