Your plan in four answers
Set for October 17, 2027, about 51 weeks out.
- Distances
- Half marathon, 10K
- Terrain
- Flat
- Taper starts
- October 5, 2027
Course
The Hampton Court Palace Half course
Both races start together at 9:00 from the event village inside the grounds of Hampton Court Palace (KT8 9AU), then run through the palace gardens, the surrounding parkland and along the Thames Path. The published route files show only about 30 m of climbing over the half marathon and 14 m over the 10K, so this is one of the flattest half marathons around London.
Read the full course notes
The surface is mixed: grass, gravel and towpath, which is a little slower than tarmac and can be soft after rain. Runners pass along the towpath below the event village within the first 200 m, and half marathoners come back past it around mile 8, which is the best spot for supporters. The towpath is a public path shared with walkers and cyclists, so expect some narrow sections.
- Terrain
- Flat
- Distances
- Half marathon, 10K
- Weather on race day
- Mid October by the Thames is usually cool and settled enough for fast running: around 9–13 °C at the 9:00 start, with afternoon highs near 16 °C on Met Office averages. October is one of the wetter months, so a damp towpath and a light breeze off the river are both likely. Wear a throwaway layer to the start and you should need little more than water at the 5K, 10K and 15K stations.
What to train for
Flat does not mean easy here: grass and gravel sap a little speed, so do one run a week on trails or grass to build ankle strength and a quick, light stride.
Half marathoners should build to 18 to 20 km long runs, with the last 5 km at goal pace on similar mixed surfaces.
A weekly session of 3 x 3 km at half marathon pace teaches you to hold rhythm when there are no hills to break it up. Practise drinking from cups on the move, since the course has water roughly every 5 km.
Sample week
A sample Hampton Court Palace 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
- Intervals: 5 × 1 km at 5K to 10K effort, easy jog between
- Wednesday
- Easy run, 8–10 km
- Thursday Key session
- Goal-pace run, 11 km with 6 km at race pace
- Friday
- Recovery run, 6 km, or cross-train
- Saturday Key session
- Long run, 16–19 km easy
- Sunday
- Easy run, 6 km, then 6 relaxed strides
Your build to race day
Taper
Tapering for the Hampton Court Palace 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 flat, so pacing decides the day: rehearse your goal pace in short segments during race week. With the race on October 17, 2027, your taper starts around October 5, 2027.
Also in Claude
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Add AthleteSpace to Claude once, then paste this prompt and put in your own numbers.
Build me a training plan for the Hampton Court Palace Running Festival Presented by Voltarol (Half marathon) on October 17, 2027. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Hampton Court Palace Half training questions
How long should I train for the Hampton Court Palace 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 Hampton Court Palace Half course hilly?
Flat. Both races start together at 9:00 from the event village inside the grounds of Hampton Court Palace (KT8 9AU), then run through the palace gardens, the surrounding parkland and along the Thames Path.
What is the weather usually like at the Hampton Court Palace Half?
Mid October by the Thames is usually cool and settled enough for fast running: around 9–13 °C at the 9:00 start, with afternoon highs near 16 °C on Met Office averages. October is one of the wetter months, so a damp towpath and a light breeze off the river are both likely. Wear a throwaway layer to the start and you should need little more than water at the 5K, 10K and 15K stations.
When should I start tapering for the Hampton Court Palace 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 flat, so pacing decides the day: rehearse your goal pace in short segments during race week. With the race on October 17, 2027, your taper starts around October 5, 2027.
Do I need an account to get a Hampton Court Palace 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.