Your plan in four answers
Philadelphia Marathon is on November 22, 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, Marathon
- Terrain
- Rolling
Course
The Philadelphia Marathon course
Starts at the Art Museum, runs through the historic district and out along the Schuylkill River to Manayunk and back. Mostly flat with some early climbing, and a long out and back second half that is quiet and exposed.
- Terrain
- Rolling
- Distances
- Half marathon, Marathon
- Weather on race day
- Late November in Philadelphia is cold and often windy, especially along the river.
What to train for
The out and back to Manayunk is a mental test more than a physical one.
Practice long runs alone, without crowds or scenery, so the second half is familiar.
Sample week
A sample Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia 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
Ask Claude for this plan
Add AthleteSpace to Claude once, then paste this prompt and put in your own numbers.
Build me a training plan for the Philadelphia Marathon in November. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Philadelphia Marathon training questions
How long should I train for the Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia Marathon course hilly?
Rolling. Starts at the Art Museum, runs through the historic district and out along the Schuylkill River to Manayunk and back.
What is the weather usually like at the Philadelphia Marathon?
Late November in Philadelphia is cold and often windy, especially along the river.
When should I start tapering for the Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia 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.