So you fancy running a half marathon? Be warned, despite the name no half measures will be allowed – if you are looking for advice on running half marathons on three sessions and twenty miles a week try another magazine!
Racing – or even just aiming to finish – 13.1 miles will require a good background of steady running topped up with a fair amount of speed-endurance training. Andy Coleman – who was second in the Great North Run in 2000, recording 62:28 – based his training around two track sessions and runs of one-and-a-half hours at varying speeds. He had, however, a core session of 10 x 1000m on grass, starting in the 2:50s and progressively increasing the speed to finish with 2:30. His intention was to duplicate the increasing pressures of racing.
Everyone has their own core session to which they turn to gauge how the training is going. US marathon ace from the 1980s, Alberto Salazar, used to string together a session of one mile on the track, four miles on the road, one mile track, four miles road, finishing with one mile track, the recovery was the jog from the track to the road and vice versa. The Race Guide editor of this magazine often used this session to great effect but wouldn’t recommend it for everyone – only those of unsound mind.
Whatever your weekly mileage logs in at the moment, spend three to four weeks in increasing it gradually to 45mpw for beginners and 70 for improvers (if you are currently running more than this then you have a head – or a least a three week – start!). The traditional weekend long run should be 15 miles, mid-week should include a good paced ten miler plus a long interval/repetition session. Add in recovery runs, a fast five miler and a rest day taken at least once a fortnight and you have a basic schedule.
Pick a half marathon two to three months ahead and factor in a ten mile race and two 10k outings during this time to hone your racing skills and speed endurance, then ease down over the last week. The following schedules are compiled to be flexible and fit into everyday life: not everyone is a full time athlete.
Half Marathon Schedules
These schedules assume individuals have either been following our previous 5k and 10k training plans or at least have a reasonable base of steady running.
BEGINNERS
| WEEK ONE | |
|---|---|
| Sunday: | 40 minutes run |
| Monday: | Rest day |
| Tuesday: | 8 x 400m (track or grass) at 3 km pace, lap jog recovery |
| Wednesday: | Easy 5 miles |
| Thursday: | 40 minutes run |
| Friday: | Rest day |
| Saturday: | 5 miles at steady pace |
| WEEK TWO | |
|---|---|
| Sunday: | 45 minutes run |
| Monday: | 3 miles easy |
| Tuesday: | 10 x 400m (track or grass) at 3 km pace, lap jog recovery |
| Wednesday: | rest |
| Thursday: | 50 minutes run |
| Friday: | Rest day |
| Saturday: | Hour bike |
| WEEK THREE | |
|---|---|
| Sunday: | Hour run |
| Monday: | 3 miles easy |
| Tuesday: | 6 x 600m (track or grass) at 5 km pace, lap jog recovery |
| Wednesday: | 6 miles very easy run off-road. |
| Thursday: | rest |
| Friday: | easy 3 miles |
| Saturday: | 10km race |
| WEEK FOUR | |
|---|---|
| Sunday: | 30 minutes easy |
| Monday: | 6 miles steady run off-road. |
| Tuesday: | 5 x 800m (track or grass) at 5 km pace, lap jog recovery |
| Wednesday: | 45 minutes |
| Thursday: | rest day |
| Friday: | 3 x 1 mile grass |
| Saturday: | 8 miles run easy |
INTERMEDIATE
| WEEK ONE | |
|---|---|
| Sunday: | 1 hour run |
| Monday: | Rest day |
| Tuesday: | 10 x 400m (track or grass) at 3 km pace, lap jog recovery |
| Wednesday: | Easy 5 miles |
| Thursday: | 45 minutes run |
| Friday: | Rest day |
| Saturday: | 6 miles at good pace |
| WEEK TWO | |
|---|---|
| Sunday: | 1 hour run |
| Monday: | 3 miles easy |
| Tuesday: | 10 x 400m (track or grass) at 3 km pace, lap jog recovery |
| Wednesday: | 4 miles steady |
| Thursday: | 1 hour run |
| Friday: | Rest day |
| Saturday: | 3 mile run + 30 mins swim |
| WEEK THREE | |
|---|---|
| Sunday: | 10 miles run |
| Monday: | 3 miles easy |
| Tuesday: | 5 x 800m (track or grass) at 5 km pace, lap jog recovery |
| Wednesday: | 6 miles very easy run off-road. |
| Thursday: | 3 x 1 mile grass |
| Friday: | Rest day |
| Saturday: | 10km race |
| WEEK FOUR | |
|---|---|
| Sunday: | 3 mile run + 30 mins swim |
| Monday: | 6 miles very easy run off-road. |
| Tuesday: | 5 x 800m (track or grass) at 5 km pace, lap jog recovery |
| Wednesday: | 1 hour run in woods or parkland |
| Thursday: | 3 x 1 mile grass |
| Friday: | rest day |
| Saturday: | 10 miles run easy |
ADVANCED
| WEEK ONE | |
|---|---|
| Sunday: | 1 hour run |
| Monday: | 5 miles steady (conversation pace) |
| Tuesday: | 6 x 800m (track or grass) at 3 km pace, lap jog recovery |
| Wednesday: | Easy 5 miles |
| Thursday: | 1 hour run |
| Friday: | Rest day |
| Saturday: | 6 miles at good pace |
| WEEK TWO | |
|---|---|
| Sunday: | ten miles steady run |
| Monday: | 6 miles easy |
| Tuesday: | 6 x 800m (track or grass) at 3 km pace, lap jog recovery |
| Wednesday: | 6 miles steady |
| Thursday: | 1 hour run |
| Friday: | 3 x 1 mile grass |
| Saturday: | 3 mile run + 30 mins swim |
| WEEK THREE | |
|---|---|
| Sunday: | 12 miles run |
| Monday: | 3 miles easy |
| Tuesday: | 8 x 800m (track or grass) at 3 km pace, lap jog recovery |
| Wednesday: | 8 miles very easy run off-road. |
| Thursday: | 3 x 1 mile grass |
| Friday: | Rest day |
| Saturday: | 10km race |
| WEEK FOUR | |
|---|---|
| Sunday: | 3 mile run + 30 mins swim |
| Monday: | 8 miles very easy run off-road. |
| Tuesday: | 8 x 800m (track or grass) at 3 km pace, lap jog recovery |
| Wednesday: | 1 hour run in woods or parkland |
| Thursday: | 5 x 1 mile grass |
| Friday: | 3 mile run + 30 mins swim |
| Saturday: | 12 miles run easy |