Training plan for a half marathon under 2 hours

While for some runners finishing a half marathon under 2 hours is everyday routine, for others it is a peak running achievement. No wonder, the half marathon is, right after the 5 km race, the second most popular running distance in the world.

The distance of 21.09 km is considerably more demanding than races over 5 and 10 km, but it does not require preparation as demanding physically or in terms of time as a full marathon. So when training for a half marathon you do not feel as though you had a second full-time job and at the same time not everyone dares to take on this distance.

It is simply a challenge where a structured running plan and a race strategy come into play. After reading this article nothing should surprise you and you should have all the information for a successful attempt. What is more, if you are running a half marathon for the first time in a big organised race, in the article you will also find our personal experience and advice so that you know exactly what to expect and what will happen.

Running a half marathon under 2 h requires a plan

The precondition for meeting the time limit of 1:59:59 is consistency in following the training plan, practising race morning (getting up, breakfast), topping up fluids and energy during the race and strictly sticking to the race strategy. This applies all the more if you have never run a half marathon in an organised race before. You need to realise that your pace will have to average 5:41 min / km.

The basics of training for a half marathon

Training for a half marathon is always built around the weekly long run, which you work your way towards from Monday through the individual training sessions. For most runners Sunday is the best day for the long run, so let us leave it that way for the sake of demonstration.

When training for a half marathon under two hours your longest long run should be over the race distance - that is, between 22 and 24 kilometres. That will give you confidence on race day, because you will know that during training you ran more than a half marathon and that you will handle the distance easily.

The plan below has four training days: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, and it lasts 12 weeks. Tuesdays are for interval training over 1 and 2 km. On Thursday the session focuses on tempo runs, which gradually get closer to your race goal. Saturday is a short recovery run and on Sunday the long run awaits you. Recovery and long runs will help you build the aerobic fitness and endurance you will need to meet the time limit. Interval sessions on Tuesday and tempo runs on Thursday will help you get your body (above all your muscles) used to moving at the required speed for a longer time.

Depending on your lifestyle you can of course adjust the plan, but make sure that the day after a faster session (interval or tempo) and after a long run is a rest day. Also never put two hard sessions back to back. The body needs to be left at least a day to recover, so that it is ready for a longer run and you have rested muscles for completing the next prescribed session.

Training plan: half marathon under 2 hours in 12 weeks

Race strategy, or how not to ruin it

As with any other distance or time goal, you need to think about how you will approach the race. Once the starting gun goes off you have to know what pace you will run and over what distance, where and when you will drink and when you will take a gel. We recommend practising taking gels and fluids every Sunday during your long runs. During the race, take plain water and the gels you are used to. Avoid untested products and pay attention to what you eat the day before the race.

For a half marathon 3 gels will be enough; try to get 2 of them down between 6-7 km and 12-14 km and keep 1 in reserve. At 17-18 km you can assess how you are doing and whether you need the last gel. You will know you need a gel because you will suddenly start to feel “odd" and faint. You do not want to get into that situation, so during your long Sunday runs work out at which kilometre you run out of energy (a big drop in blood sugar occurs). You must always take a gel before that happens. Choose gels without caffeine, magnesium and other additives. You should drink at most 100-150 ml of water every 4-5 km. In extreme heat 200 ml.

At the start you will feel fresh and eager to eat up the first kilometres of the course. Loud music will be playing in the start pen and the runners next to you, full of start-line euphoria, will be shifting impatiently and waiting for the starting gun. Then it comes. The gun goes off and nothing happens, everyone is standing still. You are still a good minute away from the start line, which you will practically reach walking or at a gentle jog. Only start your watch when you run through the start gate and stop it after crossing the finish line.

During the first 2-3 kilometres you will be running in a “huddle" of runners and will have little space. Here we recommend taking extra care, since someone will constantly be overtaking you on both sides. Do not let that throw you and stick strictly to your prescribed pace. After 3 km the course starts to open up and around you there will be runners at the same or a similar pace.

Run the first 5 km at a pace of 5:45-5:50 min/km. After the 5th kilometre slowly increase the pace to 5:35-5:40 min/km and hold this pace until the 18th kilometre. Between 18 and 21 km nothing dramatic should happen. If you feel good, you can speed up a little more for the last 3 km (but not before 18 km), while staying in the range of 5:20-5:35 min/km.

Watch out for pacers, groups and aid stations

Professionally organised races (such as RunCzech) often have marked pacers among the runners, aiming to finish the race in the most popular times. For a half marathon these will typically be 1:30, 1:45, 2:00, 2:10 and so on. If you have never run with pacers before, we do not recommend trying it in your first race.

Even though the pacers will be running for a finish time of, say, 2:00, their race strategy is different from yours. Pacers simply set a pace and only get their breath back at the finish. Even though you can happily stay with them at the start of the race, later in the race (15-17 km) it can happen that you burn out and drop off.

The pacers' pace is always up to 10 seconds per kilometre faster than the one you trained for. So even though you want the same finish time, we recommend an individual approach instead. Pacers always run faster because they allow for the time lost around the aid stations.

The same goes for groups that spontaneously run at “some" pace. Groups usually form around one runner who “looks like they know what they are doing". Even though that may be true, this group will have a different pace every kilometre. So if you do not watch your own pace, you can get into breathing trouble, followed by the typical stitch in your side.

Aid stations are a treacherous place that has cost more than one runner their personal best. Here are a few tips on how to behave at an aid station without losing precious seconds. Most runners crowd around the first tables with water and so form a big huddle that slows itself down.

It is better to run around this standing or walking crowd and pick out the last table of the aid station, where there is always plain water and you do not have to squeeze in. All you have to do is put out your hand and a volunteer will pass you the water on the run and you will not even have to stop. When topping up fluids we recommend easing the pace and taking a few small sips, throwing away the cup and carrying on. If you drink too quickly and deeply, your heart rate will be thrown off and you may start to get an unpleasant stitch in your side, which will most likely ruin your attempt at the time.

Food, hydration, recovery, injuries and equipment

The response to training differs from person to person. But with any more intense block of preparation you will feel its effect on your body after several weeks. The key to keeping up progress in training and meeting your set goals is to make sure that your body has enough energy to function and enough nutrients for the recovery that follows.

Remember that it is important to take in enough carbohydrates and protein. During the training period your daily carbohydrate intake should be at least 5 g / kg of your body weight. If you feel tired during training, increase your intake and play around with the timing.

The recommended daily amount of protein for aerobic athletes is 1.3-1.6 g / kg of body weight. If you do not get enough protein from your normal diet, you can try hyve clear whey isolate, which is suitable for runners. An alternative is the classic whey protein hyve wpc 80. Both proteins are suitable for aerobic athletes, since they contain no artificial ingredients or thickeners.

Do not forget either about topping up the basic minerals (sodium, magnesium, potassium, calcium), which you will lose in large amounts through sweating. You can read more in the article about electrolytes and their function.

You will support recovery by stretching regularly after training. Make sure you stretch the lower half of the body well, focusing on the feet and the larger tendons (the Achilles tendon). Stretching can help prevent the most common running injuries. If something starts to hurt during training, we recommend taking a break for a while. That is still better than an injury developing and making it impossible for you to start.

As for equipment, the only thing you need to sort out for a half marathon is good running shoes. The good news is that one pair will be enough for both the training block and the race. So you do not have to buy several models. Shoes with a carbon plate are a modern trend, but we can assure you that they are not a condition of success.

The full potential of these shoes is only used by professional racers whose pace is under 4 min / km. You would also destroy shoes with a carbon plate during the training block and on race day they would no longer have the properties to give you any advantage. Proven shoe models for this distance are, for example, Asics Gel Nimbus, Asics Gel Cumulus or Nike Pegasus.

Always choose shoes a size larger. Try out your race outfit during one or two long runs to make sure that nothing cuts or pinches anywhere.

Conclusion

The hyve team wishes you a successful build-up to your half marathon and a great race day. We hope that you manage to meet this goal and that above all you enjoy the race. We are also happy to welcome new members to the running club hyve running in the Strava app, where we will gladly answer any questions about training or give you further tips before your big day.