Your plan in four answers
Set for December 13, 2026, about 7 weeks out.
- Distances
- Marathon, Half marathon, 10K, 5K
- Terrain
- Flat
- Taper starts
- November 25, 2026
Course
The Palm Beaches Marathon course
The marathon and half start and finish on Flagler Drive by 104 Datura Street in downtown West Palm Beach, with a 6:00 a.m. start that puts the sunrise over the Intracoastal Waterway early in the race. The route runs through the lively downtown, historic districts and quiet neighbourhoods on shaded city streets, then along palm-lined Flagler Drive past the Manatee Lagoon, museums and waterfront parks.
Read the full course notes
The marathon is two loops of the course, so half and full runners share the same pace groups for the first lap. It is flat from start to finish, USATF certified and a Boston qualifier, and the organisers rank it the second-fastest marathon in Florida. The 5K and a 10K (finish in under 1:30) run on Saturday on the same waterfront.
- Terrain
- Flat
- Distances
- Marathon, Half marathon, 10K, 5K
- Weather on race day
- Mid-December in West Palm Beach is usually mild and humid, around 60–68 °F at the 6:00 a.m. start, with afternoon highs in the mid 70s and rain on about 9 days of the month. It is warm for a winter marathon, so start a little conservatively, drink early and often, and expect the second loop to feel warmer than the first as the sun climbs.
What to train for
On a flat two-loop course the challenge is pacing and heat, not hills.
Practise even splits by running long runs as two identical halves, holding the second at the same pace or slightly faster, and build to 18 to 20 miles with the last 6 to 8 at goal pace.
Because race morning is likely to be in the 60s and humid, do some long runs in warm conditions to rehearse drinking every 2 to 3 miles and to learn how much your pace drifts. Add a weekly 4 to 6 mile tempo at half marathon effort to make marathon pace feel comfortable.
Sample week
A sample Palm Beaches 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
Your build to race day
Taper
Tapering for the Palm Beaches 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. With the race on December 13, 2026, your taper starts around November 25, 2026.
Also in Claude
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Add AthleteSpace to Claude once, then paste this prompt and put in your own numbers.
Build me a training plan for the U.S. Polo Assn. Palm Beaches Marathon on December 13, 2026. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Palm Beaches Marathon training questions
How long should I train for the Palm Beaches 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 Palm Beaches Marathon course hilly?
Flat. The marathon and half start and finish on Flagler Drive by 104 Datura Street in downtown West Palm Beach, with a 6:00 a.m. start that puts the sunrise over the Intracoastal Waterway early in the race.
What is the weather usually like at the Palm Beaches Marathon?
Mid-December in West Palm Beach is usually mild and humid, around 60–68 °F at the 6:00 a.m. start, with afternoon highs in the mid 70s and rain on about 9 days of the month. It is warm for a winter marathon, so start a little conservatively, drink early and often, and expect the second loop to feel warmer than the first as the sun climbs.
When should I start tapering for the Palm Beaches 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. With the race on December 13, 2026, your taper starts around November 25, 2026.
Do I need an account to get a Palm Beaches 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.