Two Cities Marathon training plan: course, start dates, and plan options
Fresno, CANovember 1, 2026
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.
Answer a few questions, choose your plan, then create your account and subscribe to start training in Stride.
A course that flat gives you no variation and no excuses. It runs through north Fresno's streets, out through Woodward Park and into Old Town Clovis before turning back, in early November, with typical start-line temperatures around 52F. It is built for even splits and it exposes anyone who cannot produce them.
38 days to race day
Two Cities Marathon · November 1, 2026 · about 5 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 Two Cities Marathon 2026
Race day is November 1, 2026, which is 38 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 5 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.
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
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 Two Cities 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 Two Cities 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: flat, fast, and unvarying
The Two Cities Marathon starts at 6:30 a.m. at Clovis Community College and returns there, running the border between Fresno and Clovis in California's Central Valley. It is USATF certified and a Boston qualifier. Elevation moves inside a 48-foot range across the entire distance, with 317 feet of gain and 317 feet of loss.
The route heads out through north Fresno's streets, passes through Woodward Park, and swings into Old Town Clovis before turning back for the college. Early November in the valley brings fall color through the park sections, which is close to the only visual change the course offers.
There is no hill to break up your rhythm and no descent handing you free speed. What you get is a course where goal pace is available for all 26.2 miles if your fitness supports it, and nowhere to hide if it does not. Two Cities is a time-trial course in the most literal sense.
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.
Getting in
Registration is open with no qualifying standard, and pricing steps up in tiers as race day gets closer, so entering early saves real money. With 710 marathon finishers in 2025, up from 358 in 2021, the race is growing but not selling out. An early November date puts a 16-week build starting in mid-July, which means summer training if you are local to the valley.
Where does the Two Cities Marathon get hard?
Miles 20 to 26, where a course with no terrain variation gives you nothing to change gears against and any first-half pacing error comes due.
What is the weather like at the Two Cities Marathon?
Early November mornings in Fresno are cool and often overcast. Race-morning norms run around 52F with humidity near 76% and light northwesterly wind, warming toward an average high near 67F. A 6:30 a.m. start means most runners finish before the day heats up, so train for a cold start rather than for heat.
Is the Two Cities Marathon a good Boston qualifier?
Two Cities is USATF certified and a Boston qualifier with zero net elevation change, so no downhill adjustment applies. About 7.8% of finishers ran qualifying times in 2025, down from 9.5% in 2024 and 11.9% in 2023 as the field grew from 481 to 710. That is a solid qualifying rate for a course offering no elevation help.
Is the Two Cities Marathon a good first marathon?
Two Cities is a sensible first marathon. Flat pavement, cool November weather, a 6:30 a.m. start and a field of 710 finishers in 2025 make it approachable, and the race pitches itself to first timers alongside qualifiers. The one warning is that flat courses tempt beginners into starting too fast, because nothing on the ground slows you down early.
Two Cities Marathon questions, answered.
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.
Is Two Cities a good Boston qualifying race?
It is a solid one. About 7.8% of Two Cities Marathon finishers ran Boston qualifying times in 2025, with 9.5% in 2024 and 11.9% in 2023. The course is USATF certified with no net elevation change, which means no downhill adjustment and no elevation assistance either.
Is the Two Cities Marathon good for a first marathon?
Yes. Flat pavement, a cool early-November morning around 52F, a 6:30 a.m. start and about 710 finishers make it a manageable debut. The main risk is pacing: with no hills to hold you back, first timers routinely go out too fast and pay for it after mile 20.
Where does the Two Cities Marathon get hard?
Miles 20 to 26, where a course with no terrain variation gives you nothing to change gears against and any first-half pacing error comes due.
What is the weather like at the Two Cities Marathon?
Early November mornings in Fresno are cool and often overcast. Race-morning norms run around 52F with humidity near 76% and light northwesterly wind, warming toward an average high near 67F. A 6:30 a.m. start means most runners finish before the day heats up, so train for a cold start rather than for heat.
Is the Two Cities Marathon a good Boston qualifier?
Two Cities is USATF certified and a Boston qualifier with zero net elevation change, so no downhill adjustment applies. About 7.8% of finishers ran qualifying times in 2025, down from 9.5% in 2024 and 11.9% in 2023 as the field grew from 481 to 710. That is a solid qualifying rate for a course offering no elevation help.
Is the Two Cities Marathon a good first marathon?
Two Cities is a sensible first marathon. Flat pavement, cool November weather, a 6:30 a.m. start and a field of 710 finishers in 2025 make it approachable, and the race pitches itself to first timers alongside qualifiers. The one warning is that flat courses tempt beginners into starting too fast, because nothing on the ground slows you down early.
When should I start training for the Two Cities Marathon 2026?
Race day is November 1, 2026. Counting back from that date, a 20-week build starts around June 14, 2026, a 16-week build around July 12, 2026, and a 12-week build around August 9, 2026. Already inside that window? Stride maps a plan from today to race day, whatever the runway.
How does Stride's Two Cities Marathon plan work?
Download the app, pick the Two Cities 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 1, 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 Two Cities Marathon buildup is months of your life. See how Stride compares before you commit it to an app.
Training for a different race?
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.