Your plan in four answers
MO' Cowbell Marathon is on November 8, 2026, under four weeks away, so we have set next year's race in November. Change the date below if you are running this one.
- Distances
- Marathon, Half marathon, 10K, 5K
- Terrain
- Rolling
Course
The MO' Cowbell Marathon course
All four races start and finish at Frontier Park on the Missouri River, between Historic Main Street and the water. The marathon is flat for nearly its first 10 miles, then climbs through a hilly stretch of about 2 miles along Little Hills Expressway.
Read the full course notes
Just past halfway it runs through the heart of New Town, and the turnaround comes at 19.3 miles, where a race clock marks the far point of the course. The last mile runs downhill back toward Frontier Park, a welcome lift for tired legs. The marathon starts at 7:30 a.m. from six pace corrals, with aid about every 2 miles, and the time limit is 6.5 hours (15 minutes per mile).
- Terrain
- Rolling
- Distances
- Marathon, Half marathon, 10K, 5K
- Weather on race day
- Early November in St. Charles usually ranges from the mid 30s to the mid 50s °F, so the 7:30 a.m. start is often in the upper 30s to 40s. Expect cool, dry air with the chance of a breeze along the river; wear gloves and a throwaway layer and let the first miles warm you into your pace.
What to train for
Your race turns on how you handle Little Hills Expressway around miles 10 to 12, so put a 2-mile climbing section in the middle of your long runs and practice settling back into goal pace on the flat afterward.
Once a week, run 6 to 8 x 2 minutes uphill at 10K effort with a jog back down.
Build to 18 to 20 mile long runs with the last 4 to 6 at goal pace so the miles after the 19.3 turnaround feel familiar. Practice relaxed, quick downhill running so the final mile toward the river is fast without pounding your quads.
Sample week
A sample MO' Cowbell 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 MO' Cowbell 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
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 MO' Cowbell Marathon in November. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
MO' Cowbell Marathon training questions
How long should I train for the MO' Cowbell 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 MO' Cowbell Marathon course hilly?
Rolling. All four races start and finish at Frontier Park on the Missouri River, between Historic Main Street and the water.
What is the weather usually like at the MO' Cowbell Marathon?
Early November in St. Charles usually ranges from the mid 30s to the mid 50s °F, so the 7:30 a.m. start is often in the upper 30s to 40s. Expect cool, dry air with the chance of a breeze along the river; wear gloves and a throwaway layer and let the first miles warm you into your pace.
When should I start tapering for the MO' Cowbell 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 MO' Cowbell 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.