Your plan in four answers
Meia do Sol has not announced its next date, so we have estimated September. Change the date below once you know it.
- Distances
- Half marathon, 10K, 5K
- Sport
- Running
Course
The Meia do Sol course
All three races start and finish on the pitch of the Arena das Dunas in Lagoa Nova. The half marathon runs on Sunday morning: it crosses the BR-101, takes the Ponta Negra overpass and heads out along the Via Costeira, with the Morro do Careca dune as the signature view of the route.
Read the full course notes
The 10K and 5K run on the Saturday afternoon, and the 10K passes the Federal University (UFRN) campus with views over the Parque das Dunas. The half sets off in waves from about 5:00 a.m. with a 3-hour time limit, music stages line the routes, and the 26K and 31K challenges add the Saturday 5K or 10K to Sunday's half. The organisers do not publish an elevation profile, so check the official map before race week.
- Distances
- Half marathon, 10K, 5K
- Weather on race day
- September in Natal is usually 22–29 °C with humidity around 80% and only modest rainfall. The 5:00 a.m. wave start keeps the half in the coolest hours, but the humid coastal air still makes the second half warm work, so drink at every station. The Saturday 10K and 5K start in the late afternoon, when it is still warm.
What to train for
Heat and humidity shape this race more than anything else, so do some of your key sessions in warm morning conditions and practise drinking every 15 to 20 minutes.
Build long runs to 18–22 km with the last 6 to 8 km at goal pace, because the return leg is where pace drifts in the heat.
Rehearse the early start too: a few long runs at 5:00 a.m. will teach you what and when to eat before a race that begins this early. For the 26K or 31K challenge, practise back-to-back days, with a 5K or 10K effort on Saturday afternoon and a long run on Sunday morning.
Sample week
A sample Meia do Sol 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, 8–10 km
- Thursday Key session
- Goal-pace run, 11 km with 6 km at race pace
- Friday
- Recovery run, 6 km, or cross-train
- Saturday Key session
- Long run, 16–19 km easy
- Sunday
- Easy run, 6 km, then 6 relaxed strides
Taper
Tapering for the Meia do Sol
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
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 Meia Maratona do Sol Sicredi (Half marathon) in September. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Meia do Sol training questions
How long should I train for the Meia do Sol?
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 Meia do Sol course hilly?
All three races start and finish on the pitch of the Arena das Dunas in Lagoa Nova.
What is the weather usually like at the Meia do Sol?
September in Natal is usually 22–29 °C with humidity around 80% and only modest rainfall. The 5:00 a.m. wave start keeps the half in the coolest hours, but the humid coastal air still makes the second half warm work, so drink at every station. The Saturday 10K and 5K start in the late afternoon, when it is still warm.
When should I start tapering for the Meia do Sol?
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 Meia do Sol 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.