Countdown to a Better Half

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