Windermere Marathon training plan: course, start dates, and plan options
Spokane, WAMay 16, 2027
The Windermere Marathon finishes in downtown Spokane beneath the Clocktower, at the end of a point to point course that drops about 250 feet net along the Spokane River. In 2026, 223 runners finished it and 9% of them ran a Boston qualifying time. This is a small, quiet race that happens to be quick.
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The organizers call it one of the Northwest's fastest courses, and the shape backs that up: about 456 feet of climbing against 712 feet of descent across 26.2 miles, with the whole route sitting between roughly 1,870 and 2,150 feet. There's no signature hill to fear and no crowd to carry you. What's left is you and your pacing.
233 days to race day
Windermere Marathon · May 16, 2027 · about 33 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 Windermere Marathon 2027
Race day is May 16, 2027, which is 233 days from today. Counting back from that date, here is when each length of build starts.
- 30-week buildStart October 18, 2026
- 24-week buildStart November 29, 2026
- 18-week buildStart January 10, 2027
- 16-week buildStart January 24, 2027
- 12-week buildshortest Stride acceptsStart February 21, 2027
You have about 33 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 May 16, 2027.
Answer a few questions, choose your plan, then create your account and subscribe to start training in Stride.
Windermere Marathon course facts
- Course
- Point to Point · Mostly Flat · Road/Pavement
- Elevation gain / loss
- 456 ft gain, 712 ft loss
- Highest / lowest point
- 2,151 ft / 1,872 ft
- Marathon finishers
- 223 in 2026 (very small field)
- Boston qualifier
- Certified Boston qualifying course
- Finishers running a qualifying time
- 9% in 2026
- Typical race morning
- 54°F at the start, 71% humidity, partially cloudy
- Race day high / low
- 69°F / 44°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 Windermere 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 Windermere 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: point to point, gently downhill, finishing under the Clocktower
The Windermere Marathon is a point to point road race in Spokane finishing downtown beneath the Clocktower. It's certified as a Boston qualifying course and runs mostly flat, with about 456 feet of gain against 712 feet of loss for a net drop near 250 feet. The marathon starts at 7 a.m., with an early start option at 5:30 a.m.
That net drop works out to roughly 10 feet per mile, which is nowhere near enough to trash your quads and is plenty to be worth some time if you pace it properly. The Centennial Trail along the Spokane River runs through the event, though the shorter distances are the ones the organizers describe as following it, and the marathon is listed as a road course.
The whole race sits a little under 2,000 feet. That's high enough that a runner coming from sea level might notice it at the very top of their effort, and low enough that it doesn't justify reworking a single week of training.
How to train for the Windermere Marathon
Train for the Windermere Marathon by preparing to run alone at goal pace. With 223 finishers in 2026 and 172 in 2025, spread out along a point to point course, there is no pack. Most runners here lose more time drifting off pace with nobody nearby than they'd ever lose to the terrain.
So do three or four long runs entirely solo at goal effort, ideally without music, and practice checking in with your effort every mile or two. Generating your own pace is a skill and it fades fast if you always train with company.
The gentle downhill deserves some specific work too. A 250 foot net drop across 26 miles is subtle, but it arrives as short descents you can either use or waste. Run long runs on very gently rolling ground and practice keeping your stride short and your cadence up on the downs instead of lengthening out and braking, which is what costs people their quads late.
If you take the 5:30 a.m. early start, train at that hour. Two or three long runs starting in the dark will teach you more about your race day breakfast than any amount of reading will.
Getting in
Entry is straightforward: register online, no lottery, no qualifying standard. Marathon entry is listed at $100, with the shorter distances priced lower and rising after the end of October before race year. Because the course is point to point, transport to the start is the thing to sort early, so read the athlete guide before you book travel or a hotel.
Where does the Windermere Marathon get hard?
Miles 18 to 23, where a small field has spread out completely and a course with no terrain to react to leaves you nothing but your own pacing to hold onto.
What is the weather like at the Windermere Marathon?
Race morning in Spokane typically starts near 54F with humidity around 71% under partly cloudy skies and a light northeasterly, warming to an average high of 69F. That's a good start and a warm finish for anyone out past four hours. Get enough warm afternoon running into the final month that the back half of the race doesn't catch you out.
Is the Windermere Marathon a good Boston qualifier?
Windermere is a certified Boston qualifying course and a decent one for its size: 9% of finishers ran a qualifying time in 2026, up from 5.2% in 2025, with rates between 5% and 9.3% across recent years. Those percentages come off fields of a couple of hundred runners, so they swing year to year, but the flat profile and the gentle net drop are genuinely helpful.
Is the Windermere Marathon a good first marathon?
It's a good first marathon if quiet appeals to you. The profile is forgiving, the field is small enough that logistics stay simple, and a 5:30 a.m. early start exists for runners who want more time on the course. The tradeoff is that at roughly 200 finishers you'll run much of it alone, which is harder than first timers expect.
Windermere Marathon questions, answered.
Is the Windermere Marathon a fast course?
Yes, gently so. The Windermere Marathon is a point to point course in Spokane with about 456 feet of climb against 712 feet of descent, a net drop near 250 feet, and no significant hills. The organizers call it one of the Northwest's fastest. About 9% of finishers ran a Boston qualifying time in 2026.
How big is the Windermere Marathon?
Small. 223 runners finished the marathon in 2026, 172 in 2025 and 142 in 2024. That means no crowds, easy logistics and long stretches of running alone. If you rely on a pack to hold your pace, practice solo long runs at goal effort well before race day.
Where does the Windermere Marathon finish?
In downtown Spokane, beneath the Clocktower. The marathon is a point to point course running the Spokane River corridor and ending in the middle of downtown, which makes the finish easy to reach for anyone meeting you. The marathon starts at 7 a.m., with a 5:30 a.m. early start option.
What is the weather like at the Windermere Marathon?
Mid May mornings in Spokane usually start around 54F with humidity near 71% and partly cloudy skies, warming to an average high of 69F. That's close to ideal at the gun and warm by the time slower runners come through. Dress for the middle of the race rather than the start corral.
Where does the Windermere Marathon get hard?
Miles 18 to 23, where a small field has spread out completely and a course with no terrain to react to leaves you nothing but your own pacing to hold onto.
What is the weather like at the Windermere Marathon?
Race morning in Spokane typically starts near 54F with humidity around 71% under partly cloudy skies and a light northeasterly, warming to an average high of 69F. That's a good start and a warm finish for anyone out past four hours. Get enough warm afternoon running into the final month that the back half of the race doesn't catch you out.
Is the Windermere Marathon a good Boston qualifier?
Windermere is a certified Boston qualifying course and a decent one for its size: 9% of finishers ran a qualifying time in 2026, up from 5.2% in 2025, with rates between 5% and 9.3% across recent years. Those percentages come off fields of a couple of hundred runners, so they swing year to year, but the flat profile and the gentle net drop are genuinely helpful.
Is the Windermere Marathon a good first marathon?
It's a good first marathon if quiet appeals to you. The profile is forgiving, the field is small enough that logistics stay simple, and a 5:30 a.m. early start exists for runners who want more time on the course. The tradeoff is that at roughly 200 finishers you'll run much of it alone, which is harder than first timers expect.
When should I start training for the Windermere Marathon 2027?
Race day is May 16, 2027. Counting back from that date, a 20-week build starts around December 27, 2026, a 16-week build around January 24, 2027, and a 12-week build around February 21, 2027. Already inside that window? Stride maps a plan from today to race day, whatever the runway.
How does Stride's Windermere Marathon plan work?
Download the app, pick the Windermere 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 May 16, 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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