Kleine Zeitung Graz Marathon Training Plan & Preparation

Course & Elevation

The Kleine Zeitung Graz Marathon is the autumn classic of Styria's capital: start and finish sit in front of the Graz Opera, and between them lie two identical laps through the old town and the districts along the Mur. The marathon headlines a running weekend that ranges from kids' races to relays, which gives the whole course a broad, well-supported atmosphere.

The lap itself is emphatically flat. Almost 60 percent of the distance is completely level, and the remainder rolls so gently that genuinely steep ground is essentially absent — uphill or downhill. Across the full distance it adds up to roughly 250 metres of climbing, just under six per kilometre. As a closed loop the course returns you to exactly where you started, with no net elevation.

The one piece of terrain is a short ramp: a little over 300 metres at around five percent, gaining 16 metres. Because the lap is run twice, the ramp comes twice — once at kilometre 19, then again at kilometre 40. The first time it barely registers. The second time it sits two kilometres from the finish and lands on empty legs.

That places Graz among the fast marathon courses of the German-speaking region: a cool October, a flat profile, and a city that gives the weekend over to running.

Pacing Strategy

The profile asks for evenness; the lap structure asks for discipline. Almost 60 percent of the course is level and nothing forces a change of pace, so settle on your goal pace early and hold it. The loop closes with no net elevation, which means the second half is runnable in the same rhythm as the first.

The biggest trap is the layout itself. At kilometre 21 you run past the finish and head out again. Going out too hard on fresh legs is not repaid at kilometre 25 but over the closing ten kilometres of lap two — the same streets, considerably longer the second time. Plan the first lap as the slower of the two.

The race is decided on the ramp at kilometre 40: a little over 300 metres at five percent, touching just above seven at its steepest. At kilometre 19 it is merely a change of rhythm on fresh legs; at kilometre 40 it is where an over-ambitious opening becomes visible. Take it on feel without pressing, and pick the pace back up immediately at the top — only two flat kilometres remain.

12-Week Preparation

Depending on your level, Graz means three to five and a half hours of running, almost entirely aerobic. The course is flat and even, with no climbs to break your rhythm and no technique to rehearse. Your result therefore comes down almost purely to aerobic endurance, pacing judgement and fuelling.

The demand is steady and aerobic. On a profile without steep ground there are no anaerobic spikes — the load stays constant for hours. That makes the course demanding in its own way: no climb forces a pause in your pace, and no descent lets you recover.

The classic marathon build across twelve or more weeks fits well here. A weekly long run progressing towards 30 to 35 kilometres, plus tempo runs and threshold intervals that consolidate goal marathon pace. Since almost 60 percent of the course is completely level, most of that quality work belongs on flat terrain, drilling deliberately even kilometre splits. Rehearse goal pace until you can hit it without looking at your watch.

The decisive phases are the second lap from kilometre 21 and the ramp at kilometre 40. Cover both with long runs whose closing section is run at goal pace, so your speed is still available at kilometre 35. Rehearse your gel and drink routine in those long runs too: on a flat, sustained effort, carbohydrate intake helps decide the closing kilometres.

The October date brings cool conditions, but your hardest block falls in late summer. Move key sessions to the morning on hot days, and protect the final weeks for a clean taper.