Your plan in four answers
Set for September 10, 2027, about 46 weeks out.
- Distances
- 100 miles, Marathon
- Terrain
- Hilly
- Taper starts
- August 23, 2027
Course
The Run Woodstock course
Run Woodstock is a Woodstock-themed trail festival based at Woodstock Camp on Bartell Road near Gregory, Michigan, with races from Thursday evening to Sunday morning. The ultras use a 16.6-mile clockwise loop: six laps for the 100 miles, three for the 50 miles, and shortened laps for the 100K and 50K, while the marathon covers two laps and the half marathon one on adapted versions of the loop.
Read the full course notes
The terrain is rocky, rooty and hilly, mostly single-track with a stretch of gravel and several paved road crossings that are not traffic controlled. The 100 miles and 100K start Friday at 2:00 p.m. with a 30-hour limit, so most runners race through the night, and the 50 miles and 50K start Saturday at 6:00 a.m. (14 hours), with the marathon and half at 7:30 a.m. (10 hours). Every distance is cupless, and the main aid station is the Hog Farm.
- Terrain
- Hilly
- Distances
- 100 miles, Marathon
- Weather on race day
- Mid-September in southeast Michigan is usually mild, with mornings around 45–55 °F and afternoons in the upper 60s to mid 70s, and the woods can still feel humid. Overnight 100-mile and 100K runners should expect temperatures to drop into the 40s or low 50s, so pack warm layers and a spare headlamp in drop bags. The race goes on rain or shine (lightning can cause a delay), so be ready for slick roots after a shower.
What to train for
Build your long runs on technical single-track with roots and rocks, and practice power hiking the steeper climbs rather than running every hill.
Repeated loops mean repeated climbs, so use back-to-back weekend long runs (for example 20 then 12 miles for a 50K, longer for the 100) to train running on tired legs.
If you are in the 100K or 100 miles, rehearse night running with a headlamp on familiar trail and practice eating 200 to 300 calories an hour. Carry a soft cup on every long run so the cupless aid stations feel routine.
Sample week
A sample Run Woodstock 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 × 2 min up a steady grade, jog back down
- Wednesday
- Easy run, 6 mi
- Thursday Key session
- Goal-pace run, 8 mi with 4 mi at race pace
- Friday
- Recovery run, 4 mi, or cross-train
- Saturday Key session
- Long run, 18–20 mi on trail, with as much climbing as you can find
- Sunday Key session
- Second long day, 10–12 mi easy on tired legs
Your build to race day
Taper
Tapering for the Run Woodstock
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 September 10, 2027, your taper starts around August 23, 2027.
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 Run Woodstock (Marathon) on September 10, 2027. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Run Woodstock training questions
How long should I train for the Run Woodstock?
Most runners give a 100-mile twenty to twenty-four 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 Run Woodstock course hilly?
Hilly. Run Woodstock is a Woodstock-themed trail festival based at Woodstock Camp on Bartell Road near Gregory, Michigan, with races from Thursday evening to Sunday morning.
What is the weather usually like at the Run Woodstock?
Mid-September in southeast Michigan is usually mild, with mornings around 45–55 °F and afternoons in the upper 60s to mid 70s, and the woods can still feel humid. Overnight 100-mile and 100K runners should expect temperatures to drop into the 40s or low 50s, so pack warm layers and a spare headlamp in drop bags. The race goes on rain or shine (lightning can cause a delay), so be ready for slick roots after a shower.
When should I start tapering for the Run Woodstock?
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 September 10, 2027, your taper starts around August 23, 2027.
Do I need an account to get a Run Woodstock 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.