4-Day Rehoboth Beach Seashore Marathon Training Plan

Rehoboth Beach, DEDecember 5, 2026

Four runs per week for 18 weeks: two easy runs, one midweek aerobic run, and one long run. The schedule stays fixed; the guidance below shows how to choose terrain, rehearse conditions, and prepare for the Rehoboth Beach Seashore Marathon course.

The Rehoboth Beach Seashore Marathon starts at 7:00 a.m. on Rehoboth Avenue by the bandstand and enforces something most marathons do not: a pace check at mile 18. The overall limit is seven hours at a 16 minute per mile pace, and the organizer is explicit that if you are not on that pace by mile 18, you will not be allowed to continue.

See the full 18-week plan Read the full race guide

Race day: December 5, 2026
18-week window: Around August 1, 2026
Course: a flat coastal route with a hard gate at mile 18
Peak week: 40 miles
Longest run: 20 miles

Your complete Rehoboth Beach Seashore Marathon schedule

The 18-week window opens around August 1, 2026. Weeks one through 17 keep the normal Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday rhythm. Only race week moves so the marathon lands on its actual weekday. If the window has passed, do not skip ahead or cram missed mileage into the time left.

Open any week to see all seven days. Week 1 is open to start.

1Week 1Foundation · 15 mi

Mon

Rest

Tue

Easy

3 mi easy run

Wed

Cross-training

30 min easy cross-training or mobility

Thu

Easy

3 mi relaxed aerobic run

Fri

Rest

Sat

Easy

3 mi easy run

Sun

Long run

6 mi long run, conversational effort

2Week 2Foundation · 17 mi

Mon

Rest

Tue

Easy

3 mi easy run

Wed

Cross-training

30 min easy cross-training or mobility

Thu

Easy

4 mi relaxed aerobic run

Fri

Rest

Sat

Easy

3 mi easy run

Sun

Long run

7 mi long run, conversational effort

3Week 3Recovery week · 15 mi

Mon

Rest

Tue

Easy

3 mi easy run

Wed

Cross-training

Rest or 20 min gentle mobility

Thu

Easy

3 mi relaxed aerobic run

Fri

Rest

Sat

Easy

3 mi easy run

Sun

Long run

6 mi long run, conversational effort

4Week 4Build · 19 mi

Mon

Rest

Tue

Easy

3 mi easy run

Wed

Cross-training

30–40 min easy cross-training

Thu

Easy

5 mi relaxed aerobic run

Fri

Rest

Sat

Easy

3 mi easy run + 4 relaxed strides

Sun

Long run

8 mi long run, conversational effort

5Week 5Build · 22 mi

Mon

Rest

Tue

Easy

4 mi easy run

Wed

Cross-training

30–40 min easy cross-training

Thu

Easy

5 mi relaxed aerobic run

Fri

Rest

Sat

Easy

3 mi easy run

Sun

Long run

10 mi long run; practice fluids

6Week 6Recovery week · 18 mi

Mon

Rest

Tue

Easy

3 mi easy run

Wed

Cross-training

Rest or 25 min gentle cross-training

Thu

Easy

4 mi relaxed aerobic run

Fri

Rest

Sat

Easy

3 mi easy run

Sun

Long run

8 mi long run, conversational effort

7Week 7Build · 25 mi

Mon

Rest

Tue

Easy

4 mi easy run

Wed

Cross-training

30–40 min easy cross-training

Thu

Quality

6 mi steady run; final 1 mi at planned marathon effort

Fri

Rest

Sat

Easy

3 mi easy run

Sun

Long run

12 mi long run; practice fuel and fluids

8Week 8Recovery week · 23 mi

Mon

Rest

Tue

Easy

4 mi easy run

Wed

Cross-training

30 min easy cross-training or mobility

Thu

Easy

5 mi relaxed aerobic run

Fri

Rest

Sat

Easy

4 mi easy run + 4 relaxed strides

Sun

Long run

10 mi long run, conversational effort

9Week 9Build · 29 mi

Mon

Rest

Tue

Easy

4 mi easy run

Wed

Cross-training

30–40 min easy cross-training

Thu

Quality

7 mi steady run; middle 2 mi at planned marathon effort

Fri

Rest

Sat

Easy

4 mi easy run

Sun

Long run

14 mi long run; use race-day fuel timing

10Week 10Recovery week · 24 mi

Mon

Rest

Tue

Easy

4 mi easy run

Wed

Cross-training

Rest or 25 min gentle cross-training

Thu

Easy

5 mi relaxed aerobic run

Fri

Rest

Sat

Easy

4 mi easy run

Sun

Long run

11 mi long run, conversational effort

11Week 11Build · 32 mi

Mon

Rest

Tue

Easy

5 mi easy run

Wed

Cross-training

30–40 min easy cross-training

Thu

Quality

7 mi steady run; final 2 mi at planned marathon effort

Fri

Rest

Sat

Easy

4 mi easy run

Sun

Long run

16 mi long run; rehearse fuel, fluids, and kit

12Week 12Recovery week · 26 mi

Mon

Rest

Tue

Easy

4 mi easy run

Wed

Cross-training

Rest or 25 min gentle cross-training

Thu

Easy

6 mi relaxed aerobic run

Fri

Rest

Sat

Easy

4 mi easy run + 4 relaxed strides

Sun

Long run

12 mi long run, conversational effort

13Week 13Peak week · 36 mi

Mon

Rest

Tue

Easy

5 mi easy run

Wed

Cross-training

30 min easy cross-training or mobility

Thu

Quality

8 mi steady run; middle 3 mi at planned marathon effort

Fri

Rest

Sat

Easy

5 mi easy run

Sun

Long run

18 mi long run; full race-day fueling rehearsal

14Week 14Recovery week · 29 mi

Mon

Rest

Tue

Easy

5 mi easy run

Wed

Cross-training

Rest or 25 min gentle cross-training

Thu

Easy

6 mi relaxed aerobic run

Fri

Rest

Sat

Easy

4 mi easy run

Sun

Long run

14 mi long run, conversational effort

15Week 15Peak week · 40 mi

Mon

Rest

Tue

Easy

6 mi easy run

Wed

Cross-training

30 min easy cross-training or mobility

Thu

Quality

9 mi steady run; middle 4 mi at planned marathon effort

Fri

Rest

Sat

Easy

5 mi easy run

Sun

Long run

20 mi long run; complete race-day rehearsal

16Week 16Taper · 26 mi

Mon

Rest

Tue

Easy

4 mi easy run

Wed

Cross-training

25 min easy cross-training or mobility

Thu

Quality

6 mi relaxed run; 2 mi at planned marathon effort

Fri

Rest

Sat

Easy

4 mi easy run

Sun

Long run

12 mi long run, controlled effort

17Week 17Taper · 18 mi

Mon

Rest

Tue

Easy

3 mi easy run

Wed

Cross-training

Rest or 20 min gentle mobility

Thu

Easy

4 mi relaxed run + 4 short strides

Fri

Rest

Sat

Easy

3 mi easy run

Sun

Long run

8 mi long run, conversational effort

18Week 18Taper · 8 mi + race

Sun

Rest

Mon

Easy

3 mi easy run

Tue

Rest

Rest or 15 min gentle mobility

Wed

Easy

3 mi easy run + 4 short strides

Thu

Rest

Fri

Easy

2 mi shakeout, or rest

Sat

Race

Marathon — 26.2 mi

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun	Run total
Week 1Foundation	Rest	3 mi easy run	30 min easy cross-training or mobility	3 mi relaxed aerobic run	Rest	3 mi easy run	6 mi long run, conversational effort	15 mi
Week 2Foundation	Rest	3 mi easy run	30 min easy cross-training or mobility	4 mi relaxed aerobic run	Rest	3 mi easy run	7 mi long run, conversational effort	17 mi
Week 3Recovery week	Rest	3 mi easy run	Rest or 20 min gentle mobility	3 mi relaxed aerobic run	Rest	3 mi easy run	6 mi long run, conversational effort	15 mi
Week 4Build	Rest	3 mi easy run	30–40 min easy cross-training	5 mi relaxed aerobic run	Rest	3 mi easy run + 4 relaxed strides	8 mi long run, conversational effort	19 mi
Week 5Build	Rest	4 mi easy run	30–40 min easy cross-training	5 mi relaxed aerobic run	Rest	3 mi easy run	10 mi long run; practice fluids	22 mi
Week 6Recovery week	Rest	3 mi easy run	Rest or 25 min gentle cross-training	4 mi relaxed aerobic run	Rest	3 mi easy run	8 mi long run, conversational effort	18 mi
Week 7Build	Rest	4 mi easy run	30–40 min easy cross-training	6 mi steady run; final 1 mi at planned marathon effort	Rest	3 mi easy run	12 mi long run; practice fuel and fluids	25 mi
Week 8Recovery week	Rest	4 mi easy run	30 min easy cross-training or mobility	5 mi relaxed aerobic run	Rest	4 mi easy run + 4 relaxed strides	10 mi long run, conversational effort	23 mi
Week 9Build	Rest	4 mi easy run	30–40 min easy cross-training	7 mi steady run; middle 2 mi at planned marathon effort	Rest	4 mi easy run	14 mi long run; use race-day fuel timing	29 mi
Week 10Recovery week	Rest	4 mi easy run	Rest or 25 min gentle cross-training	5 mi relaxed aerobic run	Rest	4 mi easy run	11 mi long run, conversational effort	24 mi
Week 11Build	Rest	5 mi easy run	30–40 min easy cross-training	7 mi steady run; final 2 mi at planned marathon effort	Rest	4 mi easy run	16 mi long run; rehearse fuel, fluids, and kit	32 mi
Week 12Recovery week	Rest	4 mi easy run	Rest or 25 min gentle cross-training	6 mi relaxed aerobic run	Rest	4 mi easy run + 4 relaxed strides	12 mi long run, conversational effort	26 mi
Week 13Peak week	Rest	5 mi easy run	30 min easy cross-training or mobility	8 mi steady run; middle 3 mi at planned marathon effort	Rest	5 mi easy run	18 mi long run; full race-day fueling rehearsal	36 mi
Week 14Recovery week	Rest	5 mi easy run	Rest or 25 min gentle cross-training	6 mi relaxed aerobic run	Rest	4 mi easy run	14 mi long run, conversational effort	29 mi
Week 15Peak week	Rest	6 mi easy run	30 min easy cross-training or mobility	9 mi steady run; middle 4 mi at planned marathon effort	Rest	5 mi easy run	20 mi long run; complete race-day rehearsal	40 mi
Week 16Taper	Rest	4 mi easy run	25 min easy cross-training or mobility	6 mi relaxed run; 2 mi at planned marathon effort	Rest	4 mi easy run	12 mi long run, controlled effort	26 mi
Week 17Taper	Rest	3 mi easy run	Rest or 20 min gentle mobility	4 mi relaxed run + 4 short strides	Rest	3 mi easy run	8 mi long run, conversational effort	18 mi

Week 18 · Race week

Shifted for the race's actual weekday. The first 17 weeks stay unchanged.

8 mi + race

Sun

Rest

Mon

3 mi easy run

Tue

Rest or 15 min gentle mobility

Wed

3 mi easy run + 4 short strides

Thu

Rest

Fri

2 mi shakeout, or rest

Sat

Marathon — 26.2 mi

This free plan is complete, fixed, and ready to use.

It begins at 15 miles per week, peaks at 40, and asks you to manage schedule changes and missed training yourself.

A Stride plan ranks from your running, then dates to race day.

Current mileage, recent longest run, marathon experience, goal, and available days decide which plans rank first.

Build My Plan

How to use this plan for Rehoboth Beach Seashore Marathon

The mileage builds your engine. Your long-run route, pacing, fueling, and clothing rehearsals make that fitness specific to this race.

How to train for the Rehoboth Beach Seashore Marathon

Train the Rehoboth Beach Seashore Marathon around the mile 18 pace gate first and everything else second. You need to arrive at mile 18 comfortably faster than 16 minutes per mile, which means your long runs should prove you can hold a sustainable pace through 18 to 20 miles rather than proving you can cover the distance somehow.

The practical version: build to at least two long runs of 18 to 20 miles where you hold a consistent pace throughout, and check what your average is at the 18 mile mark. If it is anywhere near 16 minutes per mile, your training needs more time at that distance before it needs speed work. This is a durability problem, not a fitness ceiling problem.

For a flat coastal December race, add exposed wind running. The stretch out toward Gordon's Pond and Herring Point is where an ocean wind will hit you, and a flat course gives you nothing to duck behind. Run some long run miles into open wind rather than always turning to keep it at your back.

Finally, sort out your surface question early. Because the organizer does not publish a surface breakdown, check the course maps yourself, then match your training and your race shoes to what you find. Running a stretch of unpaved trail in flat racing shoes you have never worn off pavement is an avoidable way to lose this race.

Keep the plan honest. This free schedule contains no speedwork. Apply the course guidance through route choice and race rehearsal without turning easy days into extra workouts. If your goal calls for marathon-pace work, compare it with First Marathon Plus.

Match the terrain

Do several Rehoboth Beach Seashore Marathon long runs on uninterrupted flat ground. With few terrain changes to reset your stride, steady pacing and late-run form matter more than hill speed.

Rehearse race morning

We have no verified race morning weather norms for this race, so treat early December on the Delaware coast as the guide: a cold 7:00 a.m. start, and wind off the ocean as the variable that actually matters. Build a warm up and throwaway layer plan for a dark, cold start line, and get some long runs done in genuine coastal wind rather than on sheltered roads.

Prepare for the hard part

Mile 18, and not for the usual reason. That is where the pace gate sits, so the middle of this race is a checkpoint rather than a stretch you can survive slowly.

Check the starting line before you commit.

Beginner-friendly does not mean couch-to-marathon. Week one asks for four runs, 15 total miles, and a six-mile long run.

Fifteen miles in week one is close to the volume you already handle.
You can protect four run days most weeks, including a weekend long run.
Your priority is a steady first-marathon build without speedwork.
You can start around August 1, 2026 without forcing the early weeks.

Rehoboth Beach Seashore Marathon questions, answered.

When should I start this 18-week Rehoboth Beach Seashore Marathon plan?

The 2026 Rehoboth Beach Seashore Marathon is scheduled for December 5, 2026, so the 18-week window opens around August 1, 2026. Weeks one through 17 keep the normal weekly rhythm and Sunday long run; only the final race week shifts to the event's actual weekday. If that date has already passed, do not compress 18 weeks of mileage into a shorter window.

How should I adapt the four-day plan for the Rehoboth Beach Seashore Marathon course?

Do several Rehoboth Beach Seashore Marathon long runs on uninterrupted flat ground. With few terrain changes to reset your stride, steady pacing and late-run form matter more than hill speed. Train the Rehoboth Beach Seashore Marathon around the mile 18 pace gate first and everything else second. You need to arrive at mile 18 comfortably faster than 16 minutes per mile, which means your long runs should prove you can hold a sustainable pace through 18 to 20 miles rather than proving you can cover the distance somehow.

Is four days a week enough to train for the Rehoboth Beach Seashore Marathon?

Four run days can be enough when 15 miles in week one is not a sudden jump and you can protect the long run most weeks. This schedule builds to a 40-mile peak and a 20-mile long run. A runner chasing an aggressive time or already supporting more volume may fit a higher-mileage plan better.

What is the time limit for the Rehoboth Beach Seashore Marathon?

Seven hours, at a 16 minute per mile pace, with a hard checkpoint at mile 18. The organizer states plainly that runners not on that pace by mile 18 will not be allowed to continue. That mid race gate is stricter than the overall limit implies, so plan your pacing around mile 18 rather than the finish.

Is the Rehoboth Beach Seashore Marathon flat?

The race listing describes it as a fast, flat, scenic course, and the Delaware coast around Rehoboth Beach has very little relief. We could not verify an elevation profile from the organizer, so treat flat as the working assumption and check the official course maps for the surface, which is not published either.

The same four-day schedule, shaped around the course ahead.

Choose your race for its current date, course profile, typical race-morning conditions, and specific long-run guidance.