Your plan in four answers
Towpath Half has not announced its next date, so we have estimated April. Change the date below once you know it.
- Distances
- Half marathon, 5 miles
- Sport
- Running
Course
The Towpath Half course
The Towpath Half starts on the Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation drive off East 49th Street in Cuyahoga Heights, then joins the Towpath Trail just past the Leonard Krieger CanalWay Center. On the most recently published course, half marathoners cross the pedestrian bridge over the canal, head north to a turnaround just over 3 miles in near the Harvard Avenue trailhead, then run back south over two suspension bridges to a second turnaround just short of Old Rockside Road.
Read the full course notes
The return leg passes the main trail entrance and finishes on the Lower Loop trail below the Krieger center. The 5 mile race uses the same start, the first turnaround and the Lower Loop. The trail is 8 to 10 feet wide and runners race in both directions, so expect company on every stretch.
- Distances
- Half marathon, 5 miles
- Weather on race day
- Mid-April in Cleveland averages a high near 56 °F and a low near 41 °F, so the 8:00 a.m. start is usually cool. There is about a 31% chance of a wet day, skies are mostly cloudy a little over half the time, and winds average around 11 mph, mostly from the west. Bring a throwaway layer and gloves for the start and plan to shed them once you warm up.
What to train for
As the April opener of the Towpath Trilogy, this race rewards a steady winter build: work up to long runs of 10 to 12 miles so the second half feels smooth.
Practice tight 180 degree turns during tempo runs, since the course has two turnarounds and two-way traffic on a narrow trail.
Include a short hill in some runs, because there is a climb near the bottom of the hill by the suspension bridges. A weekly session of 3 x 2 miles at goal half marathon pace will teach you to lock into rhythm on the long, even trail sections.
Sample week
A sample Towpath 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 Towpath 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.
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 Towpath Half (Half marathon) in April. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Towpath Half training questions
How long should I train for the Towpath 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 Towpath Half course hilly?
The Towpath Half starts on the Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation drive off East 49th Street in Cuyahoga Heights, then joins the Towpath Trail just past the Leonard Krieger CanalWay Center.
What is the weather usually like at the Towpath Half?
Mid-April in Cleveland averages a high near 56 °F and a low near 41 °F, so the 8:00 a.m. start is usually cool. There is about a 31% chance of a wet day, skies are mostly cloudy a little over half the time, and winds average around 11 mph, mostly from the west. Bring a throwaway layer and gloves for the start and plan to shed them once you warm up.
When should I start tapering for the Towpath 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.
Do I need an account to get a Towpath 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.