Your plan in four answers
Set for December 12, 2026, about 7 weeks out.
- Distances
- Marathon, Half marathon, 5K
- Sport
- Running
- Taper starts
- November 24, 2026
Course
The Jacksonville Marathon course
The race is based at The Bolles School at 7400 San Jose Boulevard in Jacksonville, and the marathon and half finish inside the school's stadium on the track. Both courses are USATF certified (marathon FL21041JK, half FL21042JK), and runners can qualify for the Boston Marathon here.
Read the full course notes
The organisers say it was voted the fastest marathon course in the South, and a digital clock at every mile makes even pacing easy. Water and Gatorade come every 2 miles, and the time limit is 6 hours for both the half and the marathon. The course records are 2:14:33 (men) and 2:36:45 (women) for the marathon and 1:02:40 and 1:13:39 for the half.
- Distances
- Marathon, Half marathon, 5K
- Weather on race day
- Mid-December in Jacksonville is usually cool and fairly humid at the 7:00 a.m. start, around 45–55 °F, with afternoon highs in the upper 60s; the organisers quote an average of about 56 °F. A mild, damp morning is as likely as a crisp one, so bring a throwaway layer, drink to thirst at the 2-mile stations and ease your goal pace if it is already warm and muggy at the start.
What to train for
A course voted the fastest in the South, with a clock every mile, rewards metronomic pacing, so make goal-pace work the core of your build.
Run a weekly tempo of 4 to 7 miles at half marathon to marathon effort, checking each mile split against your target, and build to 18 to 20 mile long runs with the last 6 to 8 miles at goal pace.
Long, even-paced races load the same muscles mile after mile, so add two short strength sessions a week (calf raises, single-leg squats, hip work) to protect your legs late in the race. Practise taking fluid every 2 miles in long runs to rehearse the aid station rhythm.
Sample week
A sample Jacksonville Marathon 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 mile at 5K to 10K effort, easy jog between
- Wednesday
- Easy run, 6–7 mi
- Thursday Key session
- Goal-pace run, 10 mi with 6 mi at race pace
- Friday
- Recovery run, 4 mi, or cross-train
- Saturday Key session
- Long run, 16–18 mi, the last 4 mi at race pace
- Sunday
- Easy run, 4 mi, then 6 relaxed strides
Your build to race day
Taper
Tapering for the Jacksonville Marathon
Start the taper two to three weeks 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 December 12, 2026, your taper starts around November 24, 2026.
Also in Claude
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Build me a training plan for the Ameris Bank Jacksonville Marathon on December 12, 2026. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Jacksonville Marathon training questions
How long should I train for the Jacksonville Marathon?
Most runners give a marathon sixteen to twenty 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 Jacksonville Marathon course hilly?
The race is based at The Bolles School at 7400 San Jose Boulevard in Jacksonville, and the marathon and half finish inside the school's stadium on the track.
What is the weather usually like at the Jacksonville Marathon?
Mid-December in Jacksonville is usually cool and fairly humid at the 7:00 a.m. start, around 45–55 °F, with afternoon highs in the upper 60s; the organisers quote an average of about 56 °F. A mild, damp morning is as likely as a crisp one, so bring a throwaway layer, drink to thirst at the 2-mile stations and ease your goal pace if it is already warm and muggy at the start.
When should I start tapering for the Jacksonville Marathon?
Start the taper two to three weeks 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 December 12, 2026, your taper starts around November 24, 2026.
Do I need an account to get a Jacksonville Marathon 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.