Your plan in four answers
Set for December 13, 2026, about 7 weeks out.
- Distances
- Half marathon, 11K, 5K
- Terrain
- Flat
- Taper starts
- December 1, 2026
Course
The Santa to the Sea course
The half marathon is a point-to-point run that starts at the giant historic Santa Claus statue on Ventura Boulevard beside the 101 freeway and finishes at the Marine Emporium Landing in Channel Islands Harbor. The route crosses Oxnard's strawberry fields, runs through downtown Oxnard to Plaza Park at the halfway point, then through Candy Cane Lane, where the homes are decorated for the holidays, before heading out to the Pacific beach communities for the finish by the harbour.
Read the full course notes
The course is flat and fast, with bands along the way and aid stations roughly every 2 miles. It is an open course, so watch for crossing traffic and follow the marshals; runners slower than a 17 minute mile meet rolling cutoffs at about miles 3.25, 6.5 and 9.5 and move to the shoulder. The Quarter Marathon (6.55 miles) starts at Plaza Park, and runners park at The Palms outlets and take a shuttle to their start.
- Terrain
- Flat
- Distances
- Half marathon, 11K, 5K
- Weather on race day
- Mid-December on the Oxnard coast is usually cool at the 7:30 a.m. start, around 47–55 °F, with afternoon highs in the mid 60s and only a handful of rainy days in the month. The race runs rain or shine; dress for a chilly shuttle wait and a coastal finish, and on a mild morning most runners can hold their goal pace without much adjustment.
What to train for
A flat, point-to-point half marathon is a great chance for a personal best, so build your plan around goal-pace work.
Run a weekly tempo of 3 to 6 miles at half marathon effort and a session of 5 to 6 x 1 mile at 10K pace, and take your long run to 11 to 13 miles with the final 3 at goal pace.
The halfway point at Plaza Park has gels and snacks, so practise taking a gel around 6 miles in long runs. With shuttles from 5:45 a.m., rehearse an early breakfast and a 60 to 90 minute gap before running.
Sample week
A sample Santa to the Sea 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 Santa to the Sea
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 is flat, so pacing decides the day: rehearse your goal pace in short segments during race week. With the race on December 13, 2026, your taper starts around December 1, 2026.
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 Santa to the Sea Half Marathon, Quarter Marathon & 5K on December 13, 2026. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Santa to the Sea training questions
How long should I train for the Santa to the Sea?
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 Santa to the Sea course hilly?
Flat. The half marathon is a point-to-point run that starts at the giant historic Santa Claus statue on Ventura Boulevard beside the 101 freeway and finishes at the Marine Emporium Landing in Channel Islands Harbor.
What is the weather usually like at the Santa to the Sea?
Mid-December on the Oxnard coast is usually cool at the 7:30 a.m. start, around 47–55 °F, with afternoon highs in the mid 60s and only a handful of rainy days in the month. The race runs rain or shine; dress for a chilly shuttle wait and a coastal finish, and on a mild morning most runners can hold their goal pace without much adjustment.
When should I start tapering for the Santa to the Sea?
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 is flat, so pacing decides the day: rehearse your goal pace in short segments during race week. With the race on December 13, 2026, your taper starts around December 1, 2026.
Do I need an account to get a Santa to the Sea 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.