Richmond Marathon training plan: course, start dates, and plan options
Richmond, VANovember 14, 2026
The Richmond Marathon hands out pickle juice at mile 23 and finishes on a downhill at 5th and Tredegar, above Brown's Island and the Canal Walk. In between it runs along and across the James River on a rolling route that climbs 685 feet and drops 813, and roughly 5,000 people finish it each November.
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The organizers call the course good for first-timers, and the record supports them: a seven hour limit, aid every two miles, and 4,943 finishers in 2025. What the friendly reputation hides is that 'some rolling hills' still adds up to 685 feet of climbing, and the course saves its famous downhill for the very end.
51 days to race day
Richmond Marathon · November 14, 2026 · about 7 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 Richmond Marathon 2026
Race day is November 14, 2026, which is 51 days from today. Counting back from that date, here is when each length of build starts.
- 30-week buildWindow has passed
- 24-week buildWindow has passed
- 18-week buildWindow has passed
- 16-week buildWindow has passed
- 12-week buildshortest Stride acceptsWindow has passed
You have about 7 weeks until race day, which is inside the shortest build Stride matches. Stride won’t pretend there is room for a responsible full build. You can still use the finder to check your starting point, then choose a later race if this runway is too short.
Answer a few questions, choose your plan, then create your account and subscribe to start training in Stride.
Richmond Marathon course facts
- Course
- Loop · Rolling Hills · Road/Pavement
- Elevation gain / loss
- 685 ft gain, 813 ft loss
- Highest / lowest point
- 274 ft / 48 ft
- Marathon finishers
- 4,943 in 2025 (large field)
- Boston qualifier
- Certified Boston qualifying course
- Finishers running a qualifying time
- 8.4% in 2025
- Typical race morning
- 43°F at the start, 75% humidity, clear
- Race day high / low
- 61°F / 39°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 Richmond 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 Richmond 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: rolling river miles and a finish that runs downhill
The Richmond Marathon starts at 7 a.m. at 1st and Broad Street and finishes on a descent at 5th and Tredegar, beside Brown's Island and the Canal Walk. The route runs along and across the James River through historic parts of the city, rolling between 48 and 274 feet with 685 feet of climbing and 813 of descent.
Aid is unusually thorough. Water every two miles to mile 20 and every mile after that, gel at 14 and 21, Junk Food Stops at 16 and 22, and pickle juice at 23. That last one is a genuinely useful detail: if cramping is your failure mode, there is a plan for it at the exact mile it tends to happen.
The seven hour limit works out to 16:02 per mile, with published checkpoint times along the way. Mile 7 by 9:05, mile 11 by 10:10, mile 16 by 11:30, mile 20 by 12:30, mile 23 by 1:20. Those are the numbers to build a walk-run finish around.
How to train for the Richmond Marathon
Train for the Richmond Marathon on rolling terrain, and finish your long runs downhill. The course descends 813 feet against 685 of climbing and delivers its final drop right at the line, so quads that can still absorb a descent at mile 26 are worth more here than a few extra seconds of threshold fitness.
In practice: one hilly long run a week from about week five, on a route with 100 to 200 foot rises rather than one long climb. Run the descents at goal effort with a short quick stride. Then, in your last three long runs, arrange the route so the final mile runs downhill, and run that mile fast.
The river crossings are the other thing to prepare for. Bridge miles are open ground with nothing to break the wind, so if the day is breezy you will feel it. Do a few long runs on exposed roads instead of sheltered trails so wind is not a novelty on race day.
November mornings are cold at the start, 43F on average, and the gun goes at 7 a.m. Practice running the first three miles slightly underdressed rather than shedding layers at mile 6.
Getting in
Richmond fills up without fighting you for it. 4,943 people finished the marathon in 2025 and 5,029 in 2024, a field that has held around 4,000 to 5,000 since 2023. Register through the race's site at richmondmarathon.org, and book downtown lodging early, because the start at 1st and Broad and the finish at Brown's Island are both walkable from the middle of the city.
Where does the Richmond Marathon get hard?
Somewhere after mile 16, where 'some rolling hills' stops feeling rolling and the course still has not given you the downhill it saves for the finish.
What is the weather like at the Richmond Marathon?
Mid-November mornings in Richmond typically start near 43F with humidity around 75%, clear skies and a light north wind, warming to an average high near 61F. That is close to ideal marathon weather and genuinely cold for standing in a corral at 7 a.m. Use throwaway layers and dress for how you will feel at mile 5.
Is the Richmond Marathon a good Boston qualifier?
Richmond is a USA Track & Field sanctioned and certified course with a solid qualifying record: 8.4% of finishers ran Boston qualifying times in 2025, 10.7% in 2024 and 12.7% in 2023. The rolling profile costs you a little against a flat course, and cool November weather plus a downhill finish give some of it back.
Is the Richmond Marathon a good first marathon?
It is one of the better first marathons in the country, and the organizers say as much themselves. The course stays open seven hours at a 16:02 per mile pace with published checkpoint times, aid comes every two miles, and a field of roughly 5,000 finishers means you will always have people around you.
Richmond Marathon questions, answered.
Is the Richmond Marathon good for a first marathon?
Yes, and the organizers say so directly. The course is rolling rather than hilly, stays open seven hours at 16:02 per mile with published checkpoint times, and has aid every two miles. With around 5,000 finishers you will have company the whole way, which matters more than most first-timers expect.
Is the Richmond Marathon hilly?
Rolling rather than hilly. The Richmond Marathon moves between 48 and 274 feet with 685 feet of climbing and 813 feet of descent across 26.2 miles, and the race itself describes 'some rolling hills'. The part everyone remembers is the finish, which runs downhill to 5th and Tredegar.
What is the finish of the Richmond Marathon like?
Downhill. The Richmond Marathon ends on a descent at 5th and Tredegar Street, beside Brown's Island and the Canal Walk on the riverfront. It is a real gift if your quads are intact, and a nasty surprise if 813 feet of cumulative descent has already taken them apart.
Is the Richmond Marathon a good Boston qualifier?
It is a solid one. 8.4% of finishers ran Boston qualifying times in 2025, 10.7% did in 2024 and 12.7% in 2023, on a sanctioned and certified course. Cool mid-November weather, with an average start near 43F, helps about as much as the profile does.
Where does the Richmond Marathon get hard?
Somewhere after mile 16, where 'some rolling hills' stops feeling rolling and the course still has not given you the downhill it saves for the finish.
What is the weather like at the Richmond Marathon?
Mid-November mornings in Richmond typically start near 43F with humidity around 75%, clear skies and a light north wind, warming to an average high near 61F. That is close to ideal marathon weather and genuinely cold for standing in a corral at 7 a.m. Use throwaway layers and dress for how you will feel at mile 5.
Is the Richmond Marathon a good Boston qualifier?
Richmond is a USA Track & Field sanctioned and certified course with a solid qualifying record: 8.4% of finishers ran Boston qualifying times in 2025, 10.7% in 2024 and 12.7% in 2023. The rolling profile costs you a little against a flat course, and cool November weather plus a downhill finish give some of it back.
Is the Richmond Marathon a good first marathon?
It is one of the better first marathons in the country, and the organizers say as much themselves. The course stays open seven hours at a 16:02 per mile pace with published checkpoint times, aid comes every two miles, and a field of roughly 5,000 finishers means you will always have people around you.
When should I start training for the Richmond Marathon 2026?
Race day is November 14, 2026. Counting back from that date, a 20-week build starts around June 27, 2026, a 16-week build around July 25, 2026, and a 12-week build around August 22, 2026. Already inside that window? Stride maps a plan from today to race day, whatever the runway.
How does Stride's Richmond Marathon plan work?
Download the app, pick the Richmond 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 November 14, 2026, adjusts when life gets in the way, and puts you in a feed of runners training for the same race.
Choosing a training app?
A Richmond Marathon buildup is months of your life. See how Stride compares before you commit it to an app.
Find your plan.
Your race, current mileage, recent longest run, goal, and run days determine which plans rank first. Choose one and subscribe, then open every workout in Stride.