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Half Marathon Training Plan
The half marathon is 21.0975 km (13.1 miles): long enough to need real endurance, short enough to race hard. This 12 week plan is for runners who already run regularly and want to run the distance well, not just finish it. Four runs a week, a long run from 12 km to 19 km (7.5 to 12 miles), one key session and a short taper.
Who it is for: you run three or four times a week, about 25 km (15.5 miles) in total, and can run 10 km without stopping. Newer than that? Use the beginner half marathon plan. Thinking about the full distance later? The half is a natural stepping stone; our sister site marathontraining.app has the marathon plans, including a half marathon to marathon plan.
The plan, week by week
| Week | Long run | Key session | Week total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Base | 12 km (7.5 mi) | Easy run with 6 × 20 s strides | 28 km (17.5 mi) |
| 2Base | 13 km (8 mi) | 3 × 6 min threshold, 2 min jog | 31 km (19.5 mi) |
| 3Base | 14 km (8.5 mi) | 4 × 6 min threshold, 2 min jog | 34 km (21 mi) |
| 4Easier week | 10 km (6 mi) | Easy runs only, 6 × 20 s strides | 26 km (16 mi) |
| 5Build | 15 km (9.5 mi) | 5 × 3 min at interval pace (about 5K effort), 2 min jog | 37 km (23 mi) |
| 6Build | 16 km (10 mi) | 3 × 10 min threshold, 2 min jog | 40 km (25 mi) |
| 7Build | 17 km (10.5 mi) | 8 km with 5 km at half marathon pace | 42 km (26 mi) |
| 8Easier week | 12 km (7.5 mi) | Easy runs + strides, or a 5K/10K tune-up race | 32 km (20 mi) |
| 9Peak | 18 km (11 mi) | 2 × 15 min threshold, 3 min jog | 45 km (28 mi) |
| 10Peak | 19 km (12 mi) | 10 km with 7 km at half marathon pace | 48 km (30 mi) |
| 11Taper | 14 km (8.5 mi) | 6 km with 4 km at half marathon pace | 34 km (21 mi) |
| 12Race week | — | 3 short easy runs, 2 with 4 × 20 s strides + RACE | 15 km (9.5 mi) |
Every key session starts with 10–15 minutes easy and ends with 10 minutes easy. Threshold is "comfortably hard" (a few words, not sentences). Interval pace is about your current 5K race effort. Strides are 20 seconds quick and relaxed with a walk back.
A typical week
| Day | Session |
|---|---|
| Monday | Rest |
| Tuesday | Key session |
| Wednesday | Easy run |
| Thursday | Rest or cross-training |
| Friday | Easy run |
| Saturday | Rest |
| Sunday | Long run |
Paces from your goal time
Paces use the Daniels and Gilbert equations, as in our VDOT calculator. Easy is 59–74 % of the VDOT for your goal and threshold 83–88 %.
| Goal time | Half pace /km | /mile | Easy /km | Easy /mile | Threshold /km | Threshold /mile | 10 km split |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1:30:00 | 4:16 | 6:52 | 4:49–5:47 | 7:45–9:18 | 4:11–4:23 | 6:44–7:04 | 0:42:40 |
| 1:40:00 | 4:44 | 7:38 | 5:19–6:22 | 8:33–10:14 | 4:37–4:51 | 7:26–7:48 | 0:47:24 |
| 1:45:00 | 4:59 | 8:01 | 5:34–6:39 | 8:57–10:42 | 4:50–5:04 | 7:47–8:10 | 0:49:46 |
| 1:50:00 | 5:13 | 8:23 | 5:48–6:56 | 9:21–11:10 | 5:03–5:18 | 8:08–8:31 | 0:52:08 |
| 2:00:00 | 5:41 | 9:09 | 6:18–7:31 | 10:08–12:05 | 5:29–5:45 | 8:50–9:15 | 0:56:53 |
| 2:10:00 | 6:10 | 9:55 | 6:47–8:05 | 10:55–13:00 | 5:55–6:12 | 9:31–9:58 | 1:01:37 |
| 2:20:00 | 6:38 | 10:41 | 7:16–8:38 | 11:42–13:54 | 6:21–6:39 | 10:13–10:42 | 1:06:22 |
| 2:30:00 | 7:07 | 11:27 | 7:45–9:12 | 12:29–14:48 | 6:47–7:06 | 10:55–11:25 | 1:11:06 |
For a full splits table or a goal you don't see here, use the pace calculator or the half marathon pace chart.
How the plan works
- Long run at easy pace, growing by about 1 km a week to 19 km. We stop just short of race distance on purpose, so the longest run never leaves you tired going into the taper.
- One key session a week, moving from short threshold blocks to a 7 km block at goal pace in week 10.
- Weeks 4 and 8 are easier, with about a quarter less running. Week 8 is a good time for a 5K or 10K tune-up race.
- Two-week taper. Week 11 has about 30 % less running than the peak week, and race week is light. A meta-analysis found the best tapers last about two weeks and keep the intensity (Bosquet et al., 2007). Day by day, see the taper and race week guide.
Listen before the hard days
Before each key session and long run, ask four quick questions: Did I sleep about as usual? Is my morning resting heart rate in its normal range? Do my legs feel normal? Was yesterday a normal day? One "no" means run easy today. Two or more, or any pain that changes how you run, means rest. The full green/amber/red version is on marathontraining.app, and the research behind HRV- and sleep-guided training is on vo2max.io: recovery-guided marathon training.
It is the same approach Flemming uses with the athletes he coaches: he reviews each logged session and adjusts the plan when stress, sleep or training show it's needed.
Print the plan
Choose km or miles and press PDF (A4) or PDF (US Letter).
Questions and answers
How long does it take to train for a half marathon?
If you already run 3–4 times a week, 10–12 weeks is a common length. New runners usually need longer: our beginner half marathon plan assumes you can run about 30 minutes to start.
How long should my longest run be before a half marathon?
In this plan it is 19 km (12 miles), two weeks before race day. That is our choice: it is close to race distance without leaving you tired.
Can I use this plan with only 10 weeks to go?
Start at week 3 if you can already run 14 km comfortably. Otherwise choose a later race or the beginner plan.
What pace is a 2 hour half marathon?
5:41 per km or 9:09 per mile, which takes you through 10 km in 56:53.
Is a half marathon good preparation for a full marathon?
Yes. On marathontraining.app, the half marathon to marathon plan (14 weeks) and the 12 week marathon plan start where this plan ends. Over 50? See marathon training over 50.
Sources
- Bosquet, L., Montpetit, J., Arvisais, D. & Mujika, I. (2007). Effects of tapering on performance: a meta-analysis. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 39(8), 1358–1365.
- Daniels, J. & Gilbert, J. (1979). Oxygen Power: Performance Tables for Distance Runners. Tempe, AZ: Daniels and Gilbert. Daniels, J. Daniels' Running Formula. Human Kinetics.
- The plan itself is our own and follows common principles: mostly easy running, one long run a week, easier weeks and a taper.
Related
- Beginner half marathon plan · Taper and race week · Half marathon pace chart · Pace calculator · Race time predictor
- On marathontraining.app: Marathon training plans · Half marathon to marathon
- On vo2max.io: Race time predictor and training paces from VO₂ max · VO₂ max and marathon time