12-Week Richmond Marathon Training Plan

Richmond, VANovember 14, 2026

Start around August 22, 2026. The calendar below gives each phase a real date, then the course guidance shows where to make the build specific to Richmond Marathon.

The Richmond Marathon hands out pickle juice at mile 23 and finishes on a downhill at 5th and Tredegar, above Brown's Island and the Canal Walk. In between it runs along and across the James River on a rolling route that climbs 685 feet and drops 813, and roughly 5,000 people finish it each November.

Race day
November 14, 2026
Start window
August 22, 2026
Runway
12 weeks
Course
Rolling Hills · 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 Richmond 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

Aug 23, 2026–Sep 5, 2026

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

Build

Weeks 3–7

Sep 6, 2026–Oct 10, 2026

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

Peak

Weeks 8–10

Oct 11, 2026–Oct 31, 2026

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

Taper

Weeks 11–12

Nov 1, 2026–Nov 14, 2026

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 Richmond 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 Richmond Marathon

Train for the Richmond Marathon on rolling terrain, and finish your long runs downhill. The course descends 813 feet against 685 of climbing and delivers its final drop right at the line, so quads that can still absorb a descent at mile 26 are worth more here than a few extra seconds of threshold fitness.

In practice: one hilly long run a week from about week five, on a route with 100 to 200 foot rises rather than one long climb. Run the descents at goal effort with a short quick stride. Then, in your last three long runs, arrange the route so the final mile runs downhill, and run that mile fast.

The river crossings are the other thing to prepare for. Bridge miles are open ground with nothing to break the wind, so if the day is breezy you will feel it. Do a few long runs on exposed roads instead of sheltered trails so wind is not a novelty on race day.

November mornings are cold at the start, 43F on average, and the gun goes at 7 a.m. Practice running the first three miles slightly underdressed rather than shedding layers at mile 6.

Richmond Marathon course facts

Course
Loop · Rolling Hills · Road/Pavement
Elevation gain / loss
685 ft gain, 813 ft loss
Highest / lowest point
274 ft / 48 ft
Marathon finishers
4,943 in 2025 (large field)
Boston qualifier
Certified Boston qualifying course
Finishers running a qualifying time
8.4% in 2025
Typical race morning
43°F at the start, 75% humidity, clear
Race day high / low
61°F / 39°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 November 14, 2026.

Build My Plan

12-week Richmond Marathon plan questions, answered.

When should I start a 12-week Richmond Marathon plan?

The 2026 Richmond Marathon is scheduled for November 14, 2026, so the 12-week window opens around August 22, 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 Richmond 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 Richmond 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 for the Richmond Marathon on rolling terrain, and finish your long runs downhill. The course descends 813 feet against 685 of climbing and delivers its final drop right at the line, so quads that can still absorb a descent at mile 26 are worth more here than a few extra seconds of threshold fitness.

What if the 12-week Richmond 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.

Is the Richmond Marathon good for a first marathon?

Yes, and the organizers say so directly. The course is rolling rather than hilly, stays open seven hours at 16:02 per mile with published checkpoint times, and has aid every two miles. With around 5,000 finishers you will have company the whole way, which matters more than most first-timers expect.

Is the Richmond Marathon hilly?

Rolling rather than hilly. The Richmond Marathon moves between 48 and 274 feet with 685 feet of climbing and 813 feet of descent across 26.2 miles, and the race itself describes 'some rolling hills'. The part everyone remembers is the finish, which runs downhill to 5th and Tredegar.

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.