20-Week Jacob Wells 3 Bridges Marathon Training Plan

Little Rock, ARDecember 5, 2026

Start around July 18, 2026. The calendar below gives each phase a real date, then the course guidance shows where to make the build specific to Jacob Wells 3 Bridges Marathon.

The Jacob Wells 3 Bridges Marathon puts its last climb at mile 26. You cross Two Rivers Bridge to finish, having already crossed it at mile 19, the Big Dam Bridge at miles 1 and 18, and the Clinton Presidential Bridge at mile 9.

Race day
December 5, 2026
Start window
July 18, 2026
Runway
20 weeks
Course
a 19 mile loop east, then a 7 mile loop west
Plan choice
Current training

Does this window fit your starting point?

Use the longer window to make the early build calmer, not to add five months of hard training. The plan should begin close to your current load, hold most running easy, and delay the biggest race-specific work until the middle of the cycle.

  • You want a longer foundation phase before marathon-specific training.
  • Your current mileage is steady but below the load you expect to carry later.
  • You prefer gradual long-run growth with regular step-back weeks.
  • You can sustain a five-month routine without turning every week into a peak week.

The 20-week Jacob Wells 3 Bridges 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 1–6

Jul 19, 2026–Aug 29, 2026

Set the routine, grow easy volume gradually, and finish each week with enough control to repeat it.

Build

Weeks 7–13

Aug 30, 2026–Oct 17, 2026

Extend the long run, introduce race-specific terrain, and keep recovery weeks on the calendar.

Peak

Weeks 14–17

Oct 18, 2026–Nov 14, 2026

Complete the most demanding race rehearsals and settle fueling, pacing, shoes, and clothing before taper begins.

Taper

Weeks 18–20

Nov 15, 2026–Dec 5, 2026

Reduce the load, keep familiar running in the week, and let the work from the previous four months show up on race day.

Make the window specific to Jacob Wells 3 Bridges Marathon.

Build general durability first. Add the race's hills, flat sustained running, downhill exposure, heat, or humidity in layers after the weekly rhythm is stable, then make the final long runs the most course-specific.

Read the full race guide

How to train for the 3 Bridges Marathon

Train for the 3 Bridges Marathon as a flat race with one specific late demand: short, steep climbs on tired legs. Big Dam Bridge at mile 18 and Two Rivers Bridge at 19 and again at 26 mean your last hour includes ramps you have to power over. Flat goal pace work on its own won't prepare you for that.

So put the hills at the end of the run, never at the start. Every week or two, finish a long run with three or four controlled 60 to 90 second climbs on a bridge, a parking ramp or a highway overpass. Run them at effort rather than sprinting. You're teaching your legs to change gear when they'd rather not, which is what mile 26 asks for here.

The rest is pacing on smooth, level ground. The Arkansas River Trail is paved and mostly flat, so your splits will look identical for hours and early over-pacing stays hidden until it isn't. Do the bulk of your long runs on paved trail at goal pace, and get used to running with only a handful of people in sight.

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 December 5, 2026.

Build My Plan

20-week Jacob Wells 3 Bridges Marathon plan questions, answered.

When should I start a 20-week Jacob Wells 3 Bridges Marathon plan?

The 2026 Jacob Wells 3 Bridges Marathon is scheduled for December 5, 2026, so the 20-week window opens around July 18, 2026. Treat that as the outside edge of the window, then line week one up with the plan's normal weekly rhythm.

Is a 20-week plan long enough for the Jacob Wells 3 Bridges Marathon?

Use the longer window to make the early build calmer, not to add five months of hard training. The plan should begin close to your current load, hold most running easy, and delay the biggest race-specific work until the middle of the cycle. 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 Jacob Wells 3 Bridges Marathon course in 20 weeks?

Build general durability first. Add the race's hills, flat sustained running, downhill exposure, heat, or humidity in layers after the weekly rhythm is stable, then make the final long runs the most course-specific. Train for the 3 Bridges Marathon as a flat race with one specific late demand: short, steep climbs on tired legs. Big Dam Bridge at mile 18 and Two Rivers Bridge at 19 and again at 26 mean your last hour includes ramps you have to power over. Flat goal pace work on its own won't prepare you for that.

What if the 20-week Jacob Wells 3 Bridges 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 hard is the 3 Bridges Marathon?

It's an easy profile with hard placement. The organizers describe the course as mostly flat except for the three bridges, run on the paved Arkansas River Trail in Little Rock. The problem is when the climbs arrive: Big Dam Bridge at mile 18, Two Rivers Bridge at mile 19, and Two Rivers again at mile 26.

Which three bridges does the 3 Bridges Marathon cross?

Big Dam Bridge, the Clinton Presidential Bridge and Two Rivers Bridge, all in Little Rock. You cross Big Dam at miles 1 and 18, Clinton Presidential at mile 9, and Two Rivers at miles 19 and 26. That's five crossings in total, and three of them come after mile 17.

Put the 20-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.