Training plans · Half marathon
Sub-2 hour half marathon training plan
Breaking two hours in the half means holding 5:41 per kilometre for 21.1 km. This 12-week sample is built for a runner with a 54-minute 10K, the time that says sub-2 is within reach. It grows the endurance needed to hold that pace over the full distance.
The plan at a glance
Higdon-style: Simple: mostly easy running plus a weekly long run, tiered by experience. 5 quality sessions in total, with every fourth week lighter and a taper into race day.
Week by week
| Week | Phase | km | Key sessions | Long run |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | base | 34 | Easy running | 9.7 km |
| 2 | base | 37 | Easy running | 11 km |
| 3 | base | 39 | Easy running | 11.9 km |
| 4 | base | 34 | Easy running | 9.7 km |
| 5 | build | 45 | Threshold run 5.4 km | 14.8 km |
| 6 | build | 47 | Threshold run 5.6 km | 15.8 km |
| 7 | build | 50 | Threshold run 6 km | 17.3 km |
| 8 | peak | 42 | Goal-pace run 5 km | 13.3 km |
| 9 | peak | 55 | Goal-pace run 6.6 km | 20 km |
| 10 | taper | 41 | Easy running | 12.9 km |
| 11 | taper | 32 | Easy running | 8.9 km |
| 12 | taper | 22 | Easy running | Race day |
Training paces
Set from a recent 10k result, not the goal. Enter your own in the generator and they update.
- Easy6:46/km
- Marathon5:53/km
- Threshold5:30/km
- Interval5:01/km
- Repetition4:49/km
- Goal race5:38/km
Is sub-2 realistic for you?
A 10K under 55 minutes or a 5K under 26 minutes usually means the speed is there. What is often missing is endurance: the ability to hold 5:40/km for twice as long.
If your recent result predicts slower than two hours, the generator flags the goal as aggressive. A 56-minute 10K, for example, predicts about 2:03. Run the plan anyway and retest at the halfway point.
What the 12 weeks look like
Five running days a week, with Monday and Thursday off. Weeks 1 to 4 are easy running only, building from 34 to 39 km. Week 4 is the first lighter week.
From week 5 there is one quality day: a threshold run of 5–6 km at about 5:30/km. In weeks 8 and 9 it becomes a goal-pace run at 5:38/km. The long run peaks at 20 km in week 9. Then three weeks of taper bring volume down to 41, 32 and 22 km.
That is only five hard sessions in twelve weeks. The rest is easy running and the long run, which is where the endurance comes from.
Your splits
At 5:38/km you pass 5 km in 28:10, 10 km in 56:20 and 15 km in 1:24:30. You reach 20 km at 1:52:40 and finish in about 1:58:50.
Write the 10 km and 15 km splits on your hand or a pace band. They are the two points where it is easiest to drift.
Pacing the race
Start at 5:45/km for the first 3 km to settle. That costs you about 20 seconds. Then lock into 5:38–5:40, and you still finish around 1:59.
A sub-2 half is lost far more often by a fast first 5 km than by a slow last one.
Two common mistakes in the build
Running the easy days too fast. The sample’s easy pace is about 6:46/km, more than a minute slower than race pace. Runners chasing sub-2 often run every day at 6:00/km. That leaves them too tired to hit 5:30 on threshold day.
Skipping the long run when the week gets busy. The long run is where the endurance for kilometres 15 to 21 comes from. If something has to go, drop an easy run instead.
Frequently asked questions
What pace is a sub-2 hour half marathon?
5:41 per kilometre or 9:09 per mile is exactly two hours. Target 5:38/km for a small buffer.
What 10K time do I need for a sub-2 half?
Around 55 minutes or faster. Riegel’s formula predicts about 2:01 from a 55:00 10K, and about 1:59 from 54:00.
How many kilometres a week for a sub-2 half?
Most runners break two hours on 35 to 60 km a week. This sample peaks at 55 km in week 9.
What if I miss sub-2 by a minute?
That is close. Usually the endurance is there and the pacing wasn’t. Check your 5 km splits: if the first was well under 28:10, start slower next time. Another block of the same plan, with a retest, is often enough.