Miami Marathon Training Plan
Train for the Miami Marathon: a pre-dawn start over the causeways to Miami Beach, flat apart from the bridges, and warm and humid from the gun.
The plan, week by week
Minutes per week. Tap a week.Training specifically for the Miami 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.
Causeways, Miami Beach and an early start
The Miami Marathon starts downtown before dawn and heads over the causeways to Miami Beach. The causeway bridges are almost the only climbs on an otherwise flat course. The early start is there to beat the heat, and it means a very early alarm and breakfast in the middle of the night: practise eating and running at that hour on a couple of long runs, so your stomach is ready for it.
Racing in warmth and humidity
Miami is run in late January or early February, and even at dawn it is usually warm and humid. Heat changes the race more than the course does. Start slower than goal pace, drink at the early stations before you feel thirsty, and use water to cool down. If you are training somewhere cold, do some easy runs in extra layers or on a treadmill indoors in the last weeks to start getting used to the heat. Set your goal for the conditions on the day.
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.