Your plan in four answers
Santa Clarita Marathon has not announced its next date, so we have estimated November. Change the date below once you know it.
- Distances
- Marathon, Half marathon, 10K, 5K
- Terrain
- Rolling
Course
The Santa Clarita Marathon course
The Santa Clarita Marathon starts and finishes at Heritage Park on Newhall Ranch Road in Valencia and stays on the city's car-free paved bike paths for every distance. Marathoners run the 13.1-mile half marathon loop twice; the 10K and 5K have their own shorter routes.
Read the full course notes
On the race's map the loop heads north from the park, dips to about 1,070 feet around mile 3, then rises steadily east to about 1,240 feet near mile 8.5 and descends gently home, for roughly 280 feet of climbing per lap. It is a USATF-certified, Boston-qualifying course with a 7-hour marathon limit and an early 6 a.m. start you can request ahead of time. Aid stations are cupless with hands-free dispensers, so bring a cup or bottle or buy a reusable cup at check-in.
- Terrain
- Rolling
- Distances
- Marathon, Half marathon, 10K, 5K
- Weather on race day
- Mid-November in Santa Clarita usually brings crisp, dry mornings around 45–55 °F at the 7 a.m. start and sunny afternoons near 70 °F. Start with gloves or a throwaway layer, then plan for steady warming on the second lap; the dry air means you still need to drink regularly.
What to train for
Think of each lap as two parts: a long, gentle grind east from mile 3 to mile 8.5, then a gradual downhill run home.
Do weekly progression runs on a gradual incline so you learn to hold effort uphill without surging, and finish some long runs on a slight downhill to practice quick, relaxed turnover.
Marathoners should build long runs to 18 to 20 miles and put 5 to 6 miles at goal pace late in the run, because the second-lap climb arrives around miles 16 to 21. Practice drinking from the cup or handheld bottle you plan to carry.
Sample week
A sample Santa Clarita 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 Santa Clarita 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
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Build me a training plan for the Santa Clarita Marathon in November. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Santa Clarita Marathon training questions
How long should I train for the Santa Clarita 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 Santa Clarita Marathon course hilly?
Rolling. The Santa Clarita Marathon starts and finishes at Heritage Park on Newhall Ranch Road in Valencia and stays on the city's car-free paved bike paths for every distance.
What is the weather usually like at the Santa Clarita Marathon?
Mid-November in Santa Clarita usually brings crisp, dry mornings around 45–55 °F at the 7 a.m. start and sunny afternoons near 70 °F. Start with gloves or a throwaway layer, then plan for steady warming on the second lap; the dry air means you still need to drink regularly.
When should I start tapering for the Santa Clarita 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 Santa Clarita 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.