However, the plan assumes that the candidate is of an average fitness level and
not grossly ... The introductory two weeks are about getting your body warmed up
... Rest Day. 12km Run. Week. 7. Rest Day 40 min gentle run. 40 min hard but.
HALF MARATHON TRAINING PLAN This guide is designed for people who have little to no experience in running a half marathon. However, the plan assumes that the candidate is of an average fitness level and not grossly overweight or suffering from any adverse health conditions. If you suffer from severe back pain, or any kind of heart condition, please seek medical advice before undertaking any training and/or race. If you are thinking of doing a run for the first time we recommend taking on a 10km before a half marathon or marathon just because a half marathon is a big step up and if you haven’t done distance running before, it’s a good idea to build from the shorter distances up.
Week 1 - 3 The introductory two weeks are about getting your body warmed up for the coming weeks. Don’t worry about times but focus on your own body’s ability. ‘Listen’ to your body and work out the correct pace for you in terms of maintaining a consistent speed across the entirety of the runs. By doing this you are setting a bench mark for improvement and expectation, so that when you increase the length of time you run you know what speed you should be keeping. This becomes especially important on the Sunday (long run day) as it will be challenging and it’s important to know your personal pace before you begin.
Week 4 - 6 At this point you will be comfortable with the demands of distance running and managing them without experiencing any discomfort. So now you’re ready to push yourself and begin running over 60 minute runs and steadily increasing the times from there as a base. On the Sunday (which remains the day you will find the most challenging) don’t be tempted to run this at full blast; in terms of effort run at around 6-7 out of 10 and ensure you maintain a constant pace. All of this is more important than speed at this time and you should be focusing on increasing the time you can run for, not how fast you can run within this time.
Week 7 - 9 Once again, half way through this cycle, you will be pushing yourself by crossing the first 10 mile boundary. As with any distance challenge, mentally break this down into smaller pieces (either by time or distance, whatever works for you). After this longer run you can spend the last of these weeks focusing on increasing your speed across the shorter distances.
Week 10 - 12 With race day coming up, you will now have built up a solid fitness level and you will be more than capable of completing the 19km run in the 10th week. It will be challenging and you will need to watch your diet and ensure you’re properly hydrated throughout the longer run. However, once you’ve completed it, you can be safe in the knowledge that you’re ready for race day and the final few kilometres will be a breeze with pumping adrenaline and the sense of occasion on the day! After the 19km run, your last real test is the 10km in week 11. After this you should almost feel able to do it again after a few minutes; the programme is structured to both retain the fitness level you’ve built up while still ensuring your body is given time to recover for race day.
Final note: Training for distance running is not just about building up your times and distance. You also have to pay special attention to your diet, hydration, stretches, warm-ups and cool-downs. But don’t worry, just take a look at our ‘general guidance’ document and that will give you all of the in-depth preparation and advice that you’ll need to take you up to and through race day feeling good and staying safe. Good luck and have fun!
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Rest Day
30 min gentle run
30 min gentle run
Rest Day
30 min gentle run
Rest Day
5km Run
Rest Day
30 min gentle run
30 min hard but controlled run
Rest Day
30 min gentle run
Rest Day
7km Run
Week 3
Rest Day
30 min gentle run
40 min hard but controlled run
Rest Day
30 min gentle run
Rest Day
8km Run
Week 4
Rest Day
40 min gentle run
50 min hard but controlled run
Rest Day
30 min interval run
Rest Day
10km Run
Week 5
Rest Day
40 min gentle run
30 min hard but controlled run
Rest Day
40 min interval run
Rest Day
11km Run
Week 6
Rest Day
40 min gentle run
50 min hard but controlled run
Rest Day
30 min interval run
Rest Day
12km Run
Week 7
Rest Day
40 min gentle run
40 min hard but controlled run
Rest Day
40 min interval run
Rest Day
13km Run
Week 8
Rest Day
40 min gentle run
40 min hard but controlled run
Rest Day
40 min interval run
Rest Day
16km Run
Week 9
Rest Day
40 min gentle run
50 min hard but controlled run
Rest Day
50 min interval run
Rest Day
8km Run
Week 10
Rest Day
40 min gentle run
40 min hard but controlled run
Rest Day
40 min interval run
Rest Day
19km Run
Week 11
Rest Day
40 min gentle run
40 min hard but controlled run
Rest Day
40 min interval run
Rest Day
10km Run
Week 12
Rest Day
40 min hard but controlled run
Rest Day
50 min interval run
Rest Day
Week 1 Week 2
40 min gentle run
HALF MARATHON TRAINING PLAN
Monday
Week
Race Day!
