Training Planner

Sample plan · Half Marathon · 14 weeks

Beginner half marathon training plan from 10 miles a week

If you run two or three times a week and the half marathon still feels like a big number, this is the starting point. The plan begins at 10 miles a week with a 4-mile long run and takes 14 weeks to build, so the long run grows by small steps. With no recent race to set paces, every session is described by effort: easy means you could hold a conversation.

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This plan at a glance

Runner
31, first time at this distance
Goal
Finish comfortably
Recent race
none (sessions set by effort)
Running now
10 mi a week, longest run 4 mi
Schedule
4 run days, long run on Sat
Volume
10 to 25 mi a week (ceiling 25), longest run 12 mi
Lighter weeks
2 cutback weeks, 2-week taper

Dates assume a start on Monday 9 November 2026 with no race date, so the plan ends with a goal run. Your own plan starts the Monday after you build it, and with a race date it counts back from race day.

This plan is general guidance, not medical advice. Check with a doctor before starting a new training program, and stop and get help if something hurts or feels wrong.

Goal run · Saturday 13 February 2027

Goal run: 13.1 mi at the effort you would race a Half Marathon (13.1 mi) at. There is no race on the calendar, so this is your test.

How we built it

The assumptions behind this plan.

  • Weekly volume peaks at 25 mi in week 12, at your ceiling.

Paces

No recent race in these answers, so sessions are set by effort (RPE) instead of pace. Add a recent race time when you build your own plan to get paces.

Overview

Weekly training volume in mi. Tap a bar to jump to that week.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Week by week

Tap a day for the full session.

Week 1

base 10 mi

Base: easy aerobic running and a steady long run. Strides keep your legs quick.

Mon · Easy run · 2.5 mi

Easy 2.5 mi (conversational, RPE 3–4).

Also: Strength 30 min: squats, reverse lunges, step-ups, single-leg Romanian deadlifts, calf raises, plank and side plank. 2–3 sets, stop two reps short of failure.

Tue · Easy run · 2 mi

Easy 2 mi (conversational, RPE 3–4).

Wed · Rest

Rest. A walk or some stretching is fine.

Thu · Easy run · 1.5 mi

Easy 1.5 mi (conversational, RPE 3–4).

Fri · Rest

Rest. A walk or some stretching is fine.

Sat · Long run · 4 mi

Long run 4 mi (relaxed and steady, RPE 4–5).

Sun · Rest

Rest after the long run.

Week 2

base 12 mi

Base: easy aerobic running and a steady long run. Strides keep your legs quick.

Mon · Easy run · 3 mi

Easy 3 mi (conversational, RPE 3–4). Finish with 6 × 20 s strides: quick and relaxed, full walk-back recovery.

Also: Strength 30 min: squats, reverse lunges, step-ups, single-leg Romanian deadlifts, calf raises, plank and side plank. 2–3 sets, stop two reps short of failure.

Tue · Easy run · 2 mi

Easy 2 mi (conversational, RPE 3–4).

Wed · Rest

Rest. A walk or some stretching is fine.

Thu · Easy run · 2 mi

Easy 2 mi (conversational, RPE 3–4).

Fri · Rest

Rest. A walk or some stretching is fine.

Sat · Long run · 5 mi

Long run 5 mi (relaxed and steady, RPE 4–5).

Sun · Rest

Rest after the long run.

Week 3

base 14 mi

Base: easy aerobic running and a steady long run. Strides keep your legs quick.

Mon · Easy run · 3.5 mi

Easy 3.5 mi (conversational, RPE 3–4). Finish with 6 × 20 s strides: quick and relaxed, full walk-back recovery.

Also: Strength 30 min: squats, reverse lunges, step-ups, single-leg Romanian deadlifts, calf raises, plank and side plank. 2–3 sets, stop two reps short of failure.

Tue · Easy run · 2.5 mi

Easy 2.5 mi (conversational, RPE 3–4).

Wed · Rest

Rest. A walk or some stretching is fine.

Thu · Easy run · 2 mi

Easy 2 mi (conversational, RPE 3–4).

Fri · Rest

Rest. A walk or some stretching is fine.

Sat · Long run · 6 mi

Long run 6 mi (relaxed and steady, RPE 4–5).

Sun · Rest

Rest after the long run.

Week 4

base cutback 11 mi

Cutback week: volume drops so the last block can sink in. Keep everything relaxed.

Mon · Easy run · 2.5 mi

Easy 2.5 mi (conversational, RPE 3–4). Finish with 6 × 20 s strides: quick and relaxed, full walk-back recovery.

Also: Strength 30 min: squats, reverse lunges, step-ups, single-leg Romanian deadlifts, calf raises, plank and side plank. 2–3 sets, stop two reps short of failure.

Tue · Easy run · 2.5 mi

Easy 2.5 mi (conversational, RPE 3–4).

Wed · Rest

Rest. A walk or some stretching is fine.

Thu · Easy run · 2 mi

Easy 2 mi (conversational, RPE 3–4).

Fri · Rest

Rest. A walk or some stretching is fine.

Sat · Long run · 4 mi

Long run 4 mi (relaxed and steady, RPE 4–5).

Sun · Rest

Rest after the long run.

Week 5

base 16 mi

Base: easy aerobic running and a steady long run. Strides keep your legs quick.

Mon · Easy run · 4 mi

Easy 4 mi (conversational, RPE 3–4). Finish with 6 × 20 s strides: quick and relaxed, full walk-back recovery.

Also: Strength 30 min: squats, reverse lunges, step-ups, single-leg Romanian deadlifts, calf raises, plank and side plank. 2–3 sets, stop two reps short of failure.

Tue · Easy run · 2.5 mi

Easy 2.5 mi (conversational, RPE 3–4).

Wed · Rest

Rest. A walk or some stretching is fine.

Thu · Easy run · 2.5 mi

Easy 2.5 mi (conversational, RPE 3–4).

Fri · Rest

Rest. A walk or some stretching is fine.

Sat · Long run · 7 mi

Long run 7 mi (relaxed and steady, RPE 4–5).

Sun · Rest

Rest after the long run.

Week 6

build 18 mi

Build: quality sessions start and the long run keeps growing.

Mon · Easy run · 2.5 mi

Easy 2.5 mi (conversational, RPE 3–4). Finish with 6 × 20 s strides: quick and relaxed, full walk-back recovery.

Also: Strength 25 min, maintenance: the same moves, fewer sets, crisp and controlled.

Tue · Tempo · 3.5 mi

Tempo 3.5 mi: warm up 1 mi easy, then 1.5 mi continuous at threshold (comfortably hard, the effort you could hold for about an hour, RPE 7); cool down about 1 mi easy.

Wed · Rest

Rest. A walk or some stretching is fine.

Thu · Easy run · 4 mi

Easy 4 mi (conversational, RPE 3–4).

Fri · Rest

Rest. A walk or some stretching is fine.

Sat · Long run · 8 mi

Long run 8 mi (relaxed and steady, RPE 4–5).

Sun · Rest

Rest after the long run.

Week 7

build 20 mi

Build: quality sessions start and the long run keeps growing.

Mon · Easy run · 2.5 mi

Easy 2.5 mi (conversational, RPE 3–4). Finish with 6 × 20 s strides: quick and relaxed, full walk-back recovery.

Also: Strength 25 min, maintenance: the same moves, fewer sets, crisp and controlled.

Tue · Intervals · 4.5 mi

Intervals 4.5 mi: warm up 1 mi easy, then 5 × 600 m at interval pace (hard, around 5K effort, RPE 8–9), 200 m easy jog between; cool down about 1 mi easy.

Wed · Rest

Rest. A walk or some stretching is fine.

Thu · Easy run · 4 mi

Easy 4 mi (conversational, RPE 3–4).

Fri · Rest

Rest. A walk or some stretching is fine.

Sat · Long run · 9 mi

Long run 9 mi (relaxed and steady, RPE 4–5).

Sun · Rest

Rest after the long run.

Week 8

build cutback 15.5 mi

Cutback week: volume drops so the last block can sink in. Keep everything relaxed.

Mon · Easy run · 3 mi

Easy 3 mi (conversational, RPE 3–4). Finish with 6 × 20 s strides: quick and relaxed, full walk-back recovery.

Also: Strength 25 min, maintenance: the same moves, fewer sets, crisp and controlled.

Tue · Easy run · 3 mi

Easy 3 mi (conversational, RPE 3–4).

Wed · Rest

Rest. A walk or some stretching is fine.

Thu · Easy run · 3 mi

Easy 3 mi (conversational, RPE 3–4).

Fri · Rest

Rest. A walk or some stretching is fine.

Sat · Long run · 6.5 mi

Long run 6.5 mi (relaxed and steady, RPE 4–5).

Sun · Rest

Rest after the long run.

Week 9

build 22 mi

Build: quality sessions start and the long run keeps growing.

Mon · Easy run · 2.5 mi

Easy 2.5 mi (conversational, RPE 3–4). Finish with 6 × 20 s strides: quick and relaxed, full walk-back recovery.

Also: Strength 25 min, maintenance: the same moves, fewer sets, crisp and controlled.

Tue · Tempo · 5.5 mi

Tempo 5.5 mi: warm up 1 mi easy, then 3 × 1 mi at threshold (comfortably hard, the effort you could hold for about an hour, RPE 7), 90 s easy jog between; cool down about 1 mi easy.

Wed · Rest

Rest. A walk or some stretching is fine.

Thu · Easy run · 4 mi

Easy 4 mi (conversational, RPE 3–4).

Fri · Rest

Rest. A walk or some stretching is fine.

Sat · Long run · 10 mi

Long run 10 mi (relaxed and steady, RPE 4–5). Carry fluids and take fuel every 30–45 min, as you will on race day.

Sun · Rest

Rest after the long run.

Week 10

peak 24 mi

Peak: the biggest weeks, with race-specific work and the longest long runs.

Mon · Easy run · 3.5 mi

Easy 3.5 mi (conversational, RPE 3–4). Finish with 6 × 20 s strides: quick and relaxed, full walk-back recovery.

Also: Strength 25 min, maintenance: the same moves, fewer sets, crisp and controlled.

Tue · Tempo · 4.5 mi

Tempo 4.5 mi: warm up 1 mi easy, then 2.5 mi continuous at threshold (comfortably hard, the effort you could hold for about an hour, RPE 7); cool down about 1 mi easy.

Wed · Rest

Rest. A walk or some stretching is fine.

Thu · Easy run · 5 mi

Easy 5 mi (conversational, RPE 3–4).

Fri · Rest

Rest. A walk or some stretching is fine.

Sat · Long run · 11 mi

Long run 11 mi (relaxed and steady, RPE 4–5). Carry fluids and take fuel every 30–45 min, as you will on race day.

Sun · Rest

Rest after the long run.

Week 11

peak 25 mi

Peak: the biggest weeks, with race-specific work and the longest long runs.

Mon · Easy run · 4 mi

Easy 4 mi (conversational, RPE 3–4). Finish with 6 × 20 s strides: quick and relaxed, full walk-back recovery.

Also: Strength 25 min, maintenance: the same moves, fewer sets, crisp and controlled.

Tue · Race pace · 5.5 mi

Race pace 5.5 mi: warm up 1 mi easy, then 3.5 mi continuous at half-marathon pace (half-marathon effort: strong but sustainable, RPE 7). Lock into the rhythm you will race at; cool down about 1 mi easy.

Wed · Rest

Rest. A walk or some stretching is fine.

Thu · Easy run · 5.5 mi

Easy 5.5 mi (conversational, RPE 3–4).

Fri · Rest

Rest. A walk or some stretching is fine.

Sat · Long run · 10 mi

Long run 10 mi: first 6.5 mi easy, last 3.5 mi at half-marathon pace (half-marathon effort: strong but sustainable, RPE 7). Practise race fuelling and finishing strong on tired legs. Carry fluids and take fuel every 30–45 min, as you will on race day.

Sun · Rest

Rest after the long run.

Week 12

peak 25 mi

Peak: the biggest weeks, with race-specific work and the longest long runs.

Mon · Easy run · 3 mi

Easy 3 mi (conversational, RPE 3–4). Finish with 6 × 20 s strides: quick and relaxed, full walk-back recovery.

Also: Strength 25 min, maintenance: the same moves, fewer sets, crisp and controlled.

Tue · Tempo · 5 mi

Tempo 5 mi: warm up 1 mi easy, then 2 × 1.5 mi at threshold (comfortably hard, the effort you could hold for about an hour, RPE 7), 90 s easy jog between; cool down about 1 mi easy.

Wed · Rest

Rest. A walk or some stretching is fine.

Thu · Easy run · 5 mi

Easy 5 mi (conversational, RPE 3–4).

Fri · Rest

Rest. A walk or some stretching is fine.

Sat · Long run · 12 mi

Long run 12 mi (relaxed and steady, RPE 4–5). Carry fluids and take fuel every 30–45 min, as you will on race day.

Sun · Rest

Rest after the long run.

Week 13

taper 17.5 mi

Taper: volume comes down, a little intensity stays so you feel sharp.

Mon · Easy run · 3.5 mi

Easy 3.5 mi (conversational, RPE 3–4). Finish with 6 × 20 s strides: quick and relaxed, full walk-back recovery.

Also: Strength 20 min, light: core, mobility and a few calf raises. Nothing that leaves you sore.

Tue · Easy run · 3 mi

Easy 3 mi (conversational, RPE 3–4).

Wed · Rest

Rest. A walk or some stretching is fine.

Thu · Easy run · 3 mi

Easy 3 mi (conversational, RPE 3–4).

Fri · Rest

Rest. A walk or some stretching is fine.

Sat · Long run · 8 mi

Long run 8 mi (relaxed and steady, RPE 4–5).

Sun · Rest

Rest after the long run.

Week 14

taper 10.5 mi

Race week: very little running, plenty of sleep, and carbohydrate in the last two days.

Mon · Easy run · 3 mi

Easy 3 mi (conversational, RPE 3–4).

Tue · Rest

Rest. A walk or some stretching is fine.

Wed · Race pace · 4.5 mi

Race pace 4.5 mi: warm up 1 mi easy, then 2 × 1 mi at half-marathon pace (half-marathon effort: strong but sustainable, RPE 7), 2 min easy jog between; cool down about 1.5 mi easy. Short and sharp: you should finish feeling you could do much more.

Thu · Easy run · 3 mi

Easy 3 mi (conversational, RPE 3–4). Finish with 6 × 20 s strides: quick and relaxed, full walk-back recovery.

Fri · Rest

Rest. Lay out your kit, eat a carbohydrate-rich dinner, sleep early.

Sat · Race · 13.1 mi

Goal run: 13.1 mi at the effort you would race a Half Marathon (13.1 mi) at. There is no race on the calendar, so this is your test.

Sun · Rest

Recovery: rest, walk, eat well. No running for a few days.

● = hard day. Cutback weeks are 20–25% lighter so the body can absorb the training.

Questions about this plan

Can a beginner train for a half marathon from 10 miles a week?

Yes. This plan goes from 10 mi to 25 mi a week over 14 weeks, and the long run builds to 12 mi. Below about 5 mi a week or a 3-mile longest run, start with a few weeks of regular easy running first.

What does "effort" mean instead of pace?

Each session uses a 1 to 10 scale of how hard it feels (RPE). Easy runs are 3 to 4, where talking is comfortable. Add a recent 5K or 10K time when you build your own plan and you get paces as well.

Do I need speed work for my first half?

Only a little. This plan adds one short faster session a week after the base weeks, which is plenty for a first finish.

What if I miss a week?

Repeat the last week you completed rather than jumping ahead, and let the plan catch up during the next lighter week.

Make it yours

Start from these answers and change your mileage, run days, long-run day, race date or anything else. Your plan gets its own private link.

Build your own plan from these answers