Your plan in four answers
Set for May 29, 2027, about 31 weeks out.
- Distances
- Half marathon, 10K, 5K
- Sport
- Running
- Taper starts
- May 17, 2027
Course
The Great American River Run course
The Great American River Run is Memphis in May's downtown race, with a half marathon, 10K and 5K that celebrate more than 10 years of running in the city. The 2027 race is on Saturday, May 29, with the start and finish at AutoZone Park in downtown Memphis.
Read the full course notes
The organizers describe courses that mix downtown city streets, landmarks and views of the Mississippi River, with well-marked routes, hydration stations and spectator support. A portion of every registration supports the Fisher House of Tennessee, which shelters families during a veteran's medical crisis at the VA hospital. AutoZone is the presenting sponsor.
- Distances
- Half marathon, 10K, 5K
- Weather on race day
- Ten years of late May weather data for Memphis show average highs near 83 °F and lows near 66 °F, with about 71 °F at 8 am and humidity around 80 percent in the morning. Rain falls on roughly four days in ten in this window, often as thunderstorms. Dress light, start conservatively, drink early and often, and slow your pace if the morning is humid.
What to train for
This is a late May race in the Mid-South, so your build runs straight into warm weather: plan to train in the heat and adjust pace by effort rather than the watch on humid days.
For the half, build to a long run of 10 to 12 miles and add a weekly tempo of 20 to 30 minutes at half marathon effort.
Add a few short strides after easy runs each week to keep your legs quick for the downtown streets. Practise drinking at every station in training runs, because you will want to on race day.
Sample week
A sample Great American River 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
Your build to race day
Taper
Tapering for the Great American River 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. With the race on May 29, 2027, your taper starts around May 17, 2027.
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 Great American River Run (Half marathon) on May 29, 2027. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Great American River Run training questions
How long should I train for the Great American River 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 Great American River Run course hilly?
The Great American River Run is Memphis in May's downtown race, with a half marathon, 10K and 5K that celebrate more than 10 years of running in the city.
What is the weather usually like at the Great American River Run?
Ten years of late May weather data for Memphis show average highs near 83 °F and lows near 66 °F, with about 71 °F at 8 am and humidity around 80 percent in the morning. Rain falls on roughly four days in ten in this window, often as thunderstorms. Dress light, start conservatively, drink early and often, and slow your pace if the morning is humid.
When should I start tapering for the Great American River 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. With the race on May 29, 2027, your taper starts around May 17, 2027.
Do I need an account to get a Great American River 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.