16-Week Two Cities Marathon Training Plan

Fresno, CANovember 1, 2026

Start around July 12, 2026. The calendar below gives each phase a real date, then the course guidance shows where to make the build specific to Two Cities Marathon.

The Two Cities Marathon spends its entire 26.2 miles inside a 48-foot band of elevation, between about 335 and 383 feet, starting and finishing at Clovis Community College on the line between Fresno and Clovis, California. Total climbing is 317 feet, matched exactly by 317 feet of descent.

Race day
November 1, 2026
Start window
July 12, 2026
Runway
16 weeks
Course
Mostly Flat · Mostly Loop
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 Two Cities 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.

Foundation

Weeks 1–4

Jul 13, 2026–Aug 9, 2026

Establish repeatable weeks, keep most running easy, and begin extending the long run without forcing the pace.

Build

Weeks 5–10

Aug 10, 2026–Sep 20, 2026

Increase the weekly load, preserve step-back weeks, and introduce the terrain and effort the race will require.

Peak

Weeks 11–13

Sep 21, 2026–Oct 11, 2026

Complete the biggest race-specific weeks and use long runs to lock in fueling, pacing, and equipment.

Taper

Weeks 14–16

Oct 12, 2026–Nov 1, 2026

Bring volume down while keeping the weekly rhythm familiar. Training is finished before race week begins.

Make the window specific to Two Cities 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 guide

How to train for Two Cities

Training for the Two Cities Marathon is pace precision rather than strength. On a course with 317 feet of total gain, every mile asks for the same thing, so your limiting factor is your ability to hold one number for three-plus hours. That is a different skill from being able to run a fast 20-miler.

Build long runs around large blocks at exact goal pace instead of progression runs. Something like 20 miles with the middle 14 held within a few seconds per mile, twice in the buildup, teaches your legs one rhythm and shows you where it falls apart. Add a 10-mile session at goal pace on genuinely flat ground so you learn how monotonous holding it feels.

Then plan for the repetitive load. Flat courses concentrate stress in the same tissues every stride, which is why calf and foot problems show up more often after flat marathons than after hilly ones. Keep some rolling terrain in your easy runs to vary the demand, and do not drop calf strength work just because there is no climb on race day.

Two Cities Marathon course facts

Course
Mostly Loop · Mostly Flat · Road/Pavement
Elevation gain / loss
317 ft gain, 317 ft loss
Highest / lowest point
383 ft / 335 ft
Marathon finishers
710 in 2025 (small field)
Boston qualifier
Certified Boston qualifying course
Finishers running a qualifying time
7.8% in 2025
Typical race morning
52°F at the start, 76% humidity, mostly cloudy
Race day high / low
67°F / 45°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 1, 2026.

Build My Plan

16-week Two Cities Marathon plan questions, answered.

When should I start a 16-week Two Cities Marathon plan?

The 2026 Two Cities Marathon is scheduled for November 1, 2026, so the 16-week window opens around July 12, 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 Two Cities 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 Two Cities 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. Training for the Two Cities Marathon is pace precision rather than strength. On a course with 317 feet of total gain, every mile asks for the same thing, so your limiting factor is your ability to hold one number for three-plus hours. That is a different skill from being able to run a fast 20-miler.

What if the 16-week Two Cities 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 Two Cities Marathon flat?

Very. The whole course stays inside a 48-foot elevation band, between about 335 and 383 feet, with 317 feet of total climbing and the same amount of descent. There is no meaningful hill anywhere on the route. The organizers call it flat and fast, and the elevation numbers back that up.

Where does the Two Cities Marathon go?

It starts and finishes at Clovis Community College and runs the border between Fresno and Clovis, California. The route covers north Fresno streets, passes through Woodward Park, and heads into Old Town Clovis before returning to the college. The start is 6:30 a.m. in early November.

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.