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Half Marathon Beginner Training Plan
You have run a 10K or half-marathon race before and are now ready to improve your half marathon time. Here you find sub 2:30, 2:15, 2:00, and 1:50 minute time goal plans in 8, 12, 16, and 20 week versions.
Not a beginner runner? Check out the intermediate or advanced plan.
If you want to run a faster half-marathon, you must improve your endurance, lactate threshold, VO2 max, and speed. You can develop these fitness markers by adjusting the following 3 training variables:
- Purposeful running workouts
- A balanced training week
- Smart training progression
Purposeful Running Workouts for the Half Marathon
A faster marathon time requires you to be reasonably strong across all training zones. But marathon training prioritizes endurance and lactate threshold training more than is typical for 10K and 5K races.
The following 12 training zones and sub-zones are part of the half-marathon intermediate training plan:
- Recovery run
- Easy run / Long run
- Moderate pace
- Marathon pace
- 30K pace (aerobic threshold)
- HM pace
- 15K pace (lactate threshold)
- 10K pace
- 5K pace
- 3K pace (VO2 max)
- 1500m pace
- Power
The Half Marathon Beginner Training Week
The 4-day running week includes of 2 key workouts and 1 long run. You can adjust the workout days at your convenience; for instance, you can have the long run on Sunday instead of Saturday, provided that it doesn’t lead to consecutive challenging workouts.
- Key workout 1
- –
- Easy
- Key Workout 2
- –
- Long Run
- –
Smart Training Progression for the Half Marathon
The half-marathon beginner training plans consist of base, support, and race-specific phases. The training program starts with general intensities and progresses towards half-marathon-specific efforts.
Conditioning
The 4-week conditioning phase slowly increases your weekly mileage to develop general endurance and includes a few hill sprints on 2 of your easy runs to build muscular strength.
- Easy + hill sprints
- –
- Easy + hill sprints
- Moderate
- –
- Long Run
- –
Base Training
The 6-week base phase aims to increase overall mileage and the long run. It includes Fartleks, with short segments of 3K to 1500m pace. The other key workout features moderate and marathon paces.
- Fartlek
- –
- Easy
- Moderate / Marathon pace
- –
- Long Run
- –
Support Training
The 6-week support phase focuses on improving your VO2 max, lactate threshold, and high-end aerobic endurance. This means intervals, tempo runs, and some faster segments at the end of long runs.
- Intervals 10K/5K pace
- –
- Easy
- Tempo HM/15K pace
- –
- Extended Long Run
- –
Race-Specific
In the final four weeks, the training focus shifts to half-marathon goal pace and lactate threshold maintenance. Tapering begins 10 days before the race to ensure you arrive at the starting line feeling refreshed and prepared.
- 10K pace
- Moderate
- Easy
- Half-Marathon pace
- –
- Long Run
- Easy
Customizing the Half Marathon Beginner Training Plan
You can select a beginner marathon training plan from 48 different versions based on 4 criteria. You can choose from 20, 16, 12, or 8-week training plans. If you have recently run a 10K or half-marathon, you can go with the 12 or 8-week plan.
- Time goal 1:45, 1:40, 1:35, or 1:30 h
- Plan duration 8, 12, 16 or 20 weeks
- Imperial or metric (miles or km)
- TrainingPeaks or FinalSurge
Half Marathon Beginner Training Plans
IN MILES
IN KM
Sub 2:30 h
Half Marathon
sub 2:30 plan in miles
-
13 - 25 miles per week
-
4 runs per week
-
8, 12, 16, 20 weeks
Choose Plan
Set any time goal for this plan
to personalize your pace.
to personalize your pace.
Sub 2:15 h
Half Marathon
sub 2:15 plan in miles
-
16 - 27 miles per week
-
4 runs per week
-
8, 12, 16, 20 weeks
Choose Plan
Set any time goal for this plan
to personalize your pace.
to personalize your pace.
Sub 2:00 h
Half Marathon
sub 2:00 plan in miles
-
19 - 30 miles per week
-
4 runs per week
-
8, 12, 16, 20 weeks
Choose Plan
Set any time goal for this plan
to personalize your pace.
to personalize your pace.
Sub 1:50 h
Half Marathon
sub 1:50 plan in miles
-
21 - 32 miles per week
-
4 runs per week
-
8, 12, 16, 20 weeks
Choose Plan
Set any time goal for this plan
to personalize your pace.
to personalize your pace.
Choose a plan according to your time goal but make sure you are realistic about it. If you current half marathon PR is 2:00 hours then you are unlikely to succeed with a sub 1:25 hour plan.
That said, the weekly mileage of the plan isn’t exact science to achieve a certain time goal. Rather, it is based on experience of what’s necessary to achieve a certain time. For example, you may choose a 1:50 hour plan and achieve 1:40 hours on race day — or vice versa. That means you could use the lower mileage 1:50 hour plan and personalize its zones for for a 1:40 hour time goal or use a 1:40 plan for a 1:50 h time goal (if you are already comfortable with the weekly mileage).
But don’t worry, if a plan turns out to be too easy or too hard for you, I’ll change it for you free of charge within 14 days of your purchase.
Yes, you can fully adjust the plan to your needs.
Training zones
You can personalize the training zones of based on your fitness level for any plan with a click of a mouse button. Take a recent race result (or an educated guess) for your current ability and then update your zones as needed toward your goal race pace.
Training days
You can move your workouts easily with the drag and drop feature. For instance, if you prefer your long run on a Sunday instead of a Saturday, you can change the order of workouts. Just make sure you don’t have any hard back-to-back sessions.
You can also skip or replace some of your easy runs with aerobic cross-training, such as cycling or swimming. But I recommend a minimum of 4 running days per week.
Race Day
By default my plans assume the race is on a Sunday. Should your race fall on a Saturday, then remove Wednesday’s easy run and bring the workouts that follow 1 day forward.
TrainingPeaks and FinalSurge are the leading online training platforms for endurance athletes. Here you can upload your workouts to your running watch and follow the instructions in real-time. Post-workout it syncs your training data where you can observe your progress over time.
Both platforms come in free and paid versions. The free versions work just fine with any of my training plans.
If you want a maximum of training metrics then I suggest you use TrainingPeaks. But for an easy-to-use and beautiful interface I recommend FinalSurge.
You can contact me anytime via email if you have questions about the training plan or training in general.
But for personalized training consider my 1-on-1 online coaching.
