Your plan in four answers
Maine Marathon has not announced its next date, so we have estimated October. Change the date below once you know it.
- Distances
- Marathon, Half marathon
- Terrain
- Rolling
Course
The Maine Marathon course
All races start and finish on Baxter Boulevard by Portland's Back Cove at 7:45 a.m., with a 6:30 a.m. early start for marathon walkers. The first and last 1.5 miles are flat laps of Back Cove, then the course crosses the Martin's Point Bridge onto Route 1 and Route 88 through Falmouth, with views of Casco Bay, the city skyline and fall foliage.
Read the full course notes
All three events share the first 6.5 miles before half marathoners turn on Route 88 and head back to Portland, while marathoners continue into Yarmouth on Gilman Road, Prince's Point Road and Drinkwater Road before returning on the same roads. The organizers call the out-and-back course moderately hilly: the official elevation chart shows rolling rises around miles 6, 10 and 17, with the hilliest ground in the middle of the race. The marathon and half are USATF certified and both qualify for Boston.
- Terrain
- Rolling
- Distances
- Marathon, Half marathon
- Weather on race day
- The organizers say race-day temperatures typically run from the mid-40s °F at the start to the upper 50s or low 60s °F by the finish. Wind off Casco Bay and fall rain are possible, so bring a throwaway layer and gloves for the start.
What to train for
Flat miles bookend a rolling middle, so plan a relaxed start and finish with steady effort on the hills in between.
Do long runs on rolling roads and hold effort, not pace, on the rises, especially around miles 10 and 17 where the profile peaks.
Finish long runs with 2 to 4 miles at goal pace on flat ground to rehearse the last stretch around Back Cove. Practice drinking water and lemon-lime Gatorade on the move, since that is what the aid stations serve.
Sample week
A sample Maine 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
Taper
Tapering for the Maine 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.
Also in Claude
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Add AthleteSpace to Claude once, then paste this prompt and put in your own numbers.
Build me a training plan for the Maine Community Bank Maine Marathon in October. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Maine Marathon training questions
How long should I train for the Maine 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 Maine Marathon course hilly?
Rolling. All races start and finish on Baxter Boulevard by Portland's Back Cove at 7:45 a.m., with a 6:30 a.m. early start for marathon walkers.
What is the weather usually like at the Maine Marathon?
The organizers say race-day temperatures typically run from the mid-40s °F at the start to the upper 50s or low 60s °F by the finish. Wind off Casco Bay and fall rain are possible, so bring a throwaway layer and gloves for the start.
When should I start tapering for the Maine 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.
Do I need an account to get a Maine 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.