The Advanced half marathon training plan is for experienced club runners with a history of consistently running a minimum of 45-50miles/week. To complete this half marathon plan you require a good level of experience of interval, hill training as well as threshold/tempo training. You should be used to running 2-3 quality training sessions, have completed adequate aerobic base training including regular long runs.
Below the Advanced half marathon plan is information about target paces, recovery periods and target heart rates for each session.
The Advanced half marathon plan can be run as either an 8-week plan, or, 12-week plan if you complete the initial 4-week conditioning phase. However, the conditioning phase is recommended to get the most from the training plan.
Advanced Half Marathon Training Plan: Phase 1 (Conditioning Phase)
| Day | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 |
| Mon | REST DAY | REST DAY | REST DAY | REST DAY |
| Tues | *3 x (3km at LT, 2-3min jog rec) | *5 x (1600m at 10k pace, 400m easy jog rec) + 4 x (150m at Mile / 3k pace, 250m easy) | *1 x 4km at LT + 3-4min easy + 2 x (3km at LT, 2-3min jog rec) | 40-45mins easy |
| Wed | 35-40 mins easy | 40-45 mins easy | 40-50 mins easy | *6-7 x (800m at 5k Pace, 200m easy jog rec) + 4 x (150m at Mile / 3k pace, 250m easy) |
| Thur | 50-60mins easy / steady | 55-65mins easy / steady | 60-70 mins easy/steady | REST DAY |
| Fri | **Hills – 5 x 1:45-2:00, or, 10 x 45-60secs | REST DAY | **Hills 6 x 1:45-2:00, or, 12 x 45-60secs | 40-50mins easy |
| Sat | REST DAY | *2 x (8min LT, 2-3mins easy) + 5mins easy + 15min HM pace | REST DAY | 65mins inc 20mins at HM pace + 5mins easy + 15mins at HM pace |
| Sun | Long run: 85-95 mins easy pace | Long run: 90-100 mins easy pace | Long run: 100-110 mins inc 15mins at HM pace | Long run: 80-90 mins easy pace |
HM pace = Half Marathon Pace. LT = Threshold pace.
*Track intervals, hills and threshold intervals include 10-15min warm up and a minimum of 5-10min cool down. See notes at bottom of page
**Hills: 1) 45-60s hills = 1500m/3k intensity, with jog down recovery. 2) 1:45-2:00 hills = 3k/5k intensity, with jog down recovery.
Advanced Half Marathon Training Plan: Phase 2 (Main Training Phase Part A)
| Day | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 |
| Mon | REST DAY | REST DAY | REST DAY | REST DAY |
| Tues | 3km LT + 5mins easy + 6 x (600m 10k pace, 200m rec) + 5mins easy + 3km HM pace | 40-50mins easy / steady | 3km LT + 5mins easy + 5 x (800m 10k pace, 200m rec) + 5mins easy + 3km HM pace | 40-50mins easy |
| Wed | 40-50 mins easy | 6 x (1000m at 5k pace, 200-300m rec) + 4 x (150m at Mile / 3k pace, 250m easy) | 40-50 mins easy | 6 x (800m at 3k pace, 400m rec) + 4 x (150m at Mile / 3k pace, 250m easy) |
| Thur | 60-70mins easy / steady | REST DAY | 65-75mins easy / steady | REST DAY |
| Fri | Hills 6-7 x 1:45-2:00, or, 14 x 45-60secs | 60-70mins easy / steady | *20min tempo hills + 5mins easy + 10-15mins HM pace | 40-50mins easy |
| Sat | 25-30mins easy / recovery, or, REST | 2 x (10mins LT, 2-3mins easy) + 5mins easy + 15mins HM pace | 25-30mins easy / recovery, or, REST | 70mins inc 2 x (20mins at HM pace, 5mins easy recovery) |
| Sun | Long run: 100-110 mins inc 15-20mins at HM pace | Long run: 90-100 mins easy | Long run: 110-120 mins inc 20-25mins at HM pace | Long run: 80-90 mins easy |
*20min Tempo Hills +5mins easy +10-15min HMP (Half Marathon Pace). For Tempo hills run continuous hills of 30-60 second duration – uphills should be ~3k intensity, downhills are run at a steady intensity so the average pace/intensity of the combined uphill and downhill is equivalent to a tempo effort.
Advanced Half Marathon Training Plan: Phase 3 (Main Training Phase Part B)
| Day | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 |
| Mon | REST DAY | REST DAY | REST DAY | REST DAY |
| Tues | 3K LT + 5mins easy + 4 x (1000m at 10k pace, 200m jog rec) + 5mins easy + 3k HM pace | 40-45mins easy / steady | 5 x (1000m at 10k pace, 200m jog rec) + 5mins easy + 3k HM pace | 5-6 x 600m at 5k pace, 400m jog rec |
| Wed | 40-50 mins easy | 5 x (1200m at 5k pace, 400m easy jog rec) + 4 x (150m at Mile / 3k pace, 250m easy) | 40-45 mins easy | 30-40 mins easy |
| Thur | 70-80 mins easy / steady | REST DAY | 50-60mins easy / steady | 5 x 800m at HM pace, 200m jog rec |
| Fri | 20min tempo hills + 5mins easy + 10-15mins HM pace | 60-70 mins easy / steady | Hills – 5 x 1:45-2:00, or, 10 x 45-60secs | REST DAY |
| Sat | 25-30mins easy / recovery, or, REST | 2 x (10mins LT, 2-3mins easy rec) + 5mins easy + 20mins HM pace | 25-30mins easy / recovery, or, REST | 20 mins easy including 3-4 x 15sec strides |
| Sun | Long run: 110-120 mins inc 25mins at HM pace | Long run: 90-100 mins easy | Long run: 80-85 mins easy with last 15-20mins at HM pace | Race: Half Marathon |
Advanced Half Marathon plan pacing, recovery and warm up/cool down information:
- 1) 10k pace intervals: The following pages provide information on: >> 10k pace running intervals and pace targets for >> 10k pace intervals and recoveries.
- 2) 5k pace intervals: Run at around current 5k pace, recoveries should be easy enough to allow you to maintain the interval pace.
- 3) 3k – mile intervals: use current 3k-mile race pace, or, alternatively use an online race pace calculator to estimate these. To maintain the quality of intervals, keep recoveries very easy.
- 4) LT/Threshold Pace: aim for a pace that you could sustain for approximately 50-60minutes in a race. For most runners this is slightly slower than 10k pace, normally close 15-16k race pace.
- 5) Tempo Pace: between 60min race pace and half marathon pace – ideally nearer to half marathon pace.
- 6) HMP = Half Marathon Pace.
- 7) Hills: 1) 45-60 sec hill repeats at around 1500m/3k intensity with jog down recovery between efforts. 2) 1:45-2:00 long hill repeats run at 3k/5k intensity with jog down recovery. Ideally the hills should be run on a gradient of approximately 4-6%. Include 4 x 10 accelerations before running the hills – run the accelerations up the hill you will be using for the hill reps. Include a good 15mins war up before hills and 5-10mins cool down.
- 8) Tempo Hills: continuous hills of approximately 30-60sec duration. Uphills should be ~3k intensity, downhills are run at a steady intensity so the average pace/intensity of the combined uphill and downhill is equivalent to a tempo effort. Read more about: tempo hill intervals.
- 9) Strides: gradually build the pace during the strides so that you are running at about 80-85% effort over the final 5seconds.
- 10) Warm-up/cool-down for intervals and faster sessions: 15mins warm-up and 10-15mins cool down for all interval, and hill sessions. Include mobility and dynamic warm up exercises, drills and accelerations as part of the warm up.
- 11) Steady pace: Approximately 75-80% HRmax
- 12) Easy/Steady: Approximately 70-80% HRmax – if tired keep nearer to easy pace, if feeling well recovered then keep intensity nearer to steady.
- 13) Easy: Approximately 70-75% HRmax
- 14) Easy/Recovery: 65-75% HRmax