Key takeaways
A half marathon is raced close to lactate threshold for most runners, so threshold running and a long run that builds to about 2 hours are the core of the plan
Beginners do best with 12 weeks of mostly easy running and gradual increases, while runners with a base can sharpen in 8 weeks
Practise race fuelling on long runs and cut volume by about 40 to 60% over the last 10 to 14 days while keeping some race-pace running
The half marathon is long enough that endurance decides it and short enough to race hard. Most recreational runners finish it at or just below lactate threshold pace, so a half marathon training plan is built on easy volume, a weekly threshold session and a long run that grows to about two hours. Below is a 12-week schedule for beginners and an 8-week schedule for intermediate runners, with paces, fuelling and a taper.
These schedules are coaching practice informed by research, not protocols tested head to head. The evidence supports the overall shape: most running easy, a small share hard, gradual increases in volume and a taper that cuts volume but keeps intensity.
How a half marathon training plan works
Each week combines four ingredients:
- Easy running, around 80% of sessions. Seiler's analysis of successful endurance athletes found this pattern across sports (80/20 polarised training). Easy means you can hold a conversation (easy run pace).
- Threshold work: continuous tempo runs or cruise intervals at a pace you could hold for about an hour (tempo run). This is the session closest to race demands.
- A long run at easy pace, building by about 10 minutes every week or two, with race-pace segments late in the plan (long run pace guide).
- Optional VO2max work for intermediate runners, such as the Norwegian 4×4, to lift the ceiling under threshold.
Add a few strides after easy runs once or twice a week.
Half marathon paces by goal time
Enter a recent race into the VO2max running calculator to get your own paces. The table shows model estimates from the Daniels and Gilbert VDOT equations; adjust by feel and heart rate with the heart rate zone calculator.
| Half marathon | Model VDOT | Easy (per km) | Half marathon pace | Threshold | Intervals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2:30 | about 28 | 7:45–8:25 | 7:06 | 6:46 | 6:15 |
| 2:00 | about 36–37 | 6:15–6:50 | 5:41 | 5:29 | 5:03 |
| 1:45 | about 43 | 5:33–6:05 | 4:58 | 4:50 | 4:27 |
For goals such as sub-2 hours, the pages in race goals show the paces and VO2max a time implies.
Half marathon training plan for beginners: 12 weeks
For runners who can already run about 30 minutes without stopping, three or four days a week. Leave a rest day after the long run. Walk breaks on long runs are fine.
| Week | Run 1 (quality) | Run 2 (easy) | Optional run 3 | Long run (easy) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 min easy + 4 strides | 30 min | rest or cross-train | 45 min |
| 2 | 30 min easy + 4 strides | 30 min | 25 min | 50 min |
| 3 | 6 × 1 min brisk, 2 min jog | 35 min | 25 min | 60 min |
| 4 (lighter) | 30 min easy + strides | 30 min | rest | 50 min |
| 5 | 3 × 5 min comfortably hard, 2 min jog | 35 min | 30 min | 70 min |
| 6 | 2 × 8 min comfortably hard, 2 min jog | 40 min | 30 min | 75 min |
| 7 | 15 min continuous tempo | 40 min | 30 min | 85 min |
| 8 (lighter) | 30 min easy + strides | 35 min | rest | 65 min |
| 9 | 3 × 8 min at threshold, 2 min jog | 40 min | 30 min | 95 min |
| 10 | 20 min tempo | 40 min | 30 min | 105–120 min, last 15 min at goal pace |
| 11 (taper) | 2 × 8 min at goal pace | 35 min | 25 min | 70 min |
| 12 (race) | Tue: 3 × 5 min at goal pace | Thu: 20 min + strides | rest | Race day |
Half marathon training plan intermediate: 8 weeks
For runners already doing four or five runs a week, including a long run of about 60 to 75 minutes. Hard sessions start with 15 minutes easy and strides and finish with 10 minutes easy.
| Week | Threshold day | Second quality | Long run | Other days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 × 10 min at threshold, 2 min jog | 6 × 3 min hard, 2 min jog | 80 min | 2 × 40 min easy |
| 2 | 25 min continuous threshold | 4 × 4 min at 90–95% HRmax, 3 min jog | 90 min | 2 × 40–45 min easy |
| 3 | 4 × 2 km at threshold, 90 s jog | 8 km easy with 6 strides | 100 min, last 20 min at HM pace | 2 × 45 min easy |
| 4 (lighter) | 2 × 10 min at threshold | none | 70 min | 2 × 35 min easy |
| 5 | 3 × 12 min at threshold, 2 min jog | 5 × 1000 m at interval pace, 2.5 min jog | 105 min | 2 × 45 min easy |
| 6 | 2 × 4 km at HM pace, 3 min jog | 4 × 4 min at 90–95% HRmax | 115 min, last 30 min at HM pace | 2 × 45 min easy |
| 7 (taper) | 20 min threshold | 6 × 2 min at 10k effort | 80 min | 2 × 35 min easy |
| 8 (race) | Tue: 3 × 1.5 km at HM pace | none | Race day | 2 × 25 min easy + strides |
Half marathon training plan 12 weeks or 8 weeks?
Twelve weeks is the safer default for a first half marathon. It gives the long run time to grow from 45 minutes to around two hours without large jumps. Eight weeks works if you already have a regular base.
The common 10% rule has weak evidence. In Buist and colleagues' randomised trial, 532 novice runners followed an 8-week standard programme or a 13-week graded programme built on the 10% rule, and injury incidence was almost the same (20.3% and 20.8%). But very large jumps do seem to matter for some injuries. In Nielsen and colleagues' cohort of 874 novice runners, overall injury rates did not differ significantly by weekly progression, yet runners increasing distance by more than 30% had a higher rate of distance-related injuries such as runner's knee and shin splints (hazard ratio 1.59). The schedules above progress gently and include a lighter week every three or four weeks.
Half marathon training schedule: fuelling and taper
For efforts of 1 to 2.5 hours, Burke and colleagues' review suggests about 30 to 60 g of carbohydrate per hour. Practise on long runs over 75 minutes with the gels or drink you plan to race with. Gut training helps: in a trial by Costa and colleagues, two weeks of repeated carbohydrate intake during running reduced gut symptoms. More in runner's stomach.
For the taper, Bosquet and colleagues' meta-analysis found the best results from about two weeks with volume cut by 41–60% while intensity and frequency stay the same. Both schedules above follow that pattern (tapering before a race).
Safety: this is general information, not medical advice. If you have a heart condition, chest pain, dizziness or are returning to exercise after a long break, check with a doctor first. Stop and rest if pain changes the way you run.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good half marathon training plan for beginners?
Twelve weeks of three or four runs a week, starting from about 30 minutes of easy running. Build the long run gradually to about 100 to 120 minutes, add one gentle quality session a week from week 3 and taper over the last two weeks.
Can I train for a half marathon in 8 weeks?
Yes, if you already run three or four times a week and can run about 10 km or 60 minutes comfortably. Starting from less, 12 weeks or more is safer because the long run needs time to grow.
How many weeks is a half marathon training plan?
Most plans run 10 to 14 weeks, with 12 weeks the usual choice for beginners. Experienced runners with a steady base often use 8 to 10 weeks.
What should a half marathon training schedule include each week?
An easy run or two, one threshold or tempo session, one long run at easy pace and rest or cross-training days. Intermediate runners add a short VO2max session every week or two.
Sources
- Seiler S. What is best practice for training intensity and duration distribution in endurance athletes? Int J Sports Physiol Perform, 2010. PubMed
- Bosquet L, Montpetit J, Arvisais D, Mujika I. Effects of tapering on performance: a meta-analysis. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2007. PubMed
- Nielsen RO, Parner ET, Nohr EA, Sørensen H, Lind M, Rasmussen S. Excessive progression in weekly running distance and risk of running-related injuries: an association which varies according to type of injury. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther, 2014. PubMed
- Buist I, Bredeweg SW, van Mechelen W, et al. No effect of a graded training program on the number of running-related injuries in novice runners: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Sports Med, 2008. PubMed
- Burke LM, Hawley JA, Wong SH, Jeukendrup AE. Carbohydrates for training and competition. J Sports Sci, 2011. PubMed
- Costa RJS, Miall A, Khoo A, et al. Gut-training: the impact of two weeks repetitive gut-challenge during exercise on gastrointestinal status, glucose availability, fuel kinetics, and running performance. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab, 2017. PubMed
- Daniels J. Daniels' Running Formula. Human Kinetics (VDOT model used for the pace table).
- Plan structures are coaching practice informed by the studies above, not protocols tested in trials.