Welcome to the official Delco Road Runners Club 12-week training plan! This program systematically cycles through our available club fun run locations to prepare your body and mind for the Delco 10 Miler on October 4th. Not registered for the race? No problem! Join us to train anyway. Better yet, register for the race and join our team, Delco RRC!
Let's Go!
This week we are in Phase 2: Building Endurance & Up-Tempo Runs. Our training runs this week are Wednesday, Sep 2, 6:30 PM @ Swarthmore Presbyterian Church and Saturday, Sep 5, 9:00 AM @ Ridley Creek State Park site 17.
How to Use This Plan
- Group Synergy: We know many of you are running 3 to 4 times a week on your own. This plan is designed for you to join us for one or two group runs a week to build community, find motivation, and learn our local fun run courses.
- Midweek Rotation: Midweek evening runs systematically rotate through Tuesday (Springfield), Wednesday (Swarthmore), and Thursday (Havertown). All weekday runs in the plan start at 6:30 PM.
- Weekend Rotation: Weekend morning long runs rotate through Saturday (Media, Collingdale, Ridley Creek) and Sunday (Springfield). The start times for the weekend runs vary, so check out the schedule below!
- Waiver Requirement: All participants must read the club liability waiver before running. Better yet, become a DRRC member today to have the waiver automatically built-in and enjoy full club perks!
- Standard Fun Runs: Want to stick to your favorite local spot every single week? No problem! Our standard weekly fun run schedule operates normally alongside this training program.
- Dress to Empower: For our designated monthly
Club Rally Runs, we highly encourage everyone to wear DRRC club gear or show off their favorite past race swag! Let's turn these runs into a sea of Delco running pride. - Earn Swag: We will also be tracking attendance, and a special club swag prize will be awarded to the dedicated runner who attends the most rally runs throughout the training cycle.
- Just Show Up: Our club supports runners of all paces. Our community is centered on fun, safety, and fitness, and there is always someone to run the course with.
DRRC Fun Run and Delco 10 Miler Training Google Calendar: We’ve made it easier than ever to keep track of your training! You can now view the entire DRRC fun run schedule, the 12-week 10 miler training schedule, and Club Rally Runs, directly on our new public calendar. One click adds the Google Calendar or iCal options!
Connect with us on Strava: Want to see where everyone is logging their extra miles? Join the official Delco RRC Strava Club to log your training runs, cheer on fellow members, and keep each other motivated!
Training Schedule
Phase 2: Building Endurance & Up-Tempo Runs (Weeks 4–8)
Focus on safely expanding weekend mileage past standard club distances using a "Main Loop + Extra Miles" strategy while keeping the midweek rotation intact.
| Week / Dates | Midweek Training Run (6:30 PM) | Midweek Distance | Weekend Long Run | Weekend Distance / Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 4 | Tuesday, Aug 4, 6:30 PM: Springfield Library | 5.0 Miles | Saturday, Aug 8, 9:00 AM: Ridley Creek State Park (Area 17) | 8.0 Miles
Paved trail loop 4.7 miles + 3.3 miles out-and-back. |
| Week 5 | Wednesday, Aug 12, 6:30 PM: Swarthmore Presbyterian Church
|
5.5 Miles | Sunday, Aug 16, 7:30 AM: Springfield Library | 8.0 Miles
7.5-mile road course + 0.5-mile extension. |
| Week 6 | Thursday, Aug 20, 6:30 PM:
98 E Hathaway Ln, Havertown
|
5.6 Miles | Saturday, Aug 22, 7:00 AM: Media Community Center, 3rd and Jackson Sts | 8.5 Miles
6.1-mile loop + 2.4 extra miles. |
| Week 7 | Tuesday, Aug 25,
6:30 PM: Springfield Library |
5.0 Miles | Saturday, Aug 29, 9:00 AM: Harris Elementary, Collingdale | 9.0 Miles
4-mile loop + 5.0 extra out-and-back miles (Race pace focus). |
| Week 8 | Wednesday, Sept 2, 6:30 PM: Swarthmore Presbyterian Church
|
5.5 Miles | Saturday, Sept 5, 9:00 AM: Ridley Creek State Park (Area 17) | 9.5 Miles
Double the 4.7-mile paved loop entirely to master race hills. |
Phase 3: Peak Mileage Rotation (Weeks 9–10)
Focus on hitting peak volume milestones. These are the most critical weeks of the training cycle to build physical and mental stamina.
| Week / Dates | Midweek Training Run (6:30 PM) | Midweek Distance | Weekend Long Run | Weekend Distance / Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 9 | Thursday, Sept 10, 6:30 PM:
98 E Hathaway Ln, Havertown |
5.6 Miles | Sunday, Sept 13, 7:30 AM: Springfield Library | 10.0 Miles
PEAK LONG RUN. 7.5-mile loop + 2.5 miles. |
| Week 10 | Tuesday, Sept 15, 6:30 PM: Springfield Library | 5.0 Miles | Saturday, Sept 19, 7:00 AM: Media Community Center, 3rd and Jackson Sts | 7.0 Miles
Taper window baseline. Step down volume safely. |
Phase 4: Taper & Race Prep (Weeks 11–12)
Focus on reducing cumulative volume to allow the body to rest, recover, and build up fresh legs for race morning.
| Week / Dates | Midweek Training Run (6:30 PM) | Midweek Distance | Weekend Long Run | Weekend Distance / Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 11 | Wednesday, Sept 23, 6:30 PM: Swarthmore Presbyterian Church | 5.5 Miles | Saturday, Sept 26, 9:00 AM: Harris Elementary, Collingdale | 6.0 Miles
Run the 4-mile Collingdale loop exactly 1.5 times. |
| Week 12 | Wednesday, Sept 30, 6:30 PM: Swarthmore Presbyterian Church
|
3.0 Miles | Sunday, October 4th: RACE DAY  |
10.0 Miles
DELCO 10 MILER. Race week shakeout is 3.0 miles max. |