If you can run 5 to 8 km comfortably three times a week, twelve weeks is enough time to get you to the start line of your first half marathon, and to the finish feeling strong. This guide explains how to build up safely, what the research says about how fast to add distance and how to taper, and how to train for 21.1 km with a club in Bedfordview.
In short:
- Start from a base of about 30 to 40 minutes of easy running, three times a week.
- Build your long run by 1 to 2 km a week, with an easier week every fourth week.
- Keep most of your running easy enough to hold a conversation.
- Add strength work twice a week. It is one of the best-supported ways to prevent injury.
- Cut your training back by about half in the last two weeks, but keep some pace in your legs.
Are you ready to start a half marathon plan?
A twelve-week plan assumes you already run regularly. A good test: can you run for 30 to 40 minutes at an easy pace, three times a week, without pain? If you can, you are ready. If not, start with a beginner programme first. Our free Sofa to So Far programme takes complete beginners from walking to 5 km in eight weeks, and many of its graduates go on to half marathons.
If you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, or have been inactive for a long time, see your doctor before you start a new training plan.
The 12-week plan at a glance
The plan has three phases: four weeks to build a base, five weeks to build distance, and three weeks to sharpen up and taper. Run three or four times a week. One run is the long run, one can include some faster running, and the rest are easy.
| Week | Long run | Other runs | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 km | 2 to 3 easy runs of 5 to 6 km | Easy, regular running |
| 2 | 9 km | 2 to 3 easy runs, add 4 short strides | Easy, regular running |
| 3 | 10 km | 2 to 3 easy runs, one with 4 strides | Easy, regular running |
| 4 | 8 km | 2 easy runs | Easier week to absorb the training |
| 5 | 11 km | 1 hill session, 2 easy runs | Build distance |
| 6 | 12 km | 1 fartlek run, 2 easy runs | Build distance |
| 7 | 14 km | 1 hill session, 2 easy runs | Build distance |
| 8 | 11 km | 2 easy runs | Easier week |
| 9 | 16 km | 1 steady run at goal race effort, 2 easy runs | Longest weeks |
| 10 | 18 km | 1 fartlek run, 2 easy runs | Longest run of the plan |
| 11 | 12 km | 1 short session at race effort, 2 easy runs | Taper begins |
| 12 | Race day: 21.1 km | 2 short easy runs with a few strides | Rest and race |
Strides are 15 to 20 second smooth accelerations to a fast but relaxed pace, with a full walk back to recover. Fartlek means "speed play": during an easy run, pick up the pace for a minute or two, then ease off, as you feel like it.
How fast should your training runs be?
Slower than most people think. Most of your running should be at a pace where you can speak in full sentences. Research on both elite and recreational runners shows that keeping roughly 80% of your training easy, and saving real effort for one or two sessions a week, works better than running every session at a medium "grey zone" pace. Read more in our guide to the 80/20 rule.
Training in Bedfordview also means training at about 1,640 m above sea level, where every breath carries less oxygen. Judge easy runs by breathing and effort, not by the pace a sea-level training plan tells you. Our article on running at altitude explains why.
Do not add distance too quickly
The old "10% rule" is a rough guide, but the research behind it is more nuanced. A Danish study of novice runners found that those who increased their weekly running distance by more than 30% over a two-week period were more likely to develop distance-related injuries, such as runner's knee, iliotibial band syndrome and shin splints, than those who increased it by less than 10%. That is why this plan grows gently and includes an easier week every fourth week.
If something hurts in a way that gets worse as you run, stop and rest. Missing a few days is far better than missing the race.
Make time for strength training
A review of randomised trials published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that strength training reduced sports injuries to less than a third, and almost halved overuse injuries. Stretching showed no clear benefit. Two short sessions a week are enough: squats, lunges, calf raises, step-ups, glute bridges and planks, using body weight or light weights.
The last two weeks: how to taper
Tapering means cutting back your training before the race so you arrive fresh. A meta-analysis of tapering studies found that the most effective approach was a two-week taper in which training volume was reduced by about 41 to 60%, while keeping the intensity and the number of sessions much the same. In practice: run as often as usual, make every run shorter, and keep a few strides and some race-pace running so your legs stay sharp.
Race day: pace, fuel and drink
- Start slower than you want to. The first 5 km should feel easy. Most first-time half marathoners who struggle went out too fast.
- Run by effort on the hills. Johannesburg routes are rarely flat. Keep your effort even, not your pace.
- Practise your fuel. Try any gels, sweets or sports drink on your long runs first. Nothing new on race day.
- Drink to thirst. International guidance on exercise-associated hyponatraemia is clear that drinking when you are thirsty is safer than forcing down fixed amounts.
Training for a half marathon with a club in Bedfordview
Long runs are easier with company. Bedfordview Athletics runs six days a week from the top parking lot at Virgin Active Bedfordview: weekday runs on Tuesday to Friday at 05h00, and weekend long runs on Saturday and Sunday at 06h00. See the full training runs schedule.
Our running schools group runners by pace. Steel Bullets suits newer runners, Sky Hawks is a middle ground for regular runners, and Navy Seals is for runners building towards half marathons, marathons and Comrades. To race in South Africa you need an athletics licence number, which comes with club membership. Find your next race on the events calendar.
Questions runners ask
How long does it take to train for a half marathon?
If you already run 30 to 40 minutes three times a week, about 12 weeks. Complete beginners should allow four to six months, starting with a walk-run programme.
How many kilometres a week should I run for a half marathon?
Most first-timers finish comfortably on 20 to 35 km a week at their peak, spread over three or four runs. Consistency matters more than big weeks.
How long should my longest training run be?
For a first half marathon, a longest run of 16 to 18 km, about two to three weeks before the race, is plenty. The atmosphere and the taper will carry you through the last few kilometres.
Can I train for a half marathon on three runs a week?
Yes. Make one a long run, one a session with some faster running, and one an easy run, and add two short strength sessions.
Sources
- Nielsen RO, et al. Excessive progression in weekly running distance and risk of running-related injuries. Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy, 2014.
- Lauersen JB, Bertelsen DM, Andersen LB. The effectiveness of exercise interventions to prevent sports injuries. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2014.
- Bosquet L, et al. Effects of tapering on performance: a meta-analysis. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 2007.
- Hew-Butler T, et al. Exercise-associated hyponatremia: 2017 update. Frontiers in Medicine, 2017.
This article is general information, not medical advice.
