Your plan in four answers
Set for January 17, 2027, about 12 weeks out.
- Distances
- Half marathon, 10K, 5K
- Terrain
- Flat
- Field
- A limited field for the 20th edition
- Taper starts
- January 5, 2027
Course
The St. Pete Beach Classic course
The Maddie Zolfo Half Marathon is a running tour of the whole island: it starts and finishes at the Sirata Beach Resort, heads south along Gulf Boulevard to historic Pass-a-Grille, winds through the Vina del Mar neighborhood and the residential lanes of the south end, then runs north past the beach resorts to loop the North Beach neighborhood and return through Upham Beach. The streets are paved and flat; the only rise is a short, narrow bridge into and out of Vina del Mar just past mile 4 and at mile 6, where you run in a coned lane.
Read the full course notes
The half starts at 6:45 a.m. on Sunday, while Saturday brings the 10K at 7:00 a.m. (Sirata north to North Beach and Upham Beach and back) and the 5K at 9:00 a.m. Many roads stay open to traffic, so keep inside the coned lanes. The 2027 weekend is billed as the 20th and final edition, with a limited field.
- Terrain
- Flat
- Distances
- Half marathon, 10K, 5K
- Field
- A limited field for the 20th edition
- Weather on race day
- Mid-January on the Gulf coast is usually cool and pleasant at dawn, around 55–65 °F, with a breeze off the water and far less humidity than in summer. A cold front can drop the start into the 40s with a brisk north wind, so bring a layer, and on a calm, sunny morning the open beachfront warms quickly after sunrise.
What to train for
Flat streets and a cool start make this a classic PR course, so train for steady pace rather than hills.
Key sessions: a weekly tempo of 4 to 6 miles at half marathon effort, and long runs building to 11 to 13 miles with the final 3 to 4 at goal pace.
Roads reopen at 10:00 a.m., which gives the half 3 hours 15 minutes, so walkers should practise a steady 14:30 per mile. If you plan the Super 3 Distance Challenge (10K, 5K, beach fun run and half over two days, 22.6 miles), rehearse back-to-back days with a Saturday workout followed by a Sunday long run.
Sample week
A sample St. Pete Beach Classic 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 St. Pete Beach Classic
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 January 17, 2027, your taper starts around January 5, 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 St. Pete Beach Classic (Half marathon) on January 17, 2027. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
St. Pete Beach Classic training questions
How long should I train for the St. Pete Beach Classic?
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 St. Pete Beach Classic course hilly?
Flat. The Maddie Zolfo Half Marathon is a running tour of the whole island: it starts and finishes at the Sirata Beach Resort, heads south along Gulf Boulevard to historic Pass-a-Grille, winds through the Vina del Mar neighborhood and the residential lanes of the south end, then runs north past the beach resorts to loop the North Beach neighborhood and return through Upham Beach.
What is the weather usually like at the St. Pete Beach Classic?
Mid-January on the Gulf coast is usually cool and pleasant at dawn, around 55–65 °F, with a breeze off the water and far less humidity than in summer. A cold front can drop the start into the 40s with a brisk north wind, so bring a layer, and on a calm, sunny morning the open beachfront warms quickly after sunrise.
When should I start tapering for the St. Pete Beach Classic?
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 January 17, 2027, your taper starts around January 5, 2027.
Do I need an account to get a St. Pete Beach Classic 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.