12-Week Little Rock Marathon Training Plan

Little Rock, ARMarch 7, 2027

Start around December 13, 2026. The calendar below gives each phase a real date, then the course guidance shows where to make the build specific to Little Rock Marathon.

The Little Rock Marathon hands out what the organizers call the largest marathon finisher's medal in the world, and it builds the rest of the race around the same idea: everybody gets to finish. There is a 5 a.m. early start for approved runners who need up to eight hours, thirteen aid stations, and a course that starts and finishes on LaHarpe Boulevard behind the Statehouse Convention Center.

Race day
March 7, 2027
Start window
December 13, 2026
Runway
12 weeks
Course
Rolling Hills · Mostly Loop
Plan choice
Current training

Does this window fit your starting point?

Use this window when your recent training is steady and the opening week will not be a mileage jump. If you are returning after a long break, twelve weeks is too little room to rebuild and peak at the same time.

  • Your weekly mileage has been consistent for the last six to eight weeks.
  • You have completed recent long runs and do not need to rebuild from three easy miles.
  • You can protect the same number of run days from week one through race week.
  • You are prepared to begin race-specific work early instead of using a long base phase.

The 12-week Little Rock Marathon calendar

These dates define the job of each phase. Your current mileage, recent longest run, experience, goal, and available days still decide the actual workouts inside them.

Settle

Weeks 1–2

Dec 14, 2026–Dec 27, 2026

Hold close to your current volume, establish the weekly rhythm, and make sure the opening load is honest.

Build

Weeks 3–7

Dec 28, 2026–Jan 31, 2027

Grow the long run and weekly work with step-back weeks intact. There is no room to repay missed mileage.

Peak

Weeks 8–10

Feb 1, 2027–Feb 21, 2027

Complete the most race-specific long runs, rehearse fueling, and practice the terrain that will decide the final 10K.

Taper

Weeks 11–12

Feb 22, 2027–Mar 7, 2027

Reduce volume, keep the routine familiar, and arrive on race day without trying to squeeze in one more big week.

Make the window specific to Little Rock Marathon.

Course-specific work starts early in a 12-week build. Put the race's terrain and expected conditions into long runs once the opening weeks feel controlled, without adding extra hard days.

Read the full race guide

How to train for the Little Rock Marathon

Train Little Rock by putting hills in the middle of your long runs, not at the end. The climbing here is concentrated around miles 8 through 11, at the point in a marathon when you feel best and are most likely to spend badly. The skill this course rewards is climbing under control while your legs are still fresh enough to lie to you.

Build long runs with a hilly middle third and a flat, controlled finish. Run the climbs at goal effort, let the pace slip, and refuse to make it back on the descent. Then practice the transition the course actually gives you: coming off a climb onto flat riverfront trail and re-establishing rhythm quickly rather than drifting for two miles while your heart rate settles.

Also train for time on feet rather than for a hard number, because Little Rock is set up for exactly that. The 5 a.m. early start exists for runners who need six to eight hours, and pace groups run all the way out to eight hours. If your goal is to finish comfortably, walk breaks belong in your long runs from the beginning, not improvised at mile 18.

Stride matches you to one of 14 marathon plans built on the most proven training methodologies in the sport, then maps every week from today to that early March Sunday in Little Rock.

Little Rock Marathon course facts

Course
Mostly Loop · Rolling Hills · Road/Pavement
Elevation gain / loss
828 ft gain, 828 ft loss
Highest / lowest point
498 ft / 238 ft
Marathon finishers
1,208 in 2026 (mid-size field)
Boston qualifier
Certified Boston qualifying course
Finishers running a qualifying time
3% in 2026
Typical race morning
47°F at the start, 78% humidity, clear
Race day high / low
60°F / 41°F on average

Sources

Let your current training decide the actual plan.

Current mileage, recent longest run, marathon experience, goal, and available days determine which plans rank first. After you choose and subscribe, Stride dates every workout through March 7, 2027.

Build My Plan

12-week Little Rock Marathon plan questions, answered.

When should I start a 12-week Little Rock Marathon plan?

The 2027 Little Rock Marathon is scheduled for March 7, 2027, so the 12-week window opens around December 13, 2026. Treat that as the outside edge of the window, then line week one up with the plan's normal weekly rhythm.

Is a 12-week plan long enough for the Little Rock Marathon?

Use this window when your recent training is steady and the opening week will not be a mileage jump. If you are returning after a long break, twelve weeks is too little room to rebuild and peak at the same time. The course does not change the opening load you can handle, so choose from your current mileage and recent longest run before adding race-specific terrain.

How should I prepare for the Little Rock Marathon course in 12 weeks?

Course-specific work starts early in a 12-week build. Put the race's terrain and expected conditions into long runs once the opening weeks feel controlled, without adding extra hard days. Train Little Rock by putting hills in the middle of your long runs, not at the end. The climbing here is concentrated around miles 8 through 11, at the point in a marathon when you feel best and are most likely to spend badly. The skill this course rewards is climbing under control while your legs are still fresh enough to lie to you.

What if the 12-week Little Rock Marathon window has already started?

Do not double weeks or cram missed mileage into the remaining calendar. Use your current mileage, recent longest run, experience, goal, and available days to choose a plan that can enter at an appropriate point while preserving the taper.

How hilly is the Little Rock Marathon?

Rolling rather than mountainous, with the climbing concentrated in the middle. The course passes the State Capitol around mile 8 and climbs Kavanaugh Boulevard through miles 9 and 10 before reaching the riverfront trail near mile 11. The organizers joke about the hills, but they arrive at the point where runners are most likely to overspend.

Is the Little Rock Marathon good for a first marathon?

Yes, it is one of the friendliest in the country. Approved runners can take a 5 a.m. early start and use up to eight hours, pace groups extend to 8:00, and thirteen aid stations carry water, sports drink, gels and medical support. The finish line closes at 1 p.m. for every start time.

Put the 12-week window against your actual race.

Each page counts back from race day, maps the 4 phases to real dates, and applies the window to that course and its typical conditions.