Your plan in four answers
New Orleans Marathon is on November 14, 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, 5K
- Terrain
- Flat
Course
The New Orleans Marathon course
All races start beside the New Orleans Museum of Art in City Park and finish less than half a mile away on Roosevelt Mall, near Tad Gormley Stadium. The half leaves the park on Wisner Boulevard, Allen Toussaint Boulevard and St.
Read the full course notes
Bernard Avenue to reach Lakeshore Drive on Lake Pontchartrain, turns at its eastern end near Shelter #4, runs under the Bayou St. John bridge and comes back through City Park on Harrison Avenue and the park's drives to the finish. The marathon runs that loop twice, with an 11:45 a.m. cutoff to begin the second lap. The official FAQ lists only about 96 feet of total gain for the marathon, so this is about as flat as road racing gets. The race returns to New Orleans in 2026 after a seven-year break, with a 7-hour limit for the marathon and 4.5 hours for the half.
- Terrain
- Flat
- Distances
- Marathon, Half marathon, 5K
- Weather on race day
- The organizer lists mid-November averages of about 55 °F for the low and 73 °F for the high, so the 7:30 a.m. start is usually comfortable and it warms quickly after that. The lakefront is open to sun and wind, and a humid morning feels warmer than the number suggests, so drink at the aid stations about every 1.5 miles and pace by effort.
What to train for
With almost no climbing, this course rewards a steady, even pace: put marathon-pace blocks of 8 to 12 miles inside 18 to 20 mile long runs, or 5 to 8 miles at half marathon pace.
Marathoners run the same loop twice, so practice two-lap long runs on a familiar route and make the second lap slightly faster to build confidence for the repeat.
Rehearse your race fueling around the GU stations at miles 6 and 8, plus fluids roughly every 1.5 miles. Do a few long runs in warm, humid conditions to learn to hold effort as the morning heats up.
Sample week
A sample New Orleans 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 Orleans 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.
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Build me a training plan for the New Orleans Marathon in November. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
New Orleans Marathon training questions
How long should I train for the New Orleans 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 Orleans Marathon course hilly?
Flat. All races start beside the New Orleans Museum of Art in City Park and finish less than half a mile away on Roosevelt Mall, near Tad Gormley Stadium.
What is the weather usually like at the New Orleans Marathon?
The organizer lists mid-November averages of about 55 °F for the low and 73 °F for the high, so the 7:30 a.m. start is usually comfortable and it warms quickly after that. The lakefront is open to sun and wind, and a humid morning feels warmer than the number suggests, so drink at the aid stations about every 1.5 miles and pace by effort.
When should I start tapering for the New Orleans 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.
Do I need an account to get a New Orleans 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.