Half marathon training plan
Twelve weeks and five days a week to prepare for a half marathon: long runs up to 110 minutes with race-pace blocks, threshold work, two deload weeks and a two-week taper.
By My PR ·
- Level
- Intermediate
- Length
- 12 weeks
- Days a week
- 5
- Longest run
- 110 min
A half marathon is run in Z3, just under threshold, for over an hour. What decides the day is not how fast your intervals are but whether you can hold that pace after ninety minutes. That is why the long run grows slowly and, at the end, carries race pace inside it.
- Prerequisite
- 22-25 miles (35-40 km) a week
- With a recent long run of about 75-80 minutes.
- Key sessions
- 3 × 3 km at half marathon pace and the long run with pace inside
- Weeks 9 and 10.
Before you start
This is a generic plan, not a prescription. If you have pain that gets worse when you run, a recent injury, heart disease or any medical concern, check with a health professional first. If a session leaves you sore for more than a day, cut the volume; do not repeat it to “make it up”.
Half marathon plan, week by week
| Week | Phase | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Saturday | Sunday · long run |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W1 | Base | vVO₂max test: 6′ at the fastest pace you can hold | Easy run 40′ Z2 | Easy run 45′ Z2 | Easy run 30′ Z2 + 4 strides | Long run 75′ Z2 |
| W2 | Base | Tempo 15′ Z4 (85-90 %) | Easy run 40′ Z2 | Easy run 45′ Z2 | Easy run 30′ Z2 + 4 strides | Long run 80′ Z2 |
| W3 | Base | Hills 8 × 1′ hard · jog down | Easy run 45′ Z2 | Easy run 45′ Z2 | Easy run 30′ Z2 + 4 strides | Long run 85′ Z2 |
| W4 | Base · deload | Tempo 15′ Z4 (85-90 %) | Easy run 25′ Z2 | Easy run 25′ Z2 | Easy run 25′ Z2 | Long run 60′ Z2 |
| W5 | Build | 4 × 3′30″ Z5 (95-100 %) · equal jog recovery | Easy run 45′ Z2 | Tempo 20′ Z4 (85-90 %) | Easy run 30′ Z2 | Long run 90′ Z2, last 15′ in Z3 |
| W6 | Build | 12 × 30/30 Z5 (100-105 %) | Easy run 45′ Z2 | Threshold 4 × 7′ Z4 (86-90 %) · 2′ recovery | Easy run 30′ Z2 | Long run 95′ Z2, last 20′ in Z3 |
| W7 | Build | 5 × 4′ Z5 (95-100 %) · equal jog recovery | Easy run 45′ Z2 | Tempo 25′ Z4 (85-90 %) | Easy run 35′ Z2 | Long run 100′ Z2, last 20′ in Z3 |
| W8 | Build · deload | vVO₂max test: 6′ at the fastest pace you can hold | Easy run 35′ Z2 | Easy run 35′ Z2 | Easy run 25′ Z2 | Long run 75′ Z2 |
| W9 | Specific | Tempo 25′ Z4 (85-90 %) | Easy run 50′ Z2 | 3 × 3 km at half marathon pace Z3 (81-84 %) · 3′ recovery | Easy run 35′ Z2 | Long run 105′ Z2, with 12′ at half marathon pace |
| W10 | Specific | Tempo 30′ Z4 (85-90 %) | Easy run 50′ Z2 | 3 × 3 km at half marathon pace Z3 (81-84 %) · 3′ recovery | Easy run 35′ Z2 | Long run 110′ Z2, with 20′ at half marathon pace |
| W11 | Taper | 2 × 2 km at half marathon pace Z3 (81-84 %) · 3′ recovery | Easy run 40′ Z2 | Easy run 35′ Z2 | Easy run 25′ Z2 | Long run 75′ Z2 |
| W12 | Taper | Easy run 30′ Z2 + 5 strides | Easy run 30′ Z2 | Easy run 20′ Z2 + 3 strides | Rest | Race day (half marathon) |
The vVO₂max test is repeated in week 8: by then it has usually moved, and the specific-phase paces should come from the new number, not the one from two months ago.
How it is organized
- 1
Base (weeks 1-4)
Easy volume, a short tempo and hills. Week 4 is a deload.
- 2
Build (weeks 5-8)
Two quality sessions a week —VO₂max on Tuesday, threshold on Thursday— and long runs with a progressive finish. Week 8 is a deload with a test.
- 3
Specific (weeks 9-10)
3 km reps at half marathon pace and the longest run of the plan with 12-20 minutes at that pace at the end.
- 4
Taper (weeks 11-12)
Two weeks coming down: week 11 at about 70% of the volume, race week much less. Intensity stays.
Deload and taper
To arrive fresh, cut volume and keep intensity
The reference meta-analysis on tapering found the most effective approach was a taper of about two weeks, cutting volume by 41-60% progressively without dropping intensity or session frequency. That is why the last weeks of each plan still include short intervals or race pace, just less of it.
What is most linked to injury is suddenly lengthening a single run
In a cohort of more than 5,000 runners, a session more than 10% longer than the longest of the previous month was associated with more overuse injuries; week-to-week changes in volume were not. The weekly 10% rule was never validated, while the risk of big jumps does show up in the literature. It is an observational study: a guide, not a guarantee.
How to adapt it
- With four days, drop the Saturday easy run; do not drop the long run or the two build-phase quality sessions.
- Rehearse on the long run what you will do on race day: shoes, breakfast and fueling.
- If half marathon pace does not hold in week 9, the goal is optimistic: better to know now than at mile 9.
- Recovery is part of the plan: after the race, a few easy days before any quality work.
Takeaways
- Twelve weeks, five days and a long run that grows slowly.
- vVO₂max test in weeks 1 and 8.
- Half marathon pace inside the long run during the specific phase.
- A two-week taper: less volume, same intensity.
Sources
- [1]Bosquet L, Montpetit J, Arvisais D, Mujika I (2007). Effects of tapering on performance: a meta-analysis. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. meta-analysis
- [2]Frandsen JSB, et al. (2025). How much running is too much? Identifying high-risk running sessions in a 5200-person cohort study. British Journal of Sports Medicine. trial
- [3]Damsted C, Glad S, Nielsen RO, Sørensen H, Malisoux L (2018). Is there evidence for an association between changes in training load and running-related injuries? A systematic review. International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy. review
- [4]Nielsen RO, Parner ET, Nohr EA, Sørensen H, Lind M, Rasmussen S (2014). Excessive progression in weekly running distance and risk of running-related injuries: an association which varies according to type of injury. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. trial
Other plans
Your plan, at your paces, for your race date
Tell the app your race, the days you have and what you run now: it builds the weeks, warns you if the goal is optimistic and adjusts the plan when life does not follow the table.
