Sub 2hr:00 Half Marathon Schedule

RW's 12-week sub-2:00 Half-Marathon schedules
By Steve Smythe

Target times: from 1:45 to 1:59 (race pace: sub-9:09 per mile). You should be capable of either a sub-50 10K, a sub-90 10-miler or a sub-4:30 marathon. Training will be five days a week, with an average weekly mileage of 30 miles.

Week One

This Week’s Target
Your first week’s target is to run just inside goal half-marathon pace for 10K. This may be difficult if you are below normal fitness when beginning the schedules, or easy if you are starting the schedules in good shape. Either way, progress steadily, and be realistic. If in doubt, it’s maybe best to start an easier schedule and move up as the weeks progress.

Day	Session	Distance	Pace	Time	Intensity
Mon	Rest
Tue	Speedwork	4M (inc 4 x 600m, 200m jog)	10K	40 mins	8/10
Wed	Steady	4M	9:45	39 mins	6/10
Thu	Fartlek	4M (inc 2M fartlek)	8:00-10:00	40 mins (20 mins fartlek)	7/10
Fri	Rest
Sat	Easy	3M	11:00	33 mins	4/10
Sun	Race	10K (plus 1M warm-up/1M cool-down)	9:00	target: 55:00 (plus 22-min jog)	9/10
Total		23M		3hrs 50

Week Two

Day	Session	Distance	Pace	Time	Intensity
Mon	Rest
Tue	Speedwork	5M (inc 8 x 300m, 200m jog)	5K	50 mins	8/10
Wed	Steady	5M	9:45	48 mins	5/10
Thu	Threshold	5M (inc 2.5M THR)	1/2M	50 mins (20 mins THR)	9/10
Fri	Rest
Sat	Hills	5M (inc 6 x 150m hill)	Mile	50 mins	6/10
Sun	Long run	8M	10:00	80 mins	7/10
Total		28M		4hrs 40

Week Three

Day	Session	Distance	Pace	Time	Intensity
Mon	Rest
Tue	Speedwork	3 x 1M, 400m jog (6M total)	10K	60 mins	9/10
Wed	Steady	5M	9:45	48 mins	6/10
Thu	Threshold	5M (inc 3M THR)	1/2M	48 mins (27 mins THR)	8/10
Fri	Rest
Sat	Fartlek	5M (inc 2.5M fartlek)	7:30-10:00	55 mins (25 mins fartlek)	5/10
Sun	Long run	9M	10:00	90 mins	7/10
Total		30M		5hrs

Week Four

This Week’s Target
At the end this week, there is the target of a 10K race. This should be run quicker than the 10K in Week One and certainly inside your goal half-marathon pace. Alternatively, you could run a 10K time trial.

Day	Session	Distance	Pace	Time	Intensity
Mon	Rest
Tue	Speedwork	4 x 800m, 400m jog (6M total)	10K	60 mins	8/10
Wed	Steady	6M	9:45	58 mins	6/10
Thu	Fartlek	5M (inc 3M fartlek)	7:30-10:00	55 mins (32 mins fartlek)	7/10
Fri	Rest
Sat	Easy	3M	11:00	33 mins	3/10
Sun	Race	10K (plus 1M warm-up/1M cool-down)	8:30	target: 53:00 (plus 22-min jog)	10/10
Total		28M		4hrs 40

Week Five

Day	Session	Distance	Pace	Time	Intensity
Mon	Rest
Tue	Speedwork	5 x 600m, 200m jog (5M total)	5K	55 mins	9/10
Wed	Steady	7M	9:45	68 mins	6/10
Thu	Threshold	5M (inc 3M THR)	1/2M	50 mins (27 mins THR)	8/10
Fri	Rest
Sat	Hills	5M (inc 8 x 150m hill)	Mile	55 mins	6/10
Sun	Long run	10M	10:00	1hr 40	7/10
Total		32M		5hrs 30

Week Six

This Week’s Target
This week’s target is to run 10 miles at, or near, your target half-marathon pace. This can be at a race, though choice may be limited, or in a time trial.

Day	Session	Distance	Pace	Time	Intensity
Mon	Rest
Tue	Speedwork	6 x 400m, 200m jog (5M total)	5K	55 mins	8/10
Wed	Steady	5M	9:45	48 mins	6/10
Thu	Fartlek	5M (inc 3M fartlek)	7:30-10:00	55 mins (32 mins fartlek)	7/10
Fri	Rest
Sat	Easy	3M	11:00	33 mins	3/10
Sun	Time trial	10M (plus 1M warm-up/1M cool-down)	1/2M	target: 1:30 (plus 20-min jog)	9/10
Total		30M		5hrs 10

Week Seven

Day	Session	Distance	Pace	Time	Intensity
Mon	Rest
Tue	Speedwork	10 x 200m, 100m jog (5M total)	5K	55 mins	7/10
Wed	Steady	7M	9:45	68 mins	6/10
Thu	Threshold	5M (inc 3M THR)	1/2M	50 mins (27 mins THR)	8/10
Fri	Rest
Sat	Fartlek	5M (inc 3M fartlek)	7:30-10:00	55 mins (32mins fartlek)	5/10
Sun	Long run	13M	10:00	2hrs 10	9/10
Total		35M		6hrs

Week Eight

This Week’s Target
It may seem strange that we suggest running a 13.1-mile time-trial or race in the build up to... running a 13.1-mile race. But there’s a logic, and for this week’s target we do suggest you try to hold something in reserve: use it to see how your fitness is progressing and how close you can run to your target time. Don’t worry if you can’t manage your goal pace in Week Eight, you will gain fitness over the final month and the run itself will increase your chances at the end of Week 12.

Day	Session	Distance	Pace	Time	Intensity
Mon	Rest
Tue	Speedwork	4 x 1K, 200m jog (5M total)	5K	55 mins	8/10
Wed	Steady	5M	9:45	48 mins	6/10
Thu	Hills	5M (inc 8 x 150m)	Mile	55 mins	7/10
Fri	Rest
Sat	Easy	3M	11:00	33 mins	3/10
Sun	Race/t-trial	13M (plus 1M warm-up/1M cool-down)	9:20	2hrs 2 (plus 22-min jog)	9/10
Total		33M		5hrs 45

Week Nine

Day	Session	Distance	Pace	Time	Intensity
Mon	Rest
Tue	Speedwork	5 x 800m, 100m jog (5M total)	5K	55 mins	8/10
Wed	Steady	4M	9:45	38 mins	5/10
Thu	Threshold	5M (inc 3M THR)	1/2M	50 mins (27 mins THR)	7/10
Fri	Rest
Sat	Fartlek	5M (inc 3M fartlek)	7:30-10:00	55 mins (32 mins fartlek)	6/10
Sun	Long run	13M	10:00	2hrs 10	9/10
Total		32M		5hrs 30

Week 10

Day	Session	Distance	Pace	Time	Intensity
Mon	Rest
Tue	Speedwork	8 x 400m, 100m jog (5M total)	5K	55 mins	8/10
Wed	Steady	6M	9:45	58 mins	5/10
Thu	Threshold	5M (inc 3M THR)	1/2M	50 mins (27 mins THR)	7/10
Fri	Rest
Sat	Hills	5M (inc 10 x 150m hill)	Mile	55 mins	6/10
Sun	Long run	14M	10:00	2hrs 20	9/10
Total		35M		6hrs

Week 11

This Week’s Target
For this week’s 10K target race we are suggesting a flat-out effort: As long as you take it easy after the 10K, the effort will enhance your half-marathon prospects the following week.

Day	Session	Distance	Pace	Time	Intensity
Mon	Rest
Tue	Speedwork	3 x 1M, 200m jog (6M total)	5K	65 mins	8/10
Wed	Steady	4M	9:45	38 mins	6/10
Thu	Fartlek	4M (inc 2M fartlek)	7:30-10:00	43 mins (20 mins fartlek)	7/10
Fri	Rest
Sat	Easy	3M	11:00	33 mins	3/10
Sun	Race	10K (plus 1M warm-up/1M cool-down)	8:00	target: 50:00 (plus 22-min jog)	10/10
Total		25M		4hrs 10

Week 12

Day	Session	Distance	Pace	Time	Intensity
Mon	Rest
Tue	Speedwork	8 x 200m, 100m jog (4M total)	5K	45 mins	8/10
Wed	Steady	3M	9:45	28 mins	5/10
Thu	Easy	3M (inc 5 x 150m strides)	11:00	35 mins	6/10
Fri	Rest
Sat	Easy	3M	11:00	33 mins	3/10
Sun	1/2M Race	(plus 1M warm-up/1M cool-down)(plus 1M	9:00	target: 1:58:00 (plus 25-min jog)	10/10
Total		28M		4hrs 45

Site Last modified: June 20, 2010