Foundation
Weeks 1–4
Oct 26, 2026–Nov 22, 2026
Establish repeatable weeks, keep most running easy, and begin extending the long run without forcing the pace.
16-Week Fort Lauderdale A1A Marathon Training Plan
Fort Lauderdale, FLFebruary 14, 2027
Start around October 25, 2026. The calendar below gives each phase a real date, then the course guidance shows where to make the build specific to Fort Lauderdale A1A Marathon.
The Fort Lauderdale A1A Marathon starts downtown at 5:50 in the morning, in the dark, and runs two loops along A1A with the Atlantic beside you, finishing on the beach. You reach the northern turnaround twice, and after the second one it's a straight shot south to the line.
- Race day
- February 14, 2027
- Start window
- October 25, 2026
- Runway
- 16 weeks
- Course
- two loops of A1A and a finish on the beach
- Plan choice
- Current training
Does this window fit your starting point?
Use this window when you have a running base and want several weeks before the hardest marathon-specific work begins. The extra month over a 12-week plan creates more room for gradual long-run growth and recovery.
- You run consistently enough that week one is a continuation, not a restart.
- You want a distinct foundation phase before the biggest long runs.
- You can protect your planned run days for roughly four months.
- Your race date leaves the full window without forcing skipped weeks.
The 16-week Fort Lauderdale A1A 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.
Build
Weeks 5–10
Nov 23, 2026–Jan 3, 2027
Increase the weekly load, preserve step-back weeks, and introduce the terrain and effort the race will require.
Peak
Weeks 11–13
Jan 4, 2027–Jan 24, 2027
Complete the biggest race-specific weeks and use long runs to lock in fueling, pacing, and equipment.
Taper
Weeks 14–16
Jan 25, 2027–Feb 14, 2027
Bring volume down while keeping the weekly rhythm familiar. Training is finished before race week begins.
Make the window specific to Fort Lauderdale A1A Marathon.
Use the first month to establish consistency, then make long runs progressively more specific to the race's terrain and conditions. The course rehearsal should grow with the plan, not appear all at once in peak week.
Read the full race guideHow to train for the A1A Marathon
Train for the A1A Marathon as a flat race, which means pace discipline rather than strength is the limiter. A course with no hills gives your legs no change of rhythm for the entire distance, so the same fibers do the same job for three, four or five hours. Long continuous goal pace work is the specific preparation for that.
Build long runs that end with 8 to 12 unbroken miles at goal pace on genuinely flat ground. Runners who train on rolling terrain often find flat racing surprisingly punishing, because the small variations they'd been relying on to redistribute the load are simply gone.
Then train the clock, not just the legs. A 5:50 a.m. start means waking somewhere around 3:30, and it means the first hour is run in the dark. Do a handful of long runs at that hour, eat the breakfast you plan to eat on race day at that hour, and find out now whether your stomach cooperates.
Last, prepare for the repetition. Break the race into segments in advance, decide what you'll do at each turnaround, and make the second loop a plan rather than a discovery.
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 February 14, 2027.
16-week Fort Lauderdale A1A Marathon plan questions, answered.
When should I start a 16-week Fort Lauderdale A1A Marathon plan?
The 2027 Fort Lauderdale A1A Marathon is scheduled for February 14, 2027, so the 16-week window opens around October 25, 2026. Treat that as the outside edge of the window, then line week one up with the plan's normal weekly rhythm.
Is a 16-week plan long enough for the Fort Lauderdale A1A Marathon?
Use this window when you have a running base and want several weeks before the hardest marathon-specific work begins. The extra month over a 12-week plan creates more room for gradual long-run growth and recovery. 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 Fort Lauderdale A1A Marathon course in 16 weeks?
Use the first month to establish consistency, then make long runs progressively more specific to the race's terrain and conditions. The course rehearsal should grow with the plan, not appear all at once in peak week. Train for the A1A Marathon as a flat race, which means pace discipline rather than strength is the limiter. A course with no hills gives your legs no change of rhythm for the entire distance, so the same fibers do the same job for three, four or five hours. Long continuous goal pace work is the specific preparation for that.
What if the 16-week Fort Lauderdale A1A 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 Fort Lauderdale A1A Marathon flat?
Yes. The A1A Marathon runs two loops along the oceanfront road in Fort Lauderdale and the organizers describe it as fast and flat, with a section through Birch State Park at miles 5 to 7. There's no meaningful climbing. The difficulty is holding one pace with nothing in the terrain to break the rhythm.
What time does the A1A Marathon start and how long do you get?
The marathon starts at 5:50 a.m. and the course stays open about six hours and fifteen minutes, from 5:45 a.m. to noon. After that, walkers can continue on the sidewalk and the finish area operates until 1:30 p.m. Plan on running the first hour of the race in the dark.
Put the 16-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.