Falmouth Road Race coach. Built for hills, heat, and 7 fast miles.
Falmouth is short, hilly, and run in summer heat. That combination punishes anyone training generic 10K mileage and rewards runners who sharpen specifically. I coach Falmouth athletes — locals doing long runs on the Cape and remote athletes everywhere — to bring race-day speed they've actually rehearsed.
Falmouth is a 7-mile race. Train it like one.
The Falmouth Road Race is the in-between distance that catches most runners flat. 10K plans are too short; half marathon plans are too slow at the top end. The race rewards 5K-to-10K speed, hill economy, and the heat tolerance to keep that speed in August humidity.
We build a focused 8–12 week block: 5K/10K-paced intervals to raise your top-end speed, hill repeats on Cape-Cod-style rolling terrain, and a 14–21 day heat acclimation protocol. Marathon fitness is helpful as a base — but it has to be sharpened to be Falmouth fitness.
How I coach this build
VO2 intervals, threshold work, and short repeats at goal Falmouth pace. We sharpen the top end, then layer the distance.
Rolling hill work that mimics the Falmouth profile — Nobska Light climb, the cumulative roll, the surge at the finish straightaway.
14–21 day acclimation plan before race weekend. Sauna or hot-tub protocol for athletes without summer heat at home.
Every workout in the final 3 weeks rehearses your goal Falmouth pace. By race week you know exactly what it feels like in your legs.
Easy days are easy. The temptation in summer is to keep grinding — that's how athletes show up to August races flat.
Two strength sessions weekly. The race is short, but the hills and the heat compound stress. Strength keeps you healthy through the build.
A sample peak-build week
Week 8 of a 12-week build for an athlete chasing a sub-50 minute Falmouth. Roughly 40 miles, two quality sessions, one long run.
Get the free Falmouth Race-Day Guide.
The course-specific framework I use with athletes racing Falmouth. PDF, no fluff.
- Mile-by-mile course breakdown with elevation profile
- 14-day heat acclimation protocol
- Pacing template at four goal times
- Race-week taper and fuelling checklist
Is this coaching right for you?
Coaching for this build runs from $250 every 4 weeks ($3,250 per year). Here is who it does and does not suit.
This is for you if
- You have a Falmouth entry and want to race the seven miles rather than survive them.
- You can train 5 to 8 hours a week through a New England summer.
- You want heat and humidity acclimation programmed rather than hoped for.
This is not for you if
- A seven-mile road race is a small commitment to hang a coaching relationship on. If Falmouth is your only goal this year, take a 10K plan and the free heat-pace calculator.
- You are training for a autumn marathon. Falmouth is a tune-up inside that block, not a separate purchase.
- You want someone on the Cape with you. Coaching is remote.
What happens after you book the call
Twenty minutes, free, and you leave with a recommendation in writing whether or not you buy anything.
Pick a time that suits you
Twenty minutes, video or phone, in English, Portugues or Espanol.
You get a confirmation email immediately
With the link and two short questions so the call is not spent on basics.
We talk about your goal, not my services
There is no pitch. If the honest answer is a $35 plan or Apex, that is the answer you get.
You leave with a recommendation in writing
A short follow-up email with what I would do next, whether or not you buy anything.
Refunds, cancellation and pausing
- Cancelling
- Cancel any time by email, with no notice period and no exit fee. Your current 4-week cycle finishes as normal and you are not billed again.
- Refunds
- Cycles already started are not refunded, because the plan for those weeks has already been written and delivered. If you cancel before the first session of a new cycle has been published, that cycle is refunded in full.
- Pausing
- You can pause for injury, illness, travel or life for up to 8 weeks a year at no cost, and your seat on the roster is held. Tell me before the next cycle bills. Beyond 8 weeks the seat goes to the waitlist and you rejoin when there is space.
- Price changes
- Your rate is fixed for as long as you stay coached continuously. Published prices only apply to new athletes.
Frequently asked questions
It's seven miles, hilly, hot, and run along the Cape Cod coast in mid-August. The lottery is brutal, the field is fast, and the race is short enough that pacing mistakes cost you in the first mile, not the last.
Differently from a 10K and very differently from a half. You need 5K-to-10K speed, the ability to handle rolling hills at threshold, and heat tolerance for an August race. We build all three in a focused 8–12 week block.
Yes — but only if you sharpen for it. Marathon fitness is too slow at the top end. We add 6–8 weeks of 5K/10K-paced work and hill repeats to turn marathon aerobic capacity into Falmouth-specific speed.
Critical. Race-day temps are usually 70–82°F with high humidity. We start heat acclimation 14–21 days out and rehearse fuelling and hydration for the conditions.
I'm Boston-based, so summer long runs on the Cape are an option for local athletes. Most coaching is delivered remotely with weekly review.
Training plans start at $75 one-time. 1:1 coaching billed every 4 weeks: Essential $250, Performance $350, Elite $750 (capped at 4 athletes).