Your plan in four answers
Geist Half has not announced its next date, so we have estimated September. Change the date below once you know it.
- Distances
- Half marathon, 10K, 5K
- Terrain
- Hilly
Course
The Geist Half course
Billed as a hilly, waterfront half, the race starts at the north end of the Olio Road bridge and heads straight south across Geist Reservoir. After winding through lakeside neighborhoods, the course crosses the water again on the 96th Street bridge and follows Fall Creek Road onto tree-covered trails and over a footbridge.
Read the full course notes
It then turns north and northeast through the Hamilton Proper neighborhood and its golf course, comes south on Brooks School Road, recrosses the 96th Street bridge and finishes with a push north over the Olio Road bridge. Expect steady rolling hills rather than one big climb, plus the Mental Health Mile at mile 5 and the Gold Star Mile at mile 10. The half, 10K and 5K all start at 7:30 a.m. on a USATF-certified course, with pacers from 1:40 to 2:40 and an 11:00 a.m. cutoff (16:00 per mile).
- Terrain
- Hilly
- Distances
- Half marathon, 10K, 5K
- Weather on race day
- Mid-September in the Indianapolis area usually means a start in the upper 50s to mid 60s °F, warming toward the upper 70s °F by late morning, with humidity often around 75%. A warm, sticky morning is possible, so start conservatively, drink at the stations every 2 to 3 miles and save your push for the final bridge.
What to train for
The rolling hills of Geist reward strength more than raw speed, so put a weekly hill session in your plan: 8 to 10 x 60 to 90 seconds uphill at 10K effort, jogging down to recover.
Run your long runs on rolling routes, building to 11 to 12 miles with the last 3 miles at goal pace, so you learn to hold effort over each rise.
Bridges and footbridges bring short up-and-down transitions, so practice relaxing your stride over crests. If this is your tune-up for a fall marathon, race it at half-marathon effort and use the week after for recovery.
Sample week
A sample Geist 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
- Hill repeats: 8 × 90 s up a steady grade, jog back down
- 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 on hilly ground, steady effort on the climbs
- Sunday
- Easy run, 4 mi, then 6 relaxed strides
Taper
Tapering for the Geist 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 hilly, so keep one short hill session in the first taper week to keep the climbs familiar.
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Build me a training plan for the Geist Half Marathon in September. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Geist Half training questions
How long should I train for the Geist 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 Geist Half course hilly?
Hilly. Billed as a hilly, waterfront half, the race starts at the north end of the Olio Road bridge and heads straight south across Geist Reservoir.
What is the weather usually like at the Geist Half?
Mid-September in the Indianapolis area usually means a start in the upper 50s to mid 60s °F, warming toward the upper 70s °F by late morning, with humidity often around 75%. A warm, sticky morning is possible, so start conservatively, drink at the stations every 2 to 3 miles and save your push for the final bridge.
When should I start tapering for the Geist 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 hilly, so keep one short hill session in the first taper week to keep the climbs familiar.
Do I need an account to get a Geist 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.