This sub 2 hour half marathon training plan is designed to get you running the half marathon in just under the magical 2 hours marker in 1:59:31 minutes. Breaking the psychological 2 hours is a great achievement for many runners.
Successfully running a 2 hour half marathon means you will need to be capable of running at a sustained pace of 09:07 for each of the 13.1 miles which is 5:39 per km in new money.
Like all the training plans on this site, the sub 2 hour half marathon training plan will ask you to train at, or below, your target race pace for some sessions so before starting please ensure that you are able to run at your target race pace for at least a couple of miles. Ideally, you should already of completed a half marathon in or around the 2:00-2:15 mark before starting this plan.
Time commitment: The 2 hour half marathon training plan requires roughly 4-5 hours of training per week over the course of each training cycle, in addition to any time spent cross training.
Your Speed/Distance Training Zones: Sub 2 hour Half Marathon Training Plan
| Pace per Mile / Km | 800m Intervals | 2km Intervals | 10km Race Pace |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09:07 / 05:39 | 4min 16s - (11:25 kmph / 7mph) | 09:07 p/m / 05:39 p/km | 56min 20s |
Sub 2 hour Half Marathon Training Plan
| Day | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | 4 (rec week) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Slightly quicker than race pace, +1 mile warm up and down | Rest/ cross-train | 45 mins easy | Rest/ cross-train |
| Tuesday | 30mins easy | 45mins easy | Rest/ cross-train | Slightly quicker than race pace, +1 mile warm up and down |
| Wednesday | Rest/ cross-train | 30mins easy | Rest/ cross-train | Rest/ cross-train |
| Thursday | @9:07 p/m (11:20 p/2km) 2 min Rec | Aim for 56:40 | @8:35 p/mile (5:39 p/km) 90s Rec | Rest/ cross-train |
| Friday | Rest/ cross-train | Rest/ cross-train | Rest/ cross-train | 45mins easy |
| Saturday | 45mins easy | @8:35 p/mile (5:39 p/km) 90s Rec | 45mins easy | Rest/ cross-train |
| Sunday | Long run, gentle pace: 60-75 mins | Long run, gentle pace: 75-90 mins | Long run, gentle pace: 90-120 mins | Rest/ cross-train |
Sub 2 Hour Half Marathon Training Plan Components
Breakeven Sessions – Sub 2 hour half marathon training plan
These sessions are used for maintaining fitness & recovery. Preparing you for breakthrough sessions:
- Easy/ recovery run – this should be no quicker than 10:00 p/m pace.
- Long Run – 1-2 hours. Don't worry about pace, all your miles somewhere in the region of 10-11:00 minutes per mile, just enjoy the ride.
Breakthrough Sessions – Sub 2 hour half marathon training plan
These sessions are meant to be challenging intense efforts, treat them as mini-milestones towards your target:
- 800m Reps – these will be faster that your target race pace and should be at 8:35 p/m pace (4:16 per 800m) with a 90 sec jogged recovery. 11:25 km/per hour / 7mph for treadmill sessions.
- 1km Intervals – same as above, faster than race pace, try to hit 8:35 p/m pace again (5:20 per km) with a 90 sec jogged recovery. 11:25 km/per hour / 7mph for treadmill sessions.
- 2km Intervals – at race pace, so do 9:07 p/m pace (11:20 per 2km) with a 2 minute jogged recovery.
- 10km Timed Effort – run a 10k race/training run at your maximum, try and aim for a sub 56min 40s.
About this Sub 2 Hour Half Marathon Training Plan
The sub 2 hour half marathon training plan has been put together so it is cyclical and can be used over a period of weeks until you feel you are ready for your event. At the end of each cycle you can repeat from the beginning or tweak the plan to suit your current ability and time commitments etc.
It is recommended that after three months of using the 2 hour half marathon training plan that you reduce your training for a period of one to two weeks to allow your body time to recover from the impact of running. This should mean more time cross-training with a couple of nice easy runs every few days to keep the legs ticking over.
To realise improvements it’s worth remembering that training is cumulative and it takes time and dedication to follow any training plan and achieve the results you want.
After not running a 1/2 for 17 years and not running at all for 5 years, I did 2 months of low heart rate, MAF, training. Then I did your 1/2 marathon training program for sub 2 hour for two complete cycles and then ran the Mercedes Marathon in Birmingham, AL in 1:52:31. Following this program, I was injury free and didn’t get any severe soreness or anything after the race. I am 59 years old, male. Thank you for this website!
Well done, Tommy! To go from not running at all for 5 years to completing a sub 2hr half marathon is a tremendous achievement! Thanks for your comment. It’s hearing things like this that make the work on the website worthwhile. Cheers.
Hi there. Love the training programs. On the 2hr half marathon plan which day is Race Day?
Hi Carl, it would be the Saturday or Sunday in week 4 but you can tailor to your needs as required.
Hey, I’m doing 12 half’s in 12 months this year and I’d love to get a sun 2 hour. May seem like a stupid question but do I do the recovery week leading up to the race?
Just want to say thank you, hit a 1:53.13 yesterday – Your plans are brilliant.
Great news, Matt. Well done! Really chuffed you have found the plans useful. Cheers.
Hi there! I noticed you mentioned a 1:45 half-marathon plan, but I can’t seem to find it. Do you still have it? Thanks so much!