Your plan in four answers
Set for January 9, 2027, about 11 weeks out.
- Distances
- Half marathon, 10K, 5K
- Terrain
- Flat
- Taper starts
- December 28, 2026
Course
The Freeze Your Half Off course
Freeze Your Half Off starts at 9:00 a.m. by the Hubert Fry Center on Amnicola Highway and runs entirely on the concrete Tennessee Riverwalk, which the organizers describe as very flat. The half is a multi-loop out-and-back: west to a dead end at the river (about 2.5 miles round trip), back through the start and finish area, then east to the Chickamauga Dam and back, with the half, 10K and 5K all using the same path.
Read the full course notes
About half the route runs alongside the Tennessee River past public art, green spaces and fishing piers. One large aid station sits in the middle of the course and you pass it many times, stocked with food plus warm drinks such as coffee and hot chocolate, and drop bags are allowed. The course is wheel measured rather than certified, so GPS readings can vary.
- Terrain
- Flat
- Distances
- Half marathon, 10K, 5K
- Weather on race day
- Early January in Chattanooga is cold but rarely brutal: WeatherSpark lists average highs around 50 °F and lows of 33 to 34 °F. The 9:00 a.m. start helps, though the river path can feel brisk, so dress in layers, gloves and a hat you can tuck away. About three days in ten bring rain, so a light shell and the drop bag option are handy for staying warm after you finish.
What to train for
A flat out-and-back is ideal for even pacing, so practice long runs with negative splits and use repeated loops in training to rehearse the mental side of passing the same spot several times.
Include tempo runs of 4 to 6 miles at goal pace to make the most of the fast surface.
The turnarounds reward a smooth, short-stride turn, so practice a few on your runs. Since you will pass a well-stocked aid station often, plan exactly when to drink and fuel instead of stopping every lap.
Sample week
A sample Freeze Your Half Off 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 Freeze Your Half Off
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 January 9, 2027, your taper starts around December 28, 2026.
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 Freeze Your Half Off (Half marathon) on January 9, 2027. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Freeze Your Half Off training questions
How long should I train for the Freeze Your Half Off?
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 Freeze Your Half Off course hilly?
Flat. Freeze Your Half Off starts at 9:00 a.m. by the Hubert Fry Center on Amnicola Highway and runs entirely on the concrete Tennessee Riverwalk, which the organizers describe as very flat.
What is the weather usually like at the Freeze Your Half Off?
Early January in Chattanooga is cold but rarely brutal: WeatherSpark lists average highs around 50 °F and lows of 33 to 34 °F. The 9:00 a.m. start helps, though the river path can feel brisk, so dress in layers, gloves and a hat you can tuck away. About three days in ten bring rain, so a light shell and the drop bag option are handy for staying warm after you finish.
When should I start tapering for the Freeze Your Half Off?
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 January 9, 2027, your taper starts around December 28, 2026.
Do I need an account to get a Freeze Your Half Off 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.