Half Marathon Training Plan for Beginners

12 weeks·3 days / wk·half marathon·beginner

Weeks: 12
Sessions: 36
Peak week: 18.5 mi; week 10
Long run: 11 mi; week 10
Taper: 2 wk

BaseCutbackBuildPeakTaperRace

Paces assume a beginner runner (VDOT 31). Enter a recent race to personalise them.

Week-by-week training plan
Wk	Focus	Sessions	Volume	Biggest session
01	Base: aerobic volume, hills and stridesLong run 5 mi	3 · 1 key	10.5 mi	Long run 5 mi
Tue Oct 6 Easy + 4 strides 2 mi 2 mi easy · @ 12:00–13:10/mi 4 × 20 s strides · quick and relaxed, near 8:55/mi, full recovery Thu Oct 8 Easy run 3.5 mi 3.5 mi easy · @ 12:00–13:10/mi, conversational Sun Oct 11 Long run 5 mi 5 mi steady · @ 12:00–13:10/mi, fuel every 45 min if over 90 min
Weeks 2–12 locked Unlock the full plan. Every session, every week Paces and loads from your numbers PDF, calendar and Garmin export Re-plans when you miss a key session Billing period$79 / year$14 / month Annual works out at $6.58 a month Secure checkout with Stripe · Cancel any time
02	Base: aerobic volume, hills and stridesLong run 6 mi	3 · 1 key	11.5 mi	Long run 6 mi
03	Base: aerobic volume, hills and stridesLong run 7 mi	3 · 1 key	12.5 mi	Long run 7 mi
04	Cutback: absorb the trainingLong run 5 mi	3 · 1 key	10 mi	Long run 5 mi
05	Build: threshold + intervalsLong run 7.5 mi	3 · 2 key	13.5 mi	Long run 7.5 mi
06	Build: threshold + intervalsLong run 8.5 mi	3 · 2 key	14.5 mi	Long run 8.5 mi
07	Build: threshold + intervalsLong run 9.5 mi	3 · 2 key	15.5 mi	Long run 9.5 mi
08	Cutback: absorb the trainingLong run 7 mi	3 · 1 key	13 mi	Long run 7 mi
09	Peak: half marathon-specific paceLong run 9.5 mi	3 · 2 key	17 mi	Long run 9.5 mi
10	Peak: half marathon-specific paceLong run 11 mi	3 · 2 key	18.5 mi	Long run 11 mi
11	Taper: volume down, race pace sharpLong run 8.5 mi	3 · 2 key	17 mi	Long run 8.5 mi
12	Race week — half marathonRace 13 mi	3 · 1 key	4.5 mi	Race 13 mi

Your paces

Easy / long: 12:00–13:10/mi62–70% VO2max, conversational
Marathon (M): 10:46/mi
Threshold (T): 10:03/micomfortably hard, ~60 min race effort
Interval (I): 9:15/mi3–5 min reps, ~97.5% VO2max
Repetition (R): 8:55/mishort fast reps, mile race pace
half marathon race pace: 10:29/mifinish 2:17:30

The numbers

About this plan

This half marathon training plan for beginners opens with 10.5 mi in week 1 and peaks at 18.5 mi in week 10. Halfway, week 6 carries 14.5 mi with a 8.5 mi long run. That is 158 mi over 36 runs for a beginner half marathon runner. Cutbacks: week 4 (10 mi) and week 8 (13 mi).

The long run tops out at 11 mi in week 10; 6 key sessions include 6 tempo workouts. Easy running at 12:00–13:10/mi is 79% of the 158 mi; 6 threshold sessions run at 10:03/mi. Peak weeks add 10:29/mi race-pace repeats and a fast finish to the 11-mi long run of week 10.

The 2-week taper takes race week to 4.5 mi, 76% under week 10's 18.5 mi, after 158 mi. On these numbers the half marathon projects to 2:17:30, 10:29/mi from start to finish, off a 18.5-mi peak. Searching for a half marathon training plan pdf? Subscribers export these 36 runs to PDF, .ics or Garmin TCX, 158 mi in all.

Week 1, shown in full above, is 10.5 mi: Tuesday — easy + 4 strides, 2 mi; Thursday — easy run, 3.5 mi; Sunday — long run, 5 mi.

The phases run base weeks 1–3 (10.5–12.5 mi), build weeks 5–7 (13.5–15.5 mi), peak weeks 9–10 (17–18.5 mi), taper week 11 (17 mi) and race week 12 (4.5 mi).

Questions

FAQ

How many miles a week is the half marathon training plan for beginners?

10.5 mi in week 1, 14.5 mi by week 6 and 18.5 mi at the peak, week 10: 158 mi total.

What pace are the easy runs on this 12-week half marathon plan?

12:00–13:10/mi at VDOT 31, for 79% of 158 mi.

What is the longest run in the half marathon training plan for beginners?

11 mi in week 10, up from 5 mi in week 1.

Is this the same as a half marathon training plan pdf?

Yes — the 12-week, 36-run plan exports to PDF for subscribers, and week 1 (10.5 mi) is free here.

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