Half marathon training plan.
The half marathon is the fastest-growing race distance globally and the sweet spot for competitive recreational runners — long enough to demand endurance, short enough to allow genuine racing. STRIDD builds your half marathon plan from your recent race performance, choosing from 10 elite methodologies and calibrating every session to your specific pace zones.
The half marathon distance
At 21.1 km (13.1 miles), the half marathon requires sustained aerobic output at 80-85% of VO2max for 75 minutes to 2.5 hours depending on fitness level. It is the longest standard race distance that can be run at a genuinely hard, sustained effort — demanding a strong lactate threshold, solid aerobic base, good running economy and a race-day fuelling strategy. The half marathon has overtaken the full marathon as the most popular long-distance race globally, with participation growing 15-20% year over year in many markets. It is the sweet spot for competitive recreational runners who want a serious challenge without the 16-24 week training commitment of a marathon cycle.
Half marathon training demands
A well-structured half marathon plan should include weekly long runs building progressively to 18-22 km (the cornerstone endurance session), threshold work at or near goal half-marathon pace (2x20 minute tempo runs or 4x8 minute cruise intervals at T-pace), and one VO2max interval session per week for speed reserve above race pace. Total weekly training volume of 50-75 km across 4-6 running days is the sweet spot for most recreational half marathoners. Training plans typically span 12-16 weeks with a 10-14 day taper. The BUILD phase should emphasise threshold running as the primary race-specific session.
Key workouts for half marathon
Sustained tempo runs: 30-40 minutes at T-pace — the single most important session for half marathon preparation. Goal-pace runs: 8-12 km at target half marathon pace to build pacing familiarity and carbohydrate utilisation at race effort. VO2max intervals: 5x1200m or 4x1600m at I-pace with jog recovery for building speed reserve above race pace. Long run with fast finish: 18-22 km with the final 4-6 km at marathon to half marathon pace — the most race-specific session in the plan. These four session types, combined with easy volume, build the complete physiological profile that half marathon racing demands.
Race strategy
Start 5-10 seconds per km slower than goal pace for the first 3 km while muscles warm up and heart rate settles — do not chase the pace of faster runners around you. Run kilometres 4-16 at a consistent, controlled goal pace. Use the final 5 km (16-21 km) for a measured effort increase if breathing, legs and conditions allow. Take on 150-200 ml of carbohydrate sports drink at 7 km and 14 km — even though the half marathon is shorter than a marathon, carbohydrate intake during the race improves performance by 2-3% in efforts lasting over 75 minutes.
Common mistakes
Insufficient long run volume — the half marathon requires genuine endurance developed through progressive long runs, not just speed from intervals. Over-reliance on VO2max interval training at the expense of threshold work, which is more race-specific for the half marathon distance. Starting the race 10-15 sec/km too fast in the excitement of the first few kilometres and fading badly after 15 km. Neglecting race-day nutrition rehearsal during training long runs — practise your fuelling plan in training before relying on it in competition.
Build your plan with STRIDD
Use the STRIDD Architect to generate a personalised half marathon training plan in under 2 minutes. Enter your most recent race time at any distance, choose your preferred methodology (Norwegian, Lydiard, VDOT, Hansons, Maffetone, FIRST or any of the ten systems), and get a complete week-by-week plan with session descriptions, calibrated pace zones per kilometre, progressive volume targets and a structured taper protocol. Export as branded PDF or XLSX.
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