Your plan in four answers
Girlfriends Run has not announced its next date, so we have estimated October. Change the date below once you know it.
- Distances
- Half marathon, 10K, 6K
- Terrain
- Flat
Course
The Girlfriends Run course
All three races start on Waterfront Way at the Vancouver Waterfront and finish near Hotel Indigo, through a zig-zag Path of Hope back to the start area. The early miles climb about 75 feet to Officers Row and Fort Vancouver, the course high point near mile 2, before dropping back toward the river around mile 3 and crossing the Confluence Land Bridge.
Read the full course notes
Half marathoners then follow the Columbia River waterfront trail east to a turnaround at Wintler Park and return along the river, while the 10K turns back sooner and the 6K splits off on its own shorter route. Apart from that early climb and a couple of short rises, the route is flat, with about 290 feet of total climbing on the race's half marathon map. The race is designed for women and welcomes men who join as Pink Brigade Guys, and about half the field walks or mixes running and walking.
- Terrain
- Flat
- Distances
- Half marathon, 10K, 6K
- Weather on race day
- Mid-October in Vancouver is usually cool and often damp, with the 9 a.m. start around 48–56 °F and highs in the low 60s. Rain becomes more frequent this month, so pack a light shell or throwaway layer and dry clothes for the post-race celebration.
What to train for
The course's one real test comes early, so do not let the climb to Officers Row in the first two miles pull you above goal effort.
Practice by starting long runs on a gentle hill at easy effort, then settling into goal pace on flat ground, and add 6 to 8 x 60-second hill repeats once a week.
The long riverfront out-and-back rewards steady pacing: half marathoners can build long runs to 10 to 12 miles with 3 to 5 miles at goal pace. Run-walkers should rehearse their exact interval, such as 4 minutes running and 1 minute walking, on every long run.
Sample week
A sample Girlfriends Run 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
Taper
Tapering for the Girlfriends Run
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.
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 Girlfriends Run presented by Vancouver Clinic (Half marathon) in October. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Girlfriends Run training questions
How long should I train for the Girlfriends Run?
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 Girlfriends Run course hilly?
Flat. All three races start on Waterfront Way at the Vancouver Waterfront and finish near Hotel Indigo, through a zig-zag Path of Hope back to the start area.
What is the weather usually like at the Girlfriends Run?
Mid-October in Vancouver is usually cool and often damp, with the 9 a.m. start around 48–56 °F and highs in the low 60s. Rain becomes more frequent this month, so pack a light shell or throwaway layer and dry clothes for the post-race celebration.
When should I start tapering for the Girlfriends Run?
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.
Do I need an account to get a Girlfriends Run 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.