Contents
Half Marathon Training Plan for Intermediate Runners
A 12-week intermediate half marathon training plan with tempo runs, intervals, and progressive long runs. Designed for runners looking to improve their half marathon time.
Half Marathon Training Plan for Intermediate Runners
A 12-week program to sharpen your fitness and achieve a new half marathon personal record.
Plan Overview
Goal: Improve your half marathon time through balanced training that builds endurance, speed, and race-specific fitness
Who This Plan Is For:
- Runners currently averaging 25-35 miles per week
- Those who have completed at least one half marathon
- Runners comfortable with tempo runs and intervals
- Athletes with 1+ year of consistent running
Prerequisites:
- Running 4-5 days per week consistently
- Recent half marathon or 10K time for pace calculations
- Able to comfortably run 10 miles
- No current injuries
Weekly Structure:
- 5 running days per week
- 35-45 miles per week at peak
- 2 quality workouts per week
- 1 long run (up to 14 miles)
Pace Zone Guidance
Calculate training paces from recent race performance:
| Zone | Description | % of HM Pace | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy | Conversational | +60-90 sec/mi | Recovery, aerobic base |
| Aerobic | Steady effort | +30-45 sec/mi | Endurance building |
| Tempo | Comfortably hard | +10-20 sec/mi | Lactate threshold |
| HM Pace | Race effort | Goal pace | Race-specific fitness |
| Interval | Hard but controlled | -10-20 sec/mi | VO2max development |
Example (1:45 HM goal = 8:00/mile pace):
- Easy: 8:45-9:15/mile
- Aerobic: 8:30-8:45/mile
- Tempo: 7:40-7:50/mile
- HM Pace: 8:00/mile
- Interval: 7:30-7:45/mile
Week-by-Week Schedule
Week 1: Establish Baseline
Weekly Mileage: 32-35 miles
| Day | Workout | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Rest | - |
| Tuesday | Easy run + 6 strides | 5 miles |
| Wednesday | Tempo: 2 mile warmup, 3 miles tempo, 2 mile cooldown | 7 miles |
| Thursday | Easy run | 5 miles |
| Friday | Rest or cross-train | - |
| Saturday | Fartlek: 2 miles easy, 6x(2 min hard/2 min easy), 2 miles easy | 6 miles |
| Sunday | Long run (easy) | 9 miles |
Focus: Assess current fitness. These workouts help calibrate your training paces.
Week 2: Building Rhythm
Weekly Mileage: 34-37 miles
| Day | Workout | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Rest | - |
| Tuesday | Easy run + 6 strides | 5 miles |
| Wednesday | Intervals: 2 mile warmup, 5x1000m at interval pace (400m jog), 2 mile cooldown | 7.5 miles |
| Thursday | Easy run | 5 miles |
| Friday | Rest or cross-train | - |
| Saturday | Tempo: 2 mile warmup, 4 miles tempo, 2 mile cooldown | 8 miles |
| Sunday | Long run (easy) | 10 miles |
Focus: 1000m repeats build VO2max. Keep paces even across all reps.
Week 3: Increasing Load
Weekly Mileage: 36-40 miles
| Day | Workout | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Rest | - |
| Tuesday | Easy run + 8 strides | 6 miles |
| Wednesday | HM-specific: 2 mile warmup, 4x1 mile at HM pace (2 min jog), 2 mile cooldown | 8 miles |
| Thursday | Easy run | 5 miles |
| Friday | Rest or cross-train | - |
| Saturday | Threshold: 2 mile warmup, 2x2.5 miles tempo (3 min jog), 2 mile cooldown | 9 miles |
| Sunday | Long run (easy) | 11 miles |
Focus: Mile repeats at HM pace teach you exactly what race effort feels like.
Week 4: Cutback Week
Weekly Mileage: 28-31 miles
| Day | Workout | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Rest | - |
| Tuesday | Easy run + 6 strides | 5 miles |
| Wednesday | Easy fartlek: 6x(1 min moderate/2 min easy) | 5 miles |
| Thursday | Easy run | 4 miles |
| Friday | Rest | - |
| Saturday | Easy run | 4 miles |
| Sunday | Long run (easy) | 8 miles |
Focus: Recovery week. Let your body absorb the training. You'll feel stronger next week.
Week 5: Building Race Fitness
Weekly Mileage: 38-42 miles
| Day | Workout | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Rest | - |
| Tuesday | Easy run + 8 strides | 6 miles |
| Wednesday | VO2max: 2 mile warmup, 6x1000m at interval pace (90 sec jog), 2 mile cooldown | 8 miles |
| Thursday | Easy run | 5 miles |
| Friday | Rest or cross-train | - |
| Saturday | HM simulation: 2 mile warmup, 5 miles at HM pace, 2 mile cooldown | 9 miles |
| Sunday | Long run (easy) | 11 miles |
Focus: The 5-mile HM pace segment tests your ability to sustain race effort.
Week 6: Peak Quality Week
Weekly Mileage: 40-44 miles
| Day | Workout | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Rest | - |
| Tuesday | Easy run + 8 strides | 6 miles |
| Wednesday | Ladder: 2 mile warmup, 800-1200-1600-1200-800m at interval pace (equal jog), 2 mile cooldown | 8 miles |
| Thursday | Easy run | 6 miles |
| Friday | Rest or cross-train | - |
| Saturday | Progressive tempo: 2 mile warmup, 5 miles (moderate to tempo), 2 mile cooldown | 9 miles |
| Sunday | Long run: 10 miles easy + 2 miles at aerobic pace | 12 miles |
Focus: Your biggest quality week. The ladder and progressive tempo build race-ready fitness.
Week 7: Sustained Efforts
Weekly Mileage: 40-43 miles
| Day | Workout | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Rest | - |
| Tuesday | Easy run + 6 strides | 6 miles |
| Wednesday | HM-specific: 2 mile warmup, 2x2.5 miles at HM pace (3 min jog), 2 mile cooldown | 9 miles |
| Thursday | Easy run | 5 miles |
| Friday | Rest or cross-train | - |
| Saturday | Tempo: 2 mile warmup, 4 miles tempo, 2 mile cooldown | 8 miles |
| Sunday | Long run (easy) | 13 miles |
Focus: 2x2.5 miles at HM pace builds confidence. If you nail this, you're ready for race day.
Week 8: Cutback Week #2
Weekly Mileage: 30-33 miles
| Day | Workout | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Rest | - |
| Tuesday | Easy run + 6 strides | 5 miles |
| Wednesday | Easy fartlek: 8x(1 min moderate/2 min easy) | 5 miles |
| Thursday | Easy run | 4 miles |
| Friday | Rest | - |
| Saturday | Easy run | 4 miles |
| Sunday | Long run (easy) | 9 miles |
Focus: Second recovery week. Absorb training and prepare for final push.
Week 9: Race-Specific Block
Weekly Mileage: 40-44 miles
| Day | Workout | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Rest | - |
| Tuesday | Easy run + 8 strides | 6 miles |
| Wednesday | VO2max/HM combo: 2 mile warmup, 3x1200m at interval (2 min jog), 2x1 mile at HM (2 min jog), 2 mile cooldown | 9 miles |
| Thursday | Easy run | 5 miles |
| Friday | Rest or cross-train | - |
| Saturday | Tempo: 2 mile warmup, 5 miles tempo, 2 mile cooldown | 9 miles |
| Sunday | Long run: 11 miles easy + 3 miles at HM pace | 14 miles |
Focus: Your longest run! The HM pace finish simulates the race.
Week 10: Final Hard Week
Weekly Mileage: 38-42 miles
| Day | Workout | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Rest | - |
| Tuesday | Easy run + 8 strides | 6 miles |
| Wednesday | HM-specific: 2 mile warmup, 6 miles at HM pace, 2 mile cooldown | 10 miles |
| Thursday | Easy run | 5 miles |
| Friday | Rest | - |
| Saturday | Easy run + 6 strides | 5 miles |
| Sunday | Long run (easy) | 12 miles |
Focus: 6 continuous miles at HM pace is your race confidence builder.
Week 11: Taper Begins
Weekly Mileage: 32-35 miles
| Day | Workout | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Rest | - |
| Tuesday | Easy run + 6 strides | 5 miles |
| Wednesday | Sharpener: 2 mile warmup, 4x1 mile at HM pace (2 min jog), 2 mile cooldown | 8 miles |
| Thursday | Easy run | 5 miles |
| Friday | Rest | - |
| Saturday | Easy run | 4 miles |
| Sunday | Long run (easy) | 10 miles |
Focus: Volume drops, intensity stays. Mile repeats maintain sharpness.
Week 12: Race Week
Weekly Mileage: 18-22 miles (plus race)
| Day | Workout | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Rest | - |
| Tuesday | Easy run + 6 strides | 4 miles |
| Wednesday | Tune-up: 2 miles easy, 3x800m at HM pace (2 min jog), 1 mile easy | 5 miles |
| Thursday | Easy run | 3 miles |
| Friday | Rest or 15 min easy jog | - |
| Saturday | Shakeout + 4 strides | 2 miles |
| Sunday | HALF MARATHON RACE DAY! | 13.1 miles |
Race Execution:
- Miles 1-3: Start conservatively, 5-10 sec/mile slower than goal
- Miles 4-8: Settle into goal pace, stay relaxed
- Miles 9-11: Maintain, dig deep when it gets hard
- Miles 12-13.1: Give everything, strong finish
Key Workouts Explained
1000m/1200m Repeats
These intervals build VO2max and running economy. They're faster than race pace, giving you a "speed reserve" that makes HM pace feel more sustainable.
Mile Repeats at HM Pace
The core race-specific workout. Running miles at goal pace teaches your body exactly what race day should feel like.
Progressive Tempo
Starting moderate and finishing at tempo pace mimics the race dynamic - you'll often run negative splits in a half marathon.
5-6 Miles at HM Pace
Continuous race pace running is the ultimate confidence builder. If you can do this in training, you can do it on race day.
Long Run with Fast Finish
Adding HM pace miles to the end of long runs creates race-specific fatigue resistance.
Nutrition & Fueling Notes
Training Nutrition:
- Carbohydrates: 50-55% of daily calories
- Protein: 20-25% (1.4-1.7g/kg body weight)
- Fats: 25-30%
- Focus on whole foods and adequate calories
Pre-Workout:
- Easy runs: Light snack or fasted
- Quality sessions: 200-300 cal 2-3 hours before
- Long runs: Familiar meal 2-3 hours before
During Long Runs:
- 10+ miles: Begin fueling around mile 6-7
- Target 30-60g carbs per hour for runs over 90 min
- Practice race-day fueling strategy
Race Day Fueling:
- Pre-race: 300-400 cal breakfast 2.5-3 hours before
- During race: Gel at miles 5-6, second gel around mile 10
- Practice this in training!
Race Day Strategy
Pre-Race:
- Arrive 75-90 minutes early
- 15-20 min easy warmup jog
- Dynamic stretches and drills
- 4-6 strides
- Line up appropriately
Pacing:
| Segment | Strategy |
|---|---|
| Miles 1-2 | Controlled start, 5-10 sec slow |
| Miles 3-6 | Lock into goal pace |
| Miles 7-10 | Maintain, stay mentally present |
| Miles 11-12 | Dig deep, hold form |
| Mile 13+ | Empty the tank |
Target Splits:
| Mile | Target | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||
| 2 | ||
| 3 | ||
| 4 | ||
| 5 | ||
| 6 | ||
| 7 | ||
| 8 | ||
| 9 | ||
| 10 | ||
| 11 | ||
| 12 | ||
| 13 | ||
| Finish |
Progress Tracking
| Week | Mileage | Key Workout 1 | Key Workout 2 | Long Run | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3mi tempo: | Fartlek: | 9 | ||
| 2 | 5x1000m: | 4mi tempo: | 10 | ||
| 3 | 4x1mi HM: | 2x2.5mi: | 11 | ||
| 4 | (recovery) | 8 | |||
| 5 | 6x1000m: | 5mi HM: | 11 | ||
| 6 | Ladder: | Prog tempo: | 12 | ||
| 7 | 2x2.5mi HM: | 4mi tempo: | 13 | ||
| 8 | (recovery) | 9 | |||
| 9 | Combo: | 5mi tempo: | 14 | ||
| 10 | 6mi HM: | 12 | |||
| 11 | 4x1mi: | 10 | |||
| 12 | Tune-up: | RACE | 13.1 |
Current HM PR: **___**
Goal Time: **___**
Race Result: **___**
Post-Race Analysis: **_**
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