Your plan in four answers
Set for November 29, 2026, about 5 weeks out.
- Distances
- 10K, Marathon
- Terrain
- Flat
- Field
- Capped at 13,000 marathon entries, and the 2026 edition is sold out
- Taper starts
- November 11, 2026
Course
The Florence Marathon course
The marathon starts in Piazza del Duomo and finishes on Via dei Pecori after passing through Piazza San Giovanni, so you begin and end beside Brunelleschi's dome. The loop heads west, through Ponte alle Mosse at 5 km and into the Cascine park between about 10 and 15 km, then works back along the Arno to the halfway point at Ponte San Niccolò.
Read the full course notes
The second half swings east and north through Campo di Marte, passing the 30 km mark on Viale Malta, before returning to the centre along the Lungarni, with 40 km on Lungarno Vespucci. Along the way the course takes in Ponte Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria, the Uffizi, Piazza Santa Croce and Piazza Pitti. It is close to flat, and the main challenge is the run of turns through the historic centre in the final kilometres.
- Terrain
- Flat
- Distances
- 10K, Marathon
- Field
- Capped at 13,000 marathon entries, and the 2026 edition is sold out
- Weather on race day
- Late November in Florence is usually cool, roughly 6–16 °C across the day, so the 8:30 start is often in single digits and warms only slowly. It is one of the wetter months, with rain on about one day in three, so plan for a cold, damp start with a throwaway layer and gloves.
What to train for
A flat, fast course means the race is decided by pacing and late-race economy.
Build long runs to 32–35 km with the final 12–15 km at goal pace, and practise holding rhythm through corners at marathon pace, since the last 6 km wind through the centre.
Train through autumn rain and cold rather than skipping sessions, and rehearse taking fuel every 5 km to match the race's aid stations.
Sample week
A sample Florence 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 × 1.5 km at 5K to 10K effort, easy jog between
- Wednesday
- Easy run, 10–11 km
- Thursday Key session
- Goal-pace run, 16 km with 10 km at race pace
- Friday
- Recovery run, 6 km, or cross-train
- Saturday Key session
- Long run, 26–29 km, the last 6 km at race pace
- Sunday
- Easy run, 6 km, then 6 relaxed strides
Your build to race day
Taper
Tapering for the Florence 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 is flat, so pacing decides the day: rehearse your goal pace in short segments during race week. With the race on November 29, 2026, your taper starts around November 11, 2026.
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 Estra Firenze Marathon on November 29, 2026. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Florence Marathon training questions
How long should I train for the Florence 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 Florence Marathon course hilly?
Flat. The marathon starts in Piazza del Duomo and finishes on Via dei Pecori after passing through Piazza San Giovanni, so you begin and end beside Brunelleschi's dome.
What is the weather usually like at the Florence Marathon?
Late November in Florence is usually cool, roughly 6–16 °C across the day, so the 8:30 start is often in single digits and warms only slowly. It is one of the wetter months, with rain on about one day in three, so plan for a cold, damp start with a throwaway layer and gloves.
When should I start tapering for the Florence 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 is flat, so pacing decides the day: rehearse your goal pace in short segments during race week. With the race on November 29, 2026, your taper starts around November 11, 2026.
Do I need an account to get a Florence 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.