Race Calendar

Having a specific race on the calendar transforms vague intentions — "I want to run a marathon someday" — into concrete, schedulable actions. A well-chosen goal race gives training a purpose and creates a natural checkpoint for measuring fitness progress. The calendar above lists upcoming marathons, half marathons, and major road races worldwide. Filter by continent and time window to narrow your options.

Required lead time depends on target distance and current base fitness. As a general guideline — 5K: 8–12 weeks; 10K: 10–16 weeks; half marathon: 12–20 weeks; full marathon: 16–24 weeks from a solid aerobic base. These windows assume consistent running before the plan starts. Add 4–6 weeks if returning from injury or a long break before beginning structured work.

Most experienced runners structure their season around one or two "A races" — events with a full taper where they target a personal best. Supporting those are "B races" (light taper, fitness test) and "C races" (training runs in a race environment). When selecting your A race, prioritize flat courses, historically good weather for that month, and event organization quality. Most coaches recommend 2–4 goal races per year to allow adequate recovery and continued fitness development between peaks.