Following my 10 week half marathon training schedule will get your body ready for the demands of a 21km race.
This half marathon training schedule is very similar to the one that has been used by run/walk for life for the last 17 years.
I have personally used it to move up from running 10k races to the half marathon distance.
What I like about this half marathon training is that it offers a bit of variety and not just grinding out kilometer after kilometer at the same pace.
Please note this program assumes the following:
- You are able to train between 30 to 35km per week
- You are injury free
- You have successfully completed a 10k race
The half marathon training schedule requires that you run 4 times per week, the other days are to rest. There are no specific days allocated to the training as each persons training days will vary.
Lets get to it:
Week 1
- Day 1: Intervals, 2.5km slow warm up, 4 x 400m (at 5k race pace)with 400m recovery in between, 2.5km cool-down
- Day 2: 6km at about 15 sec below 10km race pace
- Day 3: 8km easy
- Day 4: 14 km moderate pace
Week 2
- Day 1: Intervals, 2.5km slow warm up, 4 x 600m (at 5k race pace)with 400m recovery in between, 2.5km cool-down
- Day 2: 8km at about 20 sec below 10km race pace
- Day 3: 8km over a fairly hilly course
- Day 4: 16 km moderate pace
Week 3
- Day 1: Intervals, 2.5km slow warm up, 4 x 800m (at 5k race pace)with 400m recovery in between, 2.5km cool-down
- Day 2: 10km, first 5km easy, second 5km at 10 sec per km faster
- Day 3: 8km easy
- Day 4: 18 km moderate pace
Week 4
- Day 1: Intervals, 2.5km slow warm up, 4 x 1km (at 5k race pace)with 400m recovery in between, 2.5km cool-down
- Day 2: 10km, alternate easy/faster kilometers
- Day 3: 10km easy
- Day 4: 18 km moderate pace
Week 5
- Day 1: Intervals, 2.5km slow warm up, 3 x 1km (at 5k race pace)with 400m recovery in between, 2.5km cool-down
- Day 2: 12km, alternate easy/faster kilometers
- Day 3: 10km easy
- Day 4: 18/20 km moderate pace
Week 6
- Day 1: Intervals, 2.5km slow warm up, 3 x 1km (at 5k race pace)with 400m recovery in between, 2.5km cool-down
- Day 2: 14km, alternate easy/faster kilometers
- Day 3: 10km RACE
- Day 4: 10 km easy pace
Week 7
- Day 1: Intervals, 2.5km slow warm up, 4 x 400m (at 5k race pace)with 200m recovery in between, 4 x 400m (at 5k race pace)with 400m recovery in between 2.5km cool-down
- Day 2: 12km, alternate easy/faster kilometers
- Day 3: 10km easy
- Day 4: 18 km easy pace
Week 8
- Day 1: Intervals, 2.5km slow warm up, 3 x 600m (at 5k race pace)with 200m recovery in between, 3 x 600m (at 5k race pace)with 400m recovery in between 2.5km cool-down
- Day 2: 12km, over a hilly course
- Day 3: 8km easy
- Day 4: 15 km moderate pace
Week 9
- Day 1: Intervals, 2.5km slow warm up, 4 x 400m (at 5k race pace)with 400m recovery in between, 2.5km cool-down
- Day 2: 10km, easy
- Day 3: 8km easy
- Day 4: 10/12 km easy pace
Week 10
- Day 1: 8km easy
- Day 2: 6km, easy
- Day 3: rest
- Day 4: Half Marathon Race
You can also download this half marathon training schedule in pdf format.