Running the half marathon on Thanksgiving Day has become a tradition for many Jacksonville runners. Last year over 4,200 runners and walkers participated in the 13.1 mile and 6K races. Their reasons varied for the popularity of the race, but by far the most common was that they could go out and burn lots of calories early that morning, then eat a big Thanksgiving dinner and not feel guilty about eating that piece of pecan pie on top of all that good turkey and stuffing. Whatever your reason is for wanting to participating in Jacksonville's largest fall running event, you will need a schedule to prepare for the occasion. Here's a training schedule designed to help you complete the event. The schedule assumes that you are currently running three miles, three or four times a week. The days of the week can be rotated to fit your schedule. the most important point to remember is to not miss the weekly long run.
| Week | Mon | Tues | Wed | Thur | Fri | Sat | Sun |
| Sept. 22tnd | Rest | 3 miles | 3 miles | 3 miles | Rest | 3 miles | 4 miles |
| Sept 29th | Rest | 3 miles | 3 miles | 3 miles | Rest | 3 miles | 5 miles |
| Oct 6th | Rest | 3 miles | 4 miles | 3 miles | Rest | 3 miles | 5 miles |
| Oct. 13th | Rest | 3 miles | 4 miles | 3 miles | Rest | 3 miles | 6 miles |
| Oct. 20th | Rest | 3 miles | 4 miles | 3 miles | Rest | 3 miles | 7 miles |
| Oct. 27th | Rest | 3 miles | 4 miles | 3 miles | Rest | 3 miles | 8 miles |
| Nov 3rd | Rest | 3 miles | 5 miles | 3 miles | Rest | 3 miles | 9 miles |
| Nov.10th | Rest | 3 miles | 5 miles | 3 miles | Rest | 3 miles | 10 miles |
| Nov. 17th | Rest | 3 miles | 5 miles | 3 miles | Rest | 3 miles | 6 miles |
| Nov. 24th | Rest | 3 miles | Rest | 13.1 miles | Rest | Rest | 3 miles |
Don't worry about not running more than ten miles. The crowd of runners and your pumping adrenalin will get you through the half marathon. However, here are some important points to remember and use on race day.
1. Don't start out too fast. The best way to have a successful race is to run and even pace. Run at the pace that you ran your long runs.
2. Wear the same shoes that you used to do your long runs. Don't buy a new pair of shoes to use in the race unless you can run at least three of your long runs in them.
3. Drink water before, during and after the race. Don't wait until you are thirsty to get water. Start drinking a few hours before the race and drink at every opportunity during the event.
4. Don't do anything new on race day. Eat and drink what you usually do before your long run.
5. Get up early on race day and give your self plenty of time to get to the starting line.
6. Line up at the starting line in the an area not do close to the front. This will help keep you at a reasonable pace.
7. It is important not to due too much training or physical activity the last three days before the half marathon. You'll need all your energy on race day.
8. Read the race instructions in your race packet prior to reporting to the starting line. The information they contain can be very helpful to your having a good safe race.