Your plan in four answers
Silver Strand Half is on November 8, 2026, under four weeks away, so we have set next year's race in November. Change the date below if you are running this one.
- Distances
- Half marathon, 10 miles, 12K, 5K
- Terrain
- Flat
Course
The Silver Strand Half course
The half marathon, 10 miler and 12K start together at 7:20 a.m. from Sunset Park at the north end of Coronado, run south along Ocean Boulevard by the beach, then join Orange Avenue and Highway 75 onto the Silver Strand. The Strand is a narrow sandbar with the Pacific on your right and San Diego Bay on your left, and the whole road is closed to traffic, so you get the full width of the highway.
Read the full course notes
All races finish with a beach party at Silver Strand State Beach, where the 5K starts and finishes at 7:00 a.m.; the half carries on south past the finish area to a turnaround before coming back, and the half course is USATF certified. There are no real hills, just sea-level highway and the odd overpass. Runners must be off the highway by 10:30 a.m., and half marathoners who have not reached the 10-mile turn by 9:45 are diverted onto a shorter route, so plan on about 3 hours or less.
- Terrain
- Flat
- Distances
- Half marathon, 10 miles, 12K, 5K
- Weather on race day
- Early November on the coast usually starts in the high 50s to mid 60s °F and warms toward 70 °F, with highs around 71 °F and lows near 55 °F in San Diego. Mornings can be grey under the marine layer or bright and clear, and the Strand has no shade, so wear sunscreen and drink at the aid stations. A headwind or tailwind off the ocean is the main variable on this exposed road.
What to train for
A flat, closed road rewards even pacing, so make tempo runs your key session: 4 to 6 miles at half marathon pace, plus a weekly set like 3 x 2 miles at goal pace with short recoveries.
The long, straight highway can feel mentally monotonous, so practice long runs on straight paths or out-and-back routes and break them into chunks.
Build to 11 to 13 mile long runs with the last 3 miles at goal pace, and run some of them into a headwind to practice holding effort rather than pace. Start conservatively; the turnaround after the finish area is where a well-paced race pays off.
Sample week
A sample Silver Strand Half 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
Taper
Tapering for the Silver Strand Half
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.
Also in Claude
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Build me a training plan for the Silver Strand Half Marathon, 10 Miler, 12K & 5K in November. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Silver Strand Half training questions
How long should I train for the Silver Strand Half?
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 Silver Strand Half course hilly?
Flat. The half marathon, 10 miler and 12K start together at 7:20 a.m. from Sunset Park at the north end of Coronado, run south along Ocean Boulevard by the beach, then join Orange Avenue and Highway 75 onto the Silver Strand.
What is the weather usually like at the Silver Strand Half?
Early November on the coast usually starts in the high 50s to mid 60s °F and warms toward 70 °F, with highs around 71 °F and lows near 55 °F in San Diego. Mornings can be grey under the marine layer or bright and clear, and the Strand has no shade, so wear sunscreen and drink at the aid stations. A headwind or tailwind off the ocean is the main variable on this exposed road.
When should I start tapering for the Silver Strand Half?
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.
Do I need an account to get a Silver Strand Half 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.