Running

Half marathon training plan - Your 12-week plan

Our easy to follow half-marathon training plan will have you race ready in just 12 weeks

Posted: 3 August 2010

WEEK ONE

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Run 30 minutes (effort level 5)

Wednesday: Run 30 minutes (effort level 5)

Thursday: Rest

Friday: Run 30 minutes (effort level 5)

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: Run 35 minutes (effort level 6) - about 5K/3 miles

WEEK TWO

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Run 30 minutes (effort level 5)

Wednesday: Run 30 minutes (effort level 6 to 7) or test yourself with a 30-minute tempo session (see below)

Thursday: Rest

Friday: Run 30 minutes (effort level 5)

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: Run 45 minutes (effort level 6)

WEEK THREE

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Run 30 minutes (effort level 5)

Wednesday: Run 40 minutes (effort level 6 to 7) or try a 40-minute tempo session (see below)

Thursday: Rest

Friday: Run 30 minutes (effort level 5)

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: Run 55 minutes (effort level 6) - about 8K/5 miles

WEEK FOUR

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Run 40 minutes (effort level 5)

Wednesday: Run 50 minutes (effort level 6 to 7) or do a 50-minute tempo session (see below)

Thursday: Rest

Friday: Run 30 minutes (effort level 5) or if you're feeling lively try 28 minutes of intervals (see below)

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: Run 65 minutes (effort level 6)

WEEK FIVE

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Run 40 minutes (effort level 5)

Wednesday: Run 30 minutes (effort level 6 to 7) or do a 30-minute tempo session (see below)

Thursday: Rest

Friday: Run 40 minutes (effort level 5) or try 28 minutes of intervals (see below)

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: Run 80 minutes (effort level 6)

WEEK SIX

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Run 40 minutes (effort level 5)

Wednesday: Run 50 minutes (effort level 6 to 7) or do a 50-minute tempo session (see below)

Thursday: Rest

Friday: Run 30 minutes (effort level 5) or do 34 minutes of intervals (see below)

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: Run 90 minutes (effort level 6) - about 13km/8 miles

with 5 minutes of gentle running.

WEEK SEVEN

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Run 40 minutes (effort level 5)

Wednesday: Run 40 minutes (effort level 6 to 7) or do a 40-minute tempo session (see below)

Thursday: Rest

Friday: Run 40 minutes (effort level 5) or do 34 minutes of intervals (see below)

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: Run 65 minutes (effort level 6)

WEEK EIGHT

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Run 40 minutes (effort level 5)

Wednesday: Run 40 minutes (effort level 6 to 7) or do a 40-minute tempo session (see below)

Thursday: Rest

Friday: Run 40 minutes (effort level 5) or do 25 minutes of intervals (see below)

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: Run 110 minutes (effort level 6) - about 16km/10 miles

WEEK NINE

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Run 40 minutes (effort level 5)

Wednesday: Run 50 minutes (effort level 6 to 7) or do a 50-minute tempo session

Thursday: Rest

Friday: Run 50 minutes (effort level 5) or do 25 minutes of intervals (see below)

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: Run 55 minutes (effort level 6)

WEEK TEN

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Run 40 minutes (effort level 5)

Wednesday: Run 40 minutes (effort level 6 to 7) or do a 40-minute tempo session (see below)

Thursday: Rest

Friday: Run 40 minutes (effort level 5) or do 25 minutes of intervals (see below)

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: Run 120 minutes (effort level 6) - about 16km to 19km/10 to 12 miles

WEEK ELEVEN

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Run 40 minutes (effort level 5)

Wednesday: Run 40 minutes (effort level 6 to 7) or do a 40-minute tempo session (see below)

Thursday: Rest

Friday: Run 40 minutes (effort level 5) or do any of the interval sessions (see below)

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: Run 65 minutes (effort level 6)

WEEK TWELVE

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Run 30 minutes (effort level 5)

Wednesday: Run 40 minutes (effort level 6 to 7) or do a 40-minute tempo session (see below) optional

Thursday: Rest

Friday: Run 30 minutes (effort level 5)

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: HALF MARATHON! (effort level 5 to 6)

TEMPO SESSIONS

The 30-minute session

Warm up with 5 minutes of gentle running, then repeat the following twice: run at effort level 8 for 5 minutes, then run at effort level 5 for 5 minutes. Cool down with 5 minutes of easy running.

The 40-minute session

Warm up with 5 minutes of gentle running, then repeat the following three times: run at effort level 8 for 5 minutes, then run at effort level 5 for 5 minutes. Cool down with 5 minutes of easy running.

The 50-minute session

Warm up with 5 minutes of gentle running, then repeat the following twice: run at effort level 8 for 10 minutes, then run at effort level 5 for 10 minutes. Cool down with 5 minutes of easy running.

INTERVAL SESSIONS

The 28-minute session

Warm up with 5 minutes of gentle running, then repeat the following six times: run 1 minute fast (effort level 8 to 9), then run 2 minutes moderate (effort level 6). Cool down with 5 minutes of gentle running.

The 34-minute session

As you improve, repeat the above, but add on two more repetitions, so you repeat the fast/moderate cycle eight times.

The 25-minute session

Feeling even fitter? This session might be shorter, but it's harder because there's less recovery time. Warm up with 10 minutes of gentle running, then repeat the following five times: run 1 minute fast (effort level 8 to 9), then run 1 minute moderate (effort level 6). Finally, cool down

How fast should I run?

Effort levels are given in brackets after your running times, to help you gauge how hard to run. The scale runs from 1 to 10, with 1 being the easiest - at level 6 you'd be slightly of breath, at 7 you'd be out of breath but able to hold a conversation a few words at a time, but by level 9 you'd need all your breath just to run.