How Your Half Marathon Plan Is Built
The half marathon lives at your lactate threshold — the pace where your body clears lactate as fast as it produces it. Push past that ceiling too hard, too early, and you pay for it in the last five kilometers. Your plan raises the ceiling itself. Key sessions run at half-marathon race pace from week one, extending the duration of work each week rather than raising the intensity — building your tolerance for holding a hard-but-sustainable pace. A second weekly session works down through the aerobic spectrum, sharpening from marathon pace through half-marathon pace toward a slightly quicker zone to develop aerobic power. Your long run carries about 27% of your weekly volume; in the race-specific phase it embeds a block at aerobic power pace. The build peaks in a full race-simulation session for intermediate and advanced runners; beginner plans are deliberately capped one step short. Taper cuts volume by 25% in week one — moderate, sitting between the 5K plan's 30% and the marathon plan's 20%, always over a fixed two-week taper. We also check your stated goal against that build: if your half marathon target outpaces what your current fitness and this plan's length can realistically deliver, we show you the achievable time and pace instead — or a faster one, if you're underselling yourself.
Half Marathon Plan Questions
How many weeks does a half marathon training plan take?
Plan length is calculated from your race date rather than pulled from a fixed table, with a 10-week minimum. Most half marathon runners land between 10 and 14 weeks. Regardless of total length, the final two weeks are always your taper.
What's a good long run distance for a half marathon?
Peak long runs typically range from 15–20km for beginners up to 20–24km for advanced runners, making up roughly 27% of your weekly volume. The long run builds toward a "Dress Rehearsal" session (about 12km at half-marathon pace); more experienced runners progress further into a full "Race Simulation," while beginner plans intentionally stop one step short of that.
Do I need speed work for a half marathon?
Yes, but structured as pace-extension rather than pure speed work — Canova's "extension of quality" approach has you running at goal race pace from the very first quality session, then gradually extending how long you hold it. A second session sharpens down from marathon pace through half-marathon pace toward a quicker zone, and every pace is calibrated from your own Strava-derived fitness rather than a generic calculator.
How does half marathon taper compare to other distances?
Like every distance we support, the taper is always exactly two weeks. Volume drops by roughly 25% in week one — a moderate cut, less aggressive than our 5K plan's but sharper than our marathon plan's, reflecting how half marathon fitness sits between the two in terms of detraining sensitivity.
Is my half marathon plan checked by an actual coach?
Yes — Ivan G., an endurance coach with Bulgarian national championship experience (10th place, 5000m Outdoors) and a track record coaching athletes to national XC medals, personally reviews your race-pace progression and long run targets before you start.
Will PaceForge tell me if my half marathon goal is unrealistic?
Yes. We estimate your current fitness from your Strava history or PRs, then project where that fitness realistically lands by race day given your plan's length. If your stated goal implies faster gains than that build supports, we show you an achievable half marathon time and pace instead, with a note on why. If your projected fitness is well ahead of your stated goal, we'll flag that too — you may be able to aim faster than you think.
Is this half marathon plan free?
The Strava analysis and your first 4 weeks (the Base phase) are free, no card required. Unlocking the full 10-to-14-week plan with a coach review is a one-time €39 — or €79/month for ongoing coaching (weekly check-ins throughout, plus a dedicated race-week check-in) that automatically ends on race day. See full pricing →
Have a question about pricing, refunds, or your data? See the full FAQ →
Start Free. Unlock When Hooked.
Free Strava analysis and a 4-week Base phase. Unlock your full half marathon plan and a 48h coach review for €39, or get ongoing coaching with Coach+.
Training for a different distance?
Same Strava-based system, same coach review — just tuned to a different race.