Half Marathon Training Plan
The half marathon (21.1 km / 13.1 miles) is one of the most popular race distances in the world — long enough to feel like a real challenge, short enough to train for without taking over your life. Whether you're running your first or chasing a new PB, the plans below give you a structured, week-by-week programme to get you to the start line confident and race-ready.
Plan A — 12-Week Beginner
- Goal: Complete a half marathon (21.1 km)
- Fitness level: Beginner — can run 5 km comfortably
- Timeline: 12 weeks, 3–4 sessions per week
Week 1–2: Building Base
Three sessions per week. The priority is consistency and keeping every run at an easy, conversational pace.
Week 1
- Tuesday: Easy run 4 km
- Thursday: Easy run 4 km with 4 × 30 s pickups
- Saturday: Long run 6 km easy
Week 2
- Tuesday: Easy run 4 km
- Thursday: Easy run 4 km with 4 × 30 s pickups
- Saturday: Long run 6 km easy
Week 3–4: Increasing Distance
Midweek runs get a little longer and you'll introduce fartlek to start building comfort at faster efforts.
Week 3
- Tuesday: Easy run 5 km
- Thursday: Fartlek — 10 min easy, alternate 1 min fast / 2 min easy for 20 min, 5 min easy
- Saturday: Long run 8 km easy
Week 4
- Tuesday: Easy run 5 km
- Thursday: Fartlek — 10 min easy, alternate 1 min fast / 2 min easy for 20 min, 5 min easy
- Saturday: Long run 8 km easy
Week 5–6: Building Endurance
A fourth session is added this block. Tempo runs appear for the first time — these are sustained efforts at a comfortably hard pace.
Week 5
- Monday: Easy run 5 km
- Wednesday: Tempo — 10 min warmup, 12 min tempo, 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Easy run 4 km
- Saturday: Long run 10 km easy
Week 6
- Monday: Easy run 5 km
- Wednesday: Tempo — 10 min warmup, 12 min tempo, 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Easy run 4 km
- Saturday: Long run 10 km easy
Week 7–8: Distance Phase
Long runs push past the halfway mark. Tempo duration increases to continue building your lactate threshold.
Week 7
- Monday: Easy run 6 km
- Wednesday: Tempo — 10 min warmup, 15 min tempo, 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Easy run 5 km
- Saturday: Long run 13 km easy
Week 8
- Monday: Easy run 6 km
- Wednesday: Tempo — 10 min warmup, 15 min tempo, 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Easy run 5 km
- Saturday: Long run 13 km easy
Week 9–10: Peak Phase
This is the hardest block. Long runs reach 16 km and tempo efforts hit 20 minutes. Trust your fitness and keep easy days easy.
Week 9
- Monday: Easy run 6 km
- Wednesday: Tempo — 10 min warmup, 20 min tempo, 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Easy run 5 km
- Saturday: Long run 16 km easy
Week 10
- Monday: Easy run 6 km
- Wednesday: Tempo — 10 min warmup, 20 min tempo, 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Easy run 5 km
- Saturday: Long run 16 km easy
Week 11: Final Long Run
Your longest run of the entire plan. After this week, volume drops as your body absorbs the training.
Week 11
- Monday: Easy run 5 km
- Wednesday: Easy run 5 km with 4 × 30 s pickups
- Thursday: Easy run 4 km
- Saturday: Long run 18 km easy
Week 12: Taper and Race
Volume drops sharply. Keep the legs ticking over with short, easy runs and a few pickups to stay sharp. Trust your training — the work is done.
Week 12
- Monday: Easy run 4 km
- Wednesday: Easy run 3 km with 4 × 30 s pickups
- Thursday: Rest
- Sunday: Race day — Half Marathon!
Plan B — 12-Week Intermediate
- Goal: Improve half marathon time
- Fitness level: Intermediate — has completed a half, wants to improve
- Timeline: 12 weeks, 4–5 sessions per week
- Intensity guide: MHR = maximum heart rate
Week 1–2: Base Phase
Re-establish a solid aerobic base. Keep easy runs genuinely easy and use the tempo session to dial in your threshold effort.
Week 1
- Monday: Easy run 7 km (65–70% MHR)
- Wednesday: Tempo — 15 min warmup, 20 min at 80–85% MHR, 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Recovery run 5 km (60–65% MHR)
- Saturday: Long run 14 km (65–70% MHR)
Week 2
- Monday: Easy run 7 km (65–70% MHR)
- Wednesday: Tempo — 15 min warmup, 20 min at 80–85% MHR, 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Recovery run 5 km (60–65% MHR)
- Saturday: Long run 14 km (65–70% MHR)
Week 3–4: Building Intensity
Intervals are introduced to develop speed and VO2max. The long run extends to build endurance alongside the new intensity.
Week 3
- Monday: Easy run 8 km (65–70% MHR)
- Wednesday: Intervals — 15 min warmup, 5 × 1 km at 85–90% MHR (2 min recovery), 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Recovery run 5 km (60–65% MHR)
- Saturday: Long run 16 km (65–70% MHR)
Week 4
- Monday: Easy run 8 km (65–70% MHR)
- Wednesday: Intervals — 15 min warmup, 5 × 1 km at 85–90% MHR (2 min recovery), 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Recovery run 5 km (60–65% MHR)
- Saturday: Long run 16 km (65–70% MHR)
Week 5–6: Threshold Development
A fifth session is added. You now have two quality sessions per week — tempo and intervals — supported by easy and recovery runs.
Week 5
- Monday: Easy run 8 km (65–70% MHR)
- Tuesday: Recovery run 5 km (60–65% MHR)
- Wednesday: Tempo — 15 min warmup, 30 min at 80–85% MHR, 10 min cooldown
- Friday: Intervals — 15 min warmup, 6 × 800 m at 85–90% MHR (90 s recovery), 10 min cooldown
- Sunday: Long run 18 km (65–70% MHR)
Week 6
- Monday: Easy run 8 km (65–70% MHR)
- Tuesday: Recovery run 5 km (60–65% MHR)
- Wednesday: Tempo — 15 min warmup, 30 min at 80–85% MHR, 10 min cooldown
- Friday: Intervals — 15 min warmup, 6 × 800 m at 85–90% MHR (90 s recovery), 10 min cooldown
- Sunday: Long run 18 km (65–70% MHR)
Week 7–8: Peak Volume
The highest-volume block. Long runs reach 20 km with a marathon-pace finish to practise running hard on tired legs.
Week 7
- Monday: Easy run 9 km (65–70% MHR)
- Tuesday: Recovery run 5 km (60–65% MHR)
- Wednesday: Intervals — 15 min warmup, 4 × 1.5 km at 85–90% MHR (2 min recovery), 10 min cooldown
- Friday: Tempo — 15 min warmup, 35 min at 80–85% MHR, 10 min cooldown
- Sunday: Long run 20 km with last 5 km at marathon pace (75–80% MHR)
Week 8
- Monday: Easy run 9 km (65–70% MHR)
- Tuesday: Recovery run 5 km (60–65% MHR)
- Wednesday: Intervals — 15 min warmup, 4 × 1.5 km at 85–90% MHR (2 min recovery), 10 min cooldown
- Friday: Tempo — 15 min warmup, 35 min at 80–85% MHR, 10 min cooldown
- Sunday: Long run 20 km with last 5 km at marathon pace (75–80% MHR)
Week 9–10: Race-Specific
Training shifts toward race pace. The midweek quality session now includes a sustained block at your half marathon goal pace.
Week 9
- Monday: Easy run 8 km (65–70% MHR)
- Tuesday: Recovery run 5 km (60–65% MHR)
- Wednesday: Race pace run — 15 min warmup, 8 km at half marathon goal pace, 10 min cooldown
- Friday: Intervals — 15 min warmup, 8 × 400 m at 90–95% MHR (90 s recovery), 10 min cooldown
- Sunday: Long run 18 km (65–70% MHR)
Week 10
- Monday: Easy run 8 km (65–70% MHR)
- Tuesday: Recovery run 5 km (60–65% MHR)
- Wednesday: Race pace run — 15 min warmup, 8 km at half marathon goal pace, 10 min cooldown
- Friday: Intervals — 15 min warmup, 8 × 400 m at 90–95% MHR (90 s recovery), 10 min cooldown
- Sunday: Long run 18 km (65–70% MHR)
Week 11: Sharpening
Volume drops but intensity stays. Sharp interval work keeps your legs fast while accumulated fatigue begins to clear.
Week 11
- Monday: Easy run 7 km (65–70% MHR)
- Wednesday: Intervals — 15 min warmup, 5 × 1 km at 85–90% MHR (2 min recovery), 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Recovery run 4 km
- Saturday: Long run 14 km (65–70% MHR)
Week 12: Taper and Race
Final taper week. Short, light sessions to stay sharp without accumulating fatigue. Arrive at the start line feeling fresh and ready.
Week 12
- Monday: Easy run 5 km (65–70% MHR)
- Wednesday: 10 min warmup, 4 × 400 m at 90% MHR (90 s recovery), 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Recovery run 3 km
- Sunday: Race day — Half Marathon!
Plan C — 8-Week Intermediate
- Goal: Race-ready half marathon sharpening
- Fitness level: Intermediate — strong base already, race prep
- Timeline: 8 weeks, 4 sessions per week
- Intensity guide: MHR = maximum heart rate
Week 1–2: Building Intensity
You already have a solid base, so the plan starts with moderate volume and a tempo session from week one.
Week 1
- Monday: Easy run 8 km (65–70% MHR)
- Wednesday: Tempo — 15 min warmup, 25 min at 80–85% MHR, 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Recovery run 5 km (60–65% MHR)
- Saturday: Long run 16 km (65–70% MHR)
Week 2
- Monday: Easy run 8 km (65–70% MHR)
- Wednesday: Tempo — 15 min warmup, 25 min at 80–85% MHR, 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Recovery run 5 km (60–65% MHR)
- Saturday: Long run 16 km (65–70% MHR)
Week 3–4: Speed and Endurance
Two quality sessions per week — intervals for speed and tempo for threshold. Long runs include a marathon-pace finish to practise running hard when fatigued.
Week 3
- Monday: Easy run 8 km (65–70% MHR)
- Wednesday: Intervals — 15 min warmup, 5 × 1 km at 85–90% MHR (2 min recovery), 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Tempo — 10 min warmup, 30 min at 80–85% MHR, 10 min cooldown
- Saturday: Long run 18 km with last 4 km at marathon pace (75–80% MHR)
Week 4
- Monday: Easy run 8 km (65–70% MHR)
- Wednesday: Intervals — 15 min warmup, 5 × 1 km at 85–90% MHR (2 min recovery), 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Tempo — 10 min warmup, 30 min at 80–85% MHR, 10 min cooldown
- Saturday: Long run 18 km with last 4 km at marathon pace (75–80% MHR)
Week 5–6: Peak and Race-Specific
The peak block. Long runs hit 20 km and the midweek quality session is run at half marathon goal pace to dial in race effort.
Week 5
- Monday: Easy run 8 km (65–70% MHR)
- Wednesday: Race pace — 15 min warmup, 8 km at half marathon goal pace, 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Recovery run 5 km (60–65% MHR)
- Saturday: Long run 20 km (65–70% MHR)
Week 6
- Monday: Easy run 8 km (65–70% MHR)
- Wednesday: Race pace — 15 min warmup, 8 km at half marathon goal pace, 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Recovery run 5 km (60–65% MHR)
- Saturday: Long run 20 km (65–70% MHR)
Week 7: Sharpening
Volume reduces but quality stays high. Shorter intervals keep your top-end sharp while the body begins to recover from the peak block.
Week 7
- Monday: Easy run 6 km (65–70% MHR)
- Wednesday: Intervals — 15 min warmup, 6 × 800 m at 85–90% MHR (90 s recovery), 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Recovery run 4 km
- Saturday: Long run 14 km (65–70% MHR)
Week 8: Taper and Race
Race week. Keep sessions short and light. A few fast strides midweek will keep your neuromuscular system primed without adding fatigue.
Week 8
- Monday: Easy run 5 km (65–70% MHR)
- Wednesday: 10 min warmup, 4 × 400 m at 90% MHR (90 s recovery), 10 min cooldown
- Thursday: Recovery run 3 km
- Sunday: Race day — Half Marathon!
Race Day Tips
- Don't start too fast: The most common half marathon mistake. Aim for even or slightly negative splits — run the second half the same speed or faster than the first.
- Fuel early: Take on a gel or energy chew around 45–60 minutes into the race. Don't wait until you feel tired — by then it's too late.
- Hydrate at stations: Small sips at water stations are better than skipping them entirely. Practise drinking on the run during training.
- Nothing new on race day: Wear shoes and kit you've trained in. Eat the same pre-run meal. Use the same gels. Race day is not the time to experiment.
- Break it into thirds: First third with your head, middle third with your legs, last third with your heart. Stay controlled early, push when it counts.