MADISON- The running of the annual Rocket City Marathon is right around the corner on Saturday, Dec. 11 and those wishing to partake in the 26.2-mile jaunt around portions of Huntsville, either as a beginner or a more experience runner, have the luxury of having expert running coaches see each one attempt and complete the race. Fleet Feet of Madison/Huntsville has an up-to-date marathon and half-marathon training program set to begin Saturday, Sept. 11.

A 14-week program will feature training days each Tuesday at 6:00 a.m. or 6:00 p.m. and Saturdays at 7:00 a.m. Meeting locations will be Fleet Feet and other locations to be named at a later date. Cost of the overall training regimen is $200.

Experienced coaches and mentors, all of which are certified instructors by the Road Runners Club of America, will provide the latest and safest instructions with intensities based on speed work times. The experts will provide education on proper pacing, nutrition, fueling and more aspects, which are all part of preparation for a race of the marathon distance.

“It’s a great way to take the pressure off your training by having coaches create your plan and workouts and then compute personalized paces for your speed and training runs,” said Kathy Youngren, training director for Fleet Feet and one of the coaches scheduled for the marathon training program.

The Rocket City Marathon first fired its start gun in 1977. The course has twice had major changes in the history of the race with the latest course that winds through downtown Huntsville, past historic homes and sites, out to the grounds of the U.S. Space and Rocket Center and back to an exciting finish inside the Von Braun Center South Hall.

The event also features a half-marathon as runners take to the back half of the marathon course with a 9:00 a.m. start, two hours after the start of the full marathon. The Fleet Feet training program also addresses those who wish to run just the half-marathon of the 13.1-mile distance.

Both the marathon and half-marathon training centers on specific speed workouts and mapped long run courses in pace groups with mentors. The courses are designed for runners of any experience level. It does not matter if this is your first of these distances or it you have run the distance before, but are looking to improve your time or train with other like-minded, fun people.

“Knowledgeable and experienced mentors are there to run by your side to offer invaluable training tips and to keep you on your ideal training pace,” said Youngren. “It’s also a great way to meet friends in the process of training.”

Contact Kathy at kathy@fleetfeethuntsville.com for training programs details and how to register.