Half Marathon Training Plan: A Complete Guide for Every Level

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The half marathon is the goldilocks distance. Long enough to feel like a meaningful achievement (most runners can't just go run 13.1 miles tomorrow), short enough that the training plan fits into a busy life without taking it over. It's the most popular race distance for serious amateur runners worldwide for a reason.

This guide covers what a half marathon training plan should look like at every experience level — from runners who've just done a 10K to runners chasing sub-1:30. For the bigger picture of how half marathon plans fit with the rest of training, see the running training plan guide.

How Long Should a Half Marathon Training Plan Be?

Most runners need 12-16 weeks. The half marathon is long enough that pure base building takes time, but short enough that the bone-and-tendon adaptation pressures aren't as extreme as for a marathon. Quick rule:

• Beginner (raced a 10K, longest run is 6-8 miles): 12-16 weeks.
• Intermediate (raced a half before, training 4 days/week): 10-14 weeks.
• Advanced (training 5+ days/week, chasing a time): 8-12 weeks.

Plans much longer than 16 weeks for a half marathon usually plateau, and the longer the plan the more chances for life to derail it. For more on length across distances, see how long a running training plan should be.

What a Smart Half Marathon Week Looks Like

The half marathon is built on the long run. Everything else in the week supports it.

• The long run. Builds from 6-7 miles in week 1 to about 12 miles in peak week (for beginners) or 14-16 miles (for advanced runners). The longest long run usually lands 3 weeks before race day, then the taper begins.
• One tempo or threshold run. 30-50 minutes at "comfortably hard" pace, often broken into reps. This builds the lactate threshold that sets your race pace.
• One interval session (intermediate and advanced). Mile repeats, kilometer repeats, or shorter VO2max work depending on the phase.
• 1-2 easy runs filling out the rest of the week.

The principles from the rest of training apply: 80% of weekly volume should be easy, 20% genuinely hard. The polarized training research holds for half marathon training as much as for any other distance.

Half Marathon Plans for Beginners (First Half)

If your goal is to finish your first half marathon, the plan structure is simple: build the long run gradually while keeping the rest of the week steady. A 14-week beginner plan with four runs per week:

• Tuesday: Easy 30-40 min
• Thursday: Steady 35-45 min (slightly faster than easy, but conversational)
• Saturday: Long run, building from 6 miles in week 1 to 11-12 miles in peak week
• Sunday: Easy 25-35 min or rest

From week 8-9 onward, replace the Thursday steady run with a 15-25 minute tempo. Around week 10, add one short interval session per week if you feel ready (this is optional for first-time half marathoners — finishing healthy beats running fast).

The long run is the workout that worries beginners most. The honest version: don't try to run it fast. Easy pace, slower than you think it should be. Walk breaks are fine — Galloway's run-walk method gets first-timers to the finish line in similar times to continuous running, with a lot less pain.

Half Marathon Plans for Intermediate Runners

If you've raced a half before and want to run faster, a 12-week intermediate plan with 4-5 runs per week works well:

• Tuesday: Tempo (35-45 min comfortably hard, often as 2-3 reps with short recoveries)
• Wednesday: Easy 35-45 min
• Thursday: Intervals (e.g., 5 × 1 mile at 10K pace) or easy
• Friday: Rest or short easy
• Saturday: Long run with race-pace miles built in (e.g., last 4-6 miles at half marathon goal pace)
• Sunday: Recovery 30 min easy

The race-pace miles inside the long run are the secret weapon for half marathon training. They teach your legs to run goal pace when tired — which is exactly what race day feels like in mile 10. Plug a recent race into a VDOT calculator for your pace targets.

Half Marathon Plans for Advanced Runners (Chasing a PB)

If you're training 5-6 days a week and chasing a specific half marathon time, your plan needs higher weekly mileage and more sophisticated workouts. A 10-week peak plan typically includes:

• Two quality sessions per week (e.g., Tuesday threshold, Friday intervals or tempo)
• A long run with progressive structure: easy start, gradually building to goal pace, occasionally with race-simulation final miles
• 4-5 easy or recovery runs filling out the rest
• A 10-14 day taper, cutting volume by 30-40% but keeping intensity sharp

The taper for a half marathon is shorter and less dramatic than for a marathon, but it still matters. Research on tapering shows that even cutting volume in half over the final week or two improves race performance.

Pacing the Half Marathon on Race Day

The half marathon punishes pacing mistakes more than the 10K does, but less than the full marathon. The reliable strategy:

• Run the first 5K at goal pace or slightly slower. The first mile should feel almost too easy.
• Settle into goal pace through the middle 8 miles. This is where the race actually happens.
• The last 5K is where the work pays off. If you've trained right, you'll have legs to push the final 2-3 miles.

Negative splits (second half faster than the first) are the gold standard for half marathon racing. Even splits are fine. Positive splits usually mean you went out too hard.

Common Half Marathon Plan Mistakes

Three traps:

Treating it like a marathon plan and stopping early. Marathon plans peak at 20-22 mile long runs. Half marathon plans don't need that. Following a marathon plan to mile 13 wastes time and risks burnout.

Running the long run too fast. The most common half-marathon-training error. The long run builds aerobic base, and aerobic base builds at easy pace. Running long runs at goal pace turns them into junk miles that leave you tired without the right adaptation.

Skipping the tempo work. The tempo run is what determines your race pace ceiling. Skipping it because intervals "feel harder" leaves you with great VO2max and no ability to sustain race pace.