Your plan in four answers
Set for March 7, 2027, about 19 weeks out.
- Distances
- 5K, 10K, Half marathon, Marathon
- Terrain
- Rolling
- Field
- About 10,000 runners across the weekend's races
- Taper starts
- February 17, 2027
Course
The Little Rock Marathon course
Starts and finishes on LaHarpe Boulevard behind the Statehouse Convention Center, and the first mile crosses the Arkansas River into North Little Rock before swinging back downtown. From there the marathon tours East Little Rock and SoMa on Main Street, passes Central High School around mile 12 and the State Capitol at mile 14, then climbs into the Hillcrest neighborhood along Kavanaugh Boulevard.
Read the full course notes
Around mile 19 it drops to Riverfront Drive for an out-and-back past Rebsamen Park to Murray Park, and the River Trail brings you home. The race lists 1,218 feet of total climbing for the marathon, with a high point of 528 feet against 327 feet at the start, so expect honest rolling hills rather than one big wall. Every finisher gets a medal, and the marathon's is the largest of the weekend.
- Terrain
- Rolling
- Distances
- 5K, 10K, Half marathon, Marathon
- Field
- About 10,000 runners across the weekend's races
- Weather on race day
- Early March in Little Rock usually means a start in the 40s °F and highs near 60 °F (the race lists average temperatures of 43 °F and 59 °F). Rain is common at this time of year and the race goes on regardless, so bring a throwaway layer and expect wet shoes on some years. Cool mornings reward an even start: save your effort for the hills after mile 14.
What to train for
With more than 1,200 feet of climbing spread across the course, build hills into your long runs every week rather than saving them for one session.
The hardest stretch is in the middle, from the Capitol at mile 14 through the Hillcrest rollers to mile 17, so practice holding goal effort (not goal pace) uphill when you are already tired.
Add a weekly set of 6 to 8 x 90 seconds uphill at 10K effort with a jog back down. Finish with relaxed downhill strides so your quads are ready for the drop to Riverfront Drive and the flat miles along the river.
Sample week
A sample Little Rock 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 Little Rock 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 rolls, so keep one short session on undulating ground in the first taper week. With the race on March 7, 2027, your taper starts around February 17, 2027.
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Build me a training plan for the Little Rock Marathon on March 7, 2027. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Little Rock Marathon training questions
How long should I train for the Little Rock 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 Little Rock Marathon course hilly?
Rolling. Starts and finishes on LaHarpe Boulevard behind the Statehouse Convention Center, and the first mile crosses the Arkansas River into North Little Rock before swinging back downtown.
What is the weather usually like at the Little Rock Marathon?
Early March in Little Rock usually means a start in the 40s °F and highs near 60 °F (the race lists average temperatures of 43 °F and 59 °F). Rain is common at this time of year and the race goes on regardless, so bring a throwaway layer and expect wet shoes on some years. Cool mornings reward an even start: save your effort for the hills after mile 14.
When should I start tapering for the Little Rock 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 rolls, so keep one short session on undulating ground in the first taper week. With the race on March 7, 2027, your taper starts around February 17, 2027.
Do I need an account to get a Little Rock 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.