Although many runners step up from the 5k to the 10k, the next distance in the continuum of the most common race distances, plenty of ambitious runners want to make the even bigger leap all the way up to the half marathon.
While going from the 5k to the half marathon is a big jump, it is absolutely doable to skip over the 10k entirely and follow a 5k to half marathon training plan to prepare you for the much longer race.
In this guide, we’ve put together a 5k to half marathon training plan and guide, with week-by-week workouts to progress you from the 5k to the half marathon.
We will cover:
- How Far Is a Half Marathon?
- Can You Run a Half Marathon After a 5k?
- How Long Does It Take to Train for a Half Marathon?
- We’ll then share our 5k To Half Marathon Training Plan
Let’s dive in!
Not sure this is the plan for you? – Check out our other half-marathon training plans.
How Far Is a Half Marathon?
If you are going from the 5k to half marathon distance, it’s certainly helpful to have an appreciation of the difference in distance between a 5K and a half marathon.
For runners in the United States who might be more familiar with miles rather than kilometers, a 5k is just over 3.1 miles.
A half marathon is exactly half of a full marathon, which is 26.2 miles or 42.195 km, meaning that a half marathon is 13.1 miles (rounded down from 13.1094) or 21.0975 kilometers.
This means that when you progress from the 5k to the half marathon, you will be running more than four times the distance that you are accustomed to already.
Can You Run a Half Marathon After a 5k?
Runners who have only ever run a 5k before but have the goal of running a half marathon often wonder if it’s possible to go right to the half marathon from the 5k.
Although many runners take the intermediate step of running a 10k before a half marathon, plenty of runners decide to train for a half marathon after a 5k, skipping the 10k altogether.
Therefore, if you want to bump up from the 5k to half marathon, it’s absolutely doable; you’ll just need to progress your endurance through a longer 5k to half marathon training plan.
One of the biggest differences between 5k and half marathon training and racing is that you will need to fuel during your longer workouts and during the race, whereas you can get by with just drinking water for a 5k in most situations.
For races that are going to last longer than 75-90 minutes, the general recommendation is to take in 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour after the first hour of running.
Use your long runs to experiment with different types of foods and sports drinks so that you can find a fueling strategy that works well for you, leaving you feeling energized and strong without experiencing gastrointestinal distress.
How Long Does It Take to Train for a Half Marathon?
A 5k to half marathon training plan might be anywhere from 8 to 20 weeks long, depending on how aggressive the training plan is, your current level of fitness, and your half marathon race goals.
We have created a 12-week 5k to half marathon training plan, with a bonus first week in case you just raced a 5k and need a light week to transition into the plan.
If you haven’t recently raced a 5k, you can jump in at week 1 or week 2, depending on your comfort level with the long run distance (4 miles or 5 miles for weeks 0 and 1, respectively).
In addition to following this 12-week 5k to half marathon training plan (with a bonus week 0), you should perform 2-3 total-body strength training workouts per week.
5k To Half Marathon Training Plan Download:
Create a free account to access your Half Marathon Training Plan
Join thousands of runners and get instant access to this plan, plus training tips delivered to your inbox â completely free.
- Open the Google Sheets version of this plan
( File > Make A Copy) to create your own version
- Get the TrainingPeaks version of this plan, which you can sync with your device.
What is the distance run? It is at an easy run pace, race pace, etc?
Aim for slightly below race pace, an RPE of around 4 out of 10!
Thomas from Marathon Handbook