{"id":473,"date":"2025-12-10T23:47:36","date_gmt":"2025-12-10T23:47:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/blog\/?p=473"},"modified":"2025-12-29T04:27:27","modified_gmt":"2025-12-29T04:27:27","slug":"how-to-plan-your-2026-racing-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/blog\/how-to-plan-your-2026-racing-year","title":{"rendered":"How to Plan Your 2026 Racing Year"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>We\u2019ve all been there. It\u2019s January, motivation is high, and you sign up for a marathon on a whim. Fast forward to August: you\u2019re undertrained, injured, or dreading the start line.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-medium is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/bigstock-man-runner-jogger-running-iso-121745984-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"A man sprinting\" class=\"wp-image-20\" style=\"width:268px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/bigstock-man-runner-jogger-running-iso-121745984-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/bigstock-man-runner-jogger-running-iso-121745984-1024x767.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/bigstock-man-runner-jogger-running-iso-121745984-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/bigstock-man-runner-jogger-running-iso-121745984-1536x1151.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/bigstock-man-runner-jogger-running-iso-121745984.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The secret to a successful running year isn\u2019t just motivation\u2014it\u2019s <strong>periodisation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether you are chasing a PB or just want to stay fit, structuring your <a href=\"https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\" title=\"\">2026 calendar<\/a> now will keep you consistent all year long. Here is the 3-step strategy pro runners use to plan their year, and how you can apply it using the <strong>Run Calendar<\/strong> listings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 1: Pick Your &#8220;A-Race&#8221; First<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Your &#8220;A-Race&#8221; is your mountain top. It is the one event you care about most this year. It requires a 12-16 week dedicated training block.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Golden Rule:<\/strong> You can really only peak for 1 or 2 &#8220;A-Races&#8221; a year. Don&#8217;t get greedy!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>When to run it:<\/strong> The Australian running season peaks in cooler months (May\u2013September).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Search Now:<\/strong> Filter our calendar by <strong><a href=\"\/marathons\" title=\"Australian Marathons\">Marathon<\/a><\/strong> or <strong><a href=\"\/half-marathon\" title=\"Australian Half Marathons\">Half Marathon<\/a><\/strong> and pick <em>one<\/em> event to anchor your year.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 2: Sprinkle in &#8220;B-Races&#8221; for Fitness<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;B-Races&#8221; are stepping stones. You don\u2019t taper for them, and you don\u2019t stress about the result. They are dress rehearsals to test your gear, your nutrition, and your race-day nerves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Timing:<\/strong> Schedule a B-Race 4 to 6 weeks before your A-Race.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Example:<\/strong> If you are running the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/qld\/gold-coast-marathon\" title=\"Gold Coast Marathon\">Gold Coast Marathon<\/a><\/strong> in July, find a local <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/10k\" title=\"10k running events\">10km<\/a> or <strong><a href=\"\/half-marathon\" title=\"Australian Half Marathons\">Half Marathon<\/a><\/strong><\/strong> in late May to test your fitness.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 3: Use &#8220;C-Races&#8221; for Fun<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This is why we run! &#8220;C-Races&#8221; are low-pressure community events. They keep the training grind from getting boring.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-medium\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/iStock-498882910-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-331\" srcset=\"https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/iStock-498882910-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/iStock-498882910-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/iStock-498882910-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/iStock-498882910-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/iStock-498882910-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Idea:<\/strong> Do a Santa Run, a colour run, or a local trail event you\u2019ve never tried.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Find one nearby:<\/strong> Check our <a href=\"https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\" title=\"\"><strong>Fun Run<\/strong><\/a> listings to find something short and sweet this weekend.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The &#8220;Runcation&#8221; Bonus<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Need extra motivation? 2026 is the perfect year to turn a race into a holiday. If you live in <a href=\"https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/vic\" title=\"Victorian Running Events\"><strong>Victoria<\/strong><\/a>, why not browse the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/qld\" title=\"Queensland Running Events\">Queensland Calendar<\/a><\/strong> for a winter escape? Or if you&#8217;re in <a href=\"https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/nsw\" title=\"NSW Running Events\"><strong>NSW<\/strong><\/a>, check out the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/tas\" title=\"Tasmanian Running Events\">Tasmanian listings<\/a><\/strong> for some epic trail scenery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ready to build your 2026 schedule?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Don&#8217;t wait until registrations sell out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Search Events in <a href=\"https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/vic\" title=\"Victorian Running Events\">Victoria<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Search Events in <a href=\"https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/nsw\" title=\"NSW Running Events\">NSW<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Search Events in <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/qld\" title=\"Queensland Running Events\">Queensland<\/a><\/strong><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Search Events in <a href=\"https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/wa\" title=\"\">WA<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We\u2019ve all been there. It\u2019s January, motivation is high, and you sign up for a marathon on a whim. Fast forward to August: you\u2019re undertrained, injured, or dreading the start line.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-medium is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/bigstock-man-runner-jogger-running-iso-121745984-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"A man sprinting\" class=\"wp-image-20\" style=\"width:268px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/bigstock-man-runner-jogger-running-iso-121745984-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/bigstock-man-runner-jogger-running-iso-121745984-1024x767.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/bigstock-man-runner-jogger-running-iso-121745984-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/bigstock-man-runner-jogger-running-iso-121745984-1536x1151.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/bigstock-man-runner-jogger-running-iso-121745984.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>The secret to a successful running year isn\u2019t just motivation\u2014it\u2019s <strong>periodisation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Whether you are chasing a PB or just want to stay fit, structuring your <a href=\"https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\" title=\"\">2026 calendar<\/a> now will keep you consistent all year long.<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/blog\/how-to-plan-your-2026-racing-year\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-473","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-running"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/473","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=473"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/473\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":474,"href":"https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/473\/revisions\/474"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=473"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=473"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runcalendar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=473"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}