Below is a 8 week half marathon training plan for runners who have experience of interval and hill training, and have completed adequate aerobic base training – ideally a history of training a minimum of 20-25miles/week.
Below the training plans is information about recovery periods and target heart rates for each session.
| Day | Week 1 | week 2 | Week 3 | week 4 |
| Monday | Rest Day | Rest Day | Rest Day | Rest Day |
| Tuesday | 3 x 2000m (10k pace) | 6 x 800m (5k pace) | 4 x 1600m (10k pace) | 6 x 600m (3K pace) |
| Wednesday | 4M Steady | 5M Steady | 4M Steady | Rest Day |
| Thursday | 5 x Long Hills | 20mins @ 1/2Marathon Pace |
5 x Long Hills | 6M Steady |
| Friday | Rest Day | Rest Day | Rest Day | Rest Day |
| Saturday | 20 min Tempo | 2 x 10 min Tempo | 20 min Tempo | 2 x10 min Tempo |
| Sunday | 12M Easy Pace | 12M Easy Pace | 12M Easy Pace | 8M Easy Pace |
| Day | Week 5 | week 6 | Week 7 | week 8 |
| Monday | Rest Day | Rest Day | Rest Day | Rest Day |
| Tuesday | 4 x 1600m (10k pace) | 6 x 800m (5k pace) | 5 x 1200m (10k pace) | 5 x 600m (5K pace) |
| Wednesday | 4M Steady | 5M Steady | 4M Steady | 3M Easy Pace |
| Thursday | 10 x Tempo Hills | 20Mins @ 1/2 Marathon Pace |
10 x Tempo Hills | 4 x 800m (1/2 Marathon pace) |
| Friday | Rest Day | Rest Day | Rest Day | 3M Easy pace |
| Saturday | 20 min Tempo | 2 x 10 min Tempo | 20 min Tempo | Rest Day |
| Sunday | 12M Easy Pace | 12M Easy Pace | 12M Easy Pace | 1/2 Marathon Race |
- 1) Rest Intervals: 1/2 Marathon/10k pace = 200-400m jog rec, 5k pace = 200-400m jog rec, 3k/mile pace = 400m jog rec
- 2) Short Hills: 50-60sec up moderate gradient (3k-5k Intensity), jog down rec
- 3) Long Hills: 1:45-2:00min up moderate gradient (5k-10k Intensity), jog down rec
- 4) Tempo Hills: See tempo Hill section on Hill running training page.
- 5) Tempo: 10mile race pace – approximately 85-90%HRmax, Recoveries = 2-3 mins
- 6) Half Marathon Tempo: Half Marathon Tempos: – half marathon pace/estimated pace or approximately 85%HRmax, Recoveries = 2-3mins easy.
- 7) Steady: Approximately 75-80% HRmax
- 8) Easy: Approximately 70-75% HRmax
- 9) Warm-up/cool-down: 1-2miles warm-up and cool down for all interval, hill and tempo training.