Your plan in four answers
Set for March 21, 2027, about 21 weeks out.
- Distances
- Half marathon, 5K
- Terrain
- Rolling
- Taper starts
- March 9, 2027
Course
The San Diego Half Marathon course
The half starts at 6:50 a.m. at Fifth Avenue and Harbor Drive by the Convention Center and finishes under the Gaslamp Quarter sign on Fifth Avenue. The first five miles are flat waterfront running: north on Harbor Drive past Broadway Pier, a loop on Harbor Island and on along the bay beside the airport.
Read the full course notes
The route then crosses into Liberty Station past NTC Park, follows Barnett Avenue and Pacific Highway past the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, and climbs Washington Street from Mission Hills into Hillcrest between miles 8 and 9, the one real hill of the day. From University Avenue it turns south on Fifth and Sixth Avenues through Bankers Hill along Balboa Park, a mostly downhill final four miles back into downtown. The time limit is 3.5 hours, and the map currently posted is from the 2024 edition, so check the race site for any 2027 changes.
- Terrain
- Rolling
- Distances
- Half marathon, 5K
- Weather on race day
- Late March in San Diego usually means start temperatures in the mid 50s °F, highs in the mid to upper 60s and humidity around 65 to 70%, often under a gray morning sky near the bay. Rain is uncommon and the air is mild, so most runners race in light kit, but the sun can break through by the finish, so drink at the aid stations even when it feels cool.
What to train for
Most of the course is flat, but the Washington Street climb arrives at mile 8, when your legs are already tired.
Do weekly hill repeats of 60 to 90 seconds and long runs that put a sustained climb after 7 or 8 miles, then practice running relaxed and quick downhill, because miles 10 to 13 drop back toward the bay.
Tempo runs on flat ground at goal pace prepare you for the waterfront miles. On race day, run the hill by effort and use the descent to make up time rather than forcing pace up Washington Street.
Sample week
A sample San Diego Half 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 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
Your build to race day
Taper
Tapering for the San Diego Half Marathon
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. With the race on March 21, 2027, your taper starts around March 9, 2027.
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Build me a training plan for the GOVX San Diego Half Marathon & 5K on March 21, 2027. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
San Diego Half Marathon training questions
How long should I train for the San Diego Half Marathon?
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 San Diego Half Marathon course hilly?
Rolling. The half starts at 6:50 a.m. at Fifth Avenue and Harbor Drive by the Convention Center and finishes under the Gaslamp Quarter sign on Fifth Avenue.
What is the weather usually like at the San Diego Half Marathon?
Late March in San Diego usually means start temperatures in the mid 50s °F, highs in the mid to upper 60s and humidity around 65 to 70%, often under a gray morning sky near the bay. Rain is uncommon and the air is mild, so most runners race in light kit, but the sun can break through by the finish, so drink at the aid stations even when it feels cool.
When should I start tapering for the San Diego Half Marathon?
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. With the race on March 21, 2027, your taper starts around March 9, 2027.
Do I need an account to get a San Diego Half 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.