Training to run your first, fifth, or 55th half marathon is always exciting.
It’s a great distance because it’s long enough to feel incredibly rewarding upon completion and short enough to be manageable for most runners juggling a busy life with a full-time job and other responsibilities.
However, running a half marathon requires commitment, training, and race day strategy to enjoy a successful race.
Our expert coaches have compiled a list of their best tips on how to train for a half marathon to help get you to that finish line happy, healthy, and wanting more!
How To Train For A Half Marathon: 9 Tips For Half Marathon Preparation
#1: Choose an Appropriate Half Marathon Training Plan
Among the many hundreds or even thousands of online half marathon training schedules you will find, there will be a bit of a range in the number of days per week that the training plan has you running and variety in the training sessions you will perform.
The more aggressive the training plan, the more frequently you run per week and the higher your training volume or weekly mileage will be.
For example, there are half-marathon training plans for beginners that only require running three days per week, while advanced or intermediate half-marathon training plans often require six running workouts per week.
In addition, some training programs for beginners will focus all their weeks of training leading up to the half marathon race on easy runs, while others, more advanced, will include speed work, tempo runs, fartleks, and race pace runs.
When finding the best half-marathon training plan for you, consider your experience level, injury history, and logistics regarding your life schedule.
Some runners can realistically only run four days per week due to work or family commitments, while others have no problem with six run days.
If you have a history of getting injured when you run too much, or you have some type of chronic injury that flares up with high mileage, you should look for a half-marathon training program that is not only more gradual and conservative with plenty of recovery days but also relies on cross-training days to substitute for some of the base-building aerobic training runs.
If you have only been averaging 15 miles per week, you wouldn’t want to jump into a half-marathon training plan that has you starting at 25-30 miles per week or training for a half-marathon in six weeks.
Be honest and realistic with your current fitness level, the time you have available to train, the health of your body, and what types of workouts and training volume you can handle.
How Long Does It Take To Train For A Half Marathon?
One of the most common questions among new half marathon runners is, “How long does it take to train for a half marathon?”
Most runners with a decent fitness level can train for a half marathon in 12 weeks or three months.
Beginners can expect to spend at least 16 to 20 weeks training for a half marathon (though it’s best to have six months of running under your belt) if you are just getting started on your running journey.
Advanced runners may be able to train for a half marathon with a 6-8-week plan, depending on their fitness level and goals.
#2: Vary Your Runs
Although when you are just trying to finish your first half marathon, the majority of your workouts will involve building your endurance rather than working specifically on your speed, steady-state running is, perhaps surprisingly, only part of the training that you should be doing.
It is also important that interval workouts, hill runs, tempo workouts, and runs with bouts of half-marathon pace are part of your training plan.
This variety is necessary to develop all aspects of your fitness and get your body comfortable running harder and faster so that half marathon pace is physically and mentally sustainable.
#3: Cross Train
Another important type of workout on good half marathon training plans is cross-training.
Running is a high-impact activity, so if you do too much running too quickly and progress your distance too aggressively, you run the risk of injuries.1de Jonge, J., Balk, Y., & Taris, T. (2020). Mental Recovery and Running-Related Injuries in Recreational Runners: The Moderating Role of Passion for Running. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(3), 1044. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17031044
Cross-training refers to any type of exercise other than running, but it is best to focus on low-impact cross-training cardio such as indoor or outdoor cycling, swimming or deep water running, or using the elliptical machine.
The primary purpose of cross-training workouts is to improve aerobic fitness while reducing the impact of stresses on bones, joints, muscles, and connective tissues associated with running.
#4: Take Rest Days
Although you may want to run every day, it is very important to take the prescribed rest days and keep the runs capped at the time or distance suggested by the schedule to prevent overdoing it.
#5: Don’t Neglect Mobility Work
Although recovery modalities such as stretching and mobility work are not specifically listed on most half-marathon training plans, they should absolutely be part of your workout routine.
Dynamic stretches before you run, such as walking lunges and hip swings, will help warm up your muscles and prime them for the next workout.
Foam roll the major muscles in your lower body, such as the hamstrings, quads, calves, and glutes. Using the foam roller on the outside of your leg can also be helpful along your IT band.
#6: Nutrition Is Key
The other important component of half marathon training is nutrition.
In terms of your nutrition, you are now a runner, so you need to treat your body as if you are an athlete in training; after all, you are.
Focus on nutrient-dense, whole, natural, unprocessed foods like vegetables, lean proteins, fruits, whole grains, seeds, nuts, eggs, legumes, and low-fat dairy.
Be sure you eat enough carbohydrates. Carbs are essential for topping off glycogen stores and providing you with the energy you need for each workout.
You will also need to practice your in-race nutrition strategy by using gels or whatever other type of product you would like to use for energy.
Also, ensure your hydration is on point and that you consume enough fluid and electrolytes throughout the day.
#7: Strength Train
One of my best training tips as a certified running coach is to add core exercises and strength training workouts two times per week to your training plan.
Studies2Vikmoen, O., Rønnestad, B. R., Ellefsen, S., & Raastad, T. (2017). Heavy strength training improves running and cycling performance following prolonged submaximal work in well-trained female athletes. Physiological Reports, 5(5), e13149. https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.13149 have also shown that strength training workouts for runners can improve aerobic capacity (VO2 max) and submaximal endurance performance due to the neuromuscular adaptations that result.
Even if you don’t have a gym membership or any strength training equipment, you can do bodyweight exercises such as squats, lunges, push-ups, planks, bridges, tricep dips, and other exercises for your abs, hips, and lower-back muscles.
#8: Set a Reasonable Goal
An important aspect of preparing for a half marathon is setting a reasonable goal. If you plan to run the half marathon for the first time, just set the goal of finishing. That, in and of itself, is an incredible accomplishment.
If you have run a half marathon before and want to improve your time, try to set reasonable goals so that you do not set yourself up for failure.
Experienced runners who have been running for several years but who have only run one or two half marathons, or beginners who have only run one half marathon, can expect to make much more significant improvements between two subsequent races, provided their training cycle goes well, and they run a smart race.
You can make much bigger improvements in fitness when you are just starting out, and because the half marathon is such a long race, there is a fair amount of strategy and pacing involved in having a successful run. Some of this boils down to experience.
Therefore, even if you feel like your first half marathon went pretty well, you will likely find your second half marathon will go even better, even in cases where your training didn’t change much and your fitness hasn’t improved significantly.
On the other hand, if you have been training and racing half marathons for several years and have chipped away at your PR, expecting to improve by seven minutes or 30 seconds per mile in one race may be unrealistic.
For example, if your first half marathon time was 2:01, then you ran 1:53, 1:51, 1:50, 1:49, and 1:48, and then the 1:45. Hoping to jump to 1:38 on your next half marathon might be a bit too ambitious.
#9: Have Fun
Just because you are getting serious about training for a half marathon, remember to have fun and enjoy the experience. Running should enrich your life, not become a burden.
Find ways to keep the joy in running, whether running with friends, trying new routes, listening to good music, or training for a half marathon for a cause near and dear to your heart.
When you are ready to jump to a full marathon, check out our training plan database:
