Race Shape › Running › George
Running · the Western Cape Garden RouteRunning training plans in George
George is about 200 m above sea level, so your training paces and power need no altitude correction here. What does shape running in George is the climate — mild temperatures and rain spread through the year, with hilly, forested terrain behind a humid coast — and the fact that the country's altitude races are a different problem when you travel up to them.
Build my George running plan — freeTell it where you train and it corrects for the altitude automatically.
| Altitude | 200 m |
|---|---|
| Province | Western Cape Garden Route |
| Pace correction the plan applies | None |
What altitude does to the paces
At 200 m no correction applies, so the "here" columns match sea level. Easy ceiling and threshold pace per kilometre:
| Current fitness | Easy — sea level | Easy — here | Threshold — sea level | Threshold — here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 km in 30:00 | 7:30 | 7:30 | 6:23 | 6:23 |
| 5 km in 25:00 | 6:19 | 6:19 | 5:22 | 5:22 |
| 5 km in 20:00 | 5:08 | 5:08 | 4:21 | 4:21 |
Paces from Jack Daniels' VDOT model; altitude correction of roughly 2% per 300 m above 500 m. A planning estimate — individuals vary.
Training through the year in George
Mild temperatures and rain spread through the year, with hilly, forested terrain behind a humid coast.
Few seasons are off-limits here, but the hills mean pace varies a lot from run to run. Effort is the better guide.
Racing at altitude
Travelling up to race is the harder direction. The same effort produces a slower pace at altitude, and a coastal runner who races Soweto or Kaapsehoop to their sea-level splits will blow up. For somebody who runs 5 km in 25:00, the plan sets race-day threshold pace like this:
| Threshold pace, training here | 5:22/km |
|---|---|
| Threshold pace at Soweto Marathon (1 680 m) | 5:48/km |
| Threshold pace at Om Die Dam 50 km (1 160 m) | 5:36/km |
| Threshold pace at Loskop 50 km (1 450 m) | 5:43/km |
| Threshold pace at Kaapsehoop Marathon (1 600 m) | 5:46/km |
Common questions
Do I need to adjust my training for altitude in George?
No. At 200 m the plan applies no altitude correction. It does apply one if you travel to race somewhere high, such as Soweto or the 947 Ride in Johannesburg.
When is the best time of year to train in George?
Few seasons are off-limits here, but the hills mean pace varies a lot from run to run. Effort is the better guide.
Which races near George can I build a plan for?
Knysna Forest Half Marathon — each is built in, with the date, distance and altitude already filled in.
Where do my paces come from?
From a recent race or time trial, run where you train. The plan works out VDOT from it and sets every pace band.
Races within reach of George
Running plans elsewhere in South Africa
- Johannesburg — 1 753 m
- Pretoria — 1 339 m
- Cape Town — 25 m
- Durban — 8 m
- Gqeberha — 60 m
- Bloemfontein — 1 395 m
- Nelspruit — 660 m
- Pietermaritzburg — 596 m
- Polokwane — 1 310 m
- Potchefstroom — 1 350 m
- Kimberley — 1 197 m