Your plan in four answers
Set for May 23, 2027, about 30 weeks out.
- Distances
- 25K, Marathon
- Terrain
- Hilly
- Taper starts
- May 5, 2027
Course
The Rio do Rastro Marathon course
The marathon starts at the Paredão de Orleans at 6:30 on Sunday and finishes at the Mirante da Serra in Bom Jardim da Serra, on top of the Serra do Rio do Rastro. The first 29.5 km roll through the valley towns of Orleans and Lauro Müller on asphalt, and then the SC-390 starts to rise.
Read the full course notes
The final 12.5 km are the climb itself, including the famous 284 hairpins packed into about 7 km, as the road goes from roughly 200 m to more than 1,460 m above sea level between sheer cliffs and Atlantic Forest. The road is closed to traffic for the race, and there are cutoffs at km 29.5, 37 and 39.5 with a 6:20 overall limit. The 25 km race runs on the Saturday from Lauro Müller, so you can also take on the Missão dos Guardiões (25 km plus 42 km) weekend double.
- Terrain
- Hilly
- Distances
- 25K, Marathon
- Weather on race day
- Late May in the southern highlands is usually cool to cold: expect about 10–16 °C at the start in Orleans and 5–10 °C at the top, where Bom Jardim da Serra is one of the coldest towns in Brazil. Fog, drizzle and wind on the upper switchbacks are common, so carry a light layer you can open and close and keep drinking even when it feels cold.
What to train for
Treat this as two races: a steady 30 km on rolling roads followed by a long hill climb.
Build weekly hill sessions of 20 to 40 minutes of continuous climbing at a steady effort, and practise power-hiking the steepest sections so you can switch between running and walking without losing rhythm.
Do at least three long runs that finish with 8 to 12 km uphill, and rehearse eating early, because the climb is where fuel runs out.
Sample week
A sample Rio do Rastro 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
- Hill repeats: 10 × 90 s up a steady grade, jog back down
- Wednesday
- Easy run, 10–11 km
- Thursday Key session
- Goal-pace run, 16 km with 10 km at race pace
- Friday
- Recovery run, 6 km, or cross-train
- Saturday Key session
- Long run, 26–29 km on hilly ground, steady effort on the climbs
- Sunday
- Easy run, 6 km, then 6 relaxed strides
Your build to race day
Taper
Tapering for the Rio do Rastro 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 hilly, so keep one short hill session in the first taper week to keep the climbs familiar. With the race on May 23, 2027, your taper starts around May 5, 2027.
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Build me a training plan for the Rio do Rastro Marathon on May 23, 2027. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Rio do Rastro Marathon training questions
How long should I train for the Rio do Rastro 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 Rio do Rastro Marathon course hilly?
Hilly. The marathon starts at the Paredão de Orleans at 6:30 on Sunday and finishes at the Mirante da Serra in Bom Jardim da Serra, on top of the Serra do Rio do Rastro.
What is the weather usually like at the Rio do Rastro Marathon?
Late May in the southern highlands is usually cool to cold: expect about 10–16 °C at the start in Orleans and 5–10 °C at the top, where Bom Jardim da Serra is one of the coldest towns in Brazil. Fog, drizzle and wind on the upper switchbacks are common, so carry a light layer you can open and close and keep drinking even when it feels cold.
When should I start tapering for the Rio do Rastro 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 hilly, so keep one short hill session in the first taper week to keep the climbs familiar. With the race on May 23, 2027, your taper starts around May 5, 2027.
Do I need an account to get a Rio do Rastro 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.