LA Marathon Training Plan
Train for the LA Marathon: a March race from Dodger Stadium with its climbs in the first half, on mornings that warm up fast. Patience and heat planning.
The plan, week by week
Minutes per week. Tap a week.Training specifically for the LA Marathon: a plan that accounts for the course profile, typical weather conditions, and the race-specific fitness that separates prepared runners from generic marathon fitness. The marathon is fundamentally an aerobic event with a metabolic ceiling problem. Running out of glycogen — 'the wall' — is a fuelling and pacing failure, not a fitness failure. The training goal is to build a large enough aerobic base, develop fat oxidation efficiency, and practice race-pace running so the body knows what's coming on race day.
Starting at Dodger Stadium
The LA Marathon starts at Dodger Stadium and runs through downtown Los Angeles, Hollywood and beyond. The course has real climbs in the first half, in and around downtown and towards Hollywood, and trends downhill later on. That shape rewards patience: run the early climbs at an even effort and let your pace drop a little on them, rather than holding goal pace uphill and paying for it later. Include long runs with hills in the first half and a steady, faster finish.
Warm, bright mornings in March
LA is run in March, and race mornings are often sunny and can warm up quickly as the race goes on. Plan for heat even if the start feels cool: a slower first half, drinking from the early stations, and water over your head when it's warm. Do some long runs later in the morning in the last few weeks, so you're used to running as it warms up. If the forecast is hot, adjust your goal before the start rather than at 30 km.
Questions
How many days per week does this marathon plan require?
Most sessions in this plan run four to five days per week, including one quality session, a long run, and easy aerobic running. The plan is designed to be adjustable — with Daash, Claude can restructure it around your available days each week.
Do I need a GPS watch to follow this marathon training plan?
A GPS watch or running app is helpful for tracking pace and distance, but not strictly required. Effort-based running (using a scale of 1–10 perceived exertion) works well for easy runs. For quality sessions where specific paces matter, a watch becomes more valuable.
What should I eat before a long run?
For runs under 60–75 minutes, eating beforehand is optional. For longer runs, a light carbohydrate-based meal two to three hours before the session — oats, toast with banana, or a rice-based option — provides fuel without gastrointestinal issues. Avoid high-fat, high-fibre, or unfamiliar foods on long run mornings.
How does Daash adapt the plan if I miss a session?
Daash sees missed sessions in your Garmin data. Tell Claude why — illness, fatigue, life — and it reworks the coming week: redistributing sessions, reducing volume if needed, or adjusting the next quality session, then updates the workouts on your watch.
Do I need to take gels or nutrition during training for a marathon?
For any long run over 90 minutes, practising race nutrition is valuable. Train with the gels, chews, or drinks available at your target race so your gut is adapted before race day. Do not try a new nutrition product for the first time on race morning.