Are you in a crunch to knock out your next half marathon, but don’t have 12 weeks to train? Check out this 8-week half marathon training plan for intermediate runners.
Preparing for the 8-week half marathon training
First and foremost, this intermediate 8 week half marathon training schedule is not recommended for runners that:
- Cannot run 3 miles comfortably
- Has not run at least 6 miles on a long run
If you fall into either situation, please see the beginner 8-week half marathon training schedule.
Preparing for a half marathon is essential to making sure that all of your efforts don’t go to waste. Running a half marathon is something that anybody can accomplish however few of us actually do run half marathons. During the 8-week Half Marathon training, you will help prepare your body and mind to run the 13.1 mile (21.1 km) distance. Make sure you follow these minimal basic steps to make your training successful:
Right Shoes
Make sure you have a decent pair of running shoes. You need specially designed running shoes which will make it more comfortable to train in. You need to wear your running shoes during the training program before you wear them in the half marathon. Whatever you do make sure that your new shoes are broken in before running your half marathon race. I recommend at least 60 to 80 miles logged on your shoes before racing in them. Are your shoes getting too worn out? Find out when its time to retire your running shoes?
Stay Hydrated
Being hydrated during your training helps you to stay healthy and injury-free. If you do not have the required amount of water during training, you will feel weak, cramping, and dizziness. Depending on the distance you plan to run, you should intake enough water to keep you hydrated throughout your training period.
You can probably get away with no water during runs that are less than 60 minutes. However, if it’s hot bring along something to drink so that you can adequately perform the run. For a detailed post about how much water to drink and whether or not to carry it for a half marathon check out this post – Should I Carry Water For a Half Marathon?
What Should I eat before a long run?
A long run will require more energy out of you therefore you need to consider your fueling strategy for the half marathon race. The best place to test the strategy is on your long runs. The rule says for runs that last less than 60-90 minutes you shouldn’t need any extra energy to comfortably finish the run. However, this depends on the runner.
For a detailed post about fueling for a half marathon check out: Should I Fuel For A Half Marathon?
Stick to your training schedule
Keeping your training on track is essential to tackling a half marathon in 8 weeks. Never divert your mind from your training and always stay focused. Stick to your 8-week training plan. If you find yourself skipping runs regularly your schedule might be too busy or the task of taking on a half marathon in 8 weeks might be too steep. Be disciplined and stay true to your training plan from start to finish without fail.
Log your progress
Don’t forget the easiest way to quiet your inner critic is by having a logsheet to show how far you’ve come. When you’re thinking about quitting halfway through your 8-week training schedule take a look at your log sheet for a quick breath of inspiration. You can grab a logsheet from my resources page.
Don’t Overdo it
Overtraining leads to injury – I’ve seen it time and time again. Almost every running injury I’ve witnessed firsthand was due to overtraining in some form. You can’t run 8 to 10 miles every day in the first week. Instead, you have to start with smaller targets and build yourself upwards. Begin with 4 to 6 miles in the first week and gradually increase the distance. This will prepare you for the long-distance run. Increase your long-distance mileage and running volume every week. This will continue to help build your aerobic base and also increase your stamina.
Don’t sweat a failed run
All runners at all levels from time to time have completely botched a run if not several. This is part of the whole life cycle of running and the mere fact that our imperfection is being human – we will make mistakes. The trick is to minimize those mistakes and hope that they aren’t big mistakes like a major injury that takes 6 months to heal.
Check out these 3 posts for info on bad runs and preventing running injuries from occurring:
- How to avoid your next running injury
- 5 questions to ask yourself after a bad run
- You have two choices after a bad run
Cross-train
If you find running every day is boring or tiring, switch to other workouts. Add other interval workouts to your training, such as cross-training, swimming, cycling, yoga, walking, hiking, etc. You can select different types of workouts according to your taste and comfort. You can alternate with any training that is meant to keep you fit. Remember that cross-training comes second in your priority to running your half marathon. Sticking to race-specific workouts 80% of the time will make sure you make it to the finish line on your own terms.
Strength Training Prevents Injury
Make sure that you are strengthening your core muscles at a bare minimum of once per week (twice per week is preferred). You can perform strength training exercises at the gym on free weights, weight machines, body weight, or a mix of any of these. I prefer doing bodyweight exercises (check out my recommendations page for a cool bodyweight card deck – shuffle, select 15 random cards, start workout) coupled with a kettlebell. This frees me from a gym and I can essentially perform my strength training almost anywhere.
Do you need a strength training regime for runners? Check out this detailed post about essential strength training for runners.
Stretching
Dynamic stretching is ideal prior to running. Knee hikes, butt-kicks, side gallops, etc., are all great dynamic stretching, that is stretching in motion. Unfortunately, there is still much ongoing debate on whether we are supposed to perform static stretching after a workout. Some elite runners do little stretching at all, while others perform dynamic stretching after warming up and before a run and minimal static stretching after the run.
The elasticity of your muscles is pulled and contracted during a static stretch of hold for 30 seconds and release. The rationale behind avoiding the static stretch is that your muscles are not meant to go beyond the normal range of motion which could cause an imbalanced extension and positioning of the muscle after the stretch.
All in all, you want to do what helps you and your body avoid injury. If you have specific questions you should ask a running coach for guidance. you can choose those that are best for your age and fitness level.
Here are the best post-run static stretches to perform after a run.
Rest
Since your running a condensed version of a 10 to 12 week half marathon training cycle, you need to take one day off at least one day from running. Rest allows your body to recover. A proper training plan is vital to achieving your goal, of which rest is necessary for your body to recover and rebuild your muscles. You’re not building your muscles when you run – it only happens when you rest. One rest day should equate to at least 24 hours of no running.
- 1 Rest Day = 24 hours of no running
Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE)
Gauging how hard and how fast you run varies from runner to runner. No two runners are alike. In order for beginner, intermediate, and advanced runners to push themselves to their next level of performance, they need a scale that they can relate to and share with a coach, running buddy, or running group/club. If you’ve don’t have your own RPE chart, take the time to do so now. With simple timed assessments you should be able to determine your thresholds and pace tolerances with each of the RPE zones. See the example below:
| RPE | Difficulty | Talk Test | Pace |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | All-out - Max Effort (Sprints/Strides) | Can't talk, out of breath | |
| 9 | Extremely hard (Speedwork) | one or two words at a time | |
| 7-8 | Medium to Hard Effort (Interval/Speedwork) | Can speak in small sentences | |
| 4-6 | Moderate Effort (Endurance) | can have a conversation | |
| 2-3 | Light Effort (walking) | No problem talking | |
| 1 | No Effort (Sitting/Standing) | No problem talking |
Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) - EXAMPLE
| RPE | Difficulty | Talk Test | Pace |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | All-out - Max Effort | Can't talk, out of breath | 8:00 |
| 9 | Extremely hard | one or two words at a time | 8:30 |
| 7-8 | Medium to Hard Effort (Interval) | Can speak in small sentences | 10:00 |
| 4-6 | Moderate Effort (Endurance) | can have a conversation | 12:00 |
| 2-3 | Light Effort (walking) | No problem talking | 15:00 |
| 1 | No Effort (Sitting/Standing) | No problem talking | 0:00 |
80/20 Running Effort
The 80/20 rule says that during a half marathon or marathon training cycle 80% of your running efforts should be mild to easy (RPE of 4-6) while 20% should be medium-hard to difficult (RPE of 7-8). This is why it’s important that you update and track your perceived exertion. When you train at a certain level to push yourself you will naturally become faster, fitter, and more tolerable of higher threshold running efforts, therefore you need to update your perceived running chart once every training cycle or at least twice a year.
Speed workout day
Wednesday will be the designated speedwork out day in the schedule I’ve created. Feel free to change this day up so that it better aligns with your schedule. If you don’t like a specific speed workout I’ve proposed, then choose another one you enjoy. All speed workouts can be adjusted to be time-based or distance-based.
Speedwork should be performed at the rate of perceived exertion between 7-9 what you would call a “hard” effort. You will be breathing heavy and you will be able to only slip small one to three words sentences between breaths – primarily one word here and there. Your heart rate and oxygen consumption are between 90-100% of the maximum.
Speedwork runs:
- Hill Repeats – Run up the hill at a perceived exertion of 7-8 and walk back down the hill at a perceived exertion of 2-4. Repeat 5 to 6 times.
- Fartleks – is a Swedish word that means “Speedplay.” Fartleks can be anything when it comes to running. You can simply make yourself run strides to various objects along your running routes, or include tempo runs to various objects. The possibilities are endless. The idea is to push yourself on these runs so your perceived exertion feels like you worked out hard.
- Tempo Runs – Are speed runs held at a pace that is 25-30 seconds slower than your current 5K pace. You need to keep this pace at a certain time (20 to 30 minutes). For a half marathon, 20 to 30-minute tempo runs at peak volume will get you ready for your half-marathon race. (Wikipedia) Note: tempo runs are probably the most difficult of all the speed workouts because your body is working at a comfortably hard level for a sustained amount of time. If you don’t like tempo runs – don’t do them.
Other Types of Runs
Strides – Strides can be added to any run. Some runners like to throw them in prior to running, during a running session, or after a run. Strides are simple in nature. Basically, you start your speed off at a conversational pace (RPE 2-4) then quickly move up to a hard effort run (RPE 8-10). After reaching a maximum performance for a few seconds back off and bring yourself back to an easy jogging pace. Slow down and walk for a few minutes and repeat.
The total length of the stride should only be for 20-30 seconds, unlike sprints that last from 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Repeat the strides 6 to 8 times. Strides are great because you never reach an anaerobic state and stay alactic (without lactate buildup).
SCHEDULE
The next important step to bear in mind is the schedule. You should have a proper training plan scheduled for your 8-week half marathon training plan. Schedule your runs and workouts properly for all 8 weeks. You can keep running for four days and cross-training for two days. Cross-Training activities can include and are not limited to swimming, cycling, strength training, yoga, aerobics, or any activity that interests you. Schedule one day as your rest day, which is important to prevent injuries. If you feel overworked, you can take another rest day depending on how you feel.
If you need one more rest day DO NOT SUBSTITUTE YOUR LONG RUN. Instead rest an additional day after your long run or a cross-training day.
Warming up and cooling down
Remember will all runs, especially the tempo and hill repeats, you must warm up prior to executing your training. Also, you need to aerobically cool down at a running pace of RPE 4 after your speedwork for 10-15 minutes.
8-week Half Marathon Training Schedule (Miles)
Half Marathon Week 1 (miles)
- Monday: 4-mile easy run
- Tuesday: 30 to 45 minutes of strength training
- Wednesday: 4 x 5-minute tempo run 20-30 seconds slower than 5k Race Pace with 3-minute rest interval between repetitions.
- Thursday: 30 to 45 minutes of cross-training
- Friday: 4-mile easy to moderate run
- Saturday: 5-mile long run at an easy effort
- Sunday: Rest
Half Marathon Week 2 (miles)
- Monday: 4-mile easy run
- Tuesday: 30 to 45 minutes of strength training
- Wednesday: 2 x 10-minute tempo run 20-30 seconds slower than 5k Race Pace with 3-minute rest interval between repetitions.
- Thursday: 30 to 45 minutes cross-training or yoga or other workouts
- Friday: 4-mile easy to moderate run
- Saturday: 6-mile long run at an easy effort
- Sunday: Rest
Half Marathon Week 3 (miles)
- Monday: 4-mile easy run
- Tuesday: 45 to 60 minutes of strength training
- Wednesday: Short uphill run and back, which takes 60 seconds to run up and come back comfortably at least 5 to 6 times
- Thursday: 30 to 45 minutes of cross-training or yoga or other workouts
- Friday: 5-mile easy to moderate run
- Saturday: 8-mile long run at an easy effort
- Sunday: Rest
Half Marathon Week 4 (miles)
- Monday: 5-mile easy run
- Tuesday: 45 to 60 minutes of strength training
- Wednesday: 2 x 10-minute tempo run 20-30 seconds slower than 5k Race Pace with 3-minute rest interval between repetitions.
- Thursday: 30 to 45 minutes of cross-training or yoga or other workouts
- Friday: 5-mile easy to moderate run
- Saturday: 9-mile long run at an easy effort
- Sunday: Rest
After approximately one month of your 8-week half marathon training, your body makes a lot of changes in terms of overall strength. To relax your aching muscles and to recover, an ice bath is beneficial, though an ice bath may not be everyone’s go-to recovery aid. Foam rollers and triggers point massage balls are a favorite of mine.
The second month of your 8-week half marathon training will require mental focus and discipline. Stay focused and keep your mind stable till the end of the race day. Don’t push yourself too much in the second month of training. Give your body enough time for healing and recovery.
Half Marathon Week 5 (miles)
- Monday: 5-mile easy run
- Tuesday: 45 to 60 minutes of strength training
- Wednesday: Hill Repeats – run up the hill and walk back down the hill 6 to 8 times
- Thursday: 30 – 45 minutes of cross-training or yoga or other workouts
- Friday: 5-mile easy to moderate run
- Saturday: 10-mile long run at an easy effort
- Sunday: Rest
Half Marathon Week 6 (miles)
- Monday: 4-mile easy run
- Tuesday: 45 to 60 minutes of strength training
- Wednesday: 20-minute tempo run 20-30 seconds slower than 5k Race Pace with 3-minute rest interval between repetitions
- Thursday: 30 – 45 minutes of cross-training or yoga or other workouts
- Friday: 4-mile easy to moderate run
- Saturday: 12-mile long run at an easy effort (After this point start reducing the distance for preparation for race day)
- Sunday: Rest
Half Marathon Week 7 (miles)
- Monday: 6-mile easy run
- Tuesday: 30 to 45 minutes of strength training
- Wednesday: 20-minute tempo run 20-30 seconds slower than 5k Race Pace with 3-minute rest interval between repetitions.
- Thursday: 30 minutes cross-training or yoga or other workouts
- Friday: 3-mile easy to moderate run
- Saturday: 8-mile long run at an easy effort
- Sunday: Rest
Half Marathon Week 8 (miles)
- Monday: 5-mile easy run
- Tuesday: 30 minutes of strength training
- Wednesday: 3-mile easy run
- Thursday: 30 – 45 minutes of cross-training or yoga or other workouts
- Friday: 3-mile easy run (optional: Rest Day)
- Saturday: Race day
- Sunday: Rest day
8-week Half Marathon Training Schedule (Kilometers)
Half Marathon Week 1 (Kilometers)
- Monday: 6.4 km easy run
- Tuesday: 30 to 45 minutes of strength training
- Wednesday: 4 x 5-minute tempo run 20-30 seconds slower than 5k Race Pace with 3-minute rest interval between repetitions.
- Thursday: 30 to 45 minutes of cross-training
- Friday: 6.4 km easy to moderate run
- Saturday: 8.0 km long run at an easy effort
- Sunday: Rest
Half Marathon Week 2 (kilometers)
- Monday: 6.4 km easy run
- Tuesday: 30 to 45 minutes of strength training
- Wednesday: 2 x 10-minute tempo run 20-30 seconds slower than 5k Race Pace with 3-minute rest interval between repetitions.
- Thursday: 30 to 45 minutes cross-training or yoga or other workouts
- Friday: 6.4 km easy to moderate run
- Saturday: 9.6 km long run at an easy effort
- Sunday: Rest
Half Marathon Week 3 (kilometers)
- Monday: 6.4 km easy run
- Tuesday: 45 to 60 minutes of strength training
- Wednesday: Short uphill run and back, which takes 60 seconds to run up and come back comfortably at least 5 to 6 times
- Thursday: 30 to 45 minutes of cross-training or yoga or other workouts
- Friday: 8.0 km easy to moderate run
- Saturday: 12.8 km long run at an easy effort
- Sunday: Rest
Half Marathon Week 4 (kilometers)
- Monday: 8.0 km easy run
- Tuesday: 45 to 60 minutes of strength training
- Wednesday: 2 x 10-minute tempo run 20-30 seconds slower than 5k Race Pace with 3-minute rest interval between repetitions.
- Thursday: 30 to 45 minutes of cross-training or yoga or other workouts
- Friday: 8.0 km easy to moderate run
- Saturday: 14.4 km long run at an easy effort
- Sunday: Rest
After approximately one month of your 8-week half marathon training, your body makes a lot of changes in terms of overall strength. To relax your aching muscles and to recover, an ice bath is beneficial, though an ice bath may not be everyone’s go-to recovery aid. Foam rollers and triggers point massage balls are a favorite of mine.
The second month of your 8-week half marathon training will require mental focus and discipline. Stay focused and keep your mind stable till the end of the race day. Don’t push yourself too much in the second month of training. Give your body enough time for healing and recovery.
Half Marathon Week 5 (kilometers)
- Monday: 8.0 km easy run
- Tuesday: 45 to 60 minutes of strength training
- Wednesday: Hill Repeats – run up the hill and walk back down the hill 6 to 8 times
- Thursday: 30 – 45 minutes of cross-training or yoga or other workouts
- Friday: 8.0 km easy to moderate run
- Saturday: 16.0 km long run at an easy effort
- Sunday: Rest
Half Marathon Week 6 (kilometers)
- Monday: 6.4 km easy run
- Tuesday: 45 to 60 minutes of strength training
- Wednesday: 20-minute tempo run 20-30 seconds slower than 5k Race Pace with 3-minute rest interval between repetitions
- Thursday: 30 – 45 minutes of cross-training or yoga or other workouts
- Friday: 6.4 km easy to moderate run
- Saturday: 19.3 km run at an easy effort. (After this point start reducing the distance for preparation for race day)
- Sunday: Rest
Half Marathon Week 7 (kilometers)
- Monday: 9.6 km easy run
- Tuesday: 30 to 45 minutes of strength training
- Wednesday: 20-minute tempo run 20-30 seconds slower than 5k Race Pace with 3-minute rest interval between repetitions.
- Thursday: 30 minutes cross-training or yoga or other workouts
- Friday: 4.8 km easy to moderate run
- Saturday: 12.8 km long run at an easy effort
- Sunday: Rest
Half Marathon Week 8 (kilometers)
- Monday: 8.0 km easy run
- Tuesday: 30 minutes of strength training
- Wednesday: 4.8 km easy run
- Thursday: 30 – 45 minutes of cross-training or yoga or other workouts
- Friday: 4.8 km easy run (optional: Rest Day)
- Saturday: Race day
- Sunday: Rest day
Negative Split Pacing Strategy
Plan on racing a negative split race (start off slower the first half and end faster than the second half). If you need help figuring out what your negative splits should be based on your half marathon goal race pace, check out this detailed post with negative split calculators – Can Negative Splits Help Me Run A Faster Half Marathon?
Allow yourself some wiggle room in your schedule
For any given run in your schedule allow yourself plus or minus 1 mile. If you’re having a great run and you feel fine go ahead and run the extra mile. Also, If you’re not having such a great run pull back and take off 1 mile for the run. When you find yourself consistently pulling back 1 mile on every run, you might need to adjust your schedule. Changing the intensity, duration, or distance might be in your best interest if you are clearly not hitting your mile goals.
Your schedule is adjustable
If you don’t like running your long runs on Saturday then by all means don’t run them on Saturday. Switch up your schedule as needed. One thing I would be careful of is putting a speed workout back to back with a long run. You should separate your longer and tougher workouts to help your body recover efficiently.
If you’re struggling with time management check out this post – How to find the time to train for a half marathon
What should you do the week of your half marathon race?
I’ve created an extensive post of what to do the week of your half marathon race including a half marathon checklist for your pre and post-race kits. Check out the post here: Halfmarathon Checklist
Are you running a virtual half marathon?
What is a virtual half marathon? A virtual half marathon is exactly what it sounds like a race that is taken place from wherever you want to, even a treadmill. Basically, you receive a bib online, it’s either shipped to you or you download it. Next, you train for the race, and then you upload your results to the entity sponsoring the virtual half marathon. If a virtual half marathon sounds virtually boring, check out – 17 ways to boost your motivation for a virtual half marathon.
One day before the race
Prepare yourself mentally and take some time out. Read some books to relax your mind. Reduce anxiety and keep yourself calm. Your Saturday’s run should not be intense. Focus on your form. Prepare your body by having good sleep and eating right. Don’t make any drastic changes to your sleeping pattern and eating habits. Be hydrated by drinking lots of water and increase your energy level by consuming the proper amount of carbohydrates.
Race Day
It’s the day to shine from all of your training. Remember to run the race as you’ve trained for it. Start slow out of the gate, aim for negative splits if possible, and keep chanting your mantra while you run. Visualize yourself crossing the finish line. Revel in the feeling of glory!
Check out these additional tips for a half marathon race: 102 half marathon tips for beginners.
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Thank you, very helpful posts. My first race so want to confirm a few items.
I’ve heard you should only train 70% of your max race so the max running should be 13km; however the table goes out to 19.8km and several days of long runs greater than 13km.
How long will the hill repeats take? Says 60 seconds uphill and 5-6 times which implies a short 7-8m workout? Feel like something does not make sense.
Thanks so much!!
Kiran, thanks for reaching out. First things first, every runner is different and every runner has different training techniques/goals/abilities/limitations. Let me address each question one at a time.
First, the hill repeats are supposed to be run at a higher RPE somewhere at 6+. You need to take a 2-3 minute rest between each hill ascent. I will edit my post to make this more clear. Essentially I recommend 6 to 8 hill repeats so the formula looks like this 60 seconds x 3 x 8 (60 seconds hill ascents followed by a 3 minute cool down repeated 8 times) you can change this up anyway you like for a more difficult effort you could do 60 seconds x 1.5 x 8 (60 second hill ascents followed by a 1.5 minute cool down repeated 8 times). This puts you at a total workout time somewhere close to 30 minutes.
Secondly, how far should you run prior to your half marathon race? I have written a post about this exact topic located here:
https://halfmarathonforbeginners.com/what-is-the-longest-distance-you-should-run-before-a-half-marathon/.
However I can spare you the read and let you know this depends on your capabilities. In my own racing experience and working with my clients, the best half marathon races I’ve ever ran were when I reached the race distance during my training, preferably at least 2 weeks out from my race. Having said this, I have also raced several half marathon races with as little as 9 miles max training prior to race day. I made it to the finish line but my legs were a little sore. This is where your race experience helps you especially when your body has not reached the maximum race distance capacity prior to the race.
With only 9 miles of training under the belt there is a greater possibility you could cramp up at a later leg in the race (i.e. mile 11…12). The reason being is that your legs, capillaries, mitochondria, and glycogen stores have not seen the volume of running in one bout you are about to introduce it to at race day. Also, your age is a huge factor in how your body will feel with only this amount of mileage under your belt.
Having said all of this I have survived at least 4 races when I was only at 70% capacity prior to race day without injury. My suggestion to you and all other readers, without knowing each one of your abilities/limitations, is to take it easier the first half of the race and turn it up a little bit moving into mile 7 and 8.
Let me know if you have any further questions, and please post back after you have completed your race. Best of luck in your race!
Coach Scott