Your plan in four answers
Haunted Half is on October 31, 2026, under four weeks away, so we have set next year's race in October. Change the date below if you are running this one.
- Distances
- Half marathon
- Sport
- Running
Course
The Haunted Half course
The Haunted Half Marathon and Relays is Kingsport's Halloween-morning half, now in its 18th year, with the half starting at 7:30 a.m. and the 1-mile Monster Mile on the track at 8:00 a.m. The course is marked with arrow stickers on the ground and blue arrow signs, with volunteers and officers along the way.
Read the full course notes
Relay teams of two to four hand off near mile 3 at the Lamont Greenbelt Access on Lamont Street, near mile 6 at the Holston Valley Drive Trailhead and near mile 9 at the Boat Yard Landing Trailhead on Netherland Inn Road. Costumes are part of the fun: the costume contest is held before the start, with awards for best male, female and family or group costume.
- Distances
- Half marathon
- Weather on race day
- Late October in the Tri-Cities is crisp: NOAA normals for Bristol give October an average high of 70 °F and a low of 44 °F, and the end of the month runs cooler than the start. A 7:30 a.m. start will likely feel chilly, so bring a throwaway layer or gloves you can drop. It usually warms into comfortable running weather by the finish, which makes this a great morning to chase a fast time.
What to train for
Build long runs to 10 to 12 miles through September and October so the distance feels comfortable on race day.
Add a weekly tempo run of 3 to 6 miles at goal pace, and run part of your training on a greenway, since several exchange points sit at trailheads along the course.
If you plan to race in costume, test it on a medium long run first so nothing rubs or slips. Relay runners can sharpen with 5 x 1 kilometer at a strong effort.
Sample week
A sample Haunted 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, 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
Taper
Tapering for the Haunted 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.
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 Haunted Half Marathon & Relays in October. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Haunted Half training questions
How long should I train for the Haunted 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 Haunted Half course hilly?
The Haunted Half Marathon and Relays is Kingsport's Halloween-morning half, now in its 18th year, with the half starting at 7:30 a.m. and the 1-mile Monster Mile on the track at 8:00 a.m.
What is the weather usually like at the Haunted Half?
Late October in the Tri-Cities is crisp: NOAA normals for Bristol give October an average high of 70 °F and a low of 44 °F, and the end of the month runs cooler than the start. A 7:30 a.m. start will likely feel chilly, so bring a throwaway layer or gloves you can drop. It usually warms into comfortable running weather by the finish, which makes this a great morning to chase a fast time.
When should I start tapering for the Haunted 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.
Do I need an account to get a Haunted 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.