Your plan in four answers
Set for September 5, 2027, about 45 weeks out.
- Distances
- Marathon, Half marathon, 10K, 5K
- Terrain
- Flat
- Taper starts
- August 18, 2027
Course
The Surfers Point Marathon course
The races start at Solimar Beach, just north of Ventura on the Pacific Coast Highway, and run out and back along the historic Old Rincon Highway with the ocean beside you the whole way. The organisers call it mostly flat; the half, 10K and 5K use shorter versions of the out-and-back, and the marathon repeats it in laps.
Read the full course notes
You run on a wide shoulder and bike path, about 25 to 35 feet across in most places, usually with a gentle ocean breeze. The course is USATF certified and a Boston qualifier, with water and sports drink about every 1.5 miles from cupless dispensers, so carry your own cup or bottle. There is no athlete parking at the start: shuttles run from Ventura from 5:00 a.m., and the marathon starts at 7:00 a.m. with a 7-hour limit.
- Terrain
- Flat
- Distances
- Marathon, Half marathon, 10K, 5K
- Weather on race day
- Early September on the Ventura coast is usually mild at the 7:00 a.m. start, around 60–68 °F, often under a marine layer that can burn off by mid-morning. A sea breeze is common on the exposed coastline, so expect it in your face on one direction of each out-and-back, and drink regularly once the sun comes out.
What to train for
Flat and open to the wind, this course rewards even effort over even pace: do long runs on an out-and-back route and let your pace dip slightly into the wind and pick up with it at your back.
Build to 18 to 20 miles for the full with the final 6 at goal pace, and add a weekly tempo of 4 to 6 miles.
The marathon has several turnarounds, so rehearse quick, smooth U-turns. Train with your own handheld bottle or cup, since there are no disposable cups on course.
Sample week
A sample Surfers Point 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
Your build to race day
Taper
Tapering for the Surfers Point 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 is flat, so pacing decides the day: rehearse your goal pace in short segments during race week. With the race on September 5, 2027, your taper starts around August 18, 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 Surfers Point Marathon on September 5, 2027. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Surfers Point Marathon training questions
How long should I train for the Surfers Point 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 Surfers Point Marathon course hilly?
Flat. The races start at Solimar Beach, just north of Ventura on the Pacific Coast Highway, and run out and back along the historic Old Rincon Highway with the ocean beside you the whole way.
What is the weather usually like at the Surfers Point Marathon?
Early September on the Ventura coast is usually mild at the 7:00 a.m. start, around 60–68 °F, often under a marine layer that can burn off by mid-morning. A sea breeze is common on the exposed coastline, so expect it in your face on one direction of each out-and-back, and drink regularly once the sun comes out.
When should I start tapering for the Surfers Point 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 is flat, so pacing decides the day: rehearse your goal pace in short segments during race week. With the race on September 5, 2027, your taper starts around August 18, 2027.
Do I need an account to get a Surfers Point 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.