Your plan in four answers
New Hampshire Marathon has not announced its next date, so we have estimated October. Change the date below once you know it.
- Distances
- Marathon, Half marathon, 10K
- Terrain
- Rolling
Course
The New Hampshire Marathon course
All races start at 9:00 a.m.: the marathon and 10K on Lake Street in front of Newfound Memorial Middle School in Bristol, and the half from just past Sculptured Rocks in Groton, with buses taking half marathoners to their start. The marathon heads north on Route 3A along Newfound Lake, turns onto North Shore Road at mile 8.3, runs through the village of Hebron to a turnaround after mile 13, then comes back through Hebron and follows the west shore of the lake south, rejoining Route 3A near mile 24 for the run to the finish at Kelley Park.
Read the full course notes
The official route file shows about 1,100 feet of climbing: a rise of roughly 140 feet in the first 2 miles out of Bristol, steady rollers around the lake with short bumps near miles 8 and 14, and a quick drop of about 150 feet over the last 2 miles into town. The half is point to point and net downhill, losing about 320 feet from Groton to Bristol. Expect quiet country roads, lake views and peak foliage.
- Terrain
- Rolling
- Distances
- Marathon, Half marathon, 10K
- Weather on race day
- The race site gives an average race-day low of 37 °F and high of 64 °F, with records from 12 °F to 85 °F, so the 9:00 a.m. start usually falls somewhere in the 40s to 50s °F. Bring layers you can shed, and keep drinking even when it feels chilly.
What to train for
The opening 2 miles climb out of Bristol, so treat that rise as part of your warm-up rather than a place to bank time.
Build long runs on rolling country roads, with a couple of 2 to 3 minute climbs past halfway to rehearse the bumps near miles 8 and 14.
The last 2 miles drop about 150 feet, so practice running downhill at goal pace on tired legs, and add a weekly session of 6 to 8 x 90 seconds uphill. The field is small and the roads are quiet, so do some tempo runs alone to learn to hold pace without a pack.
Sample week
A sample New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire 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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Build me a training plan for the The New Hampshire Marathon in October. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
New Hampshire Marathon training questions
How long should I train for the New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire Marathon course hilly?
Rolling. All races start at 9:00 a.m.: the marathon and 10K on Lake Street in front of Newfound Memorial Middle School in Bristol, and the half from just past Sculptured Rocks in Groton, with buses taking half marathoners to their start.
What is the weather usually like at the New Hampshire Marathon?
The race site gives an average race-day low of 37 °F and high of 64 °F, with records from 12 °F to 85 °F, so the 9:00 a.m. start usually falls somewhere in the 40s to 50s °F. Bring layers you can shed, and keep drinking even when it feels chilly.
When should I start tapering for the New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire 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.