Your plan in four answers
Fox Cities Marathon has not announced its next date, so we have estimated September. Change the date below once you know it.
- Distances
- Marathon, Half marathon, 10K, 5K
- Terrain
- Flat
Course
The Fox Cities Marathon course
The marathon starts on Midway Road in front of the Barlow Planetarium in Menasha and runs through seven Fox Cities communities to finish at Riverside Park on the waterfront near downtown Neenah. The early miles head east on Midway Road into Harrison, then north through Darboy and Combined Locks to the Fox River, with paved trail sections that include the C-E Trail and the riverside Newberry Trail into Appleton around miles 13 to 15.
Read the full course notes
The second half swings back west and south along Lakeshore Drive and crosses the 1,600-foot Friendship Trail Trestle Bridge, the longest pedestrian bridge in Wisconsin, around mile 21, before the final miles through Fox Crossing into Neenah. More than 7 miles are on paved trail, and the official elevation chart stays within about 50 feet from start to finish, with the half's only real rise a bridge overpass near mile 2. The course is USATF certified, a Boston qualifier, and open for 7 hours (7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.); the 10K and 5K run on Saturday from Riverside Park.
- Terrain
- Flat
- Distances
- Marathon, Half marathon, 10K, 5K
- Weather on race day
- The organizers list an average of 46 °F at the 7:00 a.m. start and 60 °F at noon, which is close to ideal marathon weather, but they advise being prepared for any type of weather. They post weather updates on the home page as race day approaches, so check them and adjust your goal pace if it runs warm.
What to train for
This is a fast, flat course, so the work is about rhythm and fueling rather than hills.
Build to 18 to 20 mile long runs with 6 to 10 miles at goal marathon pace on flat roads or paved trails, and run a weekly 5 to 7 mile tempo at half-marathon effort.
Practice holding pace through trail turns, underpasses and bridges, which can break your rhythm, and rehearse the gels and sports drink you plan to take, since water stations come every 1 to 1.5 miles. Train through the August heat and the usually cool race morning will feel like a reward.
Sample week
A sample Fox Cities 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 Fox Cities 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.
Also in Claude
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Build me a training plan for the Community First Fox Cities Marathon in September. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Fox Cities Marathon training questions
How long should I train for the Fox Cities 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 Fox Cities Marathon course hilly?
Flat. The marathon starts on Midway Road in front of the Barlow Planetarium in Menasha and runs through seven Fox Cities communities to finish at Riverside Park on the waterfront near downtown Neenah.
What is the weather usually like at the Fox Cities Marathon?
The organizers list an average of 46 °F at the 7:00 a.m. start and 60 °F at noon, which is close to ideal marathon weather, but they advise being prepared for any type of weather. They post weather updates on the home page as race day approaches, so check them and adjust your goal pace if it runs warm.
When should I start tapering for the Fox Cities 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.
Do I need an account to get a Fox Cities 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.