Your plan in four answers
Omaha Marathon has not announced its next date, so we have estimated September. Change the date below once you know it.
- Distances
- Marathon, Half marathon, 5K
- Terrain
- Flat
Course
The Omaha Marathon course
The 2026 courses started and finished on the Omaha riverfront by the Gallup campus and Miller's Landing, and the 2027 routes will be posted once they are confirmed. The marathon opened along the downtown riverfront, ran north past the edge of downtown, then passed through Carter Lake, Iowa, around miles 7 to 9 before heading through north Omaha to its northernmost point near mile 15.
Read the full course notes
On the way back it returned toward downtown and, around mile 21, crossed the Missouri River on the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge to Council Bluffs, Iowa, before coming back over for the final miles. All three courses are USATF certified and the marathon is a Boston qualifier, with 443 feet of total gain (254 feet for the half and 53 for the 5K), mostly gentle rises rather than real hills. Starts were 7:00 a.m. for the marathon, 7:20 for the half and 7:40 for the 5K.
- Terrain
- Flat
- Distances
- Marathon, Half marathon, 5K
- Weather on race day
- NOAA 1991–2020 normals for Omaha's Eppley Airfield show September lows usually falling from about 62 °F to 50 °F through the month and highs from about 83 °F to 74 °F, so the 7:00 a.m. start is usually mild to cool. Have a heat plan in case the morning runs warm, and dress for the second mile rather than the start line.
What to train for
With modest climbing, the course rewards even pacing over the full distance: build to 18 to 20 mile long runs with the last 6 to 8 miles at goal pace, plus a weekly 5 to 7 mile tempo.
Add a short hill session every week or two, such as 6 x 60 seconds uphill, so the ramps onto the bridges feel easy late in the race.
Aid stations come every 2 to 3 miles with 6-ounce cups and GU only around mile 16, so carry your own gels and practice drinking from cups on the run. The Omaha Running Club's 20-week distance clinic, from April to mid-October, lines up well with this race if you like group long runs.
Sample week
A sample Omaha 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 Omaha 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 Omaha Marathon in September. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Omaha Marathon training questions
How long should I train for the Omaha 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 Omaha Marathon course hilly?
Flat. The 2026 courses started and finished on the Omaha riverfront by the Gallup campus and Miller's Landing, and the 2027 routes will be posted once they are confirmed.
What is the weather usually like at the Omaha Marathon?
NOAA 1991–2020 normals for Omaha's Eppley Airfield show September lows usually falling from about 62 °F to 50 °F through the month and highs from about 83 °F to 74 °F, so the 7:00 a.m. start is usually mild to cool. Have a heat plan in case the morning runs warm, and dress for the second mile rather than the start line.
When should I start tapering for the Omaha 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 Omaha 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.