Your plan in four answers
Set for January 17, 2027, about 12 weeks out.
- Distances
- Half marathon, 10K, 5 miles, 5K
- Terrain
- Flat
- Taper starts
- January 5, 2027
Course
The Key West Half Marathon course
The half marathon starts at 7:00 a.m. near Caroline Street and Trumbo Road and finishes near Caroline and Margaret Streets by the Half Shell Raw Bar, on the historic seaport. On the 2026 map the first miles wind through Old Town on Whitehead, Duval, United and South Streets, then follow Atlantic Boulevard and South Roosevelt Boulevard for more than 3 miles past Smathers Beach, the salt ponds and the airport to a turnaround after Duck Avenue.
Read the full course notes
The return runs beside the ocean on South Roosevelt, adds an out-and-back on the White Street Pier near mile 10 and comes back through Old Town past Mallory Square to the finish. The whole course is at sea level and essentially flat, and it is cup-free, so you carry your own bottle or cup to fill at water stops roughly every 2 miles. The 5K and 10K start and finish at Higgs Beach on Saturday, and the 8K runs on Sunday morning alongside the half.
- Terrain
- Flat
- Distances
- Half marathon, 10K, 5 miles, 5K
- Weather on race day
- Mid-January in Key West is usually warm and humid for a winter race, around 64–70 °F at the 7:00 a.m. start and in the mid 70s °F by late morning, often with a steady breeze off the water. The organizers stress that hydration is vital, so start a little easier than goal pace and drink at every stop, especially into the wind on South Roosevelt Boulevard.
What to train for
The course is flat and fast but warm, so if you train through a northern winter, add heat in the final weeks (an extra layer on easy runs or treadmill sessions in a warm room) so 70 °F with humidity does not surprise you.
Build tempo runs of 4 to 6 miles at half marathon pace on flat ground, and practice holding effort into a headwind for 10 to 15 minutes, as on the long open stretch past the airport.
Because the race is cup-free, train with the handheld bottle or collapsible cup you will carry on race day. Long runs of 10 to 13 miles will make the second half feel familiar.
Sample week
A sample Key West Half 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 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 Key West Half Marathon
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 January 17, 2027, your taper starts around January 5, 2027.
Also in Claude
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Build me a training plan for the Key West Half Marathon & Runfest on January 17, 2027. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Key West Half Marathon training questions
How long should I train for the Key West Half Marathon?
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 Key West Half Marathon course hilly?
Flat. The half marathon starts at 7:00 a.m. near Caroline Street and Trumbo Road and finishes near Caroline and Margaret Streets by the Half Shell Raw Bar, on the historic seaport.
What is the weather usually like at the Key West Half Marathon?
Mid-January in Key West is usually warm and humid for a winter race, around 64–70 °F at the 7:00 a.m. start and in the mid 70s °F by late morning, often with a steady breeze off the water. The organizers stress that hydration is vital, so start a little easier than goal pace and drink at every stop, especially into the wind on South Roosevelt Boulevard.
When should I start tapering for the Key West Half Marathon?
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 January 17, 2027, your taper starts around January 5, 2027.
Do I need an account to get a Key West Half 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.