Welcome to your 12-week half-marathon training program for beginners! You’re about to embark on a journey that will benefit you by increasing your fitness level and bringing you closer to achieving a rewarding goal.
You can be a beginner runner or an experienced walker to complete this 12-week half-marathon program.
We designed it with beginners in mind, so if this is your first time training for a half marathon, we promise you won’t be alone.
With some hard work and dedication over the next 12 weeks, you can easily reach that finish line feeling strong and accomplished. Are you ready to start traininghttps://stephanieholbrook.com/10k-training/? Good luck!
Beginner runner 12-week training plan
This training plan is for beginner runners and walkers training for their first half marathon. This training program will put a pep in your step. Start smiling from the first mile to the finish line.
We ramp up the program slowly to prevent injury and allow the body to recover and adapt.
Who is the program for? Anyone who wants to run a half marathon has never done one. The 12-week half marathon training program is designed for beginner runners and exercisers looking to take their running journey to the next level.
With easy runs, cross-training sessions, and speed workouts, this 12-week plan will help you gradually build up your endurance and strength over time to finish efficiently.
WHAT WILL THIS 12-Week Half Marathon TRAINING PLAN HELP ME IMPROVE?
This 12-week half-marathon training program will help you improve your cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength and endurance, and mental toughness. You’ll learn how to pace yourself for long runs and develop a better understanding of what it takes to run a successful race.
Glossary Of Terms
- Half Marathon – A half marathon is a road running race covering a distance of 13.1 miles or 21.09 kilometers.
- Race Pace – Goal race pace to complete the race in your desired finish time.
- Cross Training – Non-running training sessions can include anything from swimming, cycling, strength training, spinning, or any cross-train activity where you move your body.
- Rest Day – The body recovers on non-training days. These are essential to gaining strength and speed with your half marathon training.
- Easy Pace – Comfortable pace where you can converse while running.
- Tempo Run – A pace just under your 5k pace.
- Weekly Mileage – Total mileage for the week
- Speed training – Intervals for this training session to improve your speed.
- Hill workout – Hills for this training session should not be so steep that you can’t run up.
- Warm-up. Take the first mile of each training session easy to get blood to the muscles.
Free Half Marathon Training Plan
This free training plan pdf.
Questions and answers
Who is this training plan for?
This program is for you if you are a runner who has not completed a half marathon.
Would you like me to take the rest days?
Yes, it is essential to rest and recover for the body to become accustomed to training and injury prevention. Rest days reduce your risk of injury.
What kinds of cross-training would you recommend?
Weight lifting, strength training, spin class, or any other activity that you find appealing.
Is walking OK during training?
Absolutely. You should take walking breaks to keep your heart rate in the correct heart rate zone. Adding a walking break during the run helps build endurance on training runs. It is up to you to run or walk the whole distance. The important part is maintaining a conversational pace within the distance of the long run or long run.
Do I need special shoes?
You should purchase running shoes at a running store where they can analyze your run form and stride. The wrong shoes will lead to a miserable experience.
Why does the last week contain fewer training sessions?
The last week of training is a taper week. The final week backs off the training time, fully allowing you to recover on race day.
Check out our other half-marathon training plans. We have a plan for most runners.
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