Adaptive Training is designed to work around your race goals. Whether you’re building toward a 5K or a full marathon, the system will structure your training phases, build your fitness progressively, and taper you for race day; all automatically based on your race date and distance.
Understanding Event A, B, and C Races
Event A is your primary race. It’s the event your entire training cycle is organized around. You should only have one Event A race active at a time in your Adaptive Training plan, and it typically comes at the end of your training cycle after a proper taper period.
Event B races are secondary races you run in the lead-up to your Event A. They help you gauge fitness and race readiness, but are not the focus of your training. The system handles them differently than Event A; see the section below for details.
Event C races are low-priority fun runs or “rust busters.” These are typically run at less than maximum effort and are treated as a regular training day by the system.
For more details on how Event A, B, and C races work within the broader Event Planner, see the support article: Event Creator: A, B, C Priority.
How Long Should You Train Before Your Race?
The amount of lead time you give yourself before your Event A race determines how much Adaptive Training can do for you. Here’s a breakdown of the supported training windows:
4 to 12 weeks (minimum, not recommended for longer races): Adaptive Training will support you, but the plan will be condensed. Shorter plans will focus on a simple build and taper, without room for dedicated testing weeks or recovery blocks. While this is enough for a shorter race like a 5K, it is not recommended for a half-marathon or marathon.
13 to 16 weeks (recommended for most races): This is the sweet spot. The system has enough time to take you through a complete training cycle: base phases, intensity phases, test weeks to track your fitness progress, and a proper taper. This window is recommended for half marathons and marathons.
17 to 24 weeks (supported, race-specific training): Adaptive Training supports race-specific training for up to 24 weeks before your race. Longer plans allow more time in each phase and additional recovery and testing weeks.
More than 24 weeks out (maintenance mode): If you add an Event A race that is more than 24 weeks away, Adaptive Training will run in fitness and maintenance mode until you are 24 weeks from the race. At that point, it will automatically switch to race-specific training. You don’t need to do anything. The transition happens automatically.
Adding an Event A Race to Your Adaptive Training Plan
Starting a New Adaptive Training Plan with an Event A Race
Open the Stryd app.
Select “Set Goal” in the Train Smarter tab.
Select Adaptive Training and then Continue.
Answer the questions about your current training.
Select a Start Training date.
When asked, “Are you training for a specific A event?” select “Add new event.”
Select the race event you are training for.
Select your race date.
Customize your training parameters.
Select Start Plan.
After starting the plan, you will be prompted to set your Current Phase Weekly Structure.
Adding an Event A Race to an Existing Adaptive Training Plan
Open the Stryd mobile app.
Select your Adaptive Training card.
Select “Training Goal.”
Select “Create Event” and add the event name and date.
Select Save.
After adding the race, you will be prompted to update your Current Phase Weekly Structure. Your current phase may change after you add the Event A race; this is expected and necessary, so the system can restructure your training around your race date.
How Adaptive Training Builds Your Race Plan
Once you’ve added your Event A race, Adaptive Training builds a complete training plan that works backward from your race date. Here’s what that looks like:
Build and Taper
Every race plan includes a build phase and a taper phase. The build progressively increases your training load, adding intensity and volume week by week. The taper reduces that load in the final weeks before your race so you arrive at the start line fresh and ready to perform.
How long your taper lasts depends on your race distance and how much time you have to train:
Race Distance | Training Duration | Taper Length | Plan Type |
5K-10K | 4–8 weeks | 1 week | Build + taper only |
5K-10K | 8+ weeks | 1 week | Build + taper (testing if long enough) |
Half Marathon | 4–8 weeks | 1 week | Build + taper only |
Half Marathon | 8+ weeks | 2 weeks | Full build with testing |
Marathon | 4–8 weeks | 1 week | Build + taper only |
Marathon | 8–16 weeks | 2 weeks | Full build with testing |
Marathon | 16+ weeks | 3 weeks | Full build with testing & recovery weeks |
Note: If your training window is less than 4 weeks, no formal taper is included. The system will do its best with the time available, but a very short lead time limits what’s possible.
Testing and Recovery Weeks:
Longer plans (roughly 8 weeks or more) include dedicated testing weeks and recovery weeks built into the cycle. Testing weeks schedule a structured CP test workout so the system can verify your power zones are still accurate as your fitness improves. Recovery weeks allow your body to absorb the training load before ramping back up.
Shorter plans are simpler by design: build, then taper. There isn’t enough time to include testing or recovery blocks without compromising race readiness.
Phase Transitions:
Between every training phase, you have the opportunity to adjust your weekly running structure; the number of days you run, and which days. This is a good moment to account for any changes in your work schedule, life commitments, or fitness level.
Event B Races in Adaptive Training
Event B races are handled differently from Event A. Because they are not your primary goal, Adaptive Training does not build a dedicated taper or prep block for them. Instead, the system makes a small, automatic adjustment around the race:
2 days before the B race: Any scheduled run is automatically changed to an easy run. This gives your legs some freshness going into the race without completely disrupting your training.
1 day after the B race: One additional easy run is scheduled for recovery.
Rest days are preserved: If any of these days are already rest days in your plan, nothing changes — you keep the rest day.
After that single recovery day, your Adaptive Training plan picks up exactly where it left off in your Event A training cycle. There is no gap, no reset, and no adjustment to the broader plan.
Note: You can only have one Event A race active in your Adaptive Training plan at a time. If you want to swap your Event A race for a different one, you will need to update your Training Goal in the app.