Your plan in four answers
Set for September 5, 2027, about 45 weeks out.
- Distances
- Marathon, Half marathon
- Terrain
- Hilly
- Taper starts
- August 18, 2027
Course
The Kauai Marathon course
Both races start at 6:00 a.m. on Poipu Road by the Poipu Shopping Village on Kauai's sunny south shore and share the first 11 miles. The early miles climb steadily inland on Ala Kinoiki and Maluhia Road through the century-old Tunnel of Trees (mile 6.7) and on through misty Omao, reaching about 700 feet near mile 8 before a long descent.
Read the full course notes
Half marathoners then drop through Kukui'ula to an oceanfront finish at Koloa Landing, about 715 feet of total climbing on the official route. Marathoners head west on Koloa Road through Lawai and climb to Kalaheo, where a loop around miles 16 to 20 reaches the course high point of roughly 850 feet with ocean views, then run a long, gradual descent back to Poipu, about 1,975 feet of climbing in all. There are 22 aid stations on the full and 9 on the half, and a 7-hour limit with checkpoints at the Tunnel of Trees and mile 11.
- Terrain
- Hilly
- Distances
- Marathon, Half marathon
- Weather on race day
- Early September on Kauai's south shore is warm and humid: the 6:00 a.m. start is usually around 74–77 °F with humidity near 75%, climbing into the low to mid 80s °F by late morning. Trade winds and passing showers can help, but the sun is strong once it rises, so pace by effort, drink at every station and use the dawn miles to bank calm, not time.
What to train for
This is a climbing course in the heat: the first 8 miles rise about 700 feet and the marathon adds a second, higher climb to Kalaheo after mile 13.
Do one weekly hill session of 6 to 8 x 3 minutes at half-marathon effort, and run long runs with sustained climbs in both the first and second halves.
Practice steady downhill running in the last third of long runs, because miles 20 to 26 descend gradually toward the sea and reward relaxed, quick turnover. Train in warm conditions when you can and rehearse drinking every 20 to 30 minutes, and if you are flying in from the mainland, arrive a few days early as the race suggests.
Sample week
A sample Kauai 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
- Hill repeats: 10 × 90 s up a steady grade, jog back down
- 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 on hilly ground, steady effort on the climbs
- Sunday
- Easy run, 4 mi, then 6 relaxed strides
Your build to race day
Taper
Tapering for the Kauai 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. The course is hilly, so keep one short hill session in the first taper week to keep the climbs familiar. With the race on September 5, 2027, your taper starts around August 18, 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 The Kauai Marathon and Half Marathon on September 5, 2027. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Kauai Marathon training questions
How long should I train for the Kauai 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 Kauai Marathon course hilly?
Hilly. Both races start at 6:00 a.m. on Poipu Road by the Poipu Shopping Village on Kauai's sunny south shore and share the first 11 miles.
What is the weather usually like at the Kauai Marathon?
Early September on Kauai's south shore is warm and humid: the 6:00 a.m. start is usually around 74–77 °F with humidity near 75%, climbing into the low to mid 80s °F by late morning. Trade winds and passing showers can help, but the sun is strong once it rises, so pace by effort, drink at every station and use the dawn miles to bank calm, not time.
When should I start tapering for the Kauai 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. The course is hilly, so keep one short hill session in the first taper week to keep the climbs familiar. With the race on September 5, 2027, your taper starts around August 18, 2027.
Do I need an account to get a Kauai 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.