Your plan in four answers
Lane Purser Half Marathon has not announced its next date, so we have estimated November. Change the date below once you know it.
- Distances
- Half marathon, 10 miles, 10K, 5K, 5 miles
- Sport
- Running
Course
The Lane Purser Half Marathon course
The half marathon is the finale of the Memphis Runners Track Club's Lane Purser Memorial Road Race Series, which reached its 44th year in 2026. It starts at 7:00 a.m. on Channel 3 Drive near Martyrs Park in downtown Memphis, and the course crosses Big River Crossing, the longest public pedestrian bridge over the Mississippi River.
Read the full course notes
A second series half on a Saturday at 8:30 a.m. is run together with the Big River Crossing Half. The series builds all summer and fall: two 5Ks at Audubon Park in July, two 5 Milers at W.J. Freeman Park in Bartlett in August, two 10Ks at Shelby Farms Park in September and two 10 Milers at Shelby Forest State Park in October.
- Distances
- Half marathon, 10 miles, 10K, 5K, 5 miles
- Weather on race day
- Early November in Memphis is usually ideal for racing, with average highs around 68 °F and lows near 49 °F at the start of the month. At the 7:00 a.m. start, expect temperatures near the daily low, so a light layer or arm sleeves you can shed are useful. Southerly winds average about 9 mph and can feel stronger on the open bridge over the river, and roughly one day in four brings some rain.
What to train for
The series itself is a ready-made build, so use each race as a progress check: the 5Ks set your speed, the 10Ks your threshold and the 10 Milers your endurance for the half.
Between races, keep one key session a week (intervals in summer, tempo runs of 4 to 6 miles in the fall) and a long run that grows toward 11 or 12 miles by October.
Crossing the bridge means open air high above the river, so practice holding steady effort into a breeze. Arriving at November with five months of racing in your legs is a great way to run a confident half.
Sample week
A sample Lane Purser 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
Taper
Tapering for the Lane Purser 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.
Also in Claude
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Build me a training plan for the Lane Purser Memorial Road Race Series Half Marathon in November. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Lane Purser Half Marathon training questions
How long should I train for the Lane Purser 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 Lane Purser Half Marathon course hilly?
The half marathon is the finale of the Memphis Runners Track Club's Lane Purser Memorial Road Race Series, which reached its 44th year in 2026.
What is the weather usually like at the Lane Purser Half Marathon?
Early November in Memphis is usually ideal for racing, with average highs around 68 °F and lows near 49 °F at the start of the month. At the 7:00 a.m. start, expect temperatures near the daily low, so a light layer or arm sleeves you can shed are useful. Southerly winds average about 9 mph and can feel stronger on the open bridge over the river, and roughly one day in four brings some rain.
When should I start tapering for the Lane Purser 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.
Do I need an account to get a Lane Purser 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.