Rio de Janeiro Marathon 2027: your 12-week plan for May 30, workout by workout on your Garmin

Your training, timed for May 30

The plan lasts 12 weeks, starting on Mon, March 8. With more time, it can start on February 8 with 4 lead-in weeks.

1. Weeks 1–3

   Base

   Mar 8 → Mar 28

   Settle volume, wake threshold up

2. Weeks 4–7

   Development

   Mar 29 → Apr 25

   Marathon pace comes in, long runs get longer

3. Weeks 8–10

   Specific

   Apr 26 → May 16

   Long blocks at marathon pace, 2-hour-plus runs

4. Weeks 11–12

   Taper

   May 17 → May 30

   Two weeks to arrive fresh

From Recreio to the Aterro do Flamengo, point to point at daybreak

The 2027 Maratona do Rio, a special 25th-anniversary edition, starts in Recreio, in the west of the city (exact spot to be confirmed), at 5:30 a.m. in waves, and finishes on the Aterro do Flamengo, by the Monument to the Pracinhas. The 2027 route is not published yet: the official page still shows the 2026 route, which started elsewhere, at Praia da Reserva.

The time limit is 6 hours, counted from the start of the last wave; runners behind the pace chart can be asked to stop. Water roughly every 3 km (2 miles), plus one station at the start and one at the finish. The marathon closes a four-day festival: 5K on Thursday, May 27, 10K on Friday, May 28, half marathon on Saturday, May 29.

Three workouts for a 5:30 a.m. start and 26.2 miles with no loop

The 2027 profile is not out yet, so these workouts prepare for what is certain: a start before sunrise, a point-to-point course that never passes the same spot twice, and water roughly every 2 miles. Ask your assistant to build them and send them to your watch; it sets the paces from your MAS (maximal aerobic speed).

• — Long run at race time: once or twice in the last month, 2 hours easy starting around 5:30 a.m., the last 30 minutes at marathon pace.
• — Marathon-pace blocks with drinks: 15 min warm-up, 2 × 5 miles at marathon pace (about 77 to 79% of MAS), taking a few sips every 2 miles without breaking pace, 3 min recovery, 10 min cool-down.
• — Threshold: 20 min warm-up, 3 × 10 min at threshold pace, 2 min jog recovery, 10 min cool-down; the session that builds a margin above marathon pace.

A March-to-May build, from late summer to autumn in Brazil

The 12-week plan starts on Monday, March 8, 2027. In Brazil, it begins in late summer and ends in autumn; in the northern hemisphere, it covers the spring. In late May, Rio is 4 hours behind London and 1 hour ahead of New York: if you're coming from far away, arriving a few days early leaves time to settle in and collect your kit at Casa Maratona, at the Marina da Glória (dates to be announced).

Missed a week? Your assistant reviews it (sessions done or missed, training load), decides by the plan's rules whether to repeat the week or move on, and sends the next one to your watch. It can also move a workout in your Garmin Connect calendar, for example to put the long run on a morning when you have time.

Entry: the marathon is sold out

Marathon bibs went by ballot for the general public, with direct entry for foreign runners; they are now sold out, as is the 21K + 42K Desafio. Two options remain: accredited travel agencies, with a package, from November 10, 2026, and the "Raspa do Tacho", a possible batch of leftover places in December (December 15 to 17 according to the rules). The minimum age is 20.

Frequently asked questions