Yakima River Canyon Marathon training plan: course, start dates, and plan options
Ellensburg, WAApril 3, 2027
The Yakima River Canyon Marathon runs a single road. You start on Canyon Road just south of the Berry Road intersection outside Ellensburg, follow the Yakima River downstream on State Route 821 through the canyon, and finish in rural Selah near the canyon's mouth. 190 people finished it in 2026.
Answer a few questions, choose your plan, then create your account and subscribe to start training in Stride.
Two things follow from that. There is nowhere to hide from weather or wind between canyon walls, and with a field that size you will run large parts of the race alone. The course is filed as downhill and the net drop is 292 feet, but it includes 779 feet of climbing and what the organizers call two major hills.
191 days to race day
Yakima River Canyon Marathon · April 3, 2027 · about 27 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 Yakima River Canyon Marathon 2027
Race day is April 3, 2027, which is 191 days from today. Counting back from that date, here is when each length of build starts.
- 30-week buildWindow has passed
- 24-week buildStart October 17, 2026
- 18-week buildStart November 28, 2026
- 16-week buildStart December 12, 2026
- 12-week buildshortest Stride acceptsStart January 9, 2027
You have about 27 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 3, 2027.
Answer a few questions, choose your plan, then create your account and subscribe to start training in Stride.
Yakima River Canyon Marathon course facts
- Course
- Point to Point · Downhill · Road/Pavement
- Elevation gain / loss
- 779 ft gain, 1,071 ft loss
- Highest / lowest point
- 1,499 ft / 1,174 ft
- Marathon finishers
- 190 in 2026 (very small field)
- Boston qualifier
- Certified Boston qualifying course
- Finishers running a qualifying time
- 10.5% in 2026
- Typical race morning
- 42°F at the start, 70% humidity, clear
- Race day high / low
- 59°F / 30°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 Yakima River Canyon 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 Yakima River Canyon 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: one canyon highway, two major hills, and nowhere to hide
The Yakima River Canyon Marathon is a point-to-point on paved State Route 821, following the river downstream from outside Ellensburg toward Selah between 1,174 and 1,499 feet. The organizers describe two major hills and many curves, plus a long downhill just before the finish. The course is USATF certified and Boston eligible.
The curves matter more than they sound. On a road that bends continuously you cannot run the tangents, so your watch will read long and your effort will not match your splits. Runners who are married to pace numbers have a bad day in this canyon.
The field is tiny. 190 finished in 2026, 122 in 2025 and 65 in 2024, and there is no cap on marathon entries. No crowds, no pack to tuck into, and a genuinely quiet 26.2 miles.
The main start is 8:00 a.m. Pacific with a 6:00 a.m. early start option, and the course stays open seven hours. Anyone still out at 3:00 p.m. gets a ride to the finish.
How to train for the Yakima River Canyon Marathon
Train for the Yakima River Canyon Marathon by running on effort rather than pace, and by preparing both directions of gradient. The course drops 292 feet net but climbs 779 along the way, so it wants climbing legs and descending legs, and the constant curves mean your GPS splits will lie to you all morning.
Put sustained climbs late in your long runs rather than early. Two major hills on a net-downhill course arrive when your quads are already loaded from descending, which is a completely different sensation from climbing fresh. Run the hill at mile 16 of a long run, not at mile 4.
Train the long downhill finish separately. End two or three long runs on a sustained descent at goal effort, short quick steps, no braking. On this course that final drop is either free time or the place where your quads finally give out.
Then train the solitude. With 190 finishers in 2026 you may not see another runner for miles, so do at least four long runs alone at goal effort, no group and no one to chase. Generating your own pace in silence is the specific skill this race asks for.
Getting in
Entry is easy. There is no cap on marathon entries and the field has been small but growing: 190 finishers in 2026 against 65 in 2024. Registration runs through RunSignup. The real logistical question is the point-to-point layout, since the start is outside Ellensburg and the finish is in rural Selah, so work out how you are getting back to your car.
Where does the Yakima River Canyon Marathon get hard?
The second of the two major hills, which arrives on quads already loaded from miles of descent and with almost nobody around to pull you up it.
What is the weather like at the Yakima River Canyon Marathon?
Early April in the Yakima canyon usually means a 42F start under clear skies, humidity around 70% and a light northwesterly, warming to an average high near 59F. Overnight lows average 30F, so the start line is genuinely cold. Train in cold morning air and plan throwaway layers rather than a jacket you will end up carrying.
Is the Yakima River Canyon Marathon a good Boston qualifier?
Yakima River Canyon is a certified Boston qualifying course, and its qualifying share swings hard because the field is small. 10.5% of finishers ran qualifying times in 2026, 3.3% in 2025 and 12.3% in 2024, but with 122 to 190 finishers in those years a handful of fast runners moves the number several points. Judge it on terrain, not on one year's percentage.
Is the Yakima River Canyon Marathon a good first marathon?
It can work as a first marathon for a runner who is comfortable alone. The seven hour course limit and the 6:00 a.m. early start option are generous, and there is no entry cap on the marathon. The hard parts for a first-timer are the solitude and the exposure rather than the terrain.
Yakima River Canyon Marathon questions, answered.
Is the Yakima River Canyon Marathon downhill?
Net downhill, though the climbing is real. The course drops 292 feet net across 26.2 miles while gaining 779 feet and losing 1,071, and the organizers describe two major hills along the way. Treat it as a rolling canyon road that happens to finish lower than it starts, not as a descent.
How big is the Yakima River Canyon Marathon?
Small. 190 runners finished the marathon in 2026, up from 122 in 2025 and 65 in 2024, and there is no cap on marathon entries. Expect long stretches with nobody in sight. That is a selling point for some runners and a serious problem for anyone who races off other people.
What is the time limit for the Yakima River Canyon Marathon?
The course stays open seven hours. The main start is 8:00 a.m. Pacific and anyone still running at 3:00 p.m. is driven to the finish. There is also a 6:00 a.m. early start option, which effectively gives slower runners a longer day on the course.
What is the Yakima River Canyon Marathon course like?
It follows one road, State Route 821, running downstream beside the Yakima River from outside Ellensburg to rural Selah. Expect paved surface, near-constant curves, two significant climbs and a long descent just before the finish, with canyon walls on either side for most of the way.
Where does the Yakima River Canyon Marathon get hard?
The second of the two major hills, which arrives on quads already loaded from miles of descent and with almost nobody around to pull you up it.
What is the weather like at the Yakima River Canyon Marathon?
Early April in the Yakima canyon usually means a 42F start under clear skies, humidity around 70% and a light northwesterly, warming to an average high near 59F. Overnight lows average 30F, so the start line is genuinely cold. Train in cold morning air and plan throwaway layers rather than a jacket you will end up carrying.
Is the Yakima River Canyon Marathon a good Boston qualifier?
Yakima River Canyon is a certified Boston qualifying course, and its qualifying share swings hard because the field is small. 10.5% of finishers ran qualifying times in 2026, 3.3% in 2025 and 12.3% in 2024, but with 122 to 190 finishers in those years a handful of fast runners moves the number several points. Judge it on terrain, not on one year's percentage.
Is the Yakima River Canyon Marathon a good first marathon?
It can work as a first marathon for a runner who is comfortable alone. The seven hour course limit and the 6:00 a.m. early start option are generous, and there is no entry cap on the marathon. The hard parts for a first-timer are the solitude and the exposure rather than the terrain.
When should I start training for the Yakima River Canyon Marathon 2027?
Race day is April 3, 2027. Counting back from that date, a 20-week build starts around November 14, 2026, a 16-week build around December 12, 2026, and a 12-week build around January 9, 2027. Already inside that window? Stride maps a plan from today to race day, whatever the runway.
How does Stride's Yakima River Canyon Marathon plan work?
Download the app, pick the Yakima River Canyon 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 3, 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?
A Yakima River Canyon 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.