Your plan in four answers
Set for November 26, 2026, about 4 weeks out.
- Distances
- 5K, 10K
- Sport
- Running
- Taper starts
- November 17, 2026
Course
The Thanksgiving Day Race course
The Western & Southern Thanksgiving Day Race starts and finishes at TQL Stadium, home of FC Cincinnati, with the 10K at 9:00 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning, November 26, 2026. The 10K winds through the heart of the Queen City and across the river into Kentucky before coming back to the stadium, and the official 2026 route is still being finalized.
Read the full course notes
This is the 117th running, making it one of the longest continuously held road races in the United States. The TDR 5K and the ProAmpac Kids Fun Run make it a family morning, and finishers collect a swag bag, a banana and a drink in the Pella Recovery Zone. The race supports local charities including Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Cincinnati Cancer Foundation and the FC Cincinnati Foundation.
- Distances
- 5K, 10K
- Weather on race day
- Late November in Cincinnati is cool to cold, with average highs near 50 °F and lows around 34 °F. At the 9:00 a.m. start, expect temperatures closer to the low end, so gloves, a hat and a throwaway layer are smart. The chance of a wet day is about 26%, and snow is rare. Winds average about 7 mph, which you may notice most out on the river crossing.
What to train for
A 10K that crosses the river and comes back means bridge climbs, so add short hill repeats of 60 to 90 seconds once a week.
Build toward a weekly tempo run of 3 to 4 miles at a comfortably hard effort, plus a long run of 7 to 9 miles.
A big holiday crowd fills the start, so practice starting relaxed and settling into your pace after the first mile. Late November can be chilly, so do a few runs in the exact gear you plan to race in.
Sample week
A sample Thanksgiving Day Race 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: 6 × 800 m at 5K to 10K effort, easy jog between
- Wednesday
- Easy run, 5 mi
- Thursday Key session
- Tempo run, 5 mi with 2 mi comfortably hard
- Friday
- Recovery run, 3 mi, or cross-train
- Saturday Key session
- Long run, 7–8 mi easy
- Sunday
- Easy run, 3 mi, then 6 relaxed strides
Your build to race day
Taper
Tapering for the Thanksgiving Day Race
Start the taper seven to ten 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. With the race on November 26, 2026, your taper starts around November 17, 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 Western & Southern Thanksgiving Day Race (10K) on November 26, 2026. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Thanksgiving Day Race training questions
How long should I train for the Thanksgiving Day Race?
Most runners give a 10k ten to twelve 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 Thanksgiving Day Race course hilly?
The Western & Southern Thanksgiving Day Race starts and finishes at TQL Stadium, home of FC Cincinnati, with the 10K at 9:00 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning, November 26, 2026.
What is the weather usually like at the Thanksgiving Day Race?
Late November in Cincinnati is cool to cold, with average highs near 50 °F and lows around 34 °F. At the 9:00 a.m. start, expect temperatures closer to the low end, so gloves, a hat and a throwaway layer are smart. The chance of a wet day is about 26%, and snow is rare. Winds average about 7 mph, which you may notice most out on the river crossing.
When should I start tapering for the Thanksgiving Day Race?
Start the taper seven to ten 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. With the race on November 26, 2026, your taper starts around November 17, 2026.
Do I need an account to get a Thanksgiving Day Race 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.