Your plan in four answers
Set for January 17, 2027, about 12 weeks out.
- Distances
- Marathon, Half marathon, 10K, 5 miles
- Terrain
- Rolling
- Field
- Capped at 400 marathoners, with about 2,900 places across the marathon, half, 10K and 8K trail run
- Taper starts
- December 30, 2026
Course
The Lost Dutchman Marathon course
A point-to-point marathon through the Sonoran Desert at the foot of the Superstition Mountains. Runners are bussed from the Rodeo Grounds to the start near the Lost Goldmine Trailhead in Gold Canyon at 2,330 feet and finish at Prospector Park in Apache Junction at 1,840 feet, a net drop of 490 feet.
Read the full course notes
The first six miles are on unpaved road, with paved boulevard from mile 7 on. The course rolls through Gold Canyon and Kings Ranch, climbs gradually toward Superstition Mountain to a turnaround at mile 19.4, then runs downhill toward the finish. It is USATF certified and a Boston qualifier; the half is a separate, nearly flat out-and-back from Prospector Park.
- Terrain
- Rolling
- Distances
- Marathon, Half marathon, 10K, 5 miles
- Field
- Capped at 400 marathoners, with about 2,900 places across the marathon, half, 10K and 8K trail run
- Weather on race day
- Mid-January in the desert east of Phoenix is usually cold at dawn and mild by midday: expect upper 30s to upper 40s °F at the 7:30 start, a few degrees cooler at the higher marathon start, and highs in the mid 60s. Skies are usually clear and the air dry, so start in throwaway layers, wear sunscreen and drink steadily.
What to train for
The opening miles on dirt road ask for sure footing, so do some easy and long runs on packed dirt or gravel.
Prepare for the rolling middle and the long gradual climb to the mile 19.4 turnaround by running by effort, not pace, on sustained grades.
Toughen your quads for the final downhill miles with long runs that finish on a gentle descent. Test your layering and hydration on cold early-morning long runs.
Sample week
A sample Lost Dutchman 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 Lost Dutchman 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 January 17, 2027, your taper starts around December 30, 2026.
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 Lost Dutchman Marathon on January 17, 2027. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Lost Dutchman Marathon training questions
How long should I train for the Lost Dutchman 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 Lost Dutchman Marathon course hilly?
Rolling. A point-to-point marathon through the Sonoran Desert at the foot of the Superstition Mountains.
What is the weather usually like at the Lost Dutchman Marathon?
Mid-January in the desert east of Phoenix is usually cold at dawn and mild by midday: expect upper 30s to upper 40s °F at the 7:30 start, a few degrees cooler at the higher marathon start, and highs in the mid 60s. Skies are usually clear and the air dry, so start in throwaway layers, wear sunscreen and drink steadily.
When should I start tapering for the Lost Dutchman 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 January 17, 2027, your taper starts around December 30, 2026.
Do I need an account to get a Lost Dutchman 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.