Your plan in four answers
Set for December 20, 2026, about 8 weeks out.
- Distances
- Half marathon, 5K
- Terrain
- Rolling
- Field
- Half marathon capped at 1,500 entries (5K also capped at 1,500)
- Taper starts
- December 8, 2026
Course
The Mount Dora Half Marathon course
The half marathon is a single USATF-certified loop (FL12108EBM) that starts and finishes at Elizabeth Evans Park on Donnelly Street in historic downtown Mount Dora, with a 7:00 a.m. Sunday start.
Read the full course notes
The route heads north on Highland Street to Limit Avenue, winds through the hillside streets around Lake Gertrude and the Sylvan Shores neighbourhood, then runs out along Lakeshore Drive beside Lake Dora to a turnaround near mile 10.5 and back into town on Old US 441. Unusually for Florida it is rolling: the official profile climbs from about 140 feet at the start to about 200 feet near mile 3.5, drops to about 125 feet by mile 4.5, has a short rise near mile 5, then eases gently down to the lakeshore low point of about 85 feet around mile 11 before a small climb to the finish. Water comes at miles 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 12, with Gatorade at 3, 7 and 11 and a gel at mile 7. The time limit is 3 hours 25 minutes, and the 5K runs the day before from Donnelly Park.
- Terrain
- Rolling
- Distances
- Half marathon, 5K
- Field
- Half marathon capped at 1,500 entries (5K also capped at 1,500)
- Weather on race day
- The organisers say the start is normally in the low 60s °F, warming into the 70s by the 3:25 cutoff. Central Florida in late December is often sunny and fairly humid, so drink at the frequent stations and start a little conservatively on the early climbs if the morning is warm.
What to train for
The first 5 miles hold almost all the climbing, so the race rewards patience early and a strong, steady second half on the gentle descent to the lake.
Do a weekly hill session of 6 to 8 x 60 to 90 seconds uphill at 10K effort, and run long runs of 10 to 12 miles on rolling routes where the hills come early.
Finish some long runs with 2 to 3 miles at goal pace on flat ground to rehearse picking up the pace once the climbing is done. Pacers run from 1:40 to 3:00, so learn your target pace well enough to join the right group with confidence.
Sample week
A sample Mount Dora Half 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 km at 5K to 10K effort, easy jog between
- Wednesday
- Easy run, 5–6 mi
- Thursday Key session
- Goal-pace run, 7 mi with 4 mi at race pace
- Friday
- Recovery run, 4 mi, or cross-train
- Saturday Key session
- Long run, 10–12 mi easy
- Sunday
- Easy run, 4 mi, then 6 relaxed strides
Your build to race day
Taper
Tapering for the Mount Dora Half Marathon
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. The course rolls, so keep one short session on undulating ground in the first taper week. With the race on December 20, 2026, your taper starts around December 8, 2026.
Also in Claude
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Build me a training plan for the Mount Dora Half Marathon & 5K on December 20, 2026. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Mount Dora Half Marathon training questions
How long should I train for the Mount Dora Half Marathon?
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 Mount Dora Half Marathon course hilly?
Rolling. The half marathon is a single USATF-certified loop (FL12108EBM) that starts and finishes at Elizabeth Evans Park on Donnelly Street in historic downtown Mount Dora, with a 7:00 a.m.
What is the weather usually like at the Mount Dora Half Marathon?
The organisers say the start is normally in the low 60s °F, warming into the 70s by the 3:25 cutoff. Central Florida in late December is often sunny and fairly humid, so drink at the frequent stations and start a little conservatively on the early climbs if the morning is warm.
When should I start tapering for the Mount Dora Half Marathon?
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. The course rolls, so keep one short session on undulating ground in the first taper week. With the race on December 20, 2026, your taper starts around December 8, 2026.
Do I need an account to get a Mount Dora Half 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.