Jersey City Marathon training plan: course, start dates, and plan options
Jersey City, NJApril 18, 2027
The Jersey City Marathon runs you toward the half marathon finish line and then turns you away from it. Both races come north together down Washington Boulevard toward Newport Parkway, and at 4th Street the marathon field shifts across while the half runners peel off to finish. If you have never had to do that at 13 miles, it is worth knowing in advance.
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The rest is genuinely flat. The course runs between 4 and 68 feet above sea level with 383 feet of total climbing, and it visits Liberty State Park twice, once on each of two southern loops. 3,111 people finished in 2026 and 16.8 percent of them ran a Boston qualifying time.
206 days to race day
Jersey City Marathon · April 18, 2027 · about 29 weeks out
Your plan starts with your race and works backward. Every week lands on a real calendar, with race day at the end.
When to start training for the Jersey City Marathon 2027
Race day is April 18, 2027, which is 206 days from today. Counting back from that date, here is when each length of build starts.
- 30-week buildWindow has passed
- 24-week buildStart November 1, 2026
- 18-week buildStart December 13, 2026
- 16-week buildStart December 27, 2026
- 12-week buildshortest Stride acceptsStart January 24, 2027
You have about 29 weeks until race day, so there is still room for a full build. Stride reads the runway you actually have and maps every week from today to April 18, 2027.
Answer a few questions, choose your plan, then create your account and subscribe to start training in Stride.
Jersey City Marathon course facts
- Course
- Multiple Loops · Mostly Flat · Road/Pavement
- Elevation gain / loss
- 383 ft gain, 383 ft loss
- Highest / lowest point
- 68 ft / 4 ft
- Marathon finishers
- 3,111 in 2026 (large field)
- Boston qualifier
- Certified Boston qualifying course
- Finishers running a qualifying time
- 16.8% in 2026
- Typical race morning
- 53°F at the start, 70% humidity, overcast
- Race day high / low
- 61°F / 45°F on average
Let’s find the plan for you.
Your race, current mileage, longest run, marathon experience, and available days decide the best fit. Stride maps the plan you choose to race day at the Jersey City Marathon.
- Stride Run-Walk FinisherThree sessions a week with planned walk breaks, cover the full distance before race day.
- Stride First MarathonThe classic four-day first-marathon build: easy running and one weekly long run, no speedwork.
- Stride First Marathon PlusA first-marathon build with a little more volume and weekly race-pace miles.
- Stride 6-Day FinisherFinish your first marathon on frequency: six easy-leaning runs a week, no monster long runs.
- Stride 5-Day Pace BuilderFive days a week with race-pace runs before your long runs, built for a mid-pack time goal.
- Stride 6-Day RhythmSix days a week with three quality sessions, steady fatigue that teaches you to finish strong.
- Stride Time-Based FoundationFive time-based runs a week, mostly easy, the injury-averse way to a strong finish.
- Stride Time-Based BuilderSix time-based runs a week at a strict 80% easy / 20% hard split, chase a time goal without breaking.
- Stride 3-Day Cross-TrainThree runs plus two cross-training days over 24 weeks, marathon fitness on a busy schedule.
- Stride 3-Day QualityExactly three hard runs plus two mandatory cross-training sessions, every workout counts.
- Stride 6-Day CumulativeThe six-day cumulative-fatigue build with quality from week two, for PR chasers with a base.
- Stride Threshold 55The serious BQ/PR build to 55 miles a week: threshold work, medium-long runs, and 20-milers.
- Stride Threshold 70The high-mileage BQ/PR build to 70 miles a week for veterans with a deep base.
- Stride 2-Quality FlexTwo fixed quality sessions a week, everything else flexible easy running, fits any schedule.
Answer a few questions, choose your plan, then create your account and subscribe to start training in Stride.
Choose your Jersey City Marathon training window.
Compare 12, 16, 18, and 20 weeks counted back from race day. The 18-week option includes the complete four-day schedule.
The course: two loops south, Liberty State Park twice
The Jersey City Marathon starts on Washington Boulevard in Newport at 7:00 a.m. and runs two loops south through downtown Jersey City, Bergen-Lafayette and Liberty State Park before finishing back on Washington Boulevard just south of Newport Parkway. It is USATF certified and sanctioned, and the whole route sits between 4 and 68 feet of elevation.
The turn-by-turn works south on Grove and Grand Streets, down Pacific Avenue to a counter-clockwise turnaround at Caven Point Avenue, then into Liberty State Park along Burma Road and the Morris Pesin Drive traffic circle. The second loop adds Newark Avenue and the Erie Street and Jersey Avenue blocks around Hamilton Park before the one real climb, up Summit Avenue onto the Bergen ridge, then drops back into the park for the closing miles. The organizers call it one of the fastest and flattest courses in the United States.
How to train for Jersey City
Training for the Jersey City Marathon is about pacing discipline and wind, not hills. The biggest climb rises roughly 60 feet and lands in the last third, when your legs are already loaded. Everything else is flat, which means people lose time here by starting too fast on ground that offers no resistance at all.
Two rehearsals pay for themselves. Run at least one long run that passes your car or your front door around 13 miles and keep going, because that is structurally what this race does to you at Newport Parkway. And finish long runs into a headwind on open ground instead of setting out into it while you are fresh. Race morning averages a northwest wind near 10 mph, and the closing miles run through Liberty State Park on Burma Road with the harbor on one side and nothing at all to block it.
Getting in
Entry is open with no qualifying time and no lottery, handled through RunSignup, and the marathon is limited to runners 18 and older. Pricing rises in steps as race day approaches, so registering early saves real money. Sign up through the race's RunSignup page, linked from jerseycitymarathon.com. The course time limit is not published on either the official site or the registration listing, so confirm it with the organizer if you expect to be out longer than six hours.
Where does the Jersey City Marathon get hard?
The race turns at the Summit Avenue climb in the last third, and then the closing miles run exposed through Liberty State Park on Burma Road, where a northwest wind has nothing to hit but you.
What is the weather like at the Jersey City Marathon?
Race morning in Jersey City in mid-April has averaged about 53 degrees at the start, overcast, with humidity near 70 percent and a northwest wind around 10 mph, warming toward a daily high near 61. Those are good racing numbers with one variable, and the variable is the wind coming off the harbor. Do your tempo work in the open rather than on sheltered paths so a steady 10 mph headwind is a known quantity.
Is the Jersey City Marathon a good Boston qualifier?
The Jersey City Marathon is a certified Boston qualifier and a consistent one. 16.8 percent of finishers ran a qualifying time in 2026, and the figure has stayed between 15.9 and 18.7 percent every year since 2023. Flat ground and cool April air do most of that work. It is a sensible pick if a qualifying time is the goal of your season.
Is the Jersey City Marathon a good first marathon?
This is a good first marathon with one caveat. The course is flat, the field of 3,111 finishers in 2026 is substantial, and the 7:00 a.m. start beats the heat. The caveat is the loop structure. Running the same southern stretch a second time is harder mentally than a point-to-point, and a first-timer should plan for that second pass rather than discover it.
Jersey City Marathon questions, answered.
Is the Jersey City Marathon flat?
Yes, close to it. The Jersey City Marathon runs between 4 and 68 feet above sea level with 383 feet of total climbing. The organizers call it one of the fastest and flattest courses in the United States. The only meaningful rise is Summit Avenue, roughly 60 feet of climb, and it arrives in the last third of the race.
How many loops is the Jersey City Marathon?
Two southern loops from a start on Washington Boulevard in Newport. Each loop runs down through downtown Jersey City and Bergen-Lafayette into Liberty State Park, so you see Burma Road and the Morris Pesin Drive circle twice. The half marathon finishes near Newport Parkway at the end of the first loop while the marathon field continues north and goes around again.
Is the Jersey City Marathon good for a Boston qualifier?
Yes. The course is USATF certified and Boston qualifying, and the share of finishers running qualifying times has held between 15.9 and 18.7 percent every year from 2023 through 2026. Flat ground and cool April mornings do most of the work, and the consistency across four years is the part worth trusting.
How windy is the Jersey City Marathon?
Race morning has averaged a northwest wind near 10 mph. That matters more than usual here because the closing miles run through Liberty State Park along Burma Road, open to the harbor with nothing to break the air. Practice finishing long runs into wind rather than with it behind you, and expect the last few miles to be the exposed ones.
Where does the Jersey City Marathon get hard?
The race turns at the Summit Avenue climb in the last third, and then the closing miles run exposed through Liberty State Park on Burma Road, where a northwest wind has nothing to hit but you.
What is the weather like at the Jersey City Marathon?
Race morning in Jersey City in mid-April has averaged about 53 degrees at the start, overcast, with humidity near 70 percent and a northwest wind around 10 mph, warming toward a daily high near 61. Those are good racing numbers with one variable, and the variable is the wind coming off the harbor. Do your tempo work in the open rather than on sheltered paths so a steady 10 mph headwind is a known quantity.
Is the Jersey City Marathon a good Boston qualifier?
The Jersey City Marathon is a certified Boston qualifier and a consistent one. 16.8 percent of finishers ran a qualifying time in 2026, and the figure has stayed between 15.9 and 18.7 percent every year since 2023. Flat ground and cool April air do most of that work. It is a sensible pick if a qualifying time is the goal of your season.
Is the Jersey City Marathon a good first marathon?
This is a good first marathon with one caveat. The course is flat, the field of 3,111 finishers in 2026 is substantial, and the 7:00 a.m. start beats the heat. The caveat is the loop structure. Running the same southern stretch a second time is harder mentally than a point-to-point, and a first-timer should plan for that second pass rather than discover it.
When should I start training for the Jersey City Marathon 2027?
Race day is April 18, 2027. Counting back from that date, a 20-week build starts around November 29, 2026, a 16-week build around December 27, 2026, and a 12-week build around January 24, 2027. Already inside that window? Stride maps a plan from today to race day, whatever the runway.
How does Stride's Jersey City Marathon plan work?
Download the app, pick the Jersey City Marathon as your race, and answer a few questions about your recent running and your weekly schedule. Stride matches you to one of 14 marathon plans, maps every week from today to April 18, 2027, adjusts when life gets in the way, and puts you in a feed of runners training for the same race.
Choosing a training app?
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Find your plan.
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