Your plan in four answers
Philly Half is on November 21, 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
- Half marathon
- Terrain
- Rolling
- Field
- More than 30,000 athletes across the full race weekend
Course
The Philly Half course
The half starts at 7:00 AM at 22nd Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and finishes in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, on the Saturday of Philadelphia Marathon Weekend. The first 7 miles are fast and flat through Center City, past City Hall and through Old City's historic streets.
Read the full course notes
After crossing the Schuylkill into University City, the course climbs on 34th Street around mile 7.5 to 8, rolls past the Philadelphia Zoo and over the Girard Avenue bridge, then climbs steadily on 33rd Street to about mile 10. Fairmount Park then gives most of it back with a long descent, and the last mile and a half run flat along Kelly Drive past Boathouse Row to the Art Museum.
- Terrain
- Rolling
- Distances
- Half marathon
- Field
- More than 30,000 athletes across the full race weekend
- Weather on race day
- Late November in Philadelphia usually means a start in the upper 30s to mid 40s °F; the race cites a fall average of about 54 °F. Humidity is low and conditions are usually excellent, though wind along the river can bite, so bring gloves and a throwaway layer. Dress for the second half, when you will be working on the climbs.
What to train for
The race is won or lost between miles 7 and 10, so build strength for three back-to-back climbs after a fast flat opening.
Run a weekly hill session of 6 to 10 x 90 seconds uphill at 10K effort, and do long runs that put hills after mile 7.
Practise holding back in the first 5 miles of a tempo run so you can push on the descent and the flat Kelly Drive finish. Finish one long run a week with 2 miles at goal pace on tired legs.
Sample week
A sample Philly Half 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
Taper
Tapering for the Philly Half
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.
Also in Claude
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Build me a training plan for the Dietz & Watson Philadelphia Half Marathon in November. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Philly Half training questions
How long should I train for the Philly Half?
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 Philly Half course hilly?
Rolling. The half starts at 7:00 AM at 22nd Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and finishes in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, on the Saturday of Philadelphia Marathon Weekend.
What is the weather usually like at the Philly Half?
Late November in Philadelphia usually means a start in the upper 30s to mid 40s °F; the race cites a fall average of about 54 °F. Humidity is low and conditions are usually excellent, though wind along the river can bite, so bring gloves and a throwaway layer. Dress for the second half, when you will be working on the climbs.
When should I start tapering for the Philly Half?
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.
Do I need an account to get a Philly Half 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.